Just wanted to give you guys a heads up on what I am working on. Since I have a very limited stash (and even more limited stash-space), I usually decide my next build based on what partial aircraft is sitting forlornly in the stash needing to be kitbashed. In this case, I had a 1/72 Hasegawa F6F-5 which had contributed it's engine and cowling to my SPU-1 Stingray and it's wings to my recent SK-1 Malt. It was such a nice fuselage just sitting there... So I decided to replace the original engine with a much-smaller R-2600 from a B-25, supplemented by a jet in the tail. The intake for the jet is directly under the R-2600 engine cowling, just ahead of the wing. Having transplanted the wings to the SK-1, I looked in the stash for some wings that are not already dedicated to a future project... about the only things I had available were the upper wing from a Gladiator (definitely out!) and the wings from a Kingfisher. I decided on the Kingfisher wings, which had two problems: 1. No landing gear. I solved this problem using a dremel to cut out wheel wells and I'll make doors out of sheet styrene to cover the F6F gear. 2. The Kingfisher wings are too short for this Hellcat fuselage - I hope to address that somehow with high-lift devices and backstory.
I have already installed the jet exhaust, which looks really good, I think. I have also begun to craft the intake trunking and modified the B-25 cowling to keep the exhaust out of the jet intake. The back story will involve the jet Hellcat being a backup to the Ryan FR-1. If I had thought of it in time, I would have saved this for the WWIII GB, but I think I am too far along for that. Even so, I may put it on hold to try to get another (different) entry into the Extended Service Life GB, if I can gather parts in time AND there is an extension.
I will post WIP photos later tonight or tomorrow. Comments and suggestions welcome!
Chuck