The Grumman F6F Hellcat is without question the most powerful fighter of World War II. From coming out of the experimental phase, this went straight to actual operational duty in less than 18 months. First seeing combat in August 1943, the Hellcats were during an attack on Marcus Island by VF-5 aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-10). This aircraft outclassed the famous Japanese A6M Zero, destroying 5,156 hostile aircraft and earning 75 percent of the U.S. Navy’s air-to-air victories.
Grumman had begun the G-50 design, which was to be designated as XF6F-1, by mid-1941. The prototype made its maiden flight in June 1942, installed with an early 1,700 horsepower Wright R-2600-10. Due to redesigning, the second prototype was equipped with a 2,000 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10, and it first flew only a month later. This formed an instant, large production contract for the XF6F-3.
The first production F6F-3 flew in October 1942, with initial deliveries to VF-9 in early 1943. VF-5 flew the first combat mission in the F6F-3 during the Marcus Island raid on 31 August 1943 from the carrier Yorktown (CV-10). In 1944, it had become the Navy’s standard carrier-based fighter. Grumman produced a total of 4,403 F6F-3s, including 150 examples of a night fighter variant, F6F-3N, and F6F-3E, along with some photographic reconnaissance variants, F6F-3P.
The F6F-5 model began service in 1944 with many improvements over the F6F-3, including a reworked cowling, improved windshield, and centerline mounts for a 2,000 lb. bomb. It also had rocket rails under the wings and, on some, a change to wing armament of two 20mm cannons and four .50-caliber machine guns. A total of 6,681 F6F-5s were built, which included 1,189-night fighters designated F6F-5N and several photo-reconnaissance variants designated F6F-5P. More than 1,182 F6F-3s and -5s were obtained by the Royal Navy.
Grumman’s philosophy in design was for an airplane that pilots could master in a short time, easily fly from a carrier, and outperform the enemy. The pilots loved their Hellcat with its phenomenal 19:1 kill ratio. During the war, Hellcat pilots shot down 5,156 enemy aircraft, which accounted for 75 percent of the Navy’s aerial victories. Toward the end of the war, the Navy ran tests comparing Allied and captured Axis fighters; Hellcats were best in almost every category. This remarkable achievement is even more impressive considering the short design-to-production period. Within three years, Grumman churned out 12,275 Hellcats from its still partially uncompleted Bethpage Plant Number 3, even as the first F6Fs were being built inside.
But the Hellcat’s legacy didn’t end with its service to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Under the Lend-Lease Act, 1,268 F6Fs were delivered to the British Royal Navy, which first named them Grumman Gannet Mk., then switched to Hellcat, like the Americans. Hellcats of the Royal Navy also flew support for the Normandy Invasion, donning the campaign’s characteristic identity stripes.
Perhaps the dominance of the Hellcat over the Pacific Theater can be summed up in the actions of Medal of Honor recipient Capt. David McCampbell shot down a record nine Japanese aircraft in a single mission on October 24, 1944. The total for the top Navy ace was 34. Armed with rockets and four 20mm guns, but with armor designed to protect the pilot, once in the air, the Hellcat became difficult to beat, even against the highly maneuverable Japanese Zero.
In a word, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was a very significant aircraft in World War II because it gave air superiority to the Allies and created a new event in military aviation history. The rapid development of a robust design followed by its brilliant combat performance established it as one of the greatest fighters of the war.