Hobby Master Archive

Hobby Master 1/32 PREMIUM COLLECTION Air Power Series HA0306 Grumman F6F-5 “Death & Destruction” BuNo 72534, VF-83, USS Essex, 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”.

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat “Death & Destruction” Bu.No 72534 White 115 belonged to VF-83 onboard the USS Essex that between March 23 and May 28, 1945 was assigned to assist in the invasion of Okinawa. F6F-5 “Death & Destruction” had mostly been shared by three pilots, McPherson, Kingston and Ward but it was on May 4, 1945 when Task Force 58 was attacked by a concentration of Kamikaze that Ward downed three Alf’s (Kawanishi E7K) and an Oscar (Nakajima Ki-43). All three of these pilots would achieve ACE status.

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