Airframe and Miniature No.15 The Grumman F6F Hellcat
By: Richard A Franks ISBN: 978-1-912932-11-5 Price: £22.95 Pages: 232 Format: A4 Web: www.valiant-wings.co.uk
Grumman’s Hellcat was a stalwart of the Pacific air war, yet it has not received the accolades or exposure enjoyed by other fighter aircraft. Thankfully, though, there is a decent selection of kits on the market, including Airfix’s impressive 1/24 F6F-5 and this new softback from Valiant Wings is a goldmine of information on the type… and what’s available in the modelling arena.
As usual with this ongoing series, house author Richard A Franks unpicks the subject in a logical fashion, first exploring the aircraft’s inception, design, production and entry into service. Operations with US Navy and US Marine Corps units are described, along with export employment, including the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm (FAA). Excellent period imagery appears throughout this section.
The narrative then changes to that of the Hellcat’s evolution through its individual sub-types, with text and side view drawings for each variant; the latter is handy for showing the subtle airframe changes. Camouflage and markings comes next and this chapter benefits from 47 colour profiles, plus plan views…
