G-Pete

Now finally Wild Hare RC has a Warbird to offer, a F6F Hellcat.

The Hellcat is a very under reported and most overlooked navy fighter. The Hellcat has a high record of kills and was loved by it's drivers. The folding wing was manual - that kept the weight down for more fuel and ordnance.
The F6F was the last development - the last Hellcats were phased out in May 1961 (five month before I was born).

Now the WH F6F:

First impression was, this airplane looks cool. The color is nice and I found no wrinkles. The packaging is superb, everything is double boxed. I will build the "regular" cowl version. WH offers a slightly longer cowl to move the engine forward. This makes it possible to balance the airplane without dead weight. We will see how much weight I have to add to the DA 50 as power plant.

Alright, stay tuned for some fun....

Pictures

1 the fuse stand up on the bench waiting to get undressed
2 like I mentioned, all wrapped nicely
3 yep I like Hellcats too...
4 the hardware as it comes from WH
5 ahhh, what a undercarriage - slowly the east catching up with the machine skills
6 the fuselage is straight and no warping in the control surfaces
7 like on all ARF's I will apply CA to all mayor joints - very sturdy build turtledeck
8 plenty room for everything - space for the fuel cell to sit close to the CG
9 even a dummy engine in the kit
10 opening for flap and aileron servo hatches
11 one major improvement, split wing bays
12 most blind nuts are installed

G-Pete

....here is the link for Wild Hare RC, http://wildharerc.com/

Experten109/40

My Feedback: (-1)

I would go further & say it was a better aircraft then the Corsair. but alas gov' contracts
nice bird, looking foward to your build.

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

Thanks Pete, now we viewers have some structure to go by. Look forward to following the build

Go low if you wanna make a show
Jimmy

Thunderbolt47

My Feedback: (8)

But The HellCat wasn't fast enough to catch the kamakaze planes. That was one of the major factors that got the Corsairs on the carriers, as the Navy considered them not safe for carrier operations.


Hey Pete, are you going to build it as is?

Experten109/40

My Feedback: (-1)

in what universe was the zero faster? the F6F was faster in level flight, and most certainly faster in
a dive. and it was just as manuverable as the zero.

Thunderbolt47

My Feedback: (8)

The ones that where loaded with explosives and diving for the carriers. Looks it up.
Also that's what they said on the military channel.

G-Pete

Pretty much - somewhere it will be a little bashing, I'm looking forward to fly that baby. The airfoil looks very promissing - she will be a floater.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

pete , who makes the one hanging up in your shop !!! ??very cool

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

A floater!! AHHHHHHHH like reading poetry G .pick mine up at the bus terminal tomorrow, hope you don't mind , can I post with ya?

Jimmy

G-Pete

BBI Elite Force - same company of the P-38 and B-17 next to it. Good luck fining one...
http://www.flyingmule.com/products/BB-21725

G-Pete

Not at all Mate - welcome on board!

G-Pete

Some of you wonder how accurate the scale outlines are on this bird - well, I blew the drawings up and put the parts on top. The airplane does not only look nice from the inside it matches the outlines. There are two little flaws - if they are not pointed out you can't see it without the plans directly on top. The scale outline earns here 90 points. That is darn good for an ARF.
The wheels could be a little larger - down the road I will address that again.

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

Hey Pete, just unpacked mine and got the same surprise, nothing broken and packed very well Check the size of these elevators, no wonder the word was out that this bird would 3D Just what we need, a warbird hanging on the prop!! The CMP AT-6 is one Im doing for a friend so I put it next to the Hellcat fuse...wow and thats the TopFlite GS P-47 cowl next to the Hellcats cowl...wow again

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

Nice Pete! Based on the wheel well how much larger a wheel do you think will fit without modifying the wheel well?

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

Hey Pete, you plan on using any of Fritzdezings riviets?

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

You are right on about this wing Pete, this baby is going to get low and slow

Go low if you wanna make a show
Jimmy

G-Pete

Jimmy, the F6F was 2 feet wider than the Jug. The WH Hellcat scale is 1 : 6.11 - the Topflite is 1 : 5.75. The full scale airplanes shared the same P&W R2800 engine with some modifications.
I held the DA50 in the cowl kinda lost in there hehe. 

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

Pete, Nice diagram of the Hellcat

Jimmy

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

Yea, Id say the DA is going to have plenty of room to spread out At least we dont have to worry about special mufflers.
Jimmy

G-Pete

That's the maximum size- 4 inches

...working on it, got some ideas

I enjoy not only building and flying these machines - it is very interesting to read about them.

fred985

soerry but the hellcat was well under 400 mph but was a superb fighter.,,,,the coraiar was well over 400.

deatonbt

G-Pete,

I was looking at the picture of the inside of the fuselage as it goes down toward the tail. What material is being used for the turtledeck? Iam having a difficult time telling what the fuselage skin is on different parts; wood, composite, film.

hellcat56

My Feedback: (21)

Hellcat ate Zero's for breakfast

Hellcat stats
Maximum speed: 330 kn 610 km/ 380 mph,)


Zero Stats
Maximum speed:287 kn 533 km 331 mph

Cosair
Maximum speed: 369 kn, 684 km 425 mph

"But The HellCat wasn't fast enough to catch the kamakaze planes. That was one of the major factors that got the Corsairs on the carriers, as the Navy considered them not safe for carrier operations. "
Japan used many differenct types of kamakaze planes-i can find no stats to say that Anything was as fast as a Hellcat

Thunderbolt47

My Feedback: (8)

Let me rephrase my statement. The Kamakaze plane doesn't have to be as fast. But if someone has a head start on you, you need to catch them as fast as you can. Therefore the Corsair could CATCH THEM FASTER than the HellCat could. That is why they needed them (corsairs) on the carriers. If not for this, the Corsair would have probubly have spent its entire time on land bases.
I didn't make this up guys. sorry but it is historical facts.
In a war or a race every second counts.

Build on Pete!!