VF17 F6F5 Hellcat markings
 

I wonder if anyone could help me regarding the markings on VF17's F3F5 Hellcats.
So far as I know they were finished overall in late war gloss blue and wore USS Hornet's checker ID markings on the tails and upper wings. But I've also seen model box art with them wearing a White band around the cowl and white wheel hubs. Does anyone know of photographic evidence to suggest this to be the case?
Any help much appreciated.

Re: VF17 F6F5 Hellcat markings
 

The checkered tail & wingtips are the only markings I have seen associated with VF-17 Hellcats on Hornet - attached is a photo from Barrett Tillman's US Navy Fighter Squadrons of World War II showing the checkered markings. Model boxtops do not always feature the most accurate renditions of aircraft markings, so I wouldn't put much stock in them as reference material.

Re: VF17 F6F5 Hellcat markings
 

thanks fsbofk. I'm building a digital model of a VS17 Hellcat so I wanted to be sure before I started texturing it.

Re: VF17 F6F5 Hellcat markings
 

Air Group 84 aircraft aboard Bunker Hill in early 1945 displayed a yellow ring around the front of the engine cowl as a temporary marking. Some references interpret this to be a white ring, which may explain the boxtop illustration you mention (in the old Profile for the F4U-1 Corsair, the 5-view rendering showed a white ring - I still have a model of a Corsair I built in the 60s, with a white ring based on that Profile !).