The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F bore a family resemblance to the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big brother". The Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair were the primary USN fighters during the second half of World War II.
The Hellcat was the first US Navy fighter for which the design took into account lessons from combat with the Japanese Zero. The Hellcat proved to be the most successful aircraft in naval history, destroying 5,271 aircraft
while in service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (5,163 in
the Pacific and eight more during the invasion of Southern France, plus
52 with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II). Postwar,
the Hellcat aircraft was systematically phased out of front line
service, but remained in service as late as 1954 as a night-fighter in
composite squadrons.
- F6F-5 Hellcat
- Improved version, with a redesigned engine cowling, new ailerons and strengthened tail surfaces, powered by a 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W radial piston engine.
2 comments:
I always liked the Hellcat they had a really tough look to them...
They were tough and mean. I think they pretty much won the war in the pacific.
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