Hobby Master Archive

Hobby Master 1/32 PREMIUM COLLECTION Air Power Series HA0305 Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat VMF(N)-541, Falalop Island, Ulithi Atoll, May 1945

Features Optional see-through cowling Folding wings Rotating metal propeller Sliding canopy Interchangeable undercarriage Rolling wheels Removable center-line fuel tank 2 Bombs under fuselage, one on each side of fuel tank 6 Rockets, 3 under each wing Realistic looking pilot Dimensions Length - 12.4 in (315.5 mm) Open Wingspan - 16 in (410 mm) Width When Wings Folded - 6.6 in (168.8 mm) Height - 4.43 in (112.5 mm) Height To Top Of Folded Wings - 4.6 in (116.5 mm)

Weight - 2.8 lb (1.28 kg)

In 1942-43 the F4U program was bogged down with delays and the USN needed a top notched carrier-based fighter. The Grumman F6F-5 was exactly what they were looking for with the first production model flying in October 1942 and 12,274 Hellcats built by the end of the war. In terms of size, the Hellcat was the second largest single engine fighter of the war, being just slightly smaller than the Republic P-47 “Thunderbolt”.

One of the best kept secrets of WWII was the Ulithi Atoll of the Caroline Islands. Early 1945 saw almost 200 battleships, cruisers, destroyers, carriers and hundreds more supply ships anchored there to make it possible for the U.S. to advance across the Pacific toward Japan. On May 30, 1945 Falalop Island became the new home for the VMF(N)-541 “Bat Eye Squadron” protecting the fleet anchored there. Morale became so low that the 541 was the first war time Marine unit permitted to paint nose art on their aircraft.

Specifications (F6F-5): Engine: 2000hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial piston engine Weight: Empty 9150 lbs., Max Takeoff 15,410 lbs. Dimensions: Wing Span: 42ft. 10in. Length: 33ft. 7in. Height: 13ft. 6in. Performance: Maximum Speed at 23,500 ft: 380mph Cruising Speed at 6,000 ft: 168mph Ceiling: 37,300 ft Range: 1,530 miles with 150-gallon drop tank Armament: Six 12.7mm (0.5 inch) wing-mounted machine guns Two 1,000-lb bombs, or six 127mm (5-inch) rockets