Grumman F6F Hellcat#Series production

File:Grumman XF6F-1 Hellcat 1942.jpg

File:Ray Wagner Collection Image (16156795450).jpg" 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 Twin Cyclone two-row, 14-cylinder radial engine of {{cvt|1,700|hp|kW}} (the same engine used with Grumman's then-new torpedo bomber under development), driving a three-bladed Curtiss Electric propeller.Kinzey 1996, p. 16. 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. 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 "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.Kinzey 1987, p. 14.

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,Thruelsen 1976, p. 166. 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.Ewing 2004, p. 182. On 22 April 1942, Lieutenant Commander 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.Ewing 2004, p. 86.{{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."Ewing and Lundstrom 2004, pp. 155–156.|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"Tillman 1979, p. 6.|group=Note}} directed Grumman's designers to mount the cockpit higher in the fuselage.Francillon 1989, p. 200. In addition, the forward fuselage sloped down slightly to the engine cowling, giving the Hellcat's pilot good visibility.Kinzey 1996, p. 6.

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.Ewing and Lundstrom 2004, pp. 155, 156. 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. 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.Kinzey 1987, p. 6.{{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}}

File:Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat of VF-1 in flight over California (USA), in 1943 (80-G-K-605).jpg

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. Standard armament on the F6F-3 consisted of six .50 in (12.7 mm) M2/AN Browning air-cooled machine guns 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 Rockets (HVARs) could be carried – three under each wing on "zero-length" launchers.Sullivan 1979, pp. 24, 30, 33.Parsch, Andreas. [http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/5in-rockets.html "5 inch FFAR/HVAR."] designation-systems.net, 2010. Retrieved: 28 October 2012.

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 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.Kinzey 1996, pp. 30–31. 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.Kinzey 1996, pp. 28–29. Hellcat night fighters claimed their first victories in November 1943.Green 1975, p. 91. In total, 4,402 F6F-3s were built through until April 1944, when production was changed to the F6F-5.

File:F6F-5 HVAR NOTS NAN4-2-45.jpg

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 tabs on the ailerons, 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.Taylor 1969, p. 503. 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.Kinzey 1996, pp. 6–7. After the first few F6F-5s were built, the small windows behind the main canopy were deleted.Kinzey 1996, p. 7. 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.Green 1975, pp. 93–94. While all F6F-5s were capable of carrying an armament mix of one 20-mm (.79-in) 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.Kinzey 1987, p. 27. The F6F-5 was the most common F6F variant, with 7,870 being built.{{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.Kinzey 1996, p. 32. 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.White 2001, pp. 260, 508. 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.Kinzey 1996, pp. 17–18. 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.Kinzey 1996, pp. 50–51. 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.Sullivan 1979, p. 46. 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.Winchester 2004, p. 110. This high production rate was credited to the sound original design, which required little modification once production was under way.

The U.S. Navy much preferred the more docile flight qualities of the F6F compared with the Vought F4U Corsair, despite the Corsair's superior speed. This preference was especially noted during carrier landings, a critical success requirement for the Navy. The Corsair was thus released by the Navy to the Marine Corps, which without the need to worry about carrier landings, used the Corsair to devastating effect in land-based sorties. The Hellcat remained the standard USN carrier-borne fighter until the F4U series was finally cleared for U.S. carrier operations in late 1944 (the carrier landing issues had by now been tackled largely due to use of Corsair by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, which started in 1943).Styling 1995, p. 67. 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.Tillman 1996, p. 6. Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was designed for ease of manufacturing and ability to withstand significant damage.

File:F6F5 VF82 CV20.jpg Grumman F6F-5 ready for launch from {{USS|Bennington|CV-20|6}} off 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.Dean 1997, p. 559. 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. 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.

When trials were flown against a captured 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.Spick 1983, p. 118.}}

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 the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot". The F6F accounted for 75% of all aerial victories recorded by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.Tillman 1979, p. 9. 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.[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.

File:127-GW-1627-134956 (30267672180).jpg 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 based on claimed kills).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 }} Claimed victories were often highly exaggerated during the war. Even so, the aircraft performed well against the best 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.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 }} 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.{{refn|Quote: "... flown by 305 aces, most of any U.S. fighter in World War II."{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090327110758/http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/2006/April%202006/0406classics.pdf "Airpower Classics."]}} Air Force Magazine, April 2006, p. 98.|group=Note}} In the ground-attack role, Hellcats dropped 6,503 tons (5,899 metric tonnes) of bombs.

The U.S. Navy's all-time leading ace, Captain David McCampbell, scored all of his 34 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."Kinzey 1987, p. 58.

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.OPNAV-P-23V No. A129, 17 June 1946, p. 15.

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.{{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 }}

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 Crosses, and was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012.{{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 }}

File:Hellcats 1840 NAS in flight 1944.jpg 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.Green 1975, p. 93. The Pacific War being primarily a naval war, the FAA Hellcats primarily faced land-based aircraft in the European and Mediterranean theaters,Thruelsen 1976, p. 181.Tillman 1996, p. 96. 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.Tillman 1996, p. 78.

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.Thetford 1994, p. 217. These two squadrons were disbanded in 1946. When the war ended, 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 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) 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.){{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}}{{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.}}

File:F6F target drone.jpg]]

After the war, the Hellcat was succeeded by the 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.O'Leary 1980, pp. 147–148.

The Hellcat was used for second-line USN duties, including training and Naval Reserve squadrons, and a handful were converted to target drones. 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.Jackson 1998, p. 126.

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.[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.

File:Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat target drone is shot down in 1954.jpg, 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.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}} The French Air Force also used the Hellcat in Indochina from 1950 to 1952. The plane equipped four squadrons (including the Normandie-Niemen squadron of WWII fame) before these units transitioned to the F8F Bearcat.{{Cite book | language=fr | title=Les avions Grumman 1929–1989| last=Millot & Nicolaou| year=1993|publisher=éditions Larivière|isbn=2907051032}}

The Uruguayan Navy also used them until the early 1960s.Donald, 1995, p. 145.

{{Refimprove section|date=June 2022}}

;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 (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.

;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, new 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.

;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

;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) AN/M2 cannon in the inner wing bays and four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns 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.Norton 2008, p. 38.

{{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

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:Krist 2006, pp. 91–92.

;On display

;;F6F-5

• 79779 – Fleet Air Arm Museum in RNAS Yeovilton.[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.

File:Grumman F6F Hellcat, Chino, California.jpg

;Airworthy

;;F6F-3

• 41476 – based at the Collings Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=41476 "FAA Registry: N41476"] Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.[https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/aircrafts/grumman-f6f-3n-hellcat/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 41476."] American Heritage Museum. Retrieved: 30 October 2020.
• 41930 – privately owned in Houston, Texas.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=30FG "FAA Registry: N30FG"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.

;;F6F-5

• 70222 – based at Commemorative Air Force (Southern California Wing) at Camarillo Airport (former Oxnard AFB) in Camarillo, California.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=1078Z "FAA Registry: N1078Z"] Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.[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.
• 78645 – based at Fagen Fighters WWII Museum in Granite Falls, Minnesota.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=9265A "FAA Registry: N9265A"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
• 79863 – based at Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=79863 "FAA Registry: N79863"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.[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.
• 94204 – based at Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=4998V "FAA Registry: N4998V"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.[http://www.ericksoncollection.com/f6f5n-hellcat "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94204."] Erickson Aircraft Collection. Retrieved: 11 April 2019.
• 94473 – based at Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=4964W "FAA Registry: N4964W"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.[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.

;On display

;;F6F-3

• 25910 – National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida.[https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/aircraft/f6f-3-hellcat/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 25910."] National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.
• 41834 – Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.[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.
• 42874 – San Diego Aerospace Museum in San Diego, California.[http://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/grumman-f6f-3-hellcat "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 42874."] San Diego Aerospace Museum. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.
• 66237 – Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum at Cape May Airport in Lower Township, New Jersey.[https://usnasw.org/the-collection/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 66237."] NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.

;;F6F-5

File:Air Zoo December 2019 091 (Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat).jpg]]

• 77722 – Naval Air Facility Washington at Joint Base Andrews[https://goodall.com.au/warbirds-directory-v6/grumman.pdf "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 77722."] ''Warbird Directory: Grumman Page 12." Retrieved: 21 September 2022.
• 79192 – New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.[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.
• 79593 – {{USS|Yorktown|CV-10|6}}/Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.[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.
• 79683 – Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan.[https://www.airzoo.org/wwii "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79683."] AirZoo. Retrieved: 13 January 2020.
• 94203 – National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida.[https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/aircraft/f6f-5-hellcat/ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94203."] National Naval Aviation Museum. Retrieved: 24 April 2020.
• 94263 – Cradle of Aviation Museum in New York. It is on loan from the USMC Museum in Quantico, Virginia.[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.

;Under restoration or in storage

;;F6F-3

• 43014 – in storage at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=7537U "FAA Registry: N7537U."] Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.

;;F6F-5

• 72094 – to airworthiness by private owner in Caldwell, Idaho.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=2094G "FAA Registry: N2094G] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
• 79133 – to airworthiness by private owner in Wilmington, Delaware.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=9133H "FAA Registry: N9133H] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
• 80040 – to airworthiness by private owner in Wilmington, Delaware.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=8004H "FAA Registry: N8004H] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
• 93879 – to airworthiness by Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.[https://yanksair.org/collection/grumman-g-50-hellcat-f6f-3/?_sft_manufacturer_inventor=grumman "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 93879."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228025613/https://yanksair.org/collection/grumman-g-50-hellcat-f6f-3/?_sft_manufacturer_inventor=grumman |date=28 December 2019 }} Yanks Air Museum. Retrieved: 12 May 2017.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=4994V "FAA Registry: N4994V"] Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
• 94038 – to airworthiness by private owner in Wilmington, Delaware.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=94038 "FAA Registry: N94038] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
• 94385 – to airworthiness by private owner in Livermore, California.[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=7861C "FAA Registry: N7861C"] Federal Aviation Administration Retrieved: 15 July 2021.

File:Grumman F6F Hellcat 3-view line drawing.svg

File:Carrier Air Group 3 aircraft in flight 1946.jpeg, leads a formation of CVG-3 aircraft (a Helldiver, Avenger and Bearcat) in 1946.]]

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=WWII Aircraft Performance{{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}}Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War IIBridgman 1946, pp. 233–234.Standard Aircraft CharacteristicsStandard Aircraft Characteristics: F6F-5 Hellcat. NAVAER 1335A.

|prime units?=imp

|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 23015.6; tip: NACA 23009{{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}}

|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=

• Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0211
• Drag area: {{cvt|7.05|sqft|m2}}

|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

|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=

|ceiling ft=37300

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|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=

• Take-off run: {{cvt|799|ft|0}}

|guns=

• 6 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, 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=

• 6 × {{cvt|5|in|mm|0}} HVARs or
• 2 × {{cvt|11.75|in|mm|0}} Tiny Tim unguided rockets

}}

{{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, 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

}}

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

{{Reflist}}

{{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. 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. 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. 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}}.
• Jarski, Adam and Waldemar Pajdosz. F6F Hellcat (Monografie Lotnicze 15) (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 1994. {{ISBN|83-86208-05-8}}.
• 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.
• Krist, Jan. Bojové Legendy: Grumman F6F Hellcat (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: Jan Vašut s.r.o., 2006. {{ISBN|80-7236-432-4}}.
• Mendenhall, Charles A. Wildcats & Hellcats: Gallant Grummans in World War II. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1984. {{ISBN|0-87938-177-9}}.
• Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II (Hamlyn Concise Guide). London: Bounty Books, 2006. {{ISBN|978-0-7537-1461-4}}.
• Norton, Bill. U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939–1945. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2008, pp. 80–85. {{ISBN|978-1-58007-109-3}}.
• O'Leary, Michael. United States Naval Fighters of World War II in Action. Poole, Dorset, UK: Blandford Press, 1980. {{ISBN|0-7137-0956-1}}.
• "OPNAV-P23V No. A129, 17 June 1946." Naval Aviation Combat Statistics World War II. Suitland, Maryland: Air Branch, Office of Naval Intelligence, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1946.
• Spick, Mike. Fighter Pilot Tactics . The Techniques of Daylight Air Combat. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens, 1983. {{ISBN|0-85059-617-3}}.
• Styling, Mark. Corsair Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 8). London: Osprey Publishing, 1995. {{ISBN|1-85532-530-6}}.
• Sullivan, Jim. F6F Hellcat in action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1979. {{ISBN|0-89747-088-5}}.
• Taylor, John W. R. "Grumman F6F Hellcat." Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. {{ISBN|0-425-03633-2}}.
• Thetford, Owen. British Naval Aircraft Since 1912, Fourth Edition. London: Putnam, 1994. {{ISBN|0-85177-861-5}}.
• 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}}.
• Thruelsen, Richard. The Grumman Story. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1976. {{ISBN|0-275-54260-2}}.
• 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}}.
• Winchester, Jim, ed. "Grumman F6F Hellcat." Aircraft of World War II (Aviation Fact File). Rochester, UK: Grange Books plc, 2004. {{ISBN|1-84013-639-1}}.
• Zbiegniewski, Andre R. Grumman F6F Hellcat (Kagero Monografie No.10) (Bilingual Polish/English). Lublin, Poland: Kagero, 2004. {{ISBN|83-89088-49-5}}.

{{Refend}}

{{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}}

F06F Hellcat

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