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F6F Hellcat

F6F Hellcat


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1. - Development

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.

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2. - Serial #'s

F6F Hellcat - Serials

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3. - Operational History


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4. - Variants

XF6F-1
First prototype, powered by a two-stage 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) Wright R-2600-10 Cyclone 14 radial piston engine.
XF6F-2
Second prototype, powered by a turbocharged Wright R-2600-16 Cyclone radial piston engine.
XF6F-3
The first XF6F-1 prototype was fitted with a two-stage turbocharged 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 Double Wasp radial piston :engine.
F6F-3 Hellcat
Single-seat fighter, fighter-bomber aircraft, powered by a 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
Gannet Mk I
British designation of the F6F-3 Hellcat, later redesignated Hellcat F Mk.I.
F6F-3E Hellcat
Night-fighter version, equipped with an AN/APS-4 radar in a fairing in the starboard wing.
XF6F-3N
One F6F-3 was converted into a night-fighter prototype.
F6F-3N Hellcat
Night-fighter version, equipped with an AN/APS-6 radar in a fairing in the starboard wing.
XF6F-4
One F6F-3 fitted with a two-speed turbocharged 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
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.
Hellcat F Mk 2
British designation of the F6F-5 Hellcat.
F6F-5K Hellcat
A number of F6F-5s and F6F-5Ns were converted into radio-controlled target drones.
F6F-5N Hellcat
Night-fighter version, fitted with an AN/ APS-6 radar.
Hellcat NF Mk II
British designation of the F6F-5N Hellcat.
F6F-5P Hellcat
Small numbers of F6F-5s were converted into photo-reconnaissance aircraft, with the camera equipment being fitted in the rear fuselage.
Hellcat FR Mk II
This designation was given to British Hellcats fitted with camera equipment.
XF6F-6
Two F6F-5s were fitted with the 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial piston engine, and four bladed propellers.

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5. - Technical Specifications

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General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 33 ft 7 in (10.24 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.06 m)
Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
Wing area: 334 ft² (31 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 23015.6 mod root; NACA 23009 tip
Empty weight: 9,238 lb (4,190 kg)
Loaded weight: 12,598 lb (5,714 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 15,415 lb (6,990 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W "Double Wasp" two-row radial engine with a two-speed two-stage supercharger, 2,000 hp (1,491 kW38)
Propellers: 3-blade Hamilton Standard
Propeller diameter: 13 ft 1 in (4.0 m)
Fuel capacity: 250 gal (946 L) internal; up to 3 × 150 gal (568 L) external drop tanks
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0211
Drag area: 7.05 ft² (0.65 m²)
Aspect ratio: 5.5

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Performance

Maximum speed: 330 kn (380 mph, 610 km/h)
Stall speed: 73 kn (84 mph, 135 km/h)
Combat radius: 820 nmi (945 mi, 1,520 km)
Ferry range: 1,330 nmi (1,530 mi, 2,460 km)
Service ceiling: 37,300 ft (11,370 m)
Rate of climb: 3,500 ft/min (17.8 m/s)
Wing loading: 37.7 lb/ft² (184 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (260 W/kg)
Time-to-altitude: 7.7 min to 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
Lift-to-drag ratio: 12.2
Takeoff roll: 799 ft (244 m)


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Armament

Guns:
either 6× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, with 400 rpg, (All F6F-3, and most F6F-5)
or 2 × 20 mm (.79 in) cannon, with 225 rpg
and 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns with 400 rpg (F6F-5N only)
Rockets:
6 × 5 in (127 mm) HVARs or
2 × 11¾ in (298 mm) Tiny Tim unguided rockets
Bombs: up to 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) full load, including:
Bombs or Torpedoes:(Fuselage mounted on centreline rack)
1 × 2,000 lb (907 kg) bomb or
1 × Mk.13-3 torpedo;
Underwing bombs: (F6F-5 had two additional weapons racks either side of fuselage on wing centre-section)
2 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) or
4 × 500 lb (227 kg)
8 × 250 lb (110 kg)

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6. - Operators

  • France
    • French Navy
  • United Kingdom
    • Royal Navy
  • United States
    • United States Navy
    • United States Marine Corps
  • Uruguay
    • Uruguayan Navy

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7. - Current Squadrons

A relatively large number of Grumman F6Fs are survivors, either in museums or in flyable condition. In order of Bu.No. they are:

041476 at Quantico MCAS, Virginia (the former US Marine Corps Museum).
041834 a F6F-3K in the markings of VF-5 during its USS Yorktown tour at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington D.C..
041930 at the Cinema Air Museum, Carlsbad, California. Formerly privately owned as N103V
042874 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
043014 at the Fantasy of Flight - Weeks Air Museum, Polk City, Florida.
066237 at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Florida.
070185 at the Quonset Air Museum, Rhode Island.
070222 with the Commemorative Air Force (formerly Confederate Air Force).
077122/077722 at Andrews Air Force Base.
078645 at the Yanks Air Museum, Chino, California.
079192 at the New England Air Museum, Connecticut (formerly the Bradley Air Museum).
079302/KE209 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovil, Somerset, UK.
079593 in the colors of Cdr. James H. Flatley at the Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum, Patriot's Point, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
079683 at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo Museum, Portage, Michigan. Formerly privately owned as N7968C.
079863 at Flying A Services, North Weald Airfield, UK. Formerly as N79863 with Aerial Classics at Atlanta, Georgia.34
080141 in the colors of the VF-6 Hellcat of Alexander Vraciu at Imperial War Museum Duxford, UK. Formerly privately owned as N80142.
080166 at one time flew with the Commemorative Air Force, Midland, Texas as N1078Z. It crashed at one time.
093879 at the Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, California. Registered as N4994V (Crashed in Tennessee 2006)(W).
094203 in the colors of David McCampbells Minsi III at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Florida. Registered as N7865C at one time. Photo to be found in Barrett Tillman's Hellcat- The F6F in World War II, p. 235.
094204 at the Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, Texas. Once privately owned as N4998V.
094263 at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, New York (formerly at the US Marine Corps Museum).
094385 at the Museum of American Aircraft, Hayward, California.
094473/001006 at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
024895 at the USS Intrepid, New York finally is just a replica, not a real aircraft.

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8. - Links


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9. - Markings


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10. - References



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