Tower Hobbies F6FHellcat
A famous naval warbird that is packed with scale features!
PHOTOGRAPHY: LARRY KRUSE O
ther than the Chance-Vought F4U-4 Corsair, one of the most recognizable profiles and plan forms of any WWII U.S. Navy car- rier-based fighter belongs to the Grumman F6F Hellcat. As the successor to the earlier F4F Wildcat, its clean, more elongated lines didn’t have the stubby look of its smaller brother, nor did it have the quirky visual ap- peal of the bent-wing Corsair. However, its straightforward rugged design not only spoke to its success in helping to achieve air superiority in the Pacific, but translates well to the modeling world.
Tower Hobbies has remained true to the importance of the Hellcat by adding it to its line of semi-scale EP WWII fighters, which includes the earlier issued P-51 Mustang and the Corsair. At just under 40 inches in span, all three planes are ruggedly con- structed from injection-molded EPO (ex- panded polyolefin) foam and go together in a matter of minutes from the time you open the box.
Speaking of which, the first things that struck me about the Hellcat was how few parts there were, and how well they were
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packed. The parts were all separated by cus- tom-cut foam inserts and came out of the box totally unscathed and ready for assembly. As I examined each piece, I was amazed at the amount of detail in the plane, including panel lines, rivets, and decals that seem to be painted on, given how they snuggled down into the panel lines and over the riv- ets. Some may comment on the placement of the insignia, particularly on the wings, but that doesn’t impinge on the quality of the ef- fort toward realism. A three-bladed prop with painted tips and an aluminum spinner add even more to the scale impression. Complementing the molded and applied details is the overall three-color paint scheme done up accurately in WWII Pacific Theater colors. A detailed cockpit and pilot are shown off to good advantage by a nicely trimmed canopy, flush-mounted as an inte- gral part of the top hatch. For easy receiver and battery access, the canopy hatch is held in place with magnets in the rear and a stur- dy foam tab in the front. The hatch can ei- ther be popped up by pulling on it, or slid to one side at the back (my favorite technique) to break the magnetic grip.
By Larry Kruse
AT A GLANCE Type:
Construction: Wing span: Wing area: Airfoil: Length: Weight:
Wing loading: Motor: ESC:
Battery: Prop:
Radio: Manufacturer:
R/C sport scale foam
39 inches 272 sq. in. symmetrical 31.5 inches
28–31 ounces
14.8–16.7 oz./sq.ft. 1000 Kv outrunner
SuperTigre 30-amp
3S 1800–2200 mAh Li-Po 10–6 three-blade
4-channel (minimum)
Tower Hobbies P.O. Box 9078, Champaign, IL 61826 217-398-3636
www.towerhobbies.com MAY 2013
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