How many kills did the F6F Hellcat have?

5,163 kills
Sortie, kill, and loss figures 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).

Why was the F6F Hellcat so good?

Above 10,000 feet, the F6F climbed as quickly as the lighter Zero. It was faster in a dive. Hellcats routinely flew strike missions up to 300 miles combat radius and could conduct search missions out to 400 miles away from their carriers.

Are there any F6F Hellcats are still flying?

The only night fighter is the F6F-5N held by the Marine Corps Museum at Quantico, Virginia, though one privately owned -5N remains active as a “straight” -5. In addition to the 15 surviving Hellcats in the United States, at least two are known to be preserved abroad.

What engine was in the F6F Hellcat?

Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double WaspGrumman F6F Hellcat / Engine typeThe Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp is an American twin-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial aircraft engine with a displacement of 2,800 cu in, and is part of the long-lived Wasp family of engines.
The R-2800 saw widespread use in many important American aircraft during and after World War II. Wikipedia

What was the best plane in WW2?

These Were The 10 Best Planes Of WW2

  1. 1 De Havilland Mosquito – Ultimate Multi-Role Aircraft.
  2. 2 North American P51 Mustang – Best Allied Fighter.
  3. 3 Avro Lancaster – Best Heavy Bomber.
  4. 4 Supermarine Spitfire – Best British Fighter.
  5. 5 Boeing B29 Superfortress – Best Long-Range Bomber.
  6. 6 Focke-Wulf FW-190 – Best Fighter.

What does F6F stand for?

F6F

Acronym Definition
F6F Grumman Hellcat Fighter (WWII)

Who was the best pilot ever?

#1: Charles Lindbergh

  • Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger.
  • Florence ‘Pancho’ Barnes.
  • Louis Bleriot.
  • Erich Hartmann.
  • Charles E. Yeager.
  • Baron Manfred Von Richthoven.
  • James ‘Jimmy’ Doolittle.
  • The Wright Brothers.

Who was the best fighter pilot ever?

Erich „Bubi“ Hartmann
1. Erich „Bubi“ Hartmann. Erich Hartmann is the most successful fighter pilot of all times – with 352 kills. A number that will never be surpassed.

What plane shot down most in WW2?

It is accurate to state that the P-38 did shoot down more Japanese aircraft than any other USAAF plane with 1,857, with the P-40 running a close second at 1,633.5. Even though the F6F did not start reaching Naval and Marine units in the Pacific until late 1943, once it did it came in prodigious numbers.

How much is a F6F Hellcat?

Compare with similar items

This item Guillow’s F6F Hellcat Model Kit Guillow’s Focke-Wulf FW-190 Model Kit
Customer Rating 4.6 out of 5 stars (159) 4.5 out of 5 stars (114)
Price $2056 $24.86$24.86
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Item Dimensions 13.69 x 1.75 x 4.5 inches 13.69 x 1.75 x 4.5 inches

Was the F6F Hellcat used in Europe?

Renowned as the Pacific War’s most successful fighter, the Grumman F6F also contributed to Allied victory in the European theater.

Who shot down the most planes in history?

Erich Rudorffer
Erich Rudorffer is credited with the destruction of the most aircraft ever in a single mission when he shot down thirteen Soviet aircraft on 11 October 1943.

Who kills the most air to air?

Erich Hartmann
Erich Hartmann, with 352 official kills the highest scoring fighter pilot of all time. Ilmari Juutilainen, a Finnish flying ace with Brewster BW-364 “Orange 4” on 26 June 1942 during the Continuation War.

What do you call a female pilot?

Women pilots were also called “aviatrices”. Women have been flying powered aircraft since 1908; prior to 1970, however, most were restricted to working privately or in support roles in the aviation industry. Aviation also allowed women to “travel alone on unprecedented journeys”.

What was the weakest ww2 plane?

According to the Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine, the worst plane of the Second World War was a piloted rocket made of wood, that did not have any landing gear. Yep, it’s already sounding bad. The plane was the Bachem Ba 349. The year was 1944, and the Second World War was going badly for the Nazis.

What was America’s best fighter plane in ww2?

The number 1 is no surprise: the North American P-51 Mustang. Often and usually considered the best fighter of the war, the P-51 was a game-changer for Allied forces. Employed as a long-range bomber escort, the P-51 was unmatched by German planes, especially at high altitudes.

What was the life expectancy of a B 17 crew?

Although such statistics were not circulated among Army Air Forces crews, the average life expectancy of an Eighth Air Force B-17 in late 1943 was 11 missions.

Who made the F6F Hellcat?

GrummanGrumman F6F Hellcat / Manufacturer