F6F from Flying Iron coming...

[collensr]

Hoping we can have the default ASOBO modern pilot work with this bird. Stephen Grey always flew the Fighter Collection Hellcat in a white bone dome !!

 

[Snurdley]

And fix the insignias and liveries. It ain't that hard.

 

[Paul K]

Much as I like what Flying Iron are doing ( I'm still trying to decide between their Spitfire and P-38 ), I'd love to see them model some of the less-glamorous aircraft, such as the Grumman Avenger or SB2C Helldiver. The Hellcat does look good, though.

 

[YoYo]

And fix the insignias and liveries. It ain't that hard.

and intermediate blue colour looks a little different. WIP perhaps.

 

[mgr]

Hi,

Yes the aircraft will have a WWII pilot and modern default ones (like with the current Spitfire and P-38).

And fix the insignias and liveries. It ain't that hard.

If you can list all what can be improved, please do so, I can pass it on.

Marcel

 

[Snurdley]

As you can see in the contemporary photo (the prototype night fighter), the fuselage insignia follows the thrust line of the aircraft, and is in a different position and size. This was standard on both the -3 and -5, only on the -5 there was no insignia blue surround, just white. On the tricolor scheme, the intermediate blue is way off in hue and also some of the demarcation areas. And again, the fuselage insignia is way off as well. Also on the -5 with the overall sea blue, I think most of them had the landing gear, wheel wells and possibly wheel hubs painted sea blue. All this stuff is widely available on the web on a quick search. But thanks for being willing to pass this along, that's refreshing. I'm a fan of what Flying Iron has been doing, I think overall the Hellcat is looking fantastic, but these are pretty easy fixes.

 

[mgr]

Passed it on to the team on the beta-channel.

I think most of them had the landing gear, wheel wells and possibly wheel hubs painted sea blue.

Seems on most "old" pictures the wheel-hubs are metal or painted in the colour of the belly. Which seems logical because the wheelhubs are visible when retracted.

Marcel

 

[Bomber_12th]

The landing gear legs and wheels on the Hellcat, and other Navy fighters, were painted the same color as the undersurface of the wings. For the tri-color schemes, the landing gear legs and wheels should be the same "Insignia White" as the lower surfaces. For those with overall "Glossy Sea Blue" schemes, the landing gear legs and wheels should be Glossy Sea Blue as well (unless if they got a replacement wheel). Note that the propeller hubs were painted to match the overall paint schemes as well - either Sea Blue or Intermediate Blue for the tri-color schemes, and Glossy Sea Blue propeller hubs for those painted overall Glossy Sea Blue.

As Snurdley pointed out, the biggest item is just to get the stars & bars properly sized and properly angled (and don't use old restorations of the 1970s-1990s as reference material for anything).

 

[Bomber_12th]

In the past, these have been my "go to" color chips that I created for myself, for the WWII US Navy tri-color paint scheme of ANA 606 Sea Blue, ANA 608 Intermediate Blue, and ANA 601 Insignia White, and for the overall ANA 623 Glossy Sea Blue scheme.

 

[mgr]

Thanks John, also forwarded your info.

Marcel

 

[mgr]

The developer is listening to all suggestions, Alex has done some changes this is the result (posted with permission):

 

[stovall]

The developer is listening to all suggestions, Alex has done some changes this is the result (posted with permission):

Wow, simply beautiful. A work of art. Looking forward to the release.

 

[YoYo]

There is a lot better now, thanks! I see era pilot too

 

[Bomber_12th]

That is looking pretty good! I do notice in that screenshot that the gun soot layer must be set to "burn" or "multiply", since it isn't showing up dominantly over the white paint.

I thought it worth sharing these photos too, of The Collings Foundation's F6F-3, which is one of the top two fully-authentic Hellcat restorations (the other being the Fagen Fighters F6F-5) - every detail is spot-on accurate. This one is painted in the mid-war tri-color paint scheme, exactly according to original factory specifications as to the paint codes, demarcation lines, stenciling, and the sizing and location of the star & bars insignias. The number on the cowling is the last three digits of the aircraft's Navy bureau number, applied with black spray paint just like as was done at the Grumman factory during the war (later in the war, with the Hellcats painted in gloss sea blue, those cowl numbers were brush-painted on with white paint). Note the amount of exhaust staining when these photos were taken, at which point the aircraft had only just several hours of flight time.

https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn....2GToj1-Gi1Q0Rh5VBkZGPLfegCaYd9CLA&oe=6304FDD9
https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn....eKynkLNO32_7RbvVleg-Aw0ff7ilvleZw&oe=6306DCBE
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....Q7EXKD3wjCbog6R_UiubcjZvB4Z1Fa0vQ&oe=63052426
https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn....oPHmY0s4tbViwKK_9uLD7OUSdCHIeI0Fw&oe=630711AA
https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn....H9bcvhltEiwOeUx7OpyL-UE7Y7frhRcdw&oe=6306899E
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....MWi91VR904lGkYwsTR5sAGav8jMdtWrfA&oe=63078656
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....8rZxOjovjuPy68HOiRgcToicA-6DDe1pA&oe=6304A661
https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn....BQpRdFB6Mh1JumzBYQl3JQoOcmLJZ25MQ&oe=63043868
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....mohzHnsTFCpBRo7C09uZnOOgGSNI0hEAQ&oe=63052E26
https://www.flickr.com/photos/152663067@N03/48558528347/sizes/o/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hugh_dodson/51062411997/sizes/o/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hugh_dodson/51062411932/sizes/o/

Here is also an early shot of the aircraft before they applied the spray-painted factory number on the cowl: https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/70452681_2547380451990675_7666151787363041280_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=ThmdFNzN7rcAX9j_Fku&_nc_ht=scontent.ffcm1-1.fna&oh=00_AT_ENjIv4TifYNrM_eSCbC4LTJXBn7zhsraYijniRxX73A&oe=6307885F

Another thing to note is that the shaft of the pitot tube on the Hellcat was painted red, with the stencil in white letters, "NO HANDLE" on the early planes, and "NO HAND HOLD" on the later planes (only on the outer-facing side of the pitot tube shaft), with the pitot tube itself left bare metal of course:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/75957202@N07/51357051968/sizes/3k/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/119910079@N03/48589992782/sizes/o/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/20087013@N02/51786433645/sizes/o/

 

[Snurdley]

Nice job, the colors look good. It's hard to tell at that angle, but it appears the insignia is still under size. But don't take our word for it, look at period photos of the real deal, they don't lie. Or as Bomber pointed out, those two excellent restorations. They might need to check position and size of the wing insignia as well. Also, don't forget the fairing on the side of the aft cowling if you are doing a -3.

 

[tankerguy72]

I cannot wait for this release. Especially if the soundset is as great as they have talked about it being.

 

[mgr]

Preview pictures from there Discord:

 

[Paul K]

Gawd, that is nice! I hope the Fighter Collection's old F6F livery is included, along with some FAA and Commonwealth ones.

 

[mgr]

[h=1]MSFS | F6F Hellcat | Exclusive First Look Preview[/h]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPSuOHo3sAc

 

[YoYo]

Looks like it could be a surprise. Authors published info like this "Touching down on September 9" so looks like they want to release it 9/09 I suppose.