History

The F6F-5 featured several improvements including a more powerful R-2800-10W engine, embodying a water-injection system and housed in a slightly more streamlined engine cowling, spring-loaded control tabs on the ailerons, and an improved, clear view windscreen, with a flat armored-glass front panel replacing the F6F-3's curved plexiglass panel and internal armor glass screen. In addition, the rear fuselage and tail units were strengthened, and, apart from some early production aircraft, the majority of the F6F-5's built were painted in an overall gloss sea blue finish. After the first few F6F-5s were built, the small windows behind the main canopy were deleted. The F6F-5N night fighter variant was fitted with an AN/APS-6 radar in a fairing on the outer-starboard wing. A small number of standard F6F-5s were also fitted with camera equipment for reconnaissance duties as the F6F-5P. While all F6F-5s were capable of carrying an armament mix of one 20 mm (.79 in) M2 cannon in each of the inboard gun bays (220 rounds per gun), along with two pairs of .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns (each with 400 rounds per gun), this configuration was only used on later F6F-5N night fighters. The F6F-5 was the most common F6F variant, with 7,870 being built.(Courtesy Wikipedia.)

Contents

The model arrived in the typical Eduard top opening box and inside we find five large sprues in two sealed plastic bags.
Canopy parts are packed separately.
Two decal sheets.
Photo Etched parts for cockpit and engine wire harness.
Eduard Mask for cockpit and wheels.
Brassin Resin wheels and hubs for the plastic wheels.
8 1/4" X 11 3/4" eight page instruction book (C 2012)
Parts are formed in dark grey plastic and free of any flash.

Instructions

Printed on glossy 8 1/4 X 11 3/4 paper.
Front cover has an Intro/history of the aircraft.
Sprue parts layout and paint colour coding are on the first side.
Eight sides have part assembly drawings
One side shows paint mask locations.
Four sides have paint colour and decal locations.
The back cover has all the stencil locations.

The Kit

The Cockpit is the starting point of this build and we have a comprehensive PE sheet to work with which has 63 painted instruments and seat belts.
We are given a choice for the instrument panel (G43 or G50).
G43 is devoid of any raised instrument bezels which allows us to use 15 multi layered PE parts with painted dials and bezels.
G50 will require painting and decaling.
The seat has painted PE lap and shoulder belts.
23 PE parts are used to upgrade the fuselage walls.
If you are going to use the fuel tank the mounting slot will need to be cut out.
The cockpit floor brings panel,rear wall,seat assembly's together and after the sidewall details are glued in the fuselage halls can be jointed together.
The canopy (2 pc) is supplied with the optional parts for open or closed and later front canopy.
All parts are nice and clear.

Fuselage

The fuselage as with the rest of the model has fine recessed panel lines and rivets.
Control surfaces are separate parts and are not possible.
A two part fuel drop tank and PE straps wraps up the fuselage.

Engine

Five plastic parts and PE wire harness will build a nice looking R 2800 ,there is a Brassin accessories kit (648056) available which would be worthwhile to have if you want to remove the cowl and show off the exhaust piping and wire harness.
The cowl is made up from three plastic parts and a PE intake grill.

Wings

Wheel well inserts and guns are installed before joining the wing halfs together.
Control surfaces will need to be modified if you want them posed.
With this release clear landing light covers are supplied along with wing tip navigation covers.
The fuselage has recessed wing shape pockets for glueing the wings into.

Oleo

We are given the choice of Resin or plastic rims and tires, the resin tires are one piece and have a moulded tread pattern while the plastic ones are made up with two halfs with no tread on them.
The oleo struts are nicely detailed with seven plastic parts and one PE part.

Armament

The model includes options for two types of rockets ( 3 per side) and two types of bombs ( 1 per side).
PE is included for the bomb tail fins and bomb mounting straps.
HVAR rockets are available from Eduard with PE mounting brackets (#648061).

Decals

One large sheet provides the main decals and a small sheet has all the stencils.
Printed by Eduard the decals have minimal film around them.
Decals for four aircraft:-

VF-12 or VBF-12 USS Randolph, May 1945

LCDR T Hugh Winters Jr. VF-19 USS Lexington, late October 1944

VF-29 USS Cabot, January-March 1945

Death and Destruction VF-83 USS Essex May 5th 1945

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on Aeroscale.