Grumman began working on a successor to the F4F Wildcat in 1938, anticipating the need for a more capable carrier fighter. A contract for the prototype XF6F-1 was signed on 30 June 1941, and the first design was powered by a Wright R-2600 engine. It introduced features that made it more robust than the Wildcat, including wide-set, hydraulically operated landing gear and wings that folded using Grumman’s patented Sto-Wing system. Early in 1942, designers worked with the Navy and veteran pilots to refine the new fighter, with recommendations such as raising the cockpit for better visibility. Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare also shared his combat experience against the Zero, helping shape the design. Combat reports from the Pacific made clear that more power was needed to match Japanese aircraft. In April 1942, the Navy directed Grumman to switch to the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine. This required reinforcing the airframe but transformed the design. The first Cyclone-powered prototype flew in June 1942, followed a month later by the Double Wasp-equipped XF6F-3. The new engine boosted performance by about 25 percent. The first production F6F-3 flew in October 1942, and by February 1943, VF-9 squadron aboard USS Essex was ready for combat deployment. The Hellcat entered combat in September 1943 and quickly proved rugged and effective. With six .50 caliber machine guns, cockpit armor, and self-sealing fuel tanks, it could take heavy damage and still return to base. It also carried bombs or rockets for ground attack. Night-fighter versions equipped with radar entered service the same year. By April 1944, 4,402 F6F-3s had been built, when production shifted to the improved F6F-5. This variant featured a streamlined cowling, water-injected engine, clearer canopy, and strengthened tail, with over 7,800 produced. Some were adapted for night fighting and reconnaissance. Experimental versions with heavier cannon armament, turbochargers, or four-bladed propellers were tested but not mass-produced. In total, 12,275 Hellcats were built, with production peaking at over 11,000 in just two years. They destroyed more than 5,200 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied naval aircraft, and were central to achieving U.S. air superiority in the Pacific. After the war, they were quickly phased out, though radar-equipped night-fighter models remained in service until 1954. The Hellcat’s combination of firepower, toughness, and ease of carrier operation made it the dominant American naval fighter of World War II.

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Grumman F6F Hellcat