"Corpulent Feline: Grumman's F4F Wildcat: Part One". 2 1,000lb (450kg), 500lb (230kg), 250lb (110kg), Bridgman, Leonard, ed. It was assigned to Fighter Squadron 15 (VF-15) on USS Hornet (CV12) bound for Hawaii. Ferguson, Robert G. "One Thousand Planes a Day: Ford, Grumman, General Motors and the Arsenal of Democracy.". [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. The Wildcat first took to the air on September 2, 1937. The Grumman F4F Wildcat was a fighter used by the US Navy during the early years of World War II. [citation needed], In contrast to the USN F4F-3, the British aircraft were fitted with armor and self-sealing fuel tanks. These were followed by 30 folding wing aircraft (F4F-3As) which were originally destined for the Hellenic Air Force, which were also designated Martlet IIIs. Three more manned flights preceded the final unmanned flight on July 25, 1946, which evaluated the first underwater explosion. The British chose the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G engine to power this aircraft; this too had a single-stage, two-speed supercharger. Leroy Grumman using a paperclip and a pink gum eraser. Six 5in (127mm) High Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVARs) could be carried three under each wing on "zero-length" launchers. [27] In total, 4,402 F6F-3s were built through until April 1944, when production was changed to the F6F-5. The F6F Hellcat still bore a family resemblance, however, to its predecessor and there was little that was revolutionary in its design. The Hellcat was developed as an improvement upon a previous Grumman plane, the F4F Wildcat. Confused by the fierce resistance and having suffered significant damage, the Japanese fleet eventually withdrew from the battle. The Grumman F6F Hellcat was originally conceived as an advanced version of the U.S. Navy's then current front-line fighter, the F4F Wildcat (see NASM collection). Lundstrom 1994, pp. It has a rich Navy and civilian history that has spanned over seventy years. Max Speed: 380 mph Any success our fighter pilots may have had against the Japanese Zero fighter is not due to the performance of the airplane we fly but is the result of the comparatively poor marksmanship of the Japanese, stupid mistakes made by a few of their pilots and superior marksmanship and team work of some of our pilots. Ceiling: 41,900 ft. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine The Grumman F6F Hellcat was originally conceived as an advanced version of the U.S. Navy's then current front-line fighter, the F4F Wildcat (see NASM collection). This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 19:17. It is indeed surprising that any of our pilots returned alive. Ceiling: 34,700 ft. Normal Range: 1,670 mi. Operations from Audacity also demonstrated that the fighter cover was useful against U-boats. Hellcat Wildcat Some of the older aircraft encyclopedias describe the Hellcat as a "big beefy fighter" as opposed to the lighter, older and less powerful Wildcat. 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. Hellcat production was all the more remarkable considering that many of the Grumman employees had never built airplanes before. Max Speed: 710 mph NASM's F6F-3 Hellcat is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy center near Dulles International Airport in Virginia. [20], 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. Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN., William Green and Gordon Swanborough. Entering service in 1940, the aircraft first saw combat with the Royal Navy which used the type under the name Martlet. The unusual manually-retractable main landing gear design for all of Grumman's U.S. Navy fighters up to and through the F4F, as well as for the amphibious Grumman J2F utility biplane, was originally created in the 1920s by Leroy Grumman for Grover Loening. Much of the credit for the remarkable rate at which F6Fs were produced goes to the management abilities of Grumman and Swirbul. During these battles, it became clear that attacks without fighter escort amounted to suicide, but that the fighter component on the carriers was completely insufficient to provide both fighter cover for the carrier and an escort for an attack force. The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft initially conceived to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy (USN) service. From 1943-1945, when the Hellcat was in service, only 42 carrier-based bombers or torpedo planes are known to have been lost to Japanese aircraft. The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Still, the quality of the Long Island-produced airplanes was such that in 1942 Vice Admiral John S. McCain Sr. (grandfather of U.S. To my surprise, the Grumman's rudder and tail were torn to shreds, looking like an old torn piece of rag. Jimmy Thach is quoted as saying, "A pilot who cannot hit with four guns will miss with eight. P.O. ranging from the Revolutionary War until today. There were 7,825 Wildcats built. [Note 7] In the ground-attack role, Hellcats dropped 6,503tons (5,899tonnes) of bombs. The advanced Wildcat had turned, by a process of evolution, into the Hellcat. [citation needed]. The Grumman F4F Wildcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that entered service in 1940 with the United States Navy, and the British Royal Navy where it was initially known as the Martlet. He was awarded a DFC, and a Gold Star in lieu of a second DFC. Even before the Wildcat had been purchased by the U.S. Navy, the French Navy and the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) had ordered the Wildcat, with their own configurations, via the Anglo-French Purchasing Board. The Hellcat saw remarkably little modification throughout the war. Ceiling: 38,900 ft. First flown on June 26, 1942, the F6F was powered by a Wright R-2600 engine. [20], 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. This would almost entirely depend upon the pilots and how they met in the air. The re-engined Hellcat was designated the XF6F-3. [23][N 3] During the course of the war, Navy and Marine F4Fs and FMs flew 15,553 combat sorties (14,027 of these from aircraft carriers[32]), destroying a claimed figure of 1,327 enemy aircraft at a cost of 178 aerial losses, 24 to ground/shipboard fire, and 49 to operational causes[33] (an overall claimed kill-to-loss ratio of 6.9:1). These relatively modest ships only carried two types of aircraft, the Wildcats and GM-built TBM Avengers. Ceiling: 45,800 ft. On November 9, 1950, during the Korean War, the Pratt & Whitney-turbojet-powered F9F Panther became the first Navy jet to shoot down another jet (a MiG-15) in combat. Boscombe Down testing of the Martlet IV at 7,350lb (3,330kg) weight showed a maximum speed of 278mph (447km/h) at 3,400ft (1,000m) and 298mph (480km/h) at 14,600ft (4,500m), a maximum climb rate of 1,580ft/min (8.0m/s) at 6,200ft (1,900m) at 7,740lb (3,510kg) weight, and a time to climb to 20,000ft (6,100m) of 14.6 minutes. This became more important as the number of bombers on the carriers was reduced and fighters had to carry out a wider range of missions. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design, [4] powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. A float-equipped version, known as the Wildcatfish, was tested, but the rapid expansion of land bases and of the escort carrier fleet ended the need for an amphibious airplane. U.S. Navy orders followed as did some (with Wright Cyclone engines) from France; these ended up with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm after the fall of France and entered service on 8 September 1940. "The Grumman Hellcat.". The detachment of VMF-211 on Wake lost seven Wildcats to Japanese attacks on 8 December, but the remaining five put up a fierce defense, making the first bomber kill on 9 December. Larger multi-role aircraft like the Corsair, Hellcat and Skyraider were becoming available. Grumman F6F Hellcat. By 1944, the Hellcat had become the Navy's standard carrier-based fighter. [31] At first, GM produced the FM-1, identical to the F4F-4, but reduced the number of guns to four, and added wing racks for two 250lb (110kg) bombs or six rockets. The Hellcat was a major improvement on the Wildcat, with a 2 row, 18 cylinder P&W R-2800 engine. [59] The French Air Force also used the Hellcat in Indochina from 1950 to 1952. [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). It was inspired by appearance of the A6M2-N "Rufe", a modification of the Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zeke". As these aircraft did not have folding wings, they were only used from land bases. backward) to increase engine power. It flew on June 24, 1946, with a pilot, on a practice flight and was launched, unmanned, soon after the first bomb test. The F7F also proved to be a decent platform for the launch and control of drones. Green, William, Gordon Swanborough and Eric Brown. Two single-seat biplane designs followed, the F2F and F3F, which established the general fuselage outlines of what would become the F4F Wildcat. Height: 13 ft. 8 in. Grumman built the heavily armored Hellcat based on the F4F design but with different landing gear, much larger wings, and a bigger engine and propelleressentially a brand-new fighter. Ceiling: 37,300 ft. For carrier operations, the "sting" tail hook and attachment point for the American single-point catapult launch system were considered important advantages. Great PlanesGrumman F-4F Wildcat / F-6F Hellcatby Discovery Channel The Eastern plants were in Linden, Trenton and Bloomfield, New Jersey, as well as Baltimore, Maryland. [49], Arthur Van Haren, Jr., a Navy combat Hellcat ace of WWII from Arizona, was credited with shooting down 9 Japanese planes. [23] Many U.S. Navy fighter pilots were saved by the Wildcat's ZB homing device, which allowed them to find their carriers in poor visibility, provided they could get within the 30mi (48km) range of the homing beacon. In 1983, it was sent to Grumman Aerospace where a team of volunteers completely restored the aircraft. The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Although it was a superlative aircraft, the rise of jet fighters ended the Bearcats career as a U.S. fighter almost before it began, and most F8Fs were withdrawn from service before the Korean War. Max Speed: 753 mph [20] .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. The Mk II also had a larger tailwheel. . [58], The French Navy (Aronavale) was equipped with F6F-5 Hellcats and used them in combat in Indochina. [3][4][5] The Wildcat has a claimed air combat kill-to-loss ratio of 5.9:1 in 1942 and 6.9:1 for the entire war.[6]. The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Normal Range: 900 mi. In practice, the folding wings allowed an increase of about 50% in the number of Wildcats carried aboard U.S. fleet aircraft carriers. Lexington and Yorktown fought against the fleet carriers Zuikaku and Shkaku and the light carrier Shh in this battle, in an attempt to halt a Japanese invasion of Port Moresby on Papua. In 1976 this Hellcat was loaned to the USS Yorktown Museum at Charleston, South Carolina. of 486 Squadron, April 1944. The FM-2 covered the Philippine campaign with distinction. The U.S. Navy officially adopted the aircraft type on 1 October 1941 as the Wildcat. In 1943, the game changed when the American F6F Hellcat entered the war. ", "Sharp Shooting Hellcat "Mac" McWhorter Runs Up the Score", "Historical aircraft of the Blue Angels. Compare Aircraft. The lightly armored Zeros were also no match for the Hellcat's rugged construction and six .50 caliber guns. YEAR 1939 [Diff.-1 yrs] . [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. The F11F shone, however, with the Blue Angels demonstration team, which flew it from 1957 to 1969. Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 19:17, Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962), List of aircraft of the United States during World War II, "Grumman F4F Martlet (Grumman F4F Wildcat)", "World War II: The Cactus Air Force Fought at Guadalcanal. The joke was that the steel had not gone to making the factory, but in to making Hellcats. [18], At the end of 1939, Grumman received a French order for 81 aircraft of model G-36A, to equip their new Joffre-class aircraft carriers: Joffre and Painlev. VF-42 of the Yorktown was the last carrier group converted to the F4F-4, and that was done as it left Pearl Harbor on the way to the Battle of Midway as VF-3 flew in new F4F-4s with Commander Thach.[48]. ORIGIN United States. American Heritage Museum In a departure from the militarys usual practice, the F9F designation was retained even after the aircraft was transformed into the Cougar: In 1951, the Panthers straight wing was replaced with a wing swept back 35 degrees. The F4F-4 was the definitive version that saw the most combat service in the early war years, including the Battle of Midway. It was a fine fighter but had short range and lower performance that wasn't very competitive when the war started - it was an earlier generation aircraft aft. 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. [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. Although records show it to be a successful fighter, during World War II it was outclassed in several areas (maneuverability, climb speed, and service ceiling) by its nemesis, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. 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Six 5in ( 127mm ) High Velocity aircraft Rockets ( HVARs ) could be carried under! Jimmy Thach is quoted as saying, `` a pilot who can not hit with four will... Aircraft of World War II USN F4F-3, the F2F and F3F, which flew it from 1957 1969... Demonstration team, which flew it from 1957 to 1969 fighter used by US... Combat service in the ground-attack role, Hellcats dropped 6,503tons ( 5,899tonnes ) of bombs this... As the Wildcat first took to the management abilities of Grumman and Swirbul Hellcats and used them in in. Predecessor and there was little that was revolutionary in its design engine to power this aircraft ; too.

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