I've not taken any detailed photos (yet) but some should eventually get posted on The Flying Mule's website here: http://www.flyingmule.com/products/HM-HA0304
The model I purchased was that of an F6F-5N Hellcat night fighter flown by Major Bruce Porter of USMC VMF(N)-542 while stationed at Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, in May 1945. Maj. Porter lived in my hometown of Fresno, CA. My father knew him and even went to school with his daughter. I've got an autographed copy of Maj. Porter's autobiography, so naturally, when a model of his plane appeared, I had to get it
THE GOOD:
Hobby Master's F6F has quite a bit of diecast in its construction and is quite heavy. It comes packed securely in a styrofoam tray. The paint applications on my model are flawless. The cockpit is nicely detailed with controls, instruments, and the gunsight and the canopy slides open. The canopy framing appears to be accurate for the late-model F6F-5 aircraft. The plastic engine cowling is removable and reveals a detailed double wasp radial engine. The model also comes with a clear cowling piece so one can display the engine detail if they want. All landing gear parts are plug-in-place, which I don't mind on a smaller model like this. The wings can be displayed in either the extended or folded positions and when extended have good dihedral. As this particular plane is a night fighter variant of the Hellcat, it comes with the radar pod on the starboard wing and two 20mm cannon barrels detailed on the inboard gun ports on each wing. There are a lot of parts that come with the model, giving the collector a variety of ways to accurately display the aircraft, which is nice.
THE BAD:
The Hobby Master F6F Hellcat has drawn criticism since it was first released and much of this is rightly so. First there's the cost, which averages around $228 and is a bit much... I had a $20 off coupon from The Flying Mule, which helped, but it cost me pretty much as much as the last Corgi Mosquito I purchased - and that is significantly larger than the Hellcat. It also does not include the stand, which is an extra $15.
In terms of construction, I'm not completely thrilled with the wing setup. Overall, the folding wings were done in a similar manner to what HM did with their 1:48 scale Corsair. The wings separate and there are parts that plug in place to brace them in the extended or folded positions. The wing upper surface is diecast, and they are heavy, and the gap does not close as tightly as I would prefer. Just not as solid of a feel as I would want. The wings are not helped by the fact that you have to install a couple different plastic parts on the underside around the wheel well. These parts have a small flap either opened or closed for when the wings are folded or extended. This was done for accuracy, but weakens the structural strength of the model. Save for the rudder, none of the other main control surfaces are movable. The ailerons, flaps, and elevators do not move, which contrasts to the HM 1:32 scale SBD Dauntless where all surfaces move. The Hellcat's landing gear are plug-in-place, but are plastic in construction and feel just a bit flimsy given the weight of the fuselage. The HM Hellcat is definitely not a model you want to fly around your living room or roll across the table
It was easy enough to attach the accessories - the drop tank and main radio mast. Rather strangely, this particular model comes with two 500lb bombs on their hard points, however, there is no slot on the underside of the wing to attach them! Its not big deal as the Hellcat didn't carry bombs in the night fighter role, but it's still odd that HM included parts one can't really use. The pilot figure is an improvement over those that came with the SBD Dauntless, but it isn't the greatest. I'm using a BBI 1:32 scale PTO pilot, which looks far better. The 21c 32x Corsair pilot would also fit, but one would need to cut off the parachute so it could sit low enough in the cockpit.
THE VERDICT:
I got this plane because of my connection with the pilot and I like to have models of aircraft in my collection where I have some sort of connection to the person that flew them. If you're desperate to have a pre-built 1:32 scale Hellcat - and have the money to spare - the Hobby Master is not a terrible example. It is good and looks the part. That said, for the $228 price tag, I would have expected somewhat better craftsmanship, particularly with the wings, than what HM delivered.
