Grumman F6F "Hellcat"

PLANE TYPE Single seated embarked fighter-bomber (F6F-5) The F6F was an evolution of the F4F with major dimensions, weight and power; after his beginning in August 1943 it became rapidly the most important embarked fighter of the US Navy during the WW2, taking 5156 air victories against the Japanese planes (the 75% of all the air victories by the US Navy planes) In June 1941 the prototypes XF6F-1 and XF6F-2 were ordered respectively with the Wright R-2600-10 and R-2600-16 engines. The first flew in June 1942 and the second, with a powerful P & W R-2800-10 new engine and redesigned XF6F-3 flew in July 1942. For the series production it was adopted the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine and the production developed with the F6F-3 (4156 built), F6F-3N equipped with the APS-6 radar to fulfill night interceptor duties (229 built) and the F6F-3E with a lighter radar APS-4 (18 built). The XF6F-4 (previously XF6F-1) with a R-2800-27 remained at experimental stadium and the production switched to F6F-5 (6436 built) with some improvements and the possibility to use it as a fighter-bomber, to F6F-5N night interceptor (1432 built) and to F6F-5P with exploring duties (converted). The "Hellcat" was also given to Fleet Air Arm as "Hellcat" Mk I (previous Gannet Mk I, 252 given) and "Hellcat" Mk II (925 given). The complexive production amounted to 12276 planes.