Grumman F6F Hellcat

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F6F Hellcat
Hellcats F6F-3, May 1943.jpg
Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats in tricolor camouflage [1] [Note 1]
Role Carrier-based fighter aircraft
National originUnited States
Manufacturer Grumman
First flight26 June 1942
Introduction1943
Retired1960 Uruguayan Navy [2]
Primary users United States Navy
Produced1942–1945
Number built12,275

The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United States Navy's dominant fighter in the second half of the Pacific War. In gaining that role, it prevailed over its faster competitor, the Vought F4U Corsair, which initially had problems with visibility and carrier landings.

Contents

Powered by a 2,000  hp (1,500 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp, the same powerplant used for both the Corsair and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters, the F6F was an entirely new design, but it still resembled the Wildcat in many ways. [3] Some military observers tagged the Hellcat as the "Wildcat's big brother". [4]

The F6F made its combat debut in September 1943. It subsequently established itself as a rugged, well-designed carrier fighter, which was able to outperform the A6M Zero and help secure air superiority over the Pacific theater. In total, 12,275 were built in just over two years. [5]

Hellcats were credited with destroying a total of 5,223 enemy aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA). [6] [Note 2] This was more than any other Allied naval aircraft. [8] After the war, Hellcats were phased out of front-line service in the US, but radar-equipped F6F-5Ns remained in service as late as 1954 as night fighters. [9] [10]

Design and development

XF6F

Unpainted XF6F-1 prior to its first flight (1942) Grumman XF6F-1 Hellcat 1942.jpg
Unpainted XF6F-1 prior to its first flight (1942)
F6F-3 aboard USS Yorktown has its "Sto-Wing" folding wings deployed for takeoff (circa 1943-44). Ray Wagner Collection Image (16156795450).jpg
F6F-3 aboard USS Yorktown has its "Sto-Wing" folding wings deployed for takeoff (circa 1943-44).

Grumman had been working on a successor to the F4F Wildcat since 1938, and the contract for the prototype XF6F-1 was signed on 30 June 1941. The aircraft was originally designed to use the Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone two-row, 14-cylinder radial engine of 1,700 hp (1,300 kW) (the same engine used with Grumman's then-new torpedo bomber under development), driving a three-bladed Curtiss Electric propeller. [11] Instead of the Wildcat's narrow-track, hand-cranked, main landing gear retracting into the fuselage inherited from the F3F ( a design from the 1930s Grumman FF-1 fighter biplane), the Hellcat had wide-set, hydraulically actuated landing-gear struts that rotated through 90° while retracting backwards into the wings, but with full wheel doors fitted to the struts that covered the entire strut and the upper half of the main wheel when retracted, and twisted with the main gear struts through 90° during retraction. [12] The wing was mounted lower on the fuselage and was able to be hydraulically or manually folded, with each panel outboard of the undercarriage bay folding backwards from pivoting on a specially oriented, Grumman-patented "Sto-Wing" diagonal axis pivoting system much like the earlier F4F, with a folded stowage position parallel to the fuselage with the leading edges pointing diagonally down. [13]

Throughout early 1942, Leroy Grumman, along with his chief designers Jake Swirbul and Bill Schwendler, worked closely with the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) and experienced F4F pilots, [14] to develop the new fighter in such a way that it could counter the Zero's strengths and help gain air dominance in the Pacific Theater of Operations. [15] On 22 April 1942, Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare toured the Grumman Aircraft company and spoke with Grumman engineers, analyzing the performance of the F4F Wildcat against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero in aerial combat. [16] [Note 3] BuAer's Lt Cdr A. M. Jackson [Note 4] directed Grumman's designers to mount the cockpit higher in the fuselage. [19] In addition, the forward fuselage sloped down slightly to the engine cowling, giving the Hellcat's pilot good visibility. [20]

Change of powerplant

Based on combat accounts of encounters between the F4F Wildcat and A6M Zero, on 26 April 1942, BuAer directed Grumman to install the more-powerful, 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine – which was already in use with Chance Vought's Corsair since 1940 – in the second XF6F-1 prototype. [21] Grumman complied by redesigning and strengthening the F6F airframe to incorporate the 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) R-2800-10, driving a three-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller. With this combination, Grumman estimated the XF6F-3s performance would increase by 25% over that of the XF6F-1. [4] The Cyclone-powered XF6F-1 (02981) first flew on 26 June 1942, followed by the first Double Wasp-equipped aircraft, the XF6F-3 (02982), which first flew on 30 July 1942. The first production F6F-3, powered by an R-2800-10, flew on 3 October 1942, with the type reaching operational readiness with VF-9 on USS Essex in February 1943. [22] [Note 5]

Further development

An early F6F-3 in blue-gray over light gull-gray (1943) Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat of VF-1 in flight over California (USA), in 1943 (80-G-K-605).jpg
An early F6F-3 in blue-gray over light gull-gray (1943)

The F6F series was designed to take damage and get the pilot safely back to base. A bullet-resistant windshield was used and a total of 212 lb (96 kg) of cockpit armor was fitted, along with armor around the oil tank and oil cooler. A 250 US gal (950 L) self-sealing fuel tank was fitted in the fuselage. [22] Standard armament on the F6F-3 consisted of six .50 in (12.7 mm) M2/AN Browning air-cooled machine guns with 400 rounds per gun. A center-section hardpoint under the fuselage could carry a single 150 US gal (570 L) disposable drop tank, while later aircraft had single bomb racks installed under each wing, inboard of the undercarriage bays; with these and the center-section hard point, late-model F6F-3s could carry a total bomb load in excess of 2,000 lb (910 kg). Six 5 in (127 mm) High Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVARs) could be carried – three under each wing on "zero-length" launchers. [23] [24]

Two night-fighter subvariants of the F6F-3 were developed; the 18 F6F-3Es were converted from standard-3s and featured the AN/APS-4 10 GHz frequency radar in a pod mounted on a rack beneath the right wing, with a small radar scope fitted in the middle of the main instrument panel and radar operating controls installed on the port side of the cockpit. [25] The later F6F-3N, first flown in July 1943, was fitted with the AN/APS-6 radar in the fuselage, with the antenna dish in a bulbous fairing mounted on the leading edge of the outer right wing as a development of the AN/APS-4; about 200 F6F-3Ns were built. [26] Hellcat night fighters claimed their first victories in November 1943. [27] In total, 4,402 F6F-3s were built through until April 1944, when production was changed to the F6F-5. [20]

An early-production F6F-5 being tested with eight 5-inch HVAR rockets (circa 1944-45) F6F-5 HVAR NOTS NAN4-2-45.jpg
An early-production F6F-5 being tested with eight 5-inch HVAR rockets (circa 1944-45)

The F6F-5 featured several improvements, including a more powerful R-2800-10W engine employing a water-injection system and housed in a slightly more streamlined engine cowling, spring-loaded control tabs on the ailerons, and an improved, clear-view windscreen, with a flat armored-glass front panel replacing the F6F-3's curved plexiglass panel and internal armor glass screen. [12] [20] In addition, the rear fuselage and tail units were strengthened, and apart from some early production aircraft, most of the F6F-5s built were painted in an overall gloss sea-blue finish. [28] After the first few F6F-5s were built, the small windows behind the main canopy were deleted. [29] The F6F-5N night-fighter variant was fitted with an AN/APS-6 radar in a fairing on the outer-starboard wing. A few standard F6F-5s were also fitted with camera equipment for reconnaissance duties as the F6F-5P. [30] While all F6F-5s were capable of carrying an armament mix of one 20-mm (.79-in) M2 cannon in each of the inboard gun bays (220 rounds per gun), along with two pairs of .50-in (12.7-mm) machine guns (each with 400 rounds per gun), this configuration was only used on later F6F-5N night fighters. [31] The F6F-5 was the most common F6F variant, with 7,870 being built. [20] [Note 6]

Other prototypes in the F6F series included the XF6F-4 (02981, a conversion of the XF6F-1 powered by an R-2800-27 and armed with four 20-mm M2 cannon), which first flew on 3 October 1942 as the prototype for the projected F6F-4. This version never entered production and 02981 was converted to an F6F-3 production aircraft. [32] Another experimental prototype was the XF6F-2 (66244), an F6F-3 converted to use a Wright R-2600-15, fitted with a Birman-manufactured mixed-flow turbocharger, which was later replaced by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-21, also fitted with a Birman turbocharger. [33] The turbochargers proved to be unreliable on both engines, while performance improvements were marginal. As with the XF6F-4, 66244 was soon converted back to a standard F6F-3. [34] Two XF6F-6s (70188 and 70913) were converted from F6F-5s and used the 18-cylinder 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) Pratt and Whitney R-2800-18W two-stage supercharged radial engine with water injection and driving a Hamilton-Standard four-bladed propeller. [35] The XF6F-6s were the fastest version of the Hellcat series with a top speed of 417 mph (671 km/h), but the war ended before this variant could be mass-produced. [12] [36]

The last Hellcat rolled out in November 1945, the total production being 12,275, of which 11,000 had been built in just two years. [37] This high production rate was credited to the sound original design, which required little modification once production was under way.

Operational history

U.S. Navy and Marines

The U.S. Navy much preferred the more docile flight qualities of the F6F compared with the Vought F4U Corsair, despite the superior speed of the Corsair. This preference was especially noted during carrier landings, a critical success requirement for the Navy. The Corsair was thus released by the Navy to the Marine Corps, which without the need to worry about carrier landings, used the Corsair to immense effect in land-based sorties. 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, which started in 1943). [38] In addition to its good flight qualities, the Hellcat was easy to maintain and had an airframe tough enough to withstand the rigors of routine carrier operations. [39] Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was designed for ease of manufacture and ability to withstand significant damage.

VF-82 Grumman F6F-5 ready for launch from USS Bennington off Okinawa in May 1945: Most of the F6F-5s built were painted overall glossy sea blue. F6F5 VF82 CV20.jpg
VF-82 Grumman F6F-5 ready for launch from USS Bennington off Okinawa in May 1945: Most of the F6F-5s built were painted overall glossy sea blue.

The Hellcat first saw action against the Japanese on 1 September 1943, when fighters off USS Independence shot down a Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boat. [40] Soon after, on 23 and 24 November, Hellcats engaged Japanese aircraft over Tarawa, shooting down a claimed 30 Mitsubishi Zeros for the loss of one F6F. [40] Over Rabaul, New Britain, on 11 November 1943, Hellcats and F4U Corsairs were engaged in day-long fights with many Japanese aircraft including A6M Zeros, claiming nearly 50 aircraft. [40]

When trials were flown against a captured A6M5 model Zero, they showed that the Hellcat was faster at all altitudes. The F6F out-climbed the Zero marginally above 14,000 ft (4,300 m) and rolled faster at speeds above 235 mph (378 km/h). The Japanese fighter could out-turn its American opponent with ease at low speed and enjoyed a slightly better rate of climb below 14,000 ft (4,300 m). The trials report concluded:

Do not dogfight with a Zero 52. Do not try to follow a loop or half-roll with a pull-through. When attacking, use your superior power and high-speed performance to engage at the most favorable moment. To evade a Zero 52 on your tail, roll and dive away into a high-speed turn. [41]

Hellcats were 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 F6F accounted for 75% of all aerial victories recorded by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. [42] Radar-equipped Hellcat night-fighter squadrons appeared in early 1944.

A formidable opponent for the Hellcat was the Kawanishi N1K, but it was produced too late and in insufficient numbers to affect the outcome of the war. [43]

Sortie, kill, and loss figures

U.S. Navy and Marine F6F pilots flew 66,530 combat sorties and claimed 5,163 kills (56% of all U.S. Navy/Marine air victories of the war) at a recorded cost of 270 Hellcats in aerial combat (an overall kill-to-loss ratio of 19:1 based on claimed kills). [44] Claimed victories were often highly exaggerated during the war. Even so, the aircraft performed well against the best Japanese opponents with a claimed 13:1 kill ratio against the A6M Zero, 9.5:1 against the Nakajima Ki-84, and 3.7:1 against the Mitsubishi J2M during the last year of the war. [45] The F6F became the prime ace-maker aircraft in the American inventory, with 305 Hellcat aces. The U.S. successes were not just attributed to superior aircraft; from 1942 onwards, they faced increasingly inexperienced Japanese aviators and had the advantage of increasing numerical superiority. [Note 7] In the ground-attack role, Hellcats dropped 6,503 tons (5,899 tonnes) of bombs. [44]

A U.S Marine inspects a Japanese-captured F6F-5 in Yokosuka in September 1945. 127-GW-1627-134956 (30267672180).jpg
A U.S Marine inspects a Japanese-captured F6F-5 in Yokosuka in September 1945.

The U.S. Navy's all-time leading ace, Captain David McCampbell, scored all his 34 victories in the Hellcat. 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." [47]

During the course of World War II, 2,462 F6F Hellcats were lost to all causes – 270 in aerial combat, 553 to antiaircraft ground and shipboard fire, and 341 due to operational causes. Of the total figure, 1,298 were destroyed in training and ferry operations, normally outside of the combat zones. [48]

Hamilton McWhorter III, a Navy aviator and a flying ace of World War II, was credited with shooting down 12 Japanese aircraft. He was the first U.S. Navy aviator to become an ace while flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the first Navy carrier pilot to achieve double ace status. [49]

Arthur Van Haren, Jr., a Navy combat Hellcat ace of WWII from Arizona, was credited with shooting down 9 Japanese planes. He was awarded a DFC, and a Gold Star in lieu of a second DFC. In 2012, Van Haren, Jr. was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame. [50]

British use

A section of Fleet Air Arm Hellcat F Mk.Is of 1840 Squadron in June 1944 Hellcats 1840 NAS in flight 1944.jpg
A section of Fleet Air Arm Hellcat F Mk.Is of 1840 Squadron in June 1944

The British Fleet Air Arm (FAA) received 1,263 F6Fs under the Lend-Lease Act; initially, it was known as the Grumman Gannet Mark I. The name Hellcat replaced it in early 1943 for the sake of simplicity, the Royal Navy at that time adopting 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 Mk. I, the F6F-5, the Hellcat F Mk. II and the F6F-5N, the Hellcat NF Mk. II. [Note 8] They saw action off Norway, in the Mediterranean, and in the Far East. Several were fitted with photographic reconnaissance equipment similar to the F6F-5P, receiving the designation Hellcat FR Mk. II. [51] The Pacific War being primarily a naval war, the FAA Hellcats primarily faced land-based aircraft in the European and Mediterranean theaters, [52] [53] so experienced far fewer opportunities for air-to-air combat than their USN/Marines counterparts; nevertheless, they claimed a total of 52 enemy aircraft kills during 18 aerial combats from May 1944 to July 1945. 1844 Naval Air Squadron, on board HMS Indomitable of the British Pacific Fleet was the highest-scoring unit, with 32.5 kills. [54]

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 12 squadrons equipped with the Hellcat at VJ-Day still retaining Hellcats by the end of 1945. [55] These two squadrons were disbanded in 1946. [55] When the war ended, 889 Squadron FAA, equipped with 6 Hellcat Is and II (PR) photo-reconnaissance variants, was preparing to depart from Scotland for the Far East (the squadron had been based at RAF Woodvale since its re-formation after VE Day, and practising carrier operations on HMS Trouncer before moving to HMS Ravager), to replace 888 Squadron FAA, and intended to photograph Japanese beaches prior planned invasion that was forestalled by the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With the cessation of hostilities, the squadron (which included pilot William Stevenson) was disbanded and the Hellcats dumped off the Scottish coast (the fate of many lend-lease aircraft that survived the war, which under the terms of the agreement were to be returned to the United States or paid for, while there was no requirement to refund the cost of aircraft that had been lost). [56] [57]

Postwar service: A bright orange F6F-3K target drone F6F target drone.jpg
Postwar service: A bright orange F6F-3K target drone
A F6F-5K Hellcat target drone is shot down by the heavy cruiser USS Saint Paul, in 1954. Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat target drone is shot down in 1954.jpg
A F6F-5K Hellcat target drone is shot down by the heavy cruiser USS Saint Paul, in 1954.

Postwar use

After the war, the Hellcat was succeeded by the F8F Bearcat, which was smaller, more powerful (powered by uprated Double Wasp radials) and more maneuverable, but entered service too late to see combat in World War II. [58]

The Hellcat was used for second-line USN duties, including training and Naval Reserve squadrons, and a handful were converted to target drones. [9] In late 1952, Guided Missile Unit 90 used F6F-5K drones, each carrying a 2,000 lb (910 kg) bomb, to attack bridges in Korea. Flying from USS Boxer, the Hellcat drones were radio controlled from an escorting AD Skyraider. [59]

The F6F-5 was the first aircraft used by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels official flight demonstration team at its formation in 1946. [60]

The French Navy (Aéronavale) was equipped with F6F-5 Hellcats and used them in combat in Indochina. These were painted in Gloss Sea Blue, similar to post-World War II US Navy aircraft until about 1955, but had a modified French roundel with an image of an anchor. [61] The French Air Force also used the Hellcat in Indochina from 1950 to 1952. The plane equipped four squadrons (including the Normandie-Niemen squadron of WWII fame) before these units transitioned to the F8F Bearcat. [62]

The Uruguayan Navy also used them until the early 1960s. [63]

Variants

XF6F prototypes

XF6F-1
First prototype, powered by a two-stage 1,600 hp (1,193 kW) Wright R-2600-10 Cyclone 14 radial piston engine.
XF6F-2
The first XF6F-1 prototype revised and fitted with a turbocharged Wright R-2600-16 Cyclone radial piston engine. R-2600 replaced by turbocharged R-2800-21.
XF6F-2 showing the later R-2800-21 installation with Birman turbocharger (1943) Grumman XF6F-2 Hellcat.jpg
XF6F-2 showing the later R-2800-21 installation with Birman turbocharger (1943)
XF6F-3
Second prototype fitted with a two-stage supercharged 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
XF6F-4
One F6F-3 fitted with a two-stage, two-speed supercharged 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
XF6F-6
Two F6F-5s that were fitted with the 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial piston engine, and four-bladed propellers.

Series production

F6F-3 (British designation Gannet F. Mk. I, and then later, renamed Hellcat F. Mk. I, January 1944)
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.
F6F-3E
Night fighter version, equipped with an AN/APS-4 radar in a fairing on the starboard outer wing.
F6F-3N
Another night fighter version, equipped with a newer AN/APS-6 radar in a fairing on the starboard outer wing.
F6F-5 Hellcat (British Hellcat F. Mk. II)
Improved version, with a redesigned engine cowling, a new windscreen structure with an integral bulletproof windscreen, new ailerons and strengthened tail surfaces; powered by a 2,200 hp (1,641 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W (-W denotes Water Injection) radial piston engine.
F6F-5K Hellcat
A number of F6F-5s and F6F-5Ns were converted into radio-controlled target drones.
F6F-5N night fighter with AN/APS-6 radar and 2 20mm M2 cannon (c. 1944/45) F6F-5N NAS Jax 1944-45.jpg
F6F-5N night fighter with AN/APS-6 radar and 2 20mm M2 cannon (c. 1944/45)
F6F-5N Hellcat (British Hellcat N.F. Mk II)
Night fighter version, fitted with an AN/APS-6 radar. Some were armed with two 20 mm (0.79 in) AN/M2 cannon in the inner wing bays and four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the outer.
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.
FV-1
Proposed designation for Hellcats to be built by Canadian Vickers; cancelled before any built. [64]

Operators

Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
  • Training units, and non-operational units
  • East Indies units
  • Atlantic & Mediterranean units
  • Pacific units
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay

Surviving aircraft

A relatively large number of Grumman F6Fs survive to this day, either in museums or in flyable condition. In order of Bu.No. they are: [65]

United Kingdom

On display
F6F-5

United States

Chino Warbirds' F6F-3 painted as a Fleet Air Arm Hellcat Mk. I (2007) Grumman F6F Hellcat, Chino, California.jpg
Chino Warbirds' F6F-3 painted as a Fleet Air Arm Hellcat Mk. I (2007)
Airworthy
F6F-3
F6F-5
On display
F6F-3
F6F-5
F6F-5 on display at the Air Zoo Air Zoo December 2019 091 (Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat).jpg
F6F-5 on display at the Air Zoo
Under restoration or in storage
F6F-3
F6F-5

Specifications (F6F-5 Hellcat)

Grumman F6F Hellcat 3-view line drawing.svg
An F6F-5 flown by Air Group Commander (CAG), Cdr. Louis H. Bauer of Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3), leads a formation of CVG-3 aircraft (a Helldiver, Avenger and Bearcat) in 1946. Carrier Air Group 3 aircraft in flight 1946.jpeg
An F6F-5 flown by Air Group Commander (CAG), Cdr. Louis H. Bauer of Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3), leads a formation of CVG-3 aircraft (a Helldiver, Avenger and Bearcat) in 1946.

Data fromWWII Aircraft Performance [97] Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II [98] Standard Aircraft Characteristics [99]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone</span> American WWII-era aircraft engine

The Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright and widely used in aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMF-511</span> Military unit

Marine Fighting Squadron 511 (VMF-511) was a fighter squadron of the Marine Corps and Marine Forces Reserve during World War II and the Cold War which flew aircraft types such as the F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair, and the F-8 Crusader. They were originally activated during World War II and fought during the Battle of Okinawa and the Battle of Balikpapan (1945). They specialized in close air support and during the course of the war were credited with only one plane shot down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akutan Zero</span> Japanese fighter arcraft

The Akutan Zero, also known as Koga's Zero (古賀のゼロ) and the Aleutian Zero, was a type 0 model 21 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Japanese fighter aircraft piloted by Petty Officer Tadayoshi Koga, that crash-landed on Akutan Island, Alaska Territory, during World War II. It was found intact by the Americans in July 1942 and became the first Zero acquired by the United States during the war that could be restored to airworthy condition. It was repaired and flown by American test pilots. As a result of information gained from these tests, American tacticians were able to devise ways to defeat the Zero, which was the Imperial Japanese Navy's primary fighter plane throughout the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A and T Recovery</span> American aircraft salvage company

A and T Recovery is an American company that has the primary purpose to locate and recover once lost World War II United States Navy aircraft for presentation to the American public. They have recovered nearly forty such aircraft, mainly from Lake Michigan. The aircraft were lost during the aircraft carrier qualification conducted out of the former Naval Air Station Glenview that was located north of Chicago, Illinois. The Navy had used two ships, the USS Wolverine (IX-64) and the USS Sable (IX-81), to qualify thousands of pilots.

732 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was initially formed from a requirement for an Operational Training Unit, for Fleet Air Arm pilots flying the Vought Corsair, between 1943 and 1944, at Brunswick, Maine, United States. In 1945, it was reformed, for a brief period, as a Night Fighter Training Squadron, operating out of RNAS Drem, East Lothian, Scotland. Notably equipped with six Avro Anson flying classrooms, amongst other aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">757 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

757 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was first formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron in 1939, operating out of RNAS Worthy Down, but after three months it went into abeyance, only to reform again in the same role, at the same location, in 1941 and operating until 1942. It then reformed as a Fighter Pool Squadron & Operational Training Unit at RNAS Puttalam, in Sri Lanka, in 1943. After a brief spell at RNAMY Tambaram, in India, the squadron finally disbanded at RNAS Katukurunda, in Sri Lanka, at the beginning of 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Aircraft Service Units</span> United States Navy aircraft repair unit

Carrier Aircraft Service Units (CASU) were United States Navy units formed during World War II for the Pacific War to support naval aircraft operations. From 1942 to 1946, 69 Carrier Aircraft Service Units were formed to repair and maintain aircraft. The first unit was deployed to Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The CASU-11, was deployed on January 22, 1943 at Naval Air Station San Diego. During the war the Navy lacked enough aircraft carriers to complete all the operational requirements.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ The insignia red outline around the national markings indicate that this picture was taken circa June–September 1943.[ citation needed ]
  2. ↑ This can be broken down as 5,163 in the Pacific and eight more during the invasion of Southern France, plus 52 with the FAA during World War II. [7]
  3. ↑ On the previous day, while receiving the Medal of Honor from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, O'Hare was asked by the President what was needed in a new naval fighter; O'Hare's response was "something that would go upstairs faster." [17]
  4. ↑ Jackson emphasized to Grumman, "you can't hit 'em if you can't see 'em" [18]
  5. ↑ Late-production F6F-3s were powered by the same water-injected R-2800 used by the F6F-5.[ citation needed ]
  6. ↑ US produced 20 mm cannon were troubled by reliability issues delaying their introduction [ citation needed ]
  7. ↑ Quote: "... flown by 305 aces, most of any U.S. fighter in World War II." [46]
  8. ↑ Meaning Fighter Mark I, Fighter Mark II and Night Fighter Mark II respectively

Citations

  1. ↑ "U.S. Naval Aircraft Marking." Archived 15 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 11 March 2008.
  2. ↑ "Uruguayan Navy", aeroflight, archived from the original on 11 June 2011, retrieved 27 May 2012
  3. ↑ Thruelsen 1976, p. 135.
  4. 1 2 Sullivan 1979, p. 4.
  5. ↑ Kinzey 1996, p. 4.
  6. ↑ Tillman 1996, p. 81.
  7. ↑ Tillman 1996, pp. 78–79.
  8. ↑ Murray, Williamson (2002). War In The Air 1914–45 (2002 Paperback ed.). Wellington House, London: Cassell. p. 202. ISBN   0-304-36210-7.
  9. 1 2 Wilkinson, Stephan (8 March 2017). "Goldilocks Fighter: What Made the F6F Hellcat "Just Right"?". HistoryNet.
  10. ↑ "F6F-5N HELLCAT". Erickson Aircraft Collection.
  11. ↑ Kinzey 1996, p. 16.
  12. 1 2 3 Taylor 1969, p. 503.
  13. ↑ Kinzey 1987, p. 14.
  14. ↑ Thruelsen 1976, p. 166.
  15. ↑ Ewing 2004, p. 182.
  16. ↑ Ewing 2004, p. 86.
  17. ↑ Ewing and Lundstrom 2004, pp. 155–156.
  18. ↑ Tillman 1979, p. 6.
  19. ↑ Francillon 1989, p. 200.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Kinzey 1996, p. 6.
  21. ↑ Ewing and Lundstrom 2004, pp. 155, 156.
  22. 1 2 Kinzey 1987, p. 6.
  23. ↑ Sullivan 1979, pp. 24, 30, 33.
  24. ↑ Parsch, Andreas. "5 inch FFAR/HVAR." designation-systems.net, 2010. Retrieved: 28 October 2012.
  25. ↑ Kinzey 1996, pp. 30–31.
  26. ↑ Kinzey 1996, pp. 28–29.
  27. ↑ Green 1975, p. 91.
  28. ↑ Kinzey 1996, pp. 6–7.
  29. ↑ Kinzey 1996, p. 7.
  30. ↑ Green 1975, pp. 93–94.
  31. ↑ Kinzey 1987, p. 27.
  32. ↑ Kinzey 1996, p. 32.
  33. ↑ White 2001, pp. 260, 508.
  34. ↑ Kinzey 1996, pp. 17–18.
  35. ↑ Kinzey 1996, pp. 50–51.
  36. ↑ Sullivan 1979, p. 46.
  37. ↑ Winchester 2004, p. 110.
  38. ↑ Styling 1995, p. 67.
  39. ↑ Tillman 1996, p. 6.
  40. 1 2 3 Dean 1997, p. 559.
  41. ↑ Spick 1983, p. 118.
  42. ↑ Tillman 1979, p. 9.
  43. ↑ "Fact Sheets: Kawanishi N1K2-Ja Shiden Kai." National Museum of the US Air Force. Retrieved: 23 November 2015.
  44. 1 2 Barber 1946, Table 2. Archived 13 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  45. ↑ Barber 1946, Table 28. Archived 13 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  46. ↑ "Airpower Classics." Air Force Magazine, April 2006, p. 98.
  47. ↑ Kinzey 1987, p. 58.
  48. ↑ OPNAV-P-23V No. A129, 17 June 1946, p. 15.
  49. ↑ Dorr, Robert F. (21 October 2019). "Sharp Shooting Hellcat "Mac" McWhorter Runs Up the Score" (PDF). Flight Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  50. ↑ A Legacy of Courage: The Story of Arthur van Haren, Jr. Latino Perspectives Media. 2011.
  51. ↑ Green 1975, p. 93.
  52. ↑ Thruelsen 1976, p. 181.
  53. ↑ Tillman 1996, p. 96.
  54. ↑ Tillman 1996, p. 78.
  55. 1 2 Thetford 1994, p. 217.
  56. ↑ "INDEX OF NAVAL AIR SQUADRONS: 889 Squadron". Fleet Air Arm Archive. 23 February 2001. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  57. ↑ Foister, Louise (10 November 1995). "How the war interrupted a legal career". Mid-Ocean News. The Royal Gazette. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda. Pages 5 and 9. While I was still there we went out to sea with a group of some American aviators off the coast of Scotland and tipped the aircraft overboard. It was the most extraordinary thing. At the end of the war I was kept on as one of the witnesses or observers who went out with the American representatives to check the aircraft off the list to show that this wasn't something the Americans could charge the British Government for.
  58. ↑ O'Leary 1980, pp. 147–148.
  59. ↑ Jackson 1998, p. 126.
  60. ↑ "Historical aircraft of the Blue Angels." Archived 19 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Blue Angels. Retrieved" 31 March 2015.
  61. ↑ http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/576/pics/21_1.jpg Archived 9 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL image file ]
  62. ↑ Millot & Nicolaou (1993). Les avions Grumman 1929–1989 (in French). éditions Larivière. ISBN   2907051032.
  63. ↑ Donald, 1995, p. 145.
  64. ↑ Norton 2008, p. 38.
  65. ↑ Krist 2006, pp. 91–92.
  66. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79779." Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Fleet Air Arm Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.
  67. ↑ "FAA Registry: N41476" Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  68. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 41476." American Heritage Museum. Retrieved: 30 October 2020.
  69. ↑ "FAA Registry: N30FG" Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  70. ↑ "FAA Registry: N1078Z" Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  71. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 70222." CAF Southern California Wing. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  72. ↑ "FAA Registry: N9265A" Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  73. ↑ "FAA Registry: N79863" Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  74. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79863." Flying Heritage Collection. Retrieved: 22 January 2018.
  75. ↑ "FAA Registry: N4998V" Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  76. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94204." Erickson Aircraft Collection. Retrieved: 11 April 2019.
  77. ↑ "FAA Registry: N4964W" Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  78. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94473." Archived 17 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Palm Springs Air Museum. Retrieved: 23 February 2014.
  79. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 25910." National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.
  80. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 41834." Archived 12 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine National Air & Space Museum. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  81. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 42874." San Diego Aerospace Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.
  82. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 66237." NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.
  83. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 77722." Warbird Directory: Grumman Page 12." Retrieved: 21 September 2022.
  84. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79192." New England Air Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.
  85. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79593." Patriots Point Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.
  86. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79683." AirZoo. Retrieved: 13 January 2020.
  87. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94203." National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.
  88. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94263." Cradle of Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 22 January 2018.
  89. ↑ "FAA Registry: N7537U." Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  90. ↑ "FAA Registry: N2094G Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  91. ↑ "FAA Registry: N9133H Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  92. ↑ "FAA Registry: N8004H Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  93. ↑ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 93879." Archived 28 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine Yanks Air Museum. Retrieved: 12 May 2017.
  94. ↑ "FAA Registry: N4994V" Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  95. ↑ "FAA Registry: N94038 Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  96. ↑ "FAA Registry: N7861C" Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  97. ↑ "F6F Performance". wwiiaircraftperformance.org. WWII Aircraft Performance. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  98. ↑ Bridgman 1946, pp. 233–234.
  99. ↑ Standard Aircraft Characteristics: F6F-5 Hellcat. NAVAER 1335A.
  100. ↑ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

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