Executive Series Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat 1/32 Scale Mahogany Model

Introducing the ready-built AF6FT Desktop Model. This 1/32 scale model was handmade with precision and accuracy to produce the finest model that will be the centerpiece of your collection for years to come. This model is a perfect gift for pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike. Not too big or too small, this model features a wingspan of 12.25 inches and a length of 16 inches. This model features a very accurate paint scheme with realistic panel lines.

This collectible model F6F-3 Hellcat represents the Navy’s answer to the Japanese Zero – a rugged Grumman fighter that racked up more than 5,000 enemy aircraft destroyed in World War II. Painstakingly built from Philippine mahogany by skilled craftsmen using a wealth of detail, this 1/32-scale model F6F-3 Hellcat makes a great pilot gift, or a present for any veteran, aviation enthusiast or history buff.

The F6F-3 Hellcat succeeded the F4F Wildcat as the Navy’s front-line fighter during World War II. Development of the Hellcat began even before Pearl Harbor as Grumman engineers worked on improvements to the Wildcat.

Fitted with a 2,000-horsepower Wright Double Wasp radial engine, the Hellcat had a top speed of 380 mph, and was armed with six .50-caliber machine guns and hard points for external munitions.

Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was designed for ease of manufacture and ability to withstand significant damage. A total of 212 pounds of cockpit armor was fitted to aid pilot survival, as well as a bullet-resistant windshield and armor around the engine oil tank and oil cooler. Self-sealing fuel tanks further reduced susceptibility to fire and often allowed damaged aircraft to return home. The U.S. Navy's all-time leading ace, Capt. David McCampbell, scored all his 34 victories in the Hellcat.

The Hellcat first saw combat on September 1943, and began an impressive run of aerial victories. In the Marianas Turkey Shoot – the Battle of the Phillipine Sea – Hellcats accounted for 75 percent of the 400-plus Japanese aircraft shot down.

The Hellcat led to the development of the F8F Bearcat, an airplane believed by many to be the pinnacle of piston-engine fighter development.