Note that there was an earlier torpedo trial with an early F6F (note gun barrel fairings and no plywood appurtenances on the torpedo).
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This blog contains posts that are works-in-progress for my "real" blogs on U.S. Navy Aircraft History and for modelers of U. S. Navy Aircraft.
For my home page tommythomason.com, which provides a list of my books and monographs and links to Amazon for reviews and purchase, click HERE.
For my home page tommythomason.com, which provides a list of my books and monographs and links to Amazon for reviews and purchase, click HERE.
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- Tailspin
- In 1956, at age 12, I lived on NAS Sangley Point in the Philippine Islands. Always enamored with airplanes, I imprinted on the Cougars, Banshees, and Skyraiders then being deployed. Not able to be a Naval Aviator because I was nearsighted, I instead became an aeronautical engineer and general aviation pilot. Now retired, I write books and monographs on U.S. Navy aircraft.
More arcane but interesting stuff! I noted a couple of things in the bottom 1943 photo that might interest the modellers among us. First, the top fin of the torpedo fits into a recess in the underside of the Hellcat while in the later 1945 photo above it does not. Secondly, the Hellcat in the bottom photo appears to be painted in the three tone camo of the day and is actually pretty clean. The interesting part to me is that everything on the gear strut is painted the same color: strut, brake lines, fasteners et al. Same up in the wing fold area. All the sheet metal, wiring, hoses, connectors, canon plugs, electrical boxes and so on are painted the same shade of blue or interior green or bronze green or whatever it is. Now, if I ever build an F6F, I won't have to go to the trouble of trying to "detail" all those tiny parts -- I can just shoot all those areas one color and move on and still have a more or less accurate model.
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The Old Bald Guy
Was there a late (post-war) canopy that had the upper horizontal brace but no vertical? The F6F-5,77722, at NAF Andrews is like this and the Blue Angels Hellcats also appeared to be the same way but I can't find anything to confirm or deny that.
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