The F6F was designed by Grumman as the successor to the F4F Wildcat with the commencement of the prototype XF6F on 30 June 1941.
The Hellcat had wide-set hydraulically activated landing gear that retracted backwards and through 90 degrees into the wings.
The wing is mounted low to the fuselage and was able to be folded either hydraulically or manually backwards parallel to the fuselage by means of the Grumman ‘Sto-wing’ system.
Together with the U.S. Navy, Grumman developed the aircraft to enable it to compete with the strengths of the Japanese Zero. To help pilot visibility the cockpit was mounted high and sloped down slightly to the engine cowling.
A bullet-resistant windshield and 212 lb of armour was fitted to the cockpit to protect the pilot. The oil tank and oil cooler were also armoured. The fuel tank, with a capacity of 250 US gal (950 l), was self-sealing and fitted in the fuselage.
PRODUCTION
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was produced from 1942 to 1945, with over 12,000 built.
ARMAMENT
6 x Browning 0.5” machine guns
2,000 lb (907 kg) Rocket/Bomb load.
The Hellcat was the preferred aircraft over the Vought F4U Corsair due to its flight characteristics, especially during carrier landings.
The Hellcat remained the standard USN carrier-borne fighter until the F4U series was finally cleared for U.S. carrier operations in late 1944, the carrier landing issues had by now been tackled largely due to use of Corsair by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.
The Hellcat first saw action against the Japanese on 1 September 1943 when fighters of the USS Independence shot down a Kawanishi H8K flying boat.
On the 23 and 24 November 1943 Hellcats shot down 30 Zeros for the loss of only one aircraft.
Hellcats were involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea with the F6F accounting for 75% of all aerial victories recorded by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.
