The F6F design began as a development of the F4F
powered by the R-2600 engine, but soon evolved into a much larger and more
capable aircraft, with the R-2800 engine. The F6F was designed and put into
service in a very short period, assuring the ascendance of the USN
over the A6M 'Zero' from the second half of 1943 onwards.
It was credited with 76% of all aircraft destroyed by USN carrier fighters.
In line with Grumman tradition, the F6F was a rugged aircraft that
lacked easthetic appeal. Typical features were a tail-down attitude
in level flight, because of the engine trust line, and the biggest
wings fitted to a WWII fighter. Some were converted into unmanned
flying bombs, used in Korea. 12275 built.
Type: F6F-5
Function: fighter
Year: 1944
Crew: 1
Engines: 1 * 1620 kW P&W R-2800-10W
Wing Span: 13.06 m
Length: 10.24 m
Height: 4.11 m
Wing Area: 31.03 m2
Empty Weight: 4152 kg
Max.Weight: 6991 kg
Max. Speed: 611 km/h
Ceiling: 11400 m
Max. Range: 2100 km
Armament: 6*mg 12.7 mm 2*b 45 kg
The Grumman F6F Hellcat started development as an improved F4F Wildcat, but turned into a completely
new design sharing a family resemblance to the Wildcat but with no shared parts. The Hellcat and
the Vought F4U Corsair were the primary United States Navy carrier fighters
in the second half of World War II.
The Hellcat was also used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm where it was initially known as the
"Gannet" (continuing the British tradition of alliterative aircraft names such as Supermarine
Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and even the
unfortunate Brewster Buffalo and Short Seamew) However, this name was discontinued in early 1944
and the Hellcat name used instead. After the conclusion of the Second World War, the Hellcat was
found to be the most successful aircraft in naval history, destroying over 4,700 aircraft with the
U.S. Navy and some 800 more with the U.S. Marine Corps. The aircraft was then rapidly phased out
of combat service, finally retiring as a night-fighter in composite squadrons in 1954, at least
with U.S. fleets. For being a safe, reliable, and loved by its crews, the Grumman F6F Hellcat remains one of the
greatest fighting machines in all of aviation history.
Development
A successor to the F4F Wildcat, the F6F was originally to be given the Wright R-2600 Cyclone
engine of 1,700 hp (1,268 kW), but the Hellcat was given the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp
2,000 hp (1,500 kW) after British combat experience with the Wildcat indicated better performance
was necessary.
The contract for the prototype XF6F-1 was signed on June 30, 1941. The first, Cyclone-equipped
prototype flew on June 26, 1942, and the first Double Wasp-equipped aircraft on July 30, 1942.
The first production aircraft off the line flew on 3 October 1942; the type reached operational
readiness with VF-9 on USS Essex in March 1943.
Construction
Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was a tough, straightforward aircraft, designed for ease of manufacture
and ability to return safely to the carrier with severe damage. 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. Self-sealing fuel tanks further reduced susceptibility to fire and often
allowed damaged aircraft to return home. It was so structurally strong that it could soak up more
damage than other planes that had more armor and not fall to pieces. It was described by one Navy
pilot as "tough, hard-hitting, dependable - one hell of an aircraft".
The family resemblance to the earlier aircraft was strong, but the Hellcat wasn't just a bigger,
heavier, faster Wildcat. Instead of the Wildcat's narrow-track undercarriage retracting into the
fuselage by hand, the Hellcat had hydraulically-actuated undercarriage struts set wider and retracting
backward into the wings. The wing was low-mounted instead of mid-mounted. It also had the greatest
wing area of any World War II fighter with 334 square feet. The first operational Hellcats were
designated F6F-3's.
Armament consisted of the same six 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns with 400 rounds each,
as later Grumman-built Wildcats; later aircraft gained three hardpoints to carry a total load in
excess of 2,000 lb. (900 kg) bombs. The center hardpoint also had the ability to carry a single
150 U.S. gallon (568 L) disposable drop tank. Six 5 in. (127 mm) HVAR's (High Velocity Aircraft
Rocket) could be carried; three under each wing.
The next and most common variant was the F6F-5 which featured improvements such as all-metal control
surfaces, replacement of rear windows with armor, improved visibility through the windshield as well
as numerous other minor advances. Another improvement of the F6F-5 was its ability to carry either
the standard armament of four 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) machine guns, or a new, more powerful fit of a pair
of Hispano 0.79 in. (20 mm) cannon carrying a minimum effective load of 220 rounds each along with
two pairs of 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) machine guns; each armed with 400 rounds. All production F6F-5's had
the ability to be fitted with the different armament fits, but only F6F-5N night-fighters, equipped
with radar, ever used the latter gun fit.
Two F6F-5's 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 propellor and was called the XF6F-6. The aircraft proved to perform
better than the F4U-4 in many respects but was less diligent than the F4U mainly in the classes of
top speed and rate of roll. The F6F-6 did not enter service as the P & W R-2800-18W was reserved
for the less numerous F4U.
The last Hellcat tolled out in November 1945, the total production figure being 12,272, of which
11,000 had been built in just two years. This impressive production rate was credited on the sound
original design, which required little modification once production was underway.
Photo by Herve Champain
