Academy F6F-3 5 Hellcat USS Princeton

This is an Academy 1/72 scale plastic model kit. Of the 6,477 Japanese aircraft shot down by US Navy pilots in World War II, over 5,000 can be credited to the F6F Hellcat. Prior to its operational debut in 1943, the Navy Wildcats often were no match for the nimble Japanese Zero-Sen. The Hellcat, with its speed, armor, and heavy armament changed all that, becoming the dominant fighter of the era. A total of 12,275 Hellcats of all varieties were manufactured before production ceased in August 1945. Used in reserve squadrons for many years after 1945, the Hellcats even served in the Korean War as remote-controlled flying bombs against North Korean ground targets. The F6F-5 was the mostly widely produced version. This strikingly accurate kit comes loaded with six 50 calibre machine guns, two 1000 lb bombs, and six 127mm rocket launchers to build either the F6F-3 or F6F-5. Fully engraved panel lines, highly detailed cockpit and landing gear. Decals from mid WWII are included.