On this date in 1942, the Grumman F6F Hellcat flew for the first time.
The Hellcat was the dominant carrier-based fighter for the USN during the second world war, replacing the Grumman F4F Wildcat.
The Hellcat competed with the F4U Corsair early in the war, but the Corsair was difficult to land on carriers, so it was sent to the Marines for use from land bases until late in the war.
Two prototypes, designated the XF6F-1, were ordered June 30th, 1941. The prototypes were meant to use the Wright R-2500-16 Cyclone engine, producing 1,600 horsepower. On January 7th, 1942 an order for the F6F-1 was placed to use the same engine. The turbosupercharged R-2600-10 was selected for the XF6F-2 by April 26th, but Grumman was working on mounting the 2,000 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp for the XF6F-3. The XF6F-2 was intended to make 419 MPH at 30,000 feet, but was not accepted in that form and was delivered as an F6F-3.
The Navy decided to finish the second prototype with the Double Wasp on June 3rd, 1942, so the XF6F-1 (serial number 02982) flown the 26th of June was the only Cyclone powered Hellcat completed. It had a large propeller spinner and more bulky landing gear. The XF6F-3, mounting the R-2800-10 (serial number 02981), was completed and flown July 8th.
XF6F-3's third flight ended with a cylinder failure and damage on landing. XF6F-1's engine was changed to an R-2800-10 to speed up testing while XF6F-3 was repaired and redesigned XF6F-4.
The production contract was completed May 23rd and had been changed to the F6F-3 model. The first of which flew on the third of October with an R-2800-10 engine, no spinner on the propeller, and simplified landing gear.
Come November, s/n 02981 was flying again as an XF6F-4 with a two-speed R-2800-27 engine capable of making 1,600 horsepower at 13,500 feet.
By the end of 1942, ten F6F-3s had been delivered. In 1943, 2,545 Hellcats had been produced, enough to equip every one of the Navy's fast fleet carriers. Little was changed, except a water injection system for emergency power was standard by 1944.
The F6F-3 was powered by an R-2800-10W with a Hamilton three bladed propeller. The Hellcat had the largest wing area of any single engine US fighter to keep a low wing loading. The landing gear folded back into the wings, and the wings folded backward to reduce the space taken up on a carrier. The pilot had good visibility, as he was positioned high in the aircraft, above the fuel tanks.
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F6F-3 of VF-9 aboard the USS Essex in 1944
Specifications: F6F-3
Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W, 2000 hp at takeoff, 1975 hp at 16,900 feet
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 42'10''
Length: 33'7''
Height: 13'1''
Wing Area: 334^2 feet
Weight:
Empty: 9,101 lb
Gross: 12,441 lb
Maximum: 15,487 lb
250-400 gallons of fuel
Performance:
Top Speed: 375 mph @ 17,000 Feet
At Sea Level: 335 mph
Cruising Speed: 160 mph
Landing Speed: 84 mph
Service Ceiling: 37,300 Feet
Normal Range: 1090 Miles
Maximum Range: 1590 Miles
The Hellcat was armed with six .50 caliber machine guns mounted in the wings with 2,400 rounds of ammunition. The Hellcat was also equipped with 212 pounds of armor and self-sealing fuel tanks. In September of 1943, the Navy began acceptance trials for the F6F-3N night fighter. The -3N had an APS-6 RADAR attached to the leading edge of the starboard wing. The -3E was delivered in January of 1944 with the lighter APS-4 RADAR. By April 1944, 4,156 F6F-3s, 229 F6F-3Ns, and 10 F6F-3Es had been constructed.
On the 4th of April 1944, the F6F-5 was flown for the first time. The -5 had a redesigned and streamlined engine cowling, windshield, and 242 pounds of armor. Additionally, the inner two .50 caliber machine guns could be replaced with 20 mm cannons (the M2 with 220 for each gun), though this was only used on the F6F-5Ns. Provisions were made for two 1000 pound bombs under the fuselage, or six rockets (three under each wing). A photoreconnaissance version designated the F6F-5P was also produced. When Hellcat production ended in November 1945, 6,436 F6F-5s and 1,432 F6F-5Ns had been built. In total, 12,275 Hellcats of all models had been built.
F6F-5N with APS-6 RADAR and two M2 20 mm cannons
Specifications: F6F-5
Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W, 2000 hp at takeoff, 1975 hp at 16,900 Feet
Dimensions:
Same as F6F-3
Weight:
Empty: 9,238 lb
Gross: 12,740 lb
Maximum: 15,413 lb
250-408 gallons of fuel
Performance:
Top Speed: 380 mph @23,400 Feet
At Sea Level: 315 mph
Crusing Speed: 168 mph
Landing Speed: 88 mph
Service Ceiling: 37,300 Feet
Normal Range: 945 Miles
Maximum Range: 1355 Miles
The British Royal Navy acquired 332 F6F-3s as the Hellcat I, 850 F6F-5s as the Hellcat II, and 80 F6F-5Ns. Two XF6F-6s were flown on July 6th, 1944. These were equipped with four bladed propellers and the 2,100 horsepower R-2800-18W. They were not produced.
Service
The USS Essex, the name ship of her class, received the first squadron equipped with F6F-3s (VF-9) in January of 1943. They went into action together at Marcus Island on August 31st, 1943, only 14 months after the Hellcats first flight. The first aircraft to fall to a Hellcat's guns was a Kawanishi H8K flying boat on September 1st.
The Hellcat's greatest success was in June 1944, at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Japanese Navy sent up three waves of aircraft, totaling nearly 250 dive bombers, torpedo bombers, fighters. Almost 300 Hellcats rose to meet them. 42 of the first wave of 69 Japanese aircraft were shot down, more than 100 of the 128 in the second wave met the same fate. The few survivors ran into the massed AA fire of the American fleet. Less than 30 of the first two waves returned to the Japanese fleet. The third wave of 47 aircraft missed most of the Americans but still lost 7 to patrolling Hellcats. By the end of the first day of the battle, the Japanese had lost roughly 350 carrier and land based aircraft. The USN had lost about thirty.
At the start of their service, the Essex class carried 36 Hellcats, 36 dive bombers, and 18 torpedo bombers. As the war progressed, the number of carried fighters increased. The night fighters operated as squadrons on dedicated night carriers, detachments on regular carriers, or from land, piloted by Marines.
When the war ended, the Hellcat had accounted for 5,156 of the 9,282 enemy aircraft downed by Navy and Marine pilots, with the loss of only 270 of their own. The top Navy ace, Captain David McCampbell, flew a Hellcat for his 34 victories, including nine on one mission while operating from the Essex.
Overall, the Hellcat claimed a 19:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft (this is based on claimed kills, not confirmed). 305 pilots became aces while flying the Hellcat over the course of the war.
Overall, the Hellcat claimed a 19:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft (this is based on claimed kills, not confirmed). 305 pilots became aces while flying the Hellcat over the course of the war.
The Royal Navy's Hellcats began delivery in May 1943 and were formed into 12 squadrons from July 1943 to June 1945. They served from the North Sea to the Pacific aboard British carriers, they had fewer chances for air to air action though. 48 Hellcats went to the French Navy for operations in Indochina in 1950. The Hellcats last combat action was during the Korean War, when F6F-5K drones attacked bridges starting August 26th, 1952. The last nation to operate the Hellcat was Uruguay, who kept them in service until 1960. In 1946, the Blue Angels used the F6F-5 for their first flight demonstrations.
The Hellcat was replaced by the Grumman F8F Bearcat, which was smaller, lighter, and faster. A more detailed look at the Bearcat will have to come later though.
Sources:
American Combat Planes: Third Enlarged Edition. 1982. Wagner, Ray
Top Guns. 1991. Brennan, Matthew and Foss, Joe
https://www.blueangels.navy.mil/history/
Images from Wikipedia Commons
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