Matchbox 1/72 Grumman Hellcat (PK-18)

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was designed with a single purpose: to beat the Mitsubishi Zero at its own game. Rushed into development after analysis of a captured Zero revealed exactly what the Allied navies were up against, the Hellcat was larger, faster, better-armed, and vastly more survivable than its predecessor the Wildcat. It achieved a combat kill ratio of 19:1 against Japanese aircraft in the Pacific, accounting for more enemy kills than any other Allied naval fighter in the war. By the time production ended in 1945, over 12,000 had been built — a figure that speaks to both the scale of American industrial output and the Hellcat's absolute dominance over the Pacific skies.

The fighter built to beat the Zero — and the one that did it, decisively.

This is a vintage model kit. Box shows signs of age-related storage — see photos. Kit appears complete, but please look at the photos carefully. Instructions and decals are present, but the decals show signs of damp staining.