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| Country:
USA |
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Type: Fighter |
| Manufacturer:
Grumman |
| Service:
1943 - 1954 |
| First
Flight: 26 June 1942 |
| Production:
12275 |
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The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a fighter aircraft descended from the earlier F4F Wildcat, but was a completely new design sharing only a familial resemblance to the Wildcat. The Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair were the primary United States Navy carrier fighters in the latter half of World War II.
The Hellcat proved to be the most successful aircraft in naval history, destroying 5,171 aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (5,163 in the Pacific and eight more during the invasion of Southern France), plus 52 with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm during World War II. Postwar, the Hellcat aircraft was relatively rapid phased out of front line service, but finally retired as late as 1954 as a night-fighter in composite squadrons.
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| TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS ( F6F-5 Hellcat) |
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General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 33 ft 7 in (10.24 m)
- Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.06 m)
- Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
- Wing area: 334 ft (31 m)
- Airfoil: NACA 23015.6 mod root; NACA 23009 tip
- Empty weight: 9,238 lb (4,190 kg)
- Loaded weight: 12,598 lb (5,714 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 15,415 lb (6,990 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W "Double Wasp" two-row radial engine with a two-speed two-stage supercharger, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW)
- Propellers: 3-blade Hamilton Standard
- Propeller diameter: 13 ft 1 in (4.0 m)
- * Fuel capacity: 250 U.S. gal (946 L) internal; up to 3x 150 U.S. gal (568 L) external drop tanks
- Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0211
- Drag area: 7.05 ft (0.65 m)
- Aspect ratio: 5.5
Performance
- Maximum speed: 330 knots (380 mph, 610 km/h)
- Stall speed: 73 knots (84 mph, 135 km/h)
- Combat radius: 820 nm (945 mi, 1,520 km)
- Ferry range: 1,330 nm (1,530 mi, 2,460 km)
- Service ceiling 37,300 ft (11,370 m)
- Rate of climb: 3,500 ft/min (17.8 m/s)
- Wing loading: 37.7 lb/ft (184 kg/m)
- Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (260 W/kg)
- Time-to-altitude: 7.7 min to 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
- Lift-to-drag ratio: 12.2
- Takeoff roll: 799 ft (244 m)
Armament
- Guns:
- either 6 x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, with 400 rounds/gun, (All F6F-3, and most F6F-5)
- or 2 x 20 mm cannon, with 225 rounds/gun
- and 4 x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns with 400 rounds/gun (F6F-5N only)
- Rockets:
- 6 x 5 in (127 mm) HVARs or
- 2 x 11¾ in (298 mm) Tiny Tim unguided rockets
- Bombs: up to 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) full load, including:
- Bombs or Torpedoes:(Fuselage mounted on centreline rack)
- 1 x 2,000 lb (910 kg) bomb or
- 1 x Mk.13-3 torpedo;
- Underwing bombs: (F6F-5 had two additional weapons racks either side of fuselage on wing centre-section)
- 1 x 1,000 lb (450 kg) or
- 2 x 250 lb (110 kg)
- 6 x 100 lb (45 kg)
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