View source for Grumman F6F Hellcat

{{Short description|United States Navy fighter airplane}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= F6F Hellcat
 |image= File:Hellcats F6F-3, May 1943.jpg
 |caption= Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats in tricolor camouflage<ref name=NHC>[http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq2-1.htm "U.S. Naval Aircraft Marking."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115192545/http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq2-1.htm |date=15 November 2010 }} ''U.S. Naval Historical Center.'' Retrieved 11 March 2008.</ref>{{refn|The insignia red outline around the national markings indicate that this picture was taken circa June–September 1943.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}|group=Note}}
 |type= [[Carrier-based aircraft|Carrier-based]] [[fighter aircraft]]
 |national_origin= United States
 |manufacturer= [[Grumman]]
 |first_flight= 26 June 1942
 |introduction= 1943
 |retired= 1960 [[Uruguayan Navy]]<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/uruguay/Uruguay-naf-EscCaza.htm |title=Uruguayan Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611152202/http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/uruguay/Uruguay-naf-EscCaza.htm |archive-date=11 June 2011 |work=aeroflight |access-date= 27 May 2012}}</ref>
 |primary_user= [[United States Navy]]
 |more_users= {{plainlist|
*[[United States Marine Corps]]
*[[Royal Navy]]
*[[French Navy]]}}
 |produced= 1942–1945
 |number_built= 12,275
 |variants=
}}

The '''Grumman F6F Hellcat''' is an American [[Carrier-based aircraft|carrier-based]] [[fighter aircraft]] of [[World War II]]. Designed to replace the earlier [[Grumman F4F Wildcat|F4F Wildcat]] and to counter the Japanese [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero]], it was the [[United States Navy]]'s dominant fighter in the second half of the [[Pacific War]]. In gaining that role, it prevailed over its faster competitor, the [[Vought F4U Corsair]], which initially had problems with visibility and carrier landings.

Powered by a {{cvt|2,000|hp|kW|lk=in}} [[Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp]], the same powerplant used for both the Corsair and the [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt]] fighters, the F6F was an entirely new design, but it still resembled the Wildcat in many ways.<ref>Thruelsen 1976, p. 135.</ref> Some military observers tagged the Hellcat as the "Wildcat's big brother".<ref name="Sul4">Sullivan 1979, p. 4.</ref>

The F6F made its combat debut in September 1943. It subsequently established itself as a rugged, well-designed carrier fighter, which was able to outperform the A6M Zero and help secure [[Air supremacy#Second World War|air superiority]] over the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific theater]]. In total, 12,275 were built in just over two years.<ref>Kinzey 1996, p. 4.</ref>

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).<ref>Tillman 1996, p. 81.</ref>{{refn|This can be broken down as 5,163 in the Pacific and eight more during the invasion of Southern France, plus 52 with the FAA during World War II.<ref>Tillman 1996, pp. 78–79.</ref>|group=Note}} This was more than any other Allied naval aircraft.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Murray |first1=Williamson |title=War In The Air 1914–45 |date=2002 |publisher=Cassell |location=Wellington House, London |isbn=0-304-36210-7 |page=202 |edition=2002 Paperback }}</ref> After the war, Hellcats were phased out of front-line service in the US, but radar-equipped F6F-5Ns remained in service as late as 1954 as [[night fighter]]s.<ref name="Wilkinson">{{Cite web|url=https://www.historynet.com/goldilocks-fighter-f6f-hellcat.htm|title=Goldilocks Fighter: What Made the F6F Hellcat "Just Right"?|first=Stephan|last=Wilkinson|date=8 March 2017|website=HistoryNet}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ericksoncollection.com/f6f5n-hellcat|title=F6F-5N HELLCAT|website=Erickson Aircraft Collection}}</ref>

==Design and development==

===XF6F===
[[File:Grumman XF6F-1 Hellcat 1942.jpg|thumb|Unpainted XF6F-1 prior to its first flight (1942)]]
[[File:Ray Wagner Collection Image (16156795450).jpg|thumb|F6F-3 aboard USS ''Yorktown'' has its "[[Grumman Sto-Wing|Sto-Wing]]" folding wings deployed for takeoff (''circa'' 1943-44).]]

Grumman had been working on a successor to the F4F Wildcat since 1938, and the contract for the prototype '''XF6F-1''' was signed on 30 June 1941. The aircraft was originally designed to use the [[Wright R-2600|Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone]] two-row, 14-cylinder radial engine of {{cvt|1,700|hp|kW}} (the same engine used with Grumman's then-[[Grumman TBF Avenger#Design and development|new torpedo bomber under development]]), driving a three-bladed Curtiss Electric propeller.<ref>Kinzey 1996, p. 16.</ref> 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.<ref name="Taylor p. 503."/> 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 "[[Grumman Sto-Wing|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.<ref>Kinzey 1987, p. 14.</ref>

Throughout early 1942, [[Leroy Grumman]], along with his chief designers [[Jake Swirbul]] and Bill Schwendler, worked closely with the U.S. Navy's [[Bureau of Aeronautics]] (BuAer) and experienced F4F pilots,<ref>Thruelsen 1976, p. 166.</ref> to develop the new fighter in such a way that it could counter the Zero's strengths and help gain air dominance in the Pacific Theater of Operations.<ref>Ewing 2004, p. 182.</ref> On 22 April 1942, Lieutenant Commander [[Edward O'Hare|Butch O'Hare]] toured the Grumman Aircraft company and spoke with Grumman engineers, analyzing the performance of the F4F Wildcat against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero in aerial combat.<ref name="Ewing Thach Weave p. 86">Ewing 2004, p. 86.</ref>{{refn|On the previous day, while receiving the [[Medal of Honor]] from President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], O'Hare was asked by the President what was needed in a new naval fighter; O'Hare's response was "something that would go upstairs faster."<ref>Ewing and Lundstrom 2004, pp. 155–156.</ref>|group=Note}}  BuAer's Lt Cdr A. M. Jackson{{Refn|Jackson emphasized to Grumman, "you can't hit 'em if you can't see 'em"<ref>Tillman 1979, p. 6.</ref>|group=Note}} directed Grumman's designers to mount the cockpit higher in the fuselage.<ref>Francillon 1989, p. 200.</ref> In addition, the forward fuselage sloped down slightly to the engine cowling, giving the Hellcat's pilot good visibility.<ref name="Kin966">Kinzey 1996, p. 6.</ref>

====Change of powerplant====
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.<ref>Ewing and Lundstrom 2004, pp. 155, 156.</ref> Grumman complied by redesigning and strengthening the F6F airframe to incorporate the {{cvt|2,000|hp|kW}} R-2800-10, driving a three-bladed [[Hamilton Standard]] propeller. With this combination, Grumman estimated the XF6F-3s performance would increase by 25% over that of the XF6F-1.<ref name="Sul4"/> The Cyclone-powered XF6F-1 (02981) first flew on 26 June 1942, followed by the first Double Wasp-equipped aircraft, the XF6F-3 (02982), which first flew on 30 July 1942. The first production F6F-3, powered by an R-2800-10, flew on 3 October 1942, with the type reaching operational readiness with [[VF-9]] on {{USS|Essex|CV-9|6}} in February 1943.<ref name= "Kinzey p. 6">Kinzey 1987, p. 6.</ref>{{Refn|Late-production F6F-3s were powered by the same water-injected R-2800 used by the F6F-5.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}|group=Note}}

===Further development===
[[File:Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat of VF-1 in flight over California (USA), in 1943 (80-G-K-605).jpg|thumb|An early F6F-3 in blue-gray over light gull-gray (1943)]]

The F6F series was designed to take damage and get the pilot safely back to base. A bullet-resistant windshield was used and a total of {{cvt|212|lb}} of cockpit armor was fitted, along with armor around the oil tank and oil cooler. A {{cvt|250|USgal|L}} [[self-sealing fuel tank]] was fitted in the fuselage.<ref name= "Kinzey p. 6"/> Standard armament on the F6F-3 consisted of six .50&nbsp;in (12.7&nbsp;mm) [[M2 Browning machine gun|M2/AN Browning]] air-cooled [[machine gun]]s with 400 rounds per gun. A center-section [[hardpoint]] under the fuselage could carry a single {{cvt|150|USgal|L}} disposable [[drop tank]], while later aircraft had single bomb racks installed under each wing, inboard of the undercarriage bays; with these and the center-section hard point, late-model F6F-3s could carry a total bomb load in excess of {{cvt|2,000|lb}}. Six {{cvt|5|in|mm|0}} [[High Velocity Aircraft Rocket]]s (HVARs) could be carried – three under each wing on "zero-length" launchers.<ref>Sullivan 1979, pp. 24, 30, 33.</ref><ref>Parsch, Andreas. [http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/5in-rockets.html "5 inch FFAR/HVAR."] ''designation-systems.net,'' 2010. Retrieved: 28 October 2012.</ref>

Two night-fighter subvariants of the F6F-3 were developed; the 18 F6F-3Es were converted from standard-3s and featured the [[AN/APS-4]] 10&nbsp;GHz frequency radar in a pod mounted on a rack beneath the right wing, with a small radar scope fitted in the middle of the main instrument panel and radar operating controls installed on the port side of the cockpit.<ref>Kinzey 1996, pp. 30–31.</ref> The later F6F-3N, first flown in July 1943, was fitted with the AN/APS-6 radar in the fuselage, with the antenna dish in a bulbous fairing mounted on the leading edge of the outer right wing as a development of the AN/APS-4; about 200 F6F-3Ns were built.<ref>Kinzey 1996, pp. 28–29.</ref> Hellcat night fighters claimed their first victories in November 1943.<ref>Green 1975, p. 91.</ref> In total, 4,402 F6F-3s were built through until April 1944, when production was changed to the F6F-5.<ref name="Kin966"/>

[[File:F6F-5 HVAR NOTS NAN4-2-45.jpg|thumb|An early-production F6F-5 being tested with eight 5-inch HVAR rockets (''circa'' 1944–45)]]

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 [[Trim tab|tabs]] on the [[aileron]]s, 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.<ref name="Taylor p. 503.">Taylor 1969, p. 503.</ref><ref name="Kin966"/> In addition, the rear fuselage and tail units were strengthened, and apart from some early production aircraft, most of the F6F-5s built were painted in an overall gloss sea-blue finish.<ref>Kinzey 1996, pp. 6–7.</ref> After the first few F6F-5s were built, the small windows behind the main canopy were deleted.<ref>Kinzey 1996, p. 7.</ref> The F6F-5N night-fighter variant was fitted with an AN/APS-6 radar in a fairing on the outer-starboard wing. A few standard F6F-5s were also fitted with camera equipment for reconnaissance duties as the F6F-5P.<ref>Green 1975, pp. 93–94.</ref> While all F6F-5s were capable of carrying an armament mix of one 20-mm (.79-in) [[Hispano-Suiza HS.404#US production|M2 cannon]] in each of the inboard gun bays (220 rounds per gun), along with two pairs of .50-in (12.7-mm) machine guns (each with 400 rounds per gun), this configuration was only used on later F6F-5N night fighters.<ref name= "Kinzey p. 27">Kinzey 1987, p. 27.</ref> The F6F-5 was the most common F6F variant, with 7,870 being built.<ref name="Kin966"/>{{Refn|US produced 20 mm cannon were troubled by reliability issues delaying their introduction {{citation needed|date=April 2021}} |group=Note}}

Other prototypes in the F6F series included the XF6F-4 (02981, a conversion of the XF6F-1 powered by an R-2800-27 and armed with four 20-mm M2 cannon), which first flew on 3 October 1942 as the prototype for the projected F6F-4. This version never entered production and 02981 was converted to an F6F-3 production aircraft.<ref>Kinzey 1996, p. 32.</ref> Another experimental prototype was the XF6F-2 (66244), an F6F-3 converted to use a Wright R-2600-15, fitted with a Birman-manufactured mixed-flow [[turbocharger]], which was later replaced by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-21, also fitted with a Birman turbocharger.<ref>White 2001, pp. 260, 508.</ref> The turbochargers proved to be unreliable on both engines, while performance improvements were marginal. As with the XF6F-4, 66244 was soon converted back to a standard F6F-3.<ref>Kinzey 1996, pp. 17–18.</ref> Two '''XF6F-6s''' (70188 and 70913) were converted from F6F-5s and used the 18-cylinder {{cvt|2,100|hp|kW|0}} Pratt and Whitney R-2800-18W two-stage supercharged radial engine with water injection and driving a Hamilton-Standard four-bladed propeller.<ref>Kinzey 1996, pp. 50–51.</ref> The XF6F-6s were the fastest version of the Hellcat series with a top speed of {{cvt|417|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, but the war ended before this variant could be mass-produced.<ref name="Taylor p. 503."/><ref>Sullivan 1979, p. 46.</ref> The last Hellcat rolled out in November 1945, the total production being 12,275, of which 11,000 had been built in just two years.<ref>Winchester 2004, p. 110.</ref> This high production rate was credited to the sound original design, which required little modification once production was under way.

==Operational history==

===U.S. Navy and Marines===
The U.S. Navy greatly preferred the more docile flight characteristics of the F6F over the [[Vought F4U Corsair]], despite the Corsair's superior speed. This preference was particularly evident during carrier landings, which were a critical requirement for the Navy's success. Consequently, the Navy transferred the Corsair to the Marine Corps, which, not having to worry about carrier landings, utilized the Corsair for land-based sorties. The Hellcat remained the standard carrier-borne fighter for the U.S. Navy until the F4U series was finally cleared for U.S. carrier operations in late 1944. By that time, the carrier landing issues had largely been resolved, thanks in part to the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm's use of the Corsair, which began in 1943.<ref>Styling 1995, p. 67.</ref> In addition to its good flight qualities, the Hellcat was easy to maintain and had an airframe tough enough to withstand the rigors of routine carrier operations.<ref>Tillman 1996, p. 6.</ref> Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was designed for ease of manufacturing and ability to withstand significant damage.

[[File:F6F5 VF82 CV20.jpg|thumb|[[VF-171|VF-82]] Grumman F6F-5 ready for launch from {{USS|Bennington|CV-20|6}} off [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]] in May 1945: Most of the F6F-5s built were painted overall glossy sea blue.]]

The Hellcat first saw action against the Japanese on 1 September 1943, when fighters off {{USS|Independence|CVL-22|6}} shot down a [[Kawanishi H8K]] "Emily" [[flying boat]].<ref name="Dean p. 559.">Dean 1997, p. 559.</ref> Soon after, on 23 and 24 November, Hellcats engaged Japanese aircraft over [[Tarawa]], shooting down a claimed 30 Mitsubishi Zeros for the loss of one F6F.<ref name="Dean p. 559."/> Over [[Rabaul, New Britain]], on 11 November 1943, Hellcats and F4U Corsairs were engaged in day-long fights with many Japanese aircraft, including A6M Zeros, claiming nearly 50 aircraft.<ref name="Dean p. 559."/>

When trials were flown against a captured [[Mitsubishi A6M#A6M5 Type 0 Model 52|Mitsubishi A6M5]] model Zero, they showed that the Hellcat was faster at all altitudes. The F6F out-climbed the Zero marginally above {{cvt|14,000|ft}} and rolled faster at speeds above {{cvt|235|mph|abbr=on}}, however, the Japanese fighter could out-turn its American opponent with ease at low speed, and enjoyed a slightly better rate of climb below {{cvt|14,000|ft}}. The trials report concluded:
{{Blockquote|Do not dogfight with a Zero 52. Do not try to follow a loop or half-roll with a pull-through. When attacking, use your superior power and high-speed performance to engage at the most favorable moment. To evade a Zero 52 on your tail, roll and dive away into a high-speed turn.<ref name="Spick p. 118.">Spick 1983, p. 118.</ref>}}

Hellcats were the major U.S. Navy fighter type involved in the [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]], where so many Japanese aircraft were shot down that Navy aircrews nicknamed the battle [[Battle of the Philippine Sea#Japanese raids|the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot"]]. The F6F accounted for 75% of all aerial victories recorded by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.<ref>Tillman 1979, p. 9.</ref> [[Radar]]-equipped Hellcat night-fighter squadrons appeared in early 1944.

A formidable opponent for the Hellcat was the [[Kawanishi N1K]], but it was produced too late and in insufficient numbers to affect the outcome of the war.<ref>[https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196250/kawanishi-n1k2-ja-shiden-kai-george/ "Fact Sheets: Kawanishi N1K2-Ja Shiden Kai."] ''National Museum of the US Air Force''.  Retrieved: 23 November 2015.</ref>

====Sortie, kill, and loss figures====
[[File:127-GW-1627-134956 (30267672180).jpg|thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S Marine]] inspects a Japanese-captured F6F-5 in [[Yokosuka]] in September 1945.]]
U.S. Navy and Marine F6F pilots flew 66,530 combat sorties and claimed 5,163 kills (56% of all U.S. Navy/Marine air victories of the war) at a recorded cost of 270 Hellcats in aerial combat (an overall kill-to-loss ratio of 19:1).<ref name="Barber2">Barber 1946, [http://www.history.navy.mil/download/nasc.pdf Table 2.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113065343/http://www.history.navy.mil/download/nasc.pdf |date=13 January 2012 }}</ref> The aircraft performed well against the various Japanese opponents with a claimed 13:1 kill ratio against the A6M Zero, 9.5:1 against the [[Nakajima Ki-84]], and 3.7:1 against the [[Mitsubishi J2M]] during the last year of the war.<ref name="Barber28">Barber 1946, [http://www.history.navy.mil/download/nasc.pdf Table 28.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113065343/http://www.history.navy.mil/download/nasc.pdf |date=13 January 2012 }}</ref> The F6F became the prime ace-maker aircraft in the American inventory, with 305 Hellcat aces. The U.S. successes were not just attributed to superior aircraft; from 1942 onwards, they faced increasingly inexperienced Japanese aviators and had the advantage of increasing numerical superiority.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2006/04/0406_April2006.pdf#page=98|title=Airpower Classics|date=April 2006|page=96|magazine=[[Air & Space Forces Magazine]]|volume=89|issue=4|access-date=4 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251031003401/https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2006/04/0406_April2006.pdf|archive-date=31 October 2025|url-status=live|quote=flown by 305 aces, most of any US fighter in World War II}}</ref> In the ground-attack role, Hellcats dropped 6,503&nbsp;tons (5,899&nbsp;metric tonnes) of bombs.<ref name="Barber2"/>

The U.S. Navy's all-time leading ace, [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[David McCampbell]], scored all of his 34&nbsp;victories in the Hellcat. He once described the F6F as "... an outstanding fighter plane. It performed well, was easy to fly, and was a stable gun platform, but what I really remember most was that it was rugged and easy to maintain."<ref>Kinzey 1987, p. 58.</ref>

During the course of World War II, 2,462 F6F Hellcats were lost to all causes – 270 in aerial combat, 553 to antiaircraft ground and shipboard fire, and 341 due to operational causes. Of the total figure, 1,298 were destroyed in training and ferry operations, normally outside of the combat zones.<ref>OPNAV-P-23V No. A129, 17 June 1946, p. 15.</ref>

[[Hamilton McWhorter III]], a Navy aviator and a [[flying ace]] of World War II, was credited with shooting down 12 Japanese aircraft. He was the first U.S. Navy aviator to become an ace while flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the first Navy carrier pilot to achieve double ace status.<ref name="SSHellcat">{{cite news |last1=Dorr |first1=Robert F. |title=Sharp Shooting Hellcat "Mac" McWhorter Runs Up the Score |url=http://dl.magazinedl.com/magazinedl/Flight%20Journal/2019/Flight%20Journal%20-%20WWII%20Air%20War%202019(magazinedl.com).pdf |access-date=22 July 2020 |work=Flight Journal |date=21 October 2019 |archive-date=23 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723213537/http://dl.magazinedl.com/magazinedl/Flight%20Journal/2019/Flight%20Journal%20-%20WWII%20Air%20War%202019(magazinedl.com).pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Arthur Van Haren, Jr.]], a Navy combat Hellcat ace of WWII from [[Arizona]], was credited with shooting down 9 Japanese planes. He was awarded two [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Crosses]], and was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Courage-Story-Arthur-Haren/dp/B00BLYGNTQ | title=A Legacy of Courage: The Story of Arthur van Haren, Jr |year=2011 | publisher=Latino Perspectives Media }}</ref>

===British use===
[[File:Hellcats 1840 NAS in flight 1944.jpg|thumb|A section of Fleet Air Arm Hellcat F Mk.Is of [[1840 Naval Air Squadron|1840 Squadron]] in June 1944]]

The British Fleet Air Arm (FAA) received 1,263 F6Fs under the [[Lend-Lease Act]]; initially, it was known as the Grumman [[Gannet]] Mark I. 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. I, the F6F-5, the Hellcat F Mk. II and the F6F-5N, the Hellcat NF Mk. II.{{refn|Meaning Fighter Mark I, Fighter Mark II and Night Fighter Mark II respectively|group=Note}} They saw action off Norway, in the Mediterranean, and in the Far East. Several were fitted with photographic reconnaissance equipment similar to the F6F-5P, receiving the designation Hellcat FR Mk. II.<ref>Green 1975, p. 93.</ref> In the European and Mediterranean theaters, these FAA Hellcats primarily faced land-based aircraft ,<ref>Thruelsen 1976, p. 181.</ref><ref>Tillman 1996, p. 96.</ref> 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. [[1844 Naval Air Squadron]], on board {{HMS|Indomitable|92|6}} of the [[British Pacific Fleet]] was the highest-scoring unit, with 32.5 kills.<ref>Tillman 1996, p. 78.</ref>

FAA Hellcats, as with other Lend-Lease aircraft, were rapidly replaced by British aircraft after the end of the war, with only two of the 12 squadrons equipped with the Hellcat at [[VJ-Day]] still retaining Hellcats by the end of 1945.<ref name="thetford naval p217">Thetford 1994, p. 217.</ref> These two squadrons were disbanded in 1946.<ref name="thetford naval p217"/> When the war ended, [[889 Naval Air Squadron|889 Squadron FAA]], equipped with 6 Hellcat Is and II (PR) photo-reconnaissance variants, was preparing to depart from Scotland for the Far East (the squadron had been based at [[RAF Woodvale]] since its re-formation after [[VE Day]], and practising carrier operations on [[HMS Trouncer (D85)|HMS Trouncer]] before moving to [[HMS Ravager]]), to replace 888 Squadron FAA, and intended to photograph Japanese beaches in anticipation of the planned invasion that was forestalled by the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]]. With the cessation of hostilities, the squadron (which included pilot [[William Stevenson (Canadian writer)|William Stevenson]]) was disbanded and the Hellcats dumped off the Scottish coast. (That was the fate of much lend-lease equipment that survived the war, including aircraft; under the terms of lend-lease agreements, any aircraft that were not returned to the United States or paid for had to be destroyed.)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Squadrons/889.html |title=INDEX OF NAVAL AIR SQUADRONS: 889 Squadron |date=2001-02-23 |publisher=Fleet Air Arm Archive |access-date=2024-01-07 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924013928/http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Squadrons/889.html |archive-date=2015-09-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Foister |first=Louise |date=1995-11-10 |title=How the war interrupted a legal career |at=Pages 5 and 9 |department=Mid-Ocean News |work=The Royal Gazette |location=City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda |quote=While I was still there we went out to sea with a group of some American aviators off the coast of Scotland and tipped the aircraft overboard. It was the most extraordinary thing. At the end of the war I was kept on as one of the witnesses or observers who went out with the American representatives to check the aircraft off the list to show that this wasn't something the Americans could charge the British Government for.}}</ref>

===Postwar use===
[[File:F6F target drone.jpg|thumb|Postwar service: A bright orange F6F-3K [[target drone]]]]
After the war, the Hellcat was succeeded by the [[Grumman F8F Bearcat|F8F Bearcat]], which was smaller, more powerful (powered by uprated Double Wasp radials) and more maneuverable, but entered service too late to see combat in World War II.<ref>O'Leary 1980, pp. 147–148.</ref>

The Hellcat was used for second-line USN duties, including training and [[U.S. Navy Reserve|Naval Reserve]] squadrons, and a handful were converted to [[target drone]]s.<ref name="Wilkinson"/> In late 1952, Guided Missile Unit 90 used F6F-5K drones, each carrying a {{cvt|2000|lb}} bomb, to attack bridges in Korea. Flying from {{USS|Boxer|CV-21|6}}, the Hellcat drones were radio controlled from an escorting [[AD Skyraider]].<ref>Jackson 1998, p. 126.</ref>

The F6F-5 was the first aircraft used by the U.S. Navy's [[Blue Angels]] official flight demonstration team at its formation in 1946.<ref>[http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/aircraft/historical.aspx "Historical aircraft of the Blue Angels."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419102617/http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/aircraft/historical.aspx |date=19 April 2012 }} ''Blue Angels''. Retrieved" 31 March 2015.</ref>

[[File:Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat target drone is shot down in 1954.jpg|thumb|A F6F-5K Hellcat target drone is shot down by the heavy cruiser [[USS Saint Paul (CA-73)|USS ''Saint Paul'']], in 1954.]]
The [[French Naval Aviation]] was equipped with F6F-5 Hellcats and used them in combat in [[Indochina]]. These were painted in Gloss Sea Blue, similar to post-World War II US Navy aircraft until about 1955, but had a modified French roundel with an image of an anchor.<ref>http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/576/pics/21_1.jpg {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109111233/http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/576/pics/21_1.jpg |date=9 January 2019 }} {{Bare URL image|date=March 2022}}</ref> The [[French Air and Space Force|French Air Force]] also used the Hellcat in Indochina from 1950 to 1952. The plane equipped four squadrons (including the [[Escadron de Chasse 2/30 Normandie-Niemen|Normandie-Niemen]] squadron of WWII fame) before these units transitioned to the F8F Bearcat.<ref>{{Cite book | language=fr | title=Les avions Grumman 1929–1989| last=Millot & Nicolaou| year=1993|publisher=éditions Larivière|isbn=2907051032}}</ref>

The Uruguayan Navy also used them until the early 1960s.<ref name ="donald american">Donald, 1995, p. 145.</ref>

==Variants==
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2022}}

===XF6F prototypes===
;XF6F-1
:First prototype, powered by a two-stage {{cvt|1,600|hp|kW|0}} [[Wright R-2600]]-10 Cyclone 14 radial piston engine.
;XF6F-2
:The first XF6F-1 prototype revised and fitted with a turbocharged Wright R-2600-16 Cyclone radial piston engine. R-2600 replaced by turbocharged R-2800-21.
[[File:Grumman XF6F-2 Hellcat.jpg|thumb|XF6F-2 showing the later R-2800-21 installation with Birman [[turbocharger]] (1943)]]
;XF6F-3
: Second prototype fitted with a two-stage supercharged {{cvt|2,000|hp|kW|0}} Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
;XF6F-4
:One F6F-3 fitted with a two-stage, two-speed supercharged {{cvt|2,100|hp|kW|0}} Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
;XF6F-6
:Two F6F-5s that were fitted with the {{cvt|2,100|hp|kW|0}} Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial piston engine, and four-bladed propellers.

===Series production===
;F6F-3 (British designation Gannet F. Mk. I, and then later, renamed Hellcat F. Mk. I, January 1944)
:Single-seat fighter, fighter-bomber aircraft, powered by a {{cvt|2,000|hp|kW|0}} Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
;F6F-3E
:Night fighter version, equipped with an AN/APS-4 radar in a fairing on the starboard outer wing.

;F6F-3N
:Another night fighter version, equipped with a newer AN/APS-6 radar in a fairing on the starboard outer wing.
;
;F6F-5 Hellcat (British Hellcat F. Mk. II)
:Improved version, with a redesigned engine cowling, a new windscreen structure with an integral bulletproof windscreen, revised ailerons, and strengthened tail surfaces; powered by a {{cvt|2,200|hp|kW|0}} Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W (-W denotes Water Injection) radial piston engine. First approximately 1500 F6F-5 retained the small windows aft of the sliding canopy of the F6F-3.
;F6F-5K Hellcat
:A number of F6F-5s and F6F-5Ns were converted into radio-controlled target drones.
[[File:F6F-5N NAS Jax 1944-45.jpg|thumb|F6F-5N night fighter with AN/APS-6 radar and 2 20mm M2 cannon (c. 1944/45)]]
;F6F-5N Hellcat (British Hellcat N.F. Mk II)
:Night fighter version, fitted with an AN/APS-6 radar. Some were armed with two 20 mm (0.79 in) [[Hispano-Suiza HS.404|AN/M2]] cannon in the inner wing bays and four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) [[M2 Browning machine gun]]s in the outer.
;F6F-5P Hellcat
:Small numbers of F6F-5s were converted into photo-reconnaissance aircraft, with the camera equipment being fitted in the rear fuselage.
;Hellcat FR. Mk. II
:This designation was given to British Hellcats fitted with camera equipment.
;FV-1
:Proposed designation for Hellcats to be built by [[Canadian Vickers]]; cancelled before any built.<ref name="Norton">Norton 2008, p. 38.</ref>

==Operators==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2022}}
;{{FRA}}
*[[French Naval Aviation]]
*[[French Air Force]] 
;{{UK}}
*[[Royal Navy]] [[Fleet Air Arm]]
:*Training units, and non-operational units
::*[[706 Naval Air Squadron]] Crew Pool & Refresher Flying Training School.
::*[[709 Naval Air Squadron]] Ground Attack School.
::*[[731 Naval Air Squadron]] Night Fighter Training School.
::*[[778 Naval Air Squadron]] Service Trials Unit (STU)
::*[[891 Naval Air Squadron]] not operational at war's end.
::*[[1847 Naval Air Squadron]] merged into 1840, not operational.
:*East Indies units
::*[[800 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Emperor|D98|6}}, first operational unit 
::*[[804 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Ameer|D01|6}}, {{HMS|Emperor|D98|6}}, {{HMS|Shah|D21|6}}, {{HMS|Ravager|D70|6}}
::*[[808 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Khedive|D62|6}}
::*[[888 Naval Air Squadron]] detachments only
::*[[896 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Empress|D42|6}}
::*[[898 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Attacker|D02|6}}/{{HMS|Pursuer|D73|6}}
:*Atlantic & Mediterranean units
::*[[881 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Pursuer|D73|6}}
::*[[892 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Premier|D23|6}}
::*[[1832 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Indomitable|92|6}}
:*Pacific units
::*[[885 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Ruler|D72|6}}
::*[[1839 Naval Air Squadron]] NAS Eglington/{{HMS|Indomitable|92|6}}
::*[[1840 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Speaker|D90|6}}
::*[[1844 Naval Air Squadron]] {{HMS|Indomitable|92|6}}
;{{USA}}
*[[United States Navy]]
*[[United States Marine Corps]]
;{{URY}}
*[[Uruguayan Navy]]

==Surviving aircraft==
A relatively large number of Grumman F6Fs survive to this day, either in museums or in flyable condition. In order of Bu.No. they are:<ref>Krist 2006, pp. 91–92.</ref>

===United Kingdom===

;On display
;;F6F-5
* 79779 – [[Fleet Air Arm Museum]] in [[RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron)|RNAS Yeovilton]].<ref>[http://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibit/Grumman-Hellcat-II-KE209/2-4-17.aspx "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79779."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924013714/http://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibit/Grumman-Hellcat-II-KE209/2-4-17.aspx |date=24 September 2015 }} Fleet Air Arm Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.</ref>

===United States===
[[File:Grumman F6F Hellcat, Chino, California.jpg|thumb|Chino Warbirds' F6F-3 painted as a Fleet Air Arm Hellcat Mk. I (2007)]]
;Airworthy
;;F6F-3
* 41476 – based at the [[Collings Foundation]] in [[Stow, Massachusetts]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=41476 "FAA Registry: N41476"] Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref><ref>[https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/aircrafts/grumman-f6f-3n-hellcat/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 41476."] American Heritage Museum. Retrieved: 30 October 2020.</ref>
* 41930 – privately owned in [[Houston, Texas]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=30FG "FAA Registry: N30FG"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref>
;;F6F-5
* 70222 – based at [[Commemorative Air Force]] ([[CAF Southern California Wing Museum|Southern California Wing]]) at [[Camarillo Airport]] (former Oxnard AFB) in [[Camarillo, California]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=1078Z "FAA Registry: N1078Z"] Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref><ref>[https://www.cafsocal.com/our-aircrafts/our-aircraft-and-history/gruman-f6f-hellcat/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 70222."]  CAF Southern California Wing. Retrieved 22 January 2018.</ref>
* 78645 – based at [[Fagen Fighters WWII Museum]] in [[Granite Falls, Minnesota]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=9265A "FAA Registry: N9265A"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref>
* 79863 – based at [[Flying Heritage Collection]] in [[Everett, Washington]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=79863 "FAA Registry: N79863"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref><ref>[http://www.flyingheritage.com/Explore/The-Collection/United-States/Grumman-F6F-5-Hellcat.aspx "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79863."]  Flying Heritage Collection. Retrieved: 22 January 2018.</ref>
* 80141 - based at [[Lewis Air Legends]] in [[San Antonio, Texas]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=F6F Hellcat |url=https://www.lewisairlegends.com/air-legends-foundation/f6f-hellcat |access-date=28 July 2025 |website=Lewis Air Legends}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat, s/n 80141 MN, c/n A-11286, c/r N467RL |url=https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=2893 |access-date=28 July 2025 |website=Aerial Visuals}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FAA Registry: N467RL |url=https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N467RL |access-date=28 July 2025 |website=Federal Aviation Administration}}</ref>
* 94204 – based at [[Erickson Aircraft Collection]] in [[Madras, Oregon]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=4998V "FAA Registry: N4998V"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref><ref>[http://www.ericksoncollection.com/f6f5n-hellcat "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94204."]  Erickson Aircraft Collection. Retrieved: 11 April 2019.</ref>
* 94473 – based at [[Palm Springs Air Museum]] in [[Palm Springs, California]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=4964W "FAA Registry: N4964W"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref><ref>[http://www.palmspringsairmuseum.org/aircrafts.htm "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94473."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317173342/http://palmspringsairmuseum.org/aircrafts.htm |date=17 March 2012 }} Palm Springs Air Museum. Retrieved: 23 February 2014.</ref>
;On display
;;F6F-3
* 25910 – [[National Naval Aviation Museum]] at [[NAS Pensacola]] in [[Pensacola, Florida]].<ref>[https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/aircraft/f6f-3-hellcat/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 25910."] National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.</ref>
* 41834 – [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center]] of the [[National Air and Space Museum]] in [[Chantilly, Virginia]].<ref>[http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19610107000 "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 41834."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312232205/http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?id=A19610107000 |date=12 March 2012 }} National Air & Space Museum. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.</ref>
* 42874 – [[San Diego Aerospace Museum]] in [[San Diego, California]].<ref>[http://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/grumman-f6f-3-hellcat "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 42874."] San Diego Aerospace Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.</ref>
* 66237 – [[Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum]] at [[Cape May Airport]] in [[Lower Township, New Jersey]].<ref>[https://usnasw.org/the-collection/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 66237."] NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.</ref>
;;F6F-5
[[File:Air Zoo December 2019 091 (Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat).jpg|thumb|F6F-5 on display at the [[Air Zoo]]]]
* 77722 – [[Naval Air Facility Washington]] at [[Joint Base Andrews]]<ref>[https://goodall.com.au/warbirds-directory-v6/grumman.pdf "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 77722."] ''Warbird Directory: Grumman Page 12." Retrieved: 21 September 2022.</ref>
* 79192 – [[New England Air Museum]] in [[Windsor Locks, Connecticut]].<ref>[http://www.neam.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110 "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79192."] New England Air Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.</ref>
* 79593 – {{USS|Yorktown|CV-10|6}}/[[Patriots Point]] Naval & Maritime Museum in [[Mount Pleasant, South Carolina]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120602075027/http://www.patriotspoint.org/pdf/aircraft/f6f_hellcat.pdf "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79593."] Patriots Point Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.</ref>
* 79683 – [[Air Zoo]] in [[Kalamazoo, Michigan]].<ref>[https://www.airzoo.org/wwii "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79683."]  AirZoo. Retrieved: 13 January 2020.</ref>
* 94203 – [[National Naval Aviation Museum]] at [[NAS Pensacola]] in [[Pensacola, Florida]].<ref>[https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/aircraft/f6f-5-hellcat/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94203."] National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.</ref>
* 94263 – [[Cradle of Aviation Museum]] in [[New York City|New York]]. It is on loan from the [[USMC Museum]] in [[Quantico, Virginia]].<ref>[http://www.cradleofaviation.org/history/exhibits/exhibit-galleries/world_war_ii/grumman_f6f-5_hellcat.html "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94263."] Cradle of Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 22 January 2018.</ref>
;Under restoration or in storage
;;F6F-3
* 40467 - to airworthiness by [[Yanks Air Museum]] in [[Chino, California]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAA Registry: N40467 |url=https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult?NNumberTxt=N40467 |access-date=28 July 2025 |website=Federal Aviation Administration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat, s/n 40467 USN, c/n A-1733 |url=https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=197708 |access-date=28 July 2025 |website=Aerial Visuals}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date= 10 June 2024|title=Yanks Air Museum's Grumman F6F Hellcat Restoration |url=https://vintageaviationnews.com/restorations/yanks-air-museums-grumman-f6f-hellcat-restoration.html |access-date=28 July 2025 |website=Vintage Aviation News |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 43014 – in storage at the [[Fantasy of Flight]] in [[Polk City, Florida]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=7537U "FAA Registry: N7537U."] Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref>
;;F6F-5
* 72094 – to airworthiness by private owner in [[Caldwell, Idaho]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=2094G "FAA Registry: N2094G] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref>
* 79133 – to airworthiness by private owner in [[Wilmington, Delaware]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=9133H "FAA Registry: N9133H] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref>
* 80040 – to airworthiness by private owner in [[Wilmington, Delaware]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=8004H "FAA Registry: N8004H] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref>
* 94038 – to airworthiness by private owner in [[Wilmington, Delaware]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=94038 "FAA Registry: N94038] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref>
* 94385 – to airworthiness by private owner in [[Livermore, California]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=7861C "FAA Registry: N7861C"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.</ref>

==Specifications (F6F-5 Hellcat)==
[[File:Grumman F6F Hellcat 3-view line drawing.svg|300px|right]]
[[File:Carrier Air Group 3 aircraft in flight 1946.jpeg|thumb|An F6F-5 flown by Air Group Commander (CAG), Cdr. Louis H. Bauer of [[Carrier Air Wing Three|Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3)]], leads a formation of CVG-3 aircraft (a [[Curtiss SB2C Helldiver|Helldiver]], [[Grumman TBF Avenger|Avenger]] and [[Grumman F8F Bearcat|Bearcat]]) in 1946.]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''WWII Aircraft Performance''<ref>{{cite web|title=F6F Performance|url=http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/f6f/f6f.html|website=wwiiaircraftperformance.org|publisher=WWII Aircraft Performance|access-date=23 November 2015}}</ref>''Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II''<ref name="jane">Bridgman 1946, pp. 233–234.</ref>''Standard Aircraft Characteristics''<ref name="SAC">''Standard Aircraft Characteristics: F6F-5 Hellcat''. NAVAER 1335A.</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1
|length ft=33
|length in=7
|length note=
|span ft=42
|span in=10
|span note=
|height ft=13
|height in=1
|height note=
|wing area sqft=334
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=5.5
|airfoil='''root:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA 23015.6]]; '''tip:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA 23009]]<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=9238
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=12598
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=15415
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{cvt|250|USgal|impgal l|0}} internal; up to 3 × {{cvt|150|USgal|impgal l|0}} external drop tanks
|more general=<br />
*'''[[Zero-lift drag coefficient]]:''' 0.0211
*'''[[zero-lift drag coefficient|Drag area:]]''' {{cvt|7.05|sqft|m2}}
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp]]
|eng1 type=18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine
|eng1 hp=2200
|eng1 note=with a two-speed two-stage [[supercharger]] and water injection

|prop blade number=3
|prop name=[[Hamilton Standard]]
|prop dia ft=13
|prop dia in=1
|prop dia note=constant-speed propeller
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=391
|max speed note=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=84
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|range miles=
|range note=
|combat range miles=945
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=1530
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=37300
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ftmin=2600
|climb rate note=
|lift to drag=12.2
|time to altitude={{cvt|20,000|ft|m|0}} in 7 minutes 42 seconds
|wing loading lb/sqft=37.7
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.16|hp/lb}}

|more performance=<br />
*'''Take-off run:''' {{cvt|799|ft|0}}
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns=<br />
**6 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) [[M2 Browning machine gun]]s, with 400 rounds per gun, (All F6F-3, and most F6F-5) ''or'' 
**2 × 0.79 in (20 mm) AN/M2 cannon, with 225 rounds per gun ''and'' 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns with 400 rounds per gun 
|bombs=up to {{cvt|4,000|lb}} full load, including:
**'''Centerline rack:'''
***1 × {{cvt|2,000|lb}} bomb ''or''
***1 × [[Mark 13 torpedo]];
**'''Underwing bombs:''' (F6F-5 had two additional weapons racks either side of fuselage on wing center-section)
***2 × {{cvt|1,000|lb}}, {{cvt|500|lb}}, {{cvt|250|lb}}, ''or''
***6 × {{cvt|100|lb}} (Mk.3 Bomb Cluster)
|rockets=<br />
**6 × {{cvt|5|in|mm|0}} [[High Velocity Aircraft Rocket|HVAR]]s ''or''
**2 × {{cvt|11.75|in|mm|0}} [[Tiny Tim (rocket)|Tiny Tim]] unguided rockets
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
*[[Grumman F4F Wildcat]]
*[[Grumman F8F Bearcat]]
|similar aircraft=
*[[Focke-Wulf Fw 190]]
*[[Kawanishi N1K]]
*[[Kawasaki Ki-100]]
*[[Lavochkin La-5]]
*[[Mitsubishi J2M]]
*[[Mitsubishi A7M]]
*[[Nakajima Ki-84]]
*[[Vought F4U Corsair]]
|lists=
*[[List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm]]
*[[List of aircraft of the United States during World War II]]
*[[List of aircraft of World War II]]
*[[List of fighter aircraft]]
|see also=
*[[Alexander Vraciu]], who had 19 victories in Hellcats flying with VF-6 (9) and VF-16 (10).
*[[Robert Duncan (pilot)|Robert Duncan]], U.S. Navy ace who scored the first victory against a Zero by an F6F Hellcat.
*[[David McCampbell]], top U.S. Navy ace of World War II with all of his 34 victories in the Hellcat.
*[[Eugene A. Valencia Jr.]], VF-9's top World War II ace with 23 victories on Hellcats.
* [[Battle of Palmdale]]
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* Anderton, David A. ''Hellcat''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1981. {{ISBN|0-7106-0036-4}}.
* Barber, S.B. ''Naval Aviation Combat Statistics: World War II, OPNAV-P-23V No. A129''. Washington, D.C.: Air Branch, Office of Naval Intelligence, 1946.
* Bridgman, Leonard, ed. "The Grumman Hellcat." ''Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II''. London: Studio, 1946. {{ISBN|1-85170-493-0}}.
* Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN., William Green and Gordon Swanborough. "Grumman Hellcat". ''Wings of the Navy, Flying Allied Carrier Aircraft of World War Two''. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1980, pp.&nbsp;167–176. {{ISBN|0-7106-0002-X}}.
* Dann, Lcdr. Richard S., USNR. ''F6F Hellcat Walk Around''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1996. {{ISBN|0-89747-362-0}}.
* Dean, Francis H. ''America's Hundred Thousand''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997. {{ISBN|0-7643-0072-5}}.
* Donald, David, ed. ''American Warplanes of World War II''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1995. {{ISBN|1-874023-72-7}}.
* Drendel, Lou. "Grumman F6F Hellcat". ''U.S. Navy Carrier Fighters of World War II''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1987, pp.&nbsp;45–68. {{ISBN|0-89747-194-6}}.
* Ewing, Steve. ''Reaper Leader: The Life of Jimmy Flatley.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2002. {{ISBN|1-55750-205-6}}.
* Ewing, Steve. ''Thach Weave: The Life of Jimmie Thach.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2004.{{ISBN|1-59114-248-2}}.
* Ewing, Steve and John B. Lundstrom. ''Fateful Rendezvous: The Life of Butch O'Hare.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Bluejacket Books, ([[Naval Institute Press]]), 2004. {{ISBN|1-59114-249-0}}.
* Faltum, Andrew. ''The Essex Aircraft Carriers''. Baltimore, Maryland: The Nautical & Aviation Publishing Company of America, 1996. {{ISBN|1-877853-26-7}}.
* Ferguson, Robert G. "One Thousand Planes a Day: Ford, Grumman, General Motors and the Arsenal of Democracy."''History and Technology'', Volume 21, Issue 2, 2005.
* Francillon, Réne J. ''Grumman Aircraft Since 1929.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1989.  {{ISBN|0-87021-246-X}}.
* Graff, Cory. ''F6F Hellcat at War (The At War Series)''. Minneapolis, Minneapolis: Zenith Press, 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-7603-3306-8}}.
* Green, William. ''Famous Fighters of the Second World War''. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1975.{{ISBN|0-385-12395-7}}.
* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "Grumman F6F Hellcat". ''WW2 Fact Files: US Navy and Marine Corps Fighters''. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1976, pp.&nbsp;47–56. {{ISBN|0-356-08222-9}}.
* Gunston, Bill. ''Grumman: Sixty Years of Excellence.'' London: Orion Books, 1988. {{ISBN|1-55750-991-3}}.
* Hill, Richard M. ''Grumman F6F-3/5 Hellcat in USN-USMC-FAA-Aeronavale & Uruguayan Service''. Reading, Berkshire, UK: Osprey Publications Ltd., 1971. {{ISBN|0-85045-023-3}}.
* Jackson, Robert.  ''Air War Korea 1950–1953.'' Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1998. {{ISBN|1-85310-880-4}}.
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* Jarski, Adam and Waldemar Pajdosz. ''F6F Hellcat (Aircraft Monograph 20)''. Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 2007.
* Kinzey, Bert. ''F6F Hellcat in detail and scale (D&S Vol.26)''. Shrewsbury, UK: AirLife Publishing Ltd., 1987.{{ISBN|1-85310-603-8}}.
* Kinzey, Bert. ''F6F Hellcat in detail and scale: Revised edition (D&S Vol.49)''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1996. {{ISBN|1-888974-00-1}}.
* Kit, Mister and Jean-Pierre DeCock. ''F6F Hellcat'' (in French). Paris, France: Éditions Atlas s.a., 1981.
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* Thomas, Geoff. ''US Navy Carrier Aircraft Colours: Units, Colours, Markings, and Operations during World War 2''. New Malden, UK: Air Research Publications, 1989. {{ISBN|1-871187-03-6}}.
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* Tillman, Barrett. ''Hellcat Aces of World War 2''. London: Osprey Aerospace, 1996. {{ISBN|1-85532-596-9}}.
* Tillman, Barrett. ''Hellcat: The F6F in World War II''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1979. {{ISBN|0-87021-265-6}}.
* White, Graham. ''R-2800: Pratt & Whitney's Dependable Masterpiece''. Warrendale, Pennsylvania: Society of Automotive Engineers Inc., 2001. {{ISBN|978-0-76800-272-0}}.
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{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2_a9NEESo0 RIM-2 Terrier SAM intercepts a F6f drone]
*{{YouTube| 465-3zhQ1pA | "Grumman F6F Hellcat Fighter Aircraft Production Line 1944 Promotional Film 80304"}}
*{{YouTube| JUziAyx6hG4 | "Meet the Hellcat (1943)"}}
*[http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/f6f/f6f-3-42874.pdf Final flight test report of F6F-3, USN Air Station, Patuxent River (pdf file)]
*[http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/f6f/f6f.html F6F Hellcat Performance Trials, Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), Boscombe Down]
*[http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/f6f/f6f-5-58310.pdf Performance test, each 1,00th aircraft; F6F-5 No 58310, USN Air Station, Patuxent River (pdf file)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110527204838/http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html USN & USMC Aircraft Serial and Bureau Nos. 1911 to present]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=fScDAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+science+1943+there%27s+one+thrill+no+soldier&pg=PA71 "How The Hellcat Got That Way", ''Popular Science,'' December 1943, World War Two article which is large and detailed]

{{Grumman aircraft}}
{{USN fighters}}
{{Canadian Vickers aircraft}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Grumman aircraft|F06F Hellcat]]
[[Category:1940s United States fighter aircraft|Grumman F6F]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Carrier-based aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1942]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear]]
[[Category:Single-engined piston aircraft]]