F6F-3 vs. F6F-5 Hellcats

[Sasquatch]

Hi All,

Just two quick questions please:

Did the -5 Hellcat do away with the rear window in the fuselage behind the canopy?

And were any of the -5 Hellcats (back in the war years) painted in the Navy's Tricolor scheme...or were they all done in the solid sea blue color?

Thanks in advance to all who post replies.

--Tom

[Jack Cook]

Early -5s still had the cut out behind the cockpit.

[John Ceglarek]

As to color, I think that while there may have been some prototypes painted in the tricolor scheme, I believe that the -5 aircraft that went to the fleet were all in the dk sea blue scheme.

John

[Sasquatch]

Thanks guys!

[gregv]

There seem to be quite a few scale models from respectable manufacturers depicting -5 's in tri-color, but I couldn't find any images of actual aircraft definitively showing one schemed as such, at least searching on Google images.

I am sure that a decent book on the type would provide you with an answer; perhaps Squadron Signal's "F6F Hellcat in Action" would be a good starting point. You could always post a question on a modeler's website as well, like Hyperscale for instance.

good luck

gv

[Sasquatch]

Good idea Greg; I'll try that...thanks!