F6F Hellcat
A U. S. Navy Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
Type	Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer	Grumman
Maiden flight	26 June 1942
Introduced	1943
Retired	1954, USN
Primary users	United States Navy United States Marine Corps Royal Navy French Navy
Produced	1942-1945
Number built	12,275

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a fighter aircraft descended from the earlier F4F Wildcat, but was a completely new design sharing only a familial resemblance to the Wildcat. A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1942: Events January January 30 - Canadian Pacific Air Lines This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1943: Events January January 27 - the USAAF makes its first This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1954: Events January January 10 - BOAC Flight 781, a De The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Some tagged it as "Wildcat's big brother" ^[1]. The Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair were the primary United States Navy carrier fighters in the second half of World War II. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

The Hellcat proved to be the most successful aircraft in naval history, destroying 5,171 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. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships Postwar, the Hellcat aircraft was rapidly phased out of front line service, finally retiring in 1954 as a night-fighter in composite squadrons.

Design and development

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats on 1 January 1943

F6F-5 ready in catapult on USS Randolph

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat on the flight deck of USS Yorktown (CV-10) prior to take off, having its wings extended

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats in tricolor scheme on the flight deck

Grumman was working on a successor to the F4F Wildcat well before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. World War II The ship was laid down 10 May 1943 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co World War II 1943 Yorktown remained in the Naval Station Norfolk area until 21 May, at which time she got underway for shakedown training WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout While the F4F was a capable fighter, early air battles revealed the Japanese A6M Zero was more maneuverable and possessed a better rate of climb than the F4F. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The F4F did have some advantages over the Zero. Wildcats were able to absorb a tremendous amount of damage compared to the Zero, and had better armament. The F4F was also much faster in a dive than the Zero, an advantage Wildcat pilots used frequently to elude attacking Zeros.

These advantages carried over into the F6F and, combined with other improvements, created a fighter that outclassed the Zero almost completely. The contract for the prototype XF6F-1 was signed on 30 June 1941. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The F6F was originally to be given the Wright R-2600 Cyclone engine of 1,700 hp (1,268 kW), but based on combat experience of F4F Wildcat and Zero encounters, Grumman decided to further improve their new fighter to overcome the Mitsubishi Zero's dominance in the Pacific theater. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[1]Grumman installed the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) estimating a 25% increase in performance would result. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[1] The first, Cyclone-equipped prototype (02981) flew on 26 June 1942 while the first Double Wasp-equipped aircraft, the XF6F-3 (02982) had its first flight on 30 July 1942. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off

Proposed at the same time as the first Hellcat prototypes, the XF6F-2 incorporated a turbo-supercharger but performance gains were only slight and until fleet demands for improvements in speed, this variant, along with the two-speed supercharger-equipped XF6F-3, languished. However, later F6F-4 and F6F-5 variants did benefit from these initial development programs.

Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was designed for ease of manufacture and ability to withstand significant damage. A total of 212 lb (96 kg) of cockpit armor was fitted to aid pilot survival, as well as a bullet-resistant windshield and armor around the engine oil tank and oil cooler. ^[2] Self-sealing fuel tanks further reduced susceptibility to fire and often allowed damaged aircraft to return home. In Aviation, self-sealing fuel tank is a Fuel tank technology in wide use since World War II that prevents fuel tanks primarily on Aircraft from The U. S. Navy's all-time leading ace, Captain David McCampbell USN (retired) scored all his victories in the Hellcat. Captain David S McCampbell (January 16 1910 - June 30 1996 was an American Naval aviator, who became the US Navy ’s all-time leading ace He once described the F6F as ". . . an outstanding fighter plane. It performed well, was easy to fly and was a stable gun platform. But what I really remember most was that it was rugged and easy to maintain. " ^[3]

The first production aircraft off the line, designated F6F-3s, flew on 3 October 1942 with the type reaching operational readiness with VF-9 on USS Essex in February 1943. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Operational history World War II Following her shakedown cruise the Essex steamed to the Pacific in May 1943 to begin a succession of victories which would ^[2]

Two night fighter subvariants of the F6F-3 were also developed. The F6F-3E, converted from standard -3 frames, featured the AN/APS-4 radar in a fairing in the starboard wing. The later F6F-3N, first seen in July of 1943, was fitted with the AN/APS-6 radar in a similar fairing. By November of 1943, Hellcat night fighters had seen their first action. ^[4] Fitting AN/APS-6 radar fairings to F6F-5s resulted in the night fighter F6F-5N, and a small number of standard F6F-5s were also fitted with camera equipment for reconnaissance duties as the F6F-5P. ^[5]

Instead of the Wildcat's narrow-track undercarriage retracting into the fuselage requiring awkward hand-cranking by the pilot, the Hellcat had hydraulically-actuated undercarriage struts set wider and retracting backward, twisting through 90° into the wings^[6], exactly as the Chance Vought F4U Corsair's landing gear did. In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi The wing was low-mounted instead of mid-mounted and folded the same way as the later versions of the Wildcat, allowing the Hellcat to take on a compact, tucked-in appearance on a flight deck. ^[7]

Standard armament on the F6F consisted of six .50 caliber (12.7mm) Browning M2/AN air-cooled machine guns with 400 rounds each; later aircraft gained three hardpoints to carry a total bombload in excess of 2,000 lbs. This article is about the.50 caliber M2 machine gun For the.30-06 M2 machine gun see M1919 Browning machine gun. For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. (900 kg). The center hardpoint also had the ability to carry a single 150 U. S. gallon (568 L) disposable drop tank. The term drop tank (or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks in both aeronautics and spaceflight Six 5 in. (127 mm) HVARs (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket)^[8] could be carried; three under each wing. ^[9]

The next and most common variant, the F6F-5, featured improvements such as a more powerful R-2800-10W engine housed in a slightly more streamlined engine cowling, spring-loaded control tabs on the ailerons, deletion of the rear-view windows behind the main canopy, an improved, clear view windscreen with a flat armored-glass front panel replacing the curved perspex panel and internal armor glass screen and numerous other minor advances. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Trim tabs are small surfaces connected to the trailing edge of a larger Control surface on a Boat or Aircraft. For the band with a similar name see The Ailerons Ailerons are hinged control surfaces attached to the Trailing edge of the Wing of a Fixed-wing ^[6][10] Another improvement in the F6F-5 was the availability of more potent armament than the standard six . 50 caliber (12. 7 mm) machine guns. Trials with cannon-armed Hellcats were not followed up by a production version; although all F6F-5s could carry an armament mix of a pair of Hispano 20mm (0.79 in.) cannon cannon, one mounted in each of the inboard gunbays, with a minimum of 220 rounds per gun, along with two pairs of . The Hispano-Suiza HS404 Autocannon was one of the most widely used aircraft weapons of the 20th century used by British, American 50 caliber (12. 7 mm) machine guns, with 400 rounds per gun, this configuration was only used on many later F6F-5N night fighters. ^[11]

Two F6F-5s were fitted with the 18-cylinder 2,100 hp (1,567 kW) Pratt and Whitney R-2800-18W two-stage blower radial engine which was also used by the F4U-4 Corsair. The new Hellcat variant was fitted with a four-bladed propeller and was called the XF6F-6. The aircraft proved to be the best performer in the series with a top speed of 417 mph^[6]. Plans for mass production of this variant were cancelled with the advent of VJ day. ^[12]

The last Hellcat rolled out in November 1945, the total production figure being 12,275, of which 11,000 had been built in just two years. ^[13] This impressive production rate was credited to the sound original design, which required little modification once production was underway.

Operational history

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat on the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in late 1942. World War II 1943 Yorktown remained in the Naval Station Norfolk area until 21 May, at which time she got underway for shakedown training Non-specular blue-grey over light-grey scheme

USS Yorktown (CV-10) during the Marcus Island raid on 31 August 1943: CAG-5 Lt. World War II 1943 Yorktown remained in the Naval Station Norfolk area until 21 May, at which time she got underway for shakedown training Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cmdr. "Jimmy" Flatley in his F6F-3 Hellcat before takeoff. Vice Admiral James Henry "Jimmy" Flatley Jr ( June 17, 1906 - July 9, 1958) was a World War II Naval aviator Aviation Boatswain Mate stands ready to remove chock from wheels. Early, improvised scheme of non-specular sea-blue and intermediate blue over white.

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats on the flight deck with wings folded, Grumman Avenger on landing approach

The Hellcat first saw action against the Japanese on 1 September 1943 when fighters off the USS Independence (CVL-22) shot down a snooping seaplane. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[14] Soon after, on 23rd and 24th November, Hellcats engaged Japanese aircraft over Tarawa, shooting down a claimed 30 Mitsubishi Zeros for the loss of one F6F. Tarawa is an Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[15] Over Rabaul, New Britain, on 11 November 1943, Hellcats and Corsairs were engaged in day-long fights with many Japanese aircraft including A6M Zeros, shooting down nearly 50 airplanes. Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province Papua New Guinea. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[16] Hellcats also utilized the "Thach Weave", which had been developed into a formation tactic to compensate for the older F4F Wildcat's deficiencies. The Thach Weave was an Aerial combat tactic developed by naval aviator John S

Hellcats were involved in practically all engagements with Japanese air power from that point onward. It was the major U. S. Navy fighter type involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, where so many Japanese aircraft were shot down that Navy aircrews nicknamed the battle The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. The Battle of the Philippine Sea (aka "The Marianas Turkey Shoot" was a decisive naval battle of World War II, and the largest aircraft carrier battle in history The Battle of the Philippine Sea (aka "The Marianas Turkey Shoot" was a decisive naval battle of World War II, and the largest aircraft carrier battle in history The F6F accounted for 75% of all aerial victories recorded by the U. S. Navy in the Pacific. ^[17] Radar-equipped Hellcat night fighter squadrons appeared in early 1944. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships

Navy and Marine F6Fs flew 66,530 combat sorties (45% of all fighter sorties of the war, 62,386 sorties were flown from aircraft carriers^[18]) and destroyed 5,163 (56% of all Naval/Marine air victories of the war) at a cost of 270 Hellcats (an overall kill-to-loss ratio of 19:1). ^[19] The aircraft performed well against the best Japanese opponents with a 13:1 kill ratio against Mitsubishi A6M, 9. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 5:1 against Nakajima Ki-84, 28:0 against Kawanishi N1K-J, and 3. The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (疾風 "Gale" was a single-seat fighter used by the Japanese Imperial Army in World War II WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 7:1 against Mitsubishi J2M during the last year of the war. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[20] The F6F became the prime ace-maker aircraft in the American inventory, with 306 Hellcat aces. ^[21] That being said, it must be noted that the U. S. successes were not only attributed to superior aircraft, but also because they faced increasingly inexperienced Japanese aviators from 1942 onwards, as well as having the advantage of ever-increasing numerical superiority.

In the ground attack role, Hellcats dropped 6,503 tons of bombs. ^[19]

The British Fleet Air Arm received 1,263 F6Fs under the Lend-Lease Act and dubbed it Gannet I. The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships Lend-Lease (Public Law 77-11 was the name of the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Gannets are Seabirds in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies. The name Hellcat was eventually retained in early 1943 for the sake of simplicity, as the Royal Navy at that time adopted the use of the existing American naval names for all the U. S. -made aircraft supplied to it, with the F6F-3 being designated Hellcat F I, the F6F-5, the Hellcat F II and the F6F-5N, the Hellcat NF II. They saw action off Norway, in the Mediterranean and in the Far East. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. A number were fitted with photographic reconnaissance equipment similar to the F6F-5P, receiving the designation Hellcat FR II. ^[22] The FAA Hellcat units experienced far fewer opportunities for air-to-air combat than their USN/Marines counterparts; a total of 52 enemy aircraft were shot down during 18 aerial combats from May 1944 to July 1945. 1844 Squadron FAA, on board HMS Indomitable of the British Pacific Fleet was the highest scoring unit, with 32. Construction and early history She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, on 10 November 1937 as war loomed ever closer The British Pacific Fleet (BPF was a multinational Allied naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. 5 kills. ^[23]

FAA Hellcats, as with other Lend-Lease aircraft, were rapidly replaced by British aircraft after the end of the war, with only two of the twelve squadrons equipped with the Hellcat at VJ-Day still retaining Hellcats by the end of 1945. Lend-Lease (Public Law 77-11 was the name of the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, ^[24] These two squadrons were disbanded in 1946. ^[24] In British service, the Hellcats proved to be a match even for the main Luftwaffe fighters, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Postwar, the Hellcat was succeeded by the Grumman F8F Bearcat which eclipsed the F6F in performance but was developed too late to see combat in World War II. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Hellcat soldiered on in a number of second line USN duties including training. The French Aéronavale was equipped with F6F-5 Hellcats and used them in Indochina. The Aviation navale ( Naval aviation) of the French Navy includes 162 airplanes (138 of them combat-capable and 6800 men both civilians and military personnel Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. The Uruguay Navy also used them until the early 1960s^[25]. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America

Operators

 France

• French Navy

 Paraguay

 United Kingdom

• Royal Navy

 United States

• United States Navy
• United States Marine Corps

 Uruguay

• Uruguayan Navy

Specifications (F6F-5 Hellcat)

Aircraft captains ready VF-82 Grumman F6F-5 for launch from USS Bennington (CV-20) off Okinawa in May 1945. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The Armed Forces of Uruguay ( Fuerzas armadas del Uruguay or FF WW-II On 15 December Bennington got underway from New York and transited the Panama Canal on the 21st The Battle of Okinawa, also known as Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault Late-war production F6F-5 show the overall Glossy Sea Blue

Postwar service: A bright orange F6F-3K target drone

Data from Quest for Performance^[26], Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II^[27], and Standard Aircraft Characteristics^[28]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 33 ft 7 in (10. 24 m)
• Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip 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 (1,500 kW)
• Propellers: 3-blade Hamilton Standard
  • Propeller diameter: 13 ft 1 in (4. An airfoil (in American English) or aerofoil (in British English) is the shape of a Wing or blade (of a Propeller, rotor The NACA airfoils are Airfoil shapes for aircraft wings developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA The Maximum Takeoff Weight or Maximum Takeoff Mass of an Aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot of the aircraft is allowed to attempt to take off WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion Engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central A supercharger is an air compressor used for Forced induction of an Internal combustion engine. 0 m)
• * Fuel capacity: 250 U. S. gal (946 L) internal; up to 3x 150 U. S. gal (568 L) external drop tanks
• Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0. In Aerodynamics, the zero-lift drag coefficient C_{D0} is a dimensionless parameter which relates an aircraft's zero-lift drag Force to its 0211
• Drag area: 7. In Aerodynamics, the zero-lift drag coefficient C_{D0} is a dimensionless parameter which relates an aircraft's zero-lift drag Force to its 05 ft² (0. 65 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 5. In Aerodynamics, the aspect ratio of a wing is defined as the square of the wing span divided by the wing area 5

Performance

• Maximum speed: 330 knots (380 mph, 610 km/h)
• Stall speed: 73 knots (84 mph, 135 km/h)
• Combat radius: 820 nm (945 mi, 1,520 km)
• Ferry range: 1,330 nm (1,530 mi, 2,460 km)
• Service ceiling 37,300 ft (11,370 m)
• Rate of climb: 3,500 ft/min (17. In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such For other uses see Stall. In Aerodynamics, a stall is a sudden reduction in the lift forces generated by an Airfoil For Aircraft, ferry range means the maximum range the aircraft can fly In Aeronautics, a ceiling is the maximum Density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions In Aerodynamics, the rate of climb RoC is the speed at which an Aircraft increases its Altitude. 8 m/s)
• Wing loading: 37. In Aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing 7 lb/ft² (184 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0. Power-to-weight ratio (specific power is a calculation commonly applied to Engines and other mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another 16 hp/lb (260 W/kg)
• Time-to-altitude: 7. 7 min to 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
• Lift-to-drag ratio: 12. In Aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio, or L/D ratio ("ell-over-dee" in the US "ell-dee" in the UK is the amount of lift generated 2
• Takeoff roll: 799 ft (244 m)

Armament

• Guns:
  
  • 6× 0. 50 in (12. 7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, 400 rounds/gun, (F6F-3, most F6F-5)

or

• • 2× 20 mm cannon, 225 rounds/gun
  • 4× 0. This article is about the.50 caliber M2 machine gun For the.30-06 M2 machine gun see M1919 Browning machine gun. 50 in (12. 7 mm) Browning machine guns 400 rounds/gun (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 (1,800 kg) full load, including:
  • Bombs or Torpedoes:(Fuselage mounted on centreline rack)
    • 1 × 2,000 lb (910 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)
    • 1 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) or
    • 2 × 250 lb (110 kg)
    • 6 × 100 lb (45 kg)

See also

Related development

• F4F Wildcat
• F8F Bearcat
  

Comparable aircraft

• F4U Corsair
• Mitsubishi A7M
  

Related lists

• List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
• List of fighter aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the United States
  

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• WW2DB: F6F Hellcat
• How Leroy Grumman and Jake Swirbul built a high-flying company from the ground up
• Final flight test report of F6F-3, USN Air Station, Patuxent River (pdf file).Retrieved:3 April 2008
• F6F Hellcat Performance Trials, Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), Boscombe Down.Retrieved: 3 April 2008
• Performance test, each 1,00th aircraft; F6F-5 No 58310, USN Air Station, Patuxent River (pdf file).Retrieved:3 April 2008
• USN & USMC Aircraft Serial and Bureau No.s 1911 to presentRetrieved: 4 April 2008