F6F3/5 Hellcat US Fighter

Despite their ordinariness, I’ve decided that I really like Academy models. There is absolutely nothing special about their version of the F6F. It has ok detail and fit. There is relatively little flash or trimming needed. It is overall an extraordinarily average model. However, it’s really nice if you just want to slap something together for fun, or try a new technique. The model is also fairly sturdy and there are very few tiny fragile parts making this a good toy also, and there are a few nice options in the kit. It would be a great kit for beginners or youngsters, and it would be an excellent companion kit to Academy’s A6M5 Zero (hello living room dogfights!). There is one major drawback. The decals are terrible. They will not stay on the model once dry, they won’t conform to the model, they have huge ugly silver areas, and none of the expensive decal setting products seem to work. The only thing I’ve used that works is extra thin glue, but you have to be very careful. If you can get past the decals though, it’s not a bad model at all.

This kit includes parts enough for one aircraft. There are two options in markings and build options. Pros Summary: Great value, Good panel lines and riveting, Satisfying build, Overall good fit and molding detail Cons Summary: Engine cowl and canopy fit, cockpit and landing gear bays detail, molded flight controls The detail is good for the scale of 1/72. The panel lines are recessed and some riveting can be seen as well. There is also a surprisingly large amount of armament options included in the kit. There are drop tanks, bombs and rockets. The cockpit detail is decent, there are some molded detailing to the fuselage insides as well as a multiple piece canopy which allows for open display. The instrument panel is water-slide decal. There is some mild detail in the landing gear bays but not much. There is a multiple piece engine that features a good amount of detail for its scale. There is no build option for folded wings but the landing gears are able to be displayed deployed or closed. The ailerons, elevator, rudder, flaps and trim tabs are all molded in. I am only a casual builder and used only acrylic brush techniques. The sprues are packaged together. I noticed no damage to any pieces but there were loose pieces floating around the bag due to handling. It is a standard difficulty kit that requires gluing of pieces, painting and use of water-slide decals. For the most part the fit is good and requires only a small amount of filling and sanding. I did have a bit of trouble refitting the canopy and my engine cowl does not seem to line up properly no matter what i do to it. This is not so noticeable and I am not a perfectionist so it is passable. It does not include any resin or photo etch parts. The model paints well and takes washes and dry brushing well. The instruction sheet is concise enough for building and marking. The Instructions are in black and white only. There are only a few decals but they apply well. There is a fair amount of building required and is satisfying for beginning and casual builders. At this price the kit is a definite buy. The price is good for the amount of detail and would be worth while even if one was to use it as a build to experiment with various techniques. I used mine to practice my panel lining. This kit as a whole is consistent with the quality you can expect from modern Academy kits. Generally I am satisfied with Academy kits and I am surely satisfied with the F6F 3/5 kit.

Academy has made a nice Hellcat kit. Engraved panel lines, nice detail. And, even bombs and rockets. The Hellcat has a better cockpit than other Academy kits in this scale too. Just be careful cutting out the rear side windows. This could mess up some modelers.