The Grumman F6F Hellcat must go down as one of the most impressive fighters developed in the Second World War, going from its experimental beginnings to actual combat in under 18 months. Initial operational duty began in August 1943 during an attack on Marcus Island by Fighting Squadron VF-5 flying from the USS Yorktown. The Hellcat considerably bettered the Japanese A6M Zero and was responsible for 5,156 enemy aircraft shot down, earning 75 percent of the Navy’s air-to-air kills.
There had been some similarities between the Hellcat design development, and the prototype flying in the middle of 1941 was from Grumman’s G-50, designated XF6F-1, which first flew in June 1942 with its 1,700 horsepower Wright R-2600-10 engine. Because of many deficiencies noted in this early design, a more powerful 2,000-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 was installed in the second prototype. Another month and the XF6F-3 first flew. Immediate contract for large-scale production followed.
The first production F6F-3 made its initial flight in October of 1942, and early deliveries went to VF-9 in January 1943. Combat came quickly for the new Hellcat; in August 1943, the first combat sorties were flown from Yorktown (CV-10) during the Marcus Island raid. By 1944, the Navy had, finally, their standard carrier-based fighter in service with the Hellcat. Grumman built 4,403 F6F-3s, including 150 night fighters (F6F-3N and F6F-3E) and several photo reconnaissance variants (F6F-3P).
In 1944, the F6F-5 model became operational with several improvements that included a refined cowling, improved windshield, and provisions for carrying a 2,000 lb. bomb on the centerline. Rocket rails were also installed under the wings. Armament in some models was changed to include two 20mm shell cannons and four .50-caliber machine guns instead of the standard six mounted in earlier variants. There were 6,681 F6F-5s built, and among the variants were 1,189 night fighters, designated F6F-5N, and many photo-reconnaissance models, -5P. Also, 1,182 F6F-3 and -5s went to the Royal Navy.
Grumman’s philosophy in designing the aircraft was to make it easy for pilots to master in a short period, easy to deck-operate from a carrier, and superior in combat to all enemy fighters. Its pilots amassed an incredible score of 19:1 with 5,156 enemy planes shot down in just two years alone, a total amount that represented 75 percent of all aerial victories by the Navy during the war. By the end of the war testing conducted on Allied and captured Axis fighters put the Hellcat top in every category as well, cementing its position as one of the best fighter planes from the war. Astonishingly, Grumman churned out 12,275 Hellcats in just 30 months at its still partially uncompleted Bethpage Plant Number 3, where many of the first F6Fs had been built.
Add to this the exploits of individual pilots like Captain David McCampbell, the highest-scoring U.S. Navy ace, with 34 kills, and Captain Ray Hawkins, who comes in 10th, with 14 kills. Added to the contributions from these and other countless Hellcat pilots, the legacy of this aircraft was forever sealed as one of the most feared fighters to patrol the skies over World War II.