F6F Hellcat

History

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F bore a family resemblance to the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big brother".The Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair were the primary USN fighters during the second half of World War II.

The Hellcat was the first US Navy fighter for which the design took into account lessons from combat with the Japanese Zero.The Hellcat proved to be the most successful aircraft in naval history, destroying 5,271 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.) Postwar, the Hellcat aircraft was systematically phased out of front line service, but remained in service as late as 1954 as a night-fighter in composite squadrons.

In Game

The F6F Hellcat, first flown in October of 1942, was the 'big brother' to the F4F Wildcat. As a completely new design, this fighter was designed primarily for air-to-air work. Having the same R-2800 engine as the Corsair the plane was very heavy and had huge wings, especially if compared to the Japanese Zero. Thanks to the self-sealing fuel tanks and rugged construction the Hellcat is able to withstand heavy battle damage and is able to return to the carrier even when damaged. Armed with six .50cal machine guns the Hellcat is responsible for destroying the most Japanese planes in the Pacific War, earning a total of 75% of the aerial victories, and at the end, the Hellcats had a surprisingly good, 19:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft.