Eduard

1/32 F6F-5 Hellcat Photoetch Details For the Trumpeter Hellcat

Stock Numbers: 32-189 (Undercarriage) 32-187 (Exterior) 32-188 (Engine)

Reviewed By  Bob Ulrich, IPMS# 35901

MSRP: (see below) Website: www.eduard.cz This is a PE set dedicated to the AMS afflicted modeler. No offense intended, because I am one of them (do we need a support group or perhaps a spot on Dr. Phil?). Provided on an oversize fret, this not the set to begin learning PE techniques with. Installing all of it will be challenge to the PE experts, but when it's done it should look stunning. Set #32-189- Undercarriage Details MSRP $34.95 The first step will be removal of most of Trumpeter's molded in details, including the ribbing on the wheel well roof. The wheel well sidewalls are decorated with PE replacements sporting recessed detail and further enhanced with brackets and inspection plates. The landing gear uplock mechanism is recreated in great detail, including a cable array that will look more convincing if replaced by wire or solder. Moving on to the roof, the molded detail is replaced by an assembly of no less than twelve pieces, some of them quite small. This is followed by gusset details, and then by even more tiny bracket pieces. Because the thin brass does not offer much gluing area for some of these parts, assembly could be challenging, and likely an exercise in frustration until you subdue the beast. The gear struts and doors are not overlooked, and as usual there are PE attempts at the brake lines. These will best serve as guides for making your own out of solder. Details for the tail gear strut complete the set, but wait, there's more. The wing fold inner detail is also provided in this set. Removal of molded detail is required again. As noted, this is not a set for the novice. Frankly, it's a bit intimidating to me and I've been using PE a long time (I remember when Eduard started). The results should be worth the effort, but I strongly suggest you follow the instructions closely and go very slowly. Remove each piece from the fret, bend and install it, and mark it off the instruction sheet as you go, and you shouldn't get lost in the myriad of small parts. Beware the carpet monster, and beware yourself, as well. The completed installation will look like a million bucks but it will also be very fragile. Recommended for the truly AMS inflicted. #32-187- Exterior Detail Set MSRP $29.95 A very complete photo etch set, on two frets, to super detail your Trumpeter Hellcat. Of particular interest are the mounting frames, complete with fastener holes, for the removable engine and radio compartment panels. These will really finish off these areas, if you chose to leave the panels open. A fully detailed oil cooler flap/door for the underside is next up. This door is much closer to scale thickness than the kit part, and is pretty visible even though it's on the belly. Eduard provides an array of servicing doors and inspection plates, with fastener detail, brackets for trim tab actuators, and a bracket for attaching the radio antenna to the kit mast. The set is rounded out with details for the under wing stores. The drop tank gets a filler cap ring, an assortment of tiny brackets and a set of the straps which helped hold the tank in position. The straps are again much closer to a scale appearance than their injection molded counterparts. Bomb details include fins, attachment fittings, and fuse spinners, while the 5-inch rockets are treated to new fins, exhaust caps and a fuse wire. The latter suffers from the usual problem of representing a round wire with a flat piece of brass, and you'll probably want to replace them. Even if you don't arm your Hellcat with bombs or rockets these details will be a useful addition to your spares box for another project. The instruction sheet follows Eduard's usual format. This set requires quite a few bends, and some of the pieces are definitely fiddly, so be prepared. Recommended for those with some PE experience, who wish to add that last dollop of detail to Trumpeter's big Grumman cat. #32-188- Hellcat Engine Details MSRP $19.95 This simple photo etch set is intended to dress up the R-2800 in your Trumpeter Hellcat, and if you plan to display the engine uncovered it is almost a necessity. Although Trumpeter's engine is a kit unto itself, some things just defy injection molding. Chief among these is the array of baffles that surround the cylinders and direct air flow in the way Pratt and Whitney desired for proper cooling. In reality these simple sheet metal baffles took significant engineering time to perfect and were crucial to the engine's success. Photo etch is a perfect medium to represent them. The between cylinders baffles are separate pieces and the baffles between the cylinder banks are a single connected piece that needs to bent around the engine and secured to the cylinders. Sounds complicated, but it's really not as bad as it sounds. Eduard even includes tiny holes in the right places to thread your ignition cables through. Now that could get fiddly! A complete replacement set of cowl flaps is also included, with separate actuator brackets, and a nice mesh screen for the air intake. All the above items are nicely done and very useful for an exposed engine. The fret also includes a photoetched ignition harness, which is less useful. A flat piece of brass just cannot simulate a round ignition cable, especially in this scale. That caveat aside, this is a typical example of Eduard's professionally finished products. If you're going to button up the cowling on your Hellcat you probably don't need this set, but for an exposed power plant it's just about indispensable.