Grumman F6F Hellcat #1 by goodoleboy
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Description
Captured 4/4/09, at the semibeautiful Chino Planes of Fame Museum in the semibeautiful Chino Airport in semibeautiful Chino, California.
From flowers to vehicles to koi to glass blocks to fences to trees to Memorial Day to skylights to aircraft to...ad infinitum....always eclectic or fickle in subject matter.
Better viewed full size.
Here is the Hellcat with wings folded for easy storage on an aircraft carrier or in a hanger, this one a Royal Navy version with two different roundels.
The bottom shot shows a closeup of the joint or "breaking point," where the wing is hinged for folding, with a plethora of hydraulics on display. Never put your bodily limbs in there when it's operating.
For the aviation dilettantes:
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F bore a family resemblance to the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big brother." The Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair were the primary USN fighters during the second half of World War II.
The Hellcat was the first US Navy fighter for which the design took into account lessons from combat with the Japanese Zero. The Hellcat proved to be the most successful aircraft in naval history, destroying 5,271 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's Fleet Air Arm during World War II.) Postwar, the Hellcat aircraft was systematically phased out of front line service, but remained in service as late as 1954 as a night-fighter in composite squadrons.
Performance
* Maximum speed: 330 kn (380 mph, 610 km/h)
* Stall speed: 73 kn (84 mph, 135 km/h)
* Combat radius: 820 nmi (945 mi, 1,520 km)
* Ferry range: 1,330 nmi (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)
Armament
Guns: either six 0.50in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, with 400rpg, (All F6F-3, and most F6F-5) or two 20mm (.79in) cannon, with 225rpg, and four 0.50in (12.7mm) Browning machine guns with 400rpg (F6F-5N only)
Source: Wikipedia encyclopedia.
With that firepower and 2000hp engine, I equate the Navy Hellcat with the Army Air Corps Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.
Tallyho and toodles.
Comments (13)
JSGraphics
Outstanding! Very Well Done!
MrsRatbag
::: sigh ::: Once again I'm compelled to state my total ignorance, but your shots are lovely, Harry!
babuci
Oh na this is something different. Wonderful angle to see a folded wing and a close up is a great exsample how they worked it out.
M2A
Interesting sequence, thank you.
tizjezzme
You have a wide range in subject matter; and that's something to be proud of. I need to expand in my subjects, I know!!! :) .... Nice collage here Harry!
mbz2662
Nice Collage :) Good information as well~ thanks!
GBCalls
Excellent details and information.
NefariousDrO
Nice series of photos, those planes sure did a yeoman's work in the war. That I always admired about the entire warcat series was that they were designed to get the job done, not necessarily look pretty. The weren't as sleek-looking as the Mustang, but they sure did the job. Nice photos.
bmac62
Very nice job. These are on a par with your antique automobiles! I'll bet this is being restored for either a British private owner or a british Museum. Apparently the British museums have used the expertise/talent at Chino for other jobs. Well done with excellent notes.
Meisiekind
Oh Harry - I am so with Denise on this one!!! I too have to plead complete ignorance on the subject! They are lovely images and a great collage! Sorry!! :)
debbielove
Very nice indeed!And, in British marking too.....it is quite possible that this could be destined for a U.K. collection!?? (Maybe) U.K. collections do use Chino quite often, there are strong links, especially with The fighter collection at Duxford.... bmac62 was quite correct... Nice work AND is that a Kubelwagen lurking behind there I see? Glad you like the Hustler! More shots of that beauty to come later.... Rob.
tennesseecowgirl
No one could ever accuse you of not knowing your stuff. great info and photos. Happy Monday..
anahata.c
"never put your bodily limbs in there when it's operating"? Not to worry! I hear one 'growl' and I'm across town! Beautiful for their sheen, the lighting is very expressive; and great that you captured the wing folded up, and all the stuff that's inside it to make it move. A revealing shot, and filled with lots of light. I read the details, and didn't understand most of them, but it is amazing to know how widespread this plane was in the Navy. Boy, keeping these things in repair in a museum or for display must be awesomely difficult. Between you & bill I've learned an awful lot about planes and the places that preserve them. (I know there are others who post them, I just haven't gotten to new galleries in a while, I'm sad to say. But what I get here is endlessly rich and beautiful.)