F6F Hellcat: Flying the "Brute"

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a natural progression from the earlier F4F Wildcat. It was bigger. Heavier. Carried more guns and bombs. It had greater range and pilot protection. And its landing gear was ideal for harsh aircraft carrier operations. As such it was a workhorse of a fighter. Solid, not nimble. Reliable, not a racehorse. And it won lasting respect among those who flew it. The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm took delivery of several squadrons worth late in the war. One operated in the Pacific aboard HMS Indomitable (mostly because of her unique split hangar heights). The remainder largely operated in the Indian Ocean, aboard Escort Carriers operating in the assault role against Japanese forces in Burma and Southeast Asia.
For more, check out: Twitter - @armouredcarrier | Website - www.armouredcarriers.com/

[@rayowen3853]

My dad. Lt.(jg) Ray Owen,flew the F6 off the USS Wasp (CV-18) with the 'Freelancers ' Squadron (VF-81). From that squadron,Commander Robert Turnell just passed this August 2022. That makes dad the last of the 'Freelancers '. He's pushing 101 years and still tells stories from that time. He remembers Charlie Butler and Minos Miller and others who didn't return from missions in the PTO. He liked the F4U but loved the F6 for carrier based missions. Dad was recently inducted into the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame,(2022).

[@gwaithwyr]

Many thanks for Dad's service. I was a baby at that time, and men like him were looking after me.

[@badgerapocalyps2546]

The F6F was Grumman's masterpiece; it didn't just meet the Navy's specification requirements, it was also safe and easy for new pilots to fly.

[@dimestorephilosopher3308]

The thing about the Hellcat was that it was, across the board the most solid plane of WW2. Were others faster, nimble, etc etc? Sure, but in every category, the Hellcat was a 7 or 8 out of 10.

[@TheHarvHR]

Was the Hellcat the best aircraft made? Of course not. Crucially though it was a great plane readily available to wherever in the massive Pacific ocean it was needed, and even more crucially it was better than the vast majority of the opposition it faced.

[@captainaxle438]

Corsair!!!! It went on to Korea, last produced prop fighter, the undisputed King!!

[@kanash8851]

@HarvHR - that's exactly why I love the hellcat, it was perfect for its job and its theater, and I imagine it gave the Japanese quite the shock

[@jimsleestak8012]

I’m a “proof is in the pudding” kind of guy, and the Hellcat’s record speaks for itself.

[@captainaxle438]

Not., the Hellcat was as the Liberty ships were. A quickly built design produced for quantity. As far as solid it's the first of the grumans that had the habit of breaking in half on bad landing, this carried on into their first carrier jet fighters. The Hellcat had the power and of course it was designed proper enough, but as far as being the greatest fighter is like saying the liberty ships were the greatest ships. Would also note the Hellcat like the Liberty ships were not a very attractive design

[@koopanique]

Imagine being able to say, "I once had a brush with a Zero". Legendary stories

[@stevethomas760]

Dated a woman for a few years her father, Dr Frank Culbertson, flew Wildcats & Hellcats. He told me that you had to be careful with the throttle of the Hellcat. The engine wanted to turn the plane over. Not sure how often this happened but he flew under the Golden State Bridge when he came back from the Pacific. His son, Capt. Frank Culbertson Jr, was also a Navy aviator & Astronaut. Really enjoyed hearing the perspective of the British aviators.

[@davidkoloc1313]

As well as flying Hellcats during WW2, my father instructed cadets in, and later flew Corsairs during the Korean War. He much preferred the F6F to the F4U and in fact considered the latter a dangerous plane to operate, particularly in it’s fleet role and during the Korean winters at sea. As well, kill ratios and number of aces produced in the two aircraft speaks for itself. My dad had the top front cylinder of the R-2800 in his Hellcat taken off by ground fire while providing close air support for Marines one morning. He made it back to the ship for a dead stick approach and arrest, some 80 miles away, belching smoke and holding the stick between his legs most of the way back so he could cover his ears from the deafening sound of the piston rod clattering in what was left of it’s cylinder head. On a side note, I had the pleasure of meeting and befriending the (then Ensign) Herb Ladley, the gentleman featured in the oft shown clip of the Hellcat crash landing on the Hornet and quickly being reduced to it’s armored tub after sliding down the deck and into the carrier’s tower. He was flying from USS Bataan (Cabot’s sister ship) and was shot up particularly good while on a sortie one day. His radio and hydraulics were out and his eyes were full of hydraulic fluid, to the point he could barely see. Just when he was about to give up, an oncoming aircraft passed him at high speed, just above him headed in the opposite direction. Through blurry vision, he made out the white checkerboard paint scheme of the Hornet’s Air Group on the plane’s tail and executed an immediate 180 to follow the aircraft home. He then made what would become one of the most famous recovery’s aboard ship caught on film during WW2. Herb passed away four years ago and I am grateful I got to meet him and hear about a few of his exploits during the war.

[@robertsmith2227]

That's quite a side note

[@davidkoloc1313]

@@robertsmith2227 Herb passed away several years ago. I met him later in his life, when the numbers of those who served on the nine Independence Class CVLs dwindled to the point their individual reunions were simply combined. Sorry to say our dad passed away three months ago, (three months after commenting on this thread), just a month before what would've been his 98th birthday. 'Bonus time' is what he considered his post-combat years and he genuinely lived like it was. He is missed greatly but will ever be remembered gratefully and lovingly.

[@robertsmith2227]

I have seen that clip hundreds of times in the last 45+ years, really. I did not know the reason for it though. 98 years is along time and it sounds like your lucky he made it that far. Mine went to the hospital yesterday, it seems he's going to be right behind yours. It's all I can think about right now so thank you.

[@davidkoloc1313]

@@robertsmith2227 Hey Robert, I'm sorry to hear that about your dad. Im sure there's a lot on your mind. If you want or need to chat ddecay at gmail. ☮️

[@robertsmith2227]

@@davidkoloc1313 thank you David, I don't know why I wrote that, it's tough. Not something I'd normally do but it's a lot. I do appreciate your thoughts. The internet strikes again. I'll be back to watch more of these tonight, it calms me down and always has.

[@HEDGE1011]

Although I’m predisposed to the Corsair (my uncle was a USMC Corsair crew chief during WW2), I’ve always admired the ruggedness of all the great Grumman Cats, especially the F6F, which had a phenomenal combat record. Listening to these gentlemen give first person accounts of their experiences is gold for me and for future generations, and I cannot thank you enough for making this available. 🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@darrenwhiteside1619]

My favorite aircraft is the F6F Hellcat for many reasons but it's still impossible not to love those beautiful lines of the F4U Corsair.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Thanks very much. I also enjoy listening to them relate personal experiences. That's what inspired me to make these videos.

[@BlasphemousBill2023]

That is the first I’d ever heard of the gun clearing mechanism. Thanks!

[@sr7129]

War thunder needs to get on it

[@funfactor4528]

I just realized something crazy. I went and saw a flight capable F6F Hellcat on the same day that this video was uploaded!!!!!!! Damn this aircraft is the most beautiful that I have ever seen!!!! It was at Fegan Fighters WWII Museum in Granite Falls MN

[@crazyman8472]

It's really interesting to hear the Brits' perspective on an American-made fighter. Especially with the brakes overheating when it was flown from an airfield instead of a carrier; I never knew that! 😎

[@joechang8696]

The British were given F4U because our navy didn’t want them. There was British pilot while stopping at an American depot, noticed many corsairs being sent back to the states. On inquiring, it was because they reached 500 hours, and were due for rebuild. The British policy was to operate for 2500 hours before this procedure. He asked and was told he could swap. Unfortunately the one being sent back were blue and his color was green

[@S.P.A.R.K.Y.]

A flap style braking system, similar to the air brake aft of the canopy on the more modern fighter as the Tomcat may have been useful during that time period, aerospace scientists should have called the ball!

[@MrRugbylane]

I enjoyed this so much. The part where the old warrior calls the Hellcat "User-Friendly" with an ironic tone made me smile

[@matrox]

Like this?😁

[@ramal5708]

For Carrier pilots it was more user friendly than the Corsair as carrier fighter, Corsair was bigger, the view for carrier landing was quite obscure (so the turning approach comes in mind) and quite rugged. While the Hellcats and later Bearcats had easier landing approach on carrier landings than Corsairs

[@AaronStuartHall]

Great to just hear from those who flew them.

[@nhot2132]

I love the Hellcat. This is some of the best footage I've ever seen.

[@ashermil]

“It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation…” Awesome job, as always!

[@marcguidry5744]

All of the Grumman cats were great planes.

[@richardmanginelli2624]

Absolutely All the way to the Tom Cat !

[@markrobinson1135]

The F-4F was at first a bit underpowered. Grumman fixed that by upgrading the engine after the F-6F was in production

[@crazyman8472]

Wildcat, Hellcat, Tomcat…I wonder what the next one would be? 😼

[@robertsmith2227]

Check out the bear cat

[@91Redmist]

@@robertsmith2227 Exactly. To think of how far things progressed in such a short time from the Wildcat to the Bearcat is mind-boggling.

[@reverendmark3887]

Fascinating, informative, some of the subtle human bits about flying these machines.

[@stephenland9361]

Superficially the Grumman F6F Hellcat was simply a slightly larger version of the F4F Wildcat. Inside, it was an essentially an entirely new airplane, starting with the magnificent Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp Radial engine. All kinds of improvements were made over the Hellcat in order to make a fighter that could take on and defeat the Mitsubishi A6M Zero and any other Japanese plane of the era. While claimed 'kills' were often exaggerated, the Hellcat is credited with over 5,100 downed enemy planes with the loss of 270 Hellcats. It shot down more enemy planes than any other fighter in the pacific theatre.

[@nomdeplume798]

Talking about that engine, my Dad served in 205 Sqn RAF from 1946 to 1955. 205 flew the Sunderland flying boat which was a WW2 era maritime patrol and anti submarine aircraft. They also served in the SAR role. They were fitted with P&W Twin Wasps in the latter versions although they only produced around 1,200 hp each.

[@nethanelmasters5170]

@@nomdeplume798 they fitted them with the same engines as the consolidates PBY/5 Catalina. Seen this mentioned in another video.

[@ramal5708]

I'm really curious how the Japanese battle hardened, experienced and well trained pilots in the early phase of the war would cope against the Hellcats

[@ToreDL87]

@@ramal5708 I've asked myself that same question for over 20 years, read a bit about Japanese aces, and I believe I have the answer: They actually did cope against the Hellcats, and favorably so. Saburo Sakai, stationed at Rabaul (rather than a Carrier, he never flew off carriers), then Iwo Jima and Mainland Japan, was among their greats, in his Zero, out of ammo, faced 15 Hellcat's and survived. He later mentioned in his autobiography that Kaneyoshi Muto, another ace, had actually done something similar, also at the controls of a Zero fighter, facing 12 Hellcats, and he had ammo, so he dispatched 4. And then there's their top man, Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, another Rabaul ace, he fought like hell and was called "the devil of Rabaul". 87 kills to his name, many of them Hellcats, only died when shot down in Ki-49 Transport while rotated back to Japan, then there's Shigeo Fukumoto, 72 kills, Tetsuzō Iwamoto, etc, I could go on. Not to mention IJA aces too, guys like Satoru Anabuki, 39 kills, Ryotaro Jobo, 30+, Goro Furugori, 25+, etc, at least some of these must have been Hellcats. All with rickety A6M's and Ki-43's. As far as veteran pilots in planes that were actually competitive... I believe the 343rd Kokutai, which received the N1K "George", is a pretty good example. The F6F's faced the N1K in it's inaugural engagement, F6F's strafing targets of opportunity, so usually fishing boats etc (and this can be documented via guncam footage here on KZbin, for instance /watch?v=msb8OdvBBjU&ab_channel=airailimages), which I can imagine the members of 343rd were less than impressed with and more than happy to do something about. And they did, by inflicting 50% losses on the F6F's and suffering none of their own. Unlike what some might state, experienced Japanese pilots were a lot more similar to Western pilots than some would like to admit, right down to the womanizing & partying bit, and actually knew a great deal about energy fighting. Japan just didn't have many enough of them, pilots that were more than good enough for wartime standards were rejected during peacetime training, and sent to die in infantry units later on. Their ground crews also left much to be desired, they simply weren't trained to scavenge aircraft for useable parts to keep others flying, so even in situations where they had enough pilots they didn't have the aircraft to keep them flying. Surviving IJN carrier crews at Midway = Sent to die on far away islands as punishment for their "failure", end result: Newer Japanese carriers setting sail with badly trained crew, sinking after just one or two torpedo hits.

[@arnoguy]

My dad flew with VF11 off the Hornet CV12. Just a small town boy who had just graduated High School.

[@jockellis]

I read that the Hellcat was designed for boys from the Midwest cornfields. My father was duty officer for the Hellcat using VF-81 on the Wasp. When I look at the ship’s war diary, Prep Charlie, I see many, many of the pilots grew up far from the oceans.

[@06colkurtz]

The Cat was designed to counter all the characteristics of the Zero. And be easy to fly for kids who were new to the cockpit

[@GTX1123]

When the Hellcat was first introduced, many a Zero pilot assumed they were engaging a Wildcat so they would lure what they assumed was a green pilot into a steep climb where the Zero excelled against the Wildcat. When the Zero pilot winged over at the top of his climb for what he assumed was an easy kill, it wasn't what he expected; instead of an F4F wallowing in a stall, the last thing he saw before being vaporized was the flash of the F6F's 50 cal's

[@davidh6300]

...he he he.

[@GTX1123]

@@davidh6300 😁

[@ramal5708]

Iirc most IJ pilots didn't realize they are fighting a larger "Wildcat", the Hellcat was, until mid 1944 or so, in 1943 they still thought they are Wildcats and use similar tactics to fight the Wildcat against the F6F. They thought the Americans didn't change aircraft like the Japanese did with the Zero.

[@Meldonator]

awesome work, thanks for keeping all those memories and testimonies alive!

[@iamrichrocker]

Grumman was one of the best plane platform designers/builders...the Hellcat was such a killing machine that pilots got to give input..and it paid off with saving lives and downing enemies..

[@Simon_Nonymous]

An ashtray in a fighter plane? Well why not. Great vid - makes me want to load up the flight sim and get in one. Love the combination of voice interviews and correctly chosen footage, it's a nice way of preserving history.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

I suspect the ashtray bit was an in-joke from the era... and not real. But I could be proven wrong.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

@@ArmouredCarriers I think so too... but then again no one really believes that British tanks are fitted with a kettle to make tea with. Or coffee if you have visitors.

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

@@ArmouredCarriers No joke probably. Adolf Galland was famous for having an electric cigar lighter (as you would have had in cars) in his Bf109. I just assume that inofficial customization was down to the pilot and his ground crew, so an ashtray makes sense.

[@DylansPen]

The F4F Wildcat, the premiere fighter on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers for the first year and a half of the war, had a hand cranked landing gear. The pilot had to turn the hand crank 27 times to lower the gear, and 27 times to raise the gear and it worked with a bicycle chain. One of those 'odd but true' things about early war fighters for the U.S.

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

I might be wrong, but I think early Spitfires had a similar mechanism. When you see old footage of scrambling Spitfires, they all seem to wave a little after clearing ground. This is because the pilots are busy cranking up the landing gear

[@DylansPen]

@@ottovonbismarck2443 I didn't know that but you're right. State of the art at the time for these planes and they used hand cranks to raise and lower the landing gear. Almost comical but it was deadly serious when war came.

[@trexx63]

The I-16 also had hand cranked landing gear. There was a usually some wobbling after take off as pilots flew with one hand and turned the crank with the other.

[@Bryan-cs9to]

I love your channel - you have a lot of footage I've never seen

[@leroyholm9075]

Well done. Gripping. Highly informative and very enjoyable. Extremely Gratefull

[@Ricky40369]

My thanks to my lovely British cousins for publishing this great story of their accomplishments. I didn't even know you guys flew Hellcats. Interesting, to say the least.

[@harryplummer6356]

Thank you for posting this video. I have long felt (IMO) that it doesn't get the Press some of the other planes get. A plane I would have felt relatively safe in. Cheers!

[@alantoon5708]

Leroy Grumman, the company president, had been a naval aviator. The U.S. Navy preferred Grumman aircraft for many years. Now the only Grumman plane left is the E-2....

[@peterclark6290]

The benefits of competition. A foundation requirement of both capitalism and democracy.

[@brunopadovani7347]

@@peterclark6290 Until there is so much consolidation that there aren't enough competitors left for there to be true competition.

[@peterclark6290]

@@brunopadovani7347 Anti-trust legislation and a government willing to use it. It has been done before, against Standard Oil. Or they can just announce they prefer it and deal with the public.

[@danielebrparish4271]

He joined the Navy in 1918 so never flew a combat or patrol mission. He became a navy flight instructor because he was too cautious a flyer. After he completed a tour of duty the Navy sent him to M.I.T. to study the new field of aeronautical aviation. He completed his service as a Navy test pilot. After the Arminstance the Navy reduced his rank for peacetime service. After his discharge he became a test pilot and designer for Loening Aircraft before starting his own firm.

[@88mike42]

13:00 to 13:15...Pilot saying, "That went better than I thought it would."

[@DONALDSON51]

excellent as always. looking forward the next one

[@alainbellemare2168]

From the wright brothers to the hellcat in 40 years

[@andywebster4701]

and 25 years later? on the Moon!...if I recall correctly, Grumman made the Lunar Lander.

[@sr7129]

@@andywebster4701THAT’S the one that makes me smile. 66 years from powered flight to the moon is so cool of humanity.

[@robertshaver4432]

I love hearing unbiased facts about US aircraft. The best way is hearing it from non-US pilots. I truly feel that this video was unbiased "facts"! Subscribed!

[@lunaticfringe8066]

Great work as always, thanks!

[@stephhaug3316]

Thank you for this dedicated documentary! Really appreciate this👍. Greetings and best whishes from Germany

[@jackmunday7602]

I highly recommend the Book carrier pilot by Norman Hanson. A fascinating read about the life of a Royal Navy Fleet air arm Corsair pilot.

[@brucearthur7328]

Excellent footage & commentary. Well done.

[@nomaambundy9989]

What an outstanding series of interviews.

[@johnshields6852]

My uncle piloted the F4 phantom in Vietnam when I was a kid, I was in awe, I'm bias to that plane but this has to be one of my all time favorites, war is hell but WW2 brought this country together like never before in history, probably will never again.🇺🇸

[@Trojan0304]

Interviews are priceless. Well done ✌️✌️✌️

[@S.P.A.R.K.Y.]

🇬🇧🦁🇺🇸 Growlin Grummins, awesome video sir!

[@yes_head]

You guys do a great job with these videos. Thanks a bunch!

[@alantoon5708]

Another excellent program.

[@maladroit5376]

For some reason the Hellcat in FAA service tends to be overlooked but clearly it was very important in the latter part of the war.

[@petesheppard1709]

Same in US service, even though it had a better kill ratio than the Corsair.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

yes it's a shame - I think as Brits we go ooooh Seafire, Sea Hurricane, etc and forget how good the Grummans were. Can I say Martlet please? Thank you.

[@RandomDudeOne]

The Marianas Turkey Shoot, that was all Hellcats.

[@FloatableCeres]

Can't tell you how much I've enjoyed these. Would love to see some more Fairey content! albacore, firefly, barracuda, fulmar

[@Glen.Danielsen]

@3:40 - The Corsair failed to work on carriers till the British got ahold of it and showed us how to land it on a flat top. Hats off to our Brit allies! They pioneered the aircraft carrier, then helped us yanks use it with the F4U. 💛🙏🏼

[@anthonywilson4873]

On the Corsair the UK had to shorten the wings to fit in the hangar of the Armoured Carriers, this cured floating down the deck problem due to less lift, found by accident. Lowering pressure in suspension oleo legs cured the bounce. A modification to leading edge meant it stalled evenly rather than dropping one wing and flipping. Then a curved landing approach allowed sighting through kink in wing allowed sight down to deck. Also the cowling flaps in front of cockpit where wired closed to prevent oil droplets/mist from engine compartment running up the windscreen just as you are landing. The Cowling flaps open at low speed to maintain cooling of the engine.

[@Glen.Danielsen]

@@anthonywilson4873 Fascinating, Anthony. I didn’t know any of that. Monstrous thanks! 💛🙏🏼

[@darrenwhiteside1619]

@@anthonywilson4873 Great summation of the modifications performed on the Corsair to make it more carrier friendly. On a side note the Hellcat only used static air while in neutral blower (which was warmed by convection heat coming off the engine). This was a safety measure put in place by Grumman which helped minimize carburetor icing during carrier landings, and resulted in far less crashes on final approach. Conversely, the Corsair pilot could select either ram or static air, which inadvertently caused a few more crashes on carrier approaches in colder climates due to icing if pilots selected ram (unheated) air to the carburetor. However the ability to select ram air in neutral blower did provide the Corsair more horsepower than the Hellcat at low altitude with practically the same engine and added to the Corsair's overall speed advantage.

[@cvr527]

The US was completing production of a Hellcat every hour once it went in to full scale production. We needed fighters in the air. Flying the Corsair from carriers was a secondary consideration.

[@Glen.Danielsen]

@@cvr527 The F4U was not designed as a carrier aircraft?

[@parrotraiser6541]

What a gentlemanly description of a cat shot; "a vigorous urge"! I will look for opportunities to use it.

[@luvr381]

Love these videos!

[@MisteriosGloriosos922]

Well done and thank you for video!!

[@joeschenk8400]

Thanks for the excellent video...F6F my favorite fighter of WWII...great films, too bad they are not in color! Await part 2.

[@ebsmokymtn9445]

Yep; The Hellcat is my favorite also. My Grandfather was a SBD Dauntless radioman/gunner on the original Hornet CV-8 at the Battle of Mid-Way, and retired a Senior-Chief in Norfolk, Va.

[@joeschenk8400]

@@ebsmokymtn9445 Way to go with your grandad! I salute his service.

[@geordiedog1749]

So, if memory serves the only planes in WWII that were ‘Navalised’ LBFs were the Sea Gladiator, the Sea Hurrie and the Seafire. The 3 Fairey aircraft weren’t too shabby - out of date or a bit rushed with Stringbags and Fulmars respectively but Fireflys were good. ‘Applecores’ we’re a bit of a mess I suppose. Barracudas had some bad reps (wings falling off was it?) Still, the ‘made for’ American kites did seem better on the whole and I’d think it was for the reasons mentioned re user consultation. Great vid. Again.

[@petesheppard1709]

British naval aircraft still had to go through the RAF design bureaucracy, and the ingrained interservice competition for resources.

[@jonathansteadman7935]

Ha, 'Applecores', never heard that phrase before. Typically British .

[@petesheppard1709]

@@jonathansteadman7935 Indeed, a nice play on Albacore. 🧐

[@geordiedog1749]

@@jonathansteadman7935 Yeah, it is! Albacores (Applecores:) where replaced by Swordfish but they Applecores we’re supposed to have replaced the Swordfish in the first place!!

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Great vid, fantastic plane! Thanks for sharing, appreciate it a lot. Greets from the Netherlands, T.

[@noneed4me2n7]

My grandad served on the Hornet in the Pacific theatre.

[@nickcosentino5368]

I just love pilot's accounts.

[@BloodyProphecy]

This is my Go to plane for Warthunder!!! Love it in Bluewater fleets with torps and maneuvering is king.

[@kentl7228]

All the talk about the rugged nature of the USA carrier aircraft makes me wonder about the Zero, an aircraft famous as almost flimsy. Perhaps being so light means it didn't come down hard on landing. I just wonder how the tough carrier life wore on the Zero. I also wonder if it was hard to put on the deck as it's lightness made it float over the deck, so to speak. Finally, I would really like to know if there are good equivalents to Eric Winkle Brown to read from the German or Japanese side...

[@jibeco]

Hellcat. Wow-what a Bird. Brave Pilots.

[@benwilson6145]

Thank you

[@crusader5989]

It is really incredible how you are able to gather all these videos and audios from the pilots and other people that were there. Are the audios actual or were they recorded years ago? Please keep doing these!

[@ArmouredCarriers]

I scrounge them from wherever I can, but largely the Imperial War Museum. The recordings can vary in age from the 1960s to the 2020s. Different places have had different audio history projects at different times.

[@conradwood6700]

The audio interviews were done by me , as an oral history interviewer for the Imperial War Museum , in the 1990s mainly.

[@conradwood6700]

I should say that other interviewers probably did some of the recordings. But on the odd occasions that I hear the interviewer speak , it is me with my distinctive Hull accent and baritone pitch!

[@brianford8493]

Beautiful!

[@WildBillCox13]

Great content.

[@davidmcleod7757]

great designer and a great airplane

[@rickschuler8201]

My favorite Grumman...

[@GTX1123]

F6F vs F4U. While the F4U was much faster and had a better rate of climb, the Hellcat was the right plane, for the right time, for the right job as the ultimate Zero killer. The F6F had a better roll rate, was more maneuverable and better suited for carrier operations than the F4U. It was the perfect stop gap while the USN sorted out their problems with the F4U for carrier operations. Near the end of the war as Japan became desperate, USN command wisely deployed F4U's for carrier operations to deal with the kamikaze threat. The F4U's superior speed and better rate of climb over the F6F meant it could extend the protective barrier around the fleet much better than the F6F. Right tool for the right job...

[@TheSirianKnight]

Nice to read stuff about the Hellcat that all the English & Commonwealth Pilots agreed on...it was the best Carrier Fighter of WWII!

[@kenjones2973]

The USN did not sort out their problems with the F4U, the Royal Navy and in particular their FAA did that. The Corsair was flying of RN carriers a full year(or longer) before the USN got their act together. It was an aircraft of contradiction's. A nose engine combination that made the Seafire's seem benign, awfull forward visibility in the take off and approach configuration. Hopeless rebound undercarriage characteristic"s, resulting in further horrific landing incident's and cockpit, wing placement; nose length, juxtaposition, making overall pilot vis pretty ordinary. The time and cost to design, develop, test and modify the aircraft to a flyable and servicable state were excessive. The Brit's sorted it in 3to4 months, while in full service. No such issues with Grumman"s product.

[@GTX1123]

@@kenjones2973 Well yes, the Royal Navy sorted it out for them, LOL

[@wrathofatlantis2316]

Hellcat climbed slightly better than Corsairs before the -4. Rolled worse at 50 degrees/s vs 80-90, but turned better.

[@mycroft1905]

Brilliant series. What are the stirring pieces of music at beginning and end?

[@CHEESYHEAD684]

Imagine filling the ash tray up and then you get an enemy contact and have to invert the plane and you throw the ash all over the cockpit and glass.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Plenty of comments by these aircraft pilots of having candy wrappers, pens, loose screws etc floating around the cockpit in dogfights!

[@ramal5708]

I don't know why some plane enthusiasts love the Corsairs instead of the Hellcats or later the Bearcats, in terms of carrier aircraft Hellcat and later Bearcat are much more user friendly, like these Hellcat pilots in this video said. Corsairs are great fighter in the air and also great ground pounder to support ground troops, but in terms of carrier fighter the Hellcat hands down are better overall in terms of versatility, carrier landing, smaller size.

[@ASBO-50]

Hell of a ride

[@rayswann7618]

Problem was the tea cup shelf was small. you could only get 6 cups of tea on it.

[@TheSilmarallion]

07:58 beautiful image of Table Mountian in backdround. Probably from Wing Field or Ysterplaat (not sure it existed then)

[@petesheppard1709]

Most excellent! Eagerly awaiting Part 2. The Hellcat, despite the fact that it had one of the highest kill ratios of WWII, always took a backseat to the more glamorous Corsair. ---- Is there a Fulmar/Firefly video in the works?

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Yes. Just struggling to find sufficient footage to fill out 20 to 30 minutes of narrative. I will fall back on mixing footage with photos as I've done in the past if I have no further luck.

[@petesheppard1709]

@@ArmouredCarriers Good hunting! Now I need to make the time to listen to you, Drach and Dr Clark natter about on BilgePumps...

[@spudskie3907]

Grumman went larger from Wildcat to Hellcat, then smaller from Hellcat to Bearcat. I think the Bearcat is smaller than the Wildcat. Would have been interesting to see how the Bearcat performed had WWII continued into 1946.

[@timothycook2917]

"...You're likely to go in off the sharp end." The British always have such clever phraseology 😊

[@robertsmith2227]

They do and that's it, been trying to think how to describe what it's like watching the avg. Brit flyng not a spitfire, Typhoon or Hurricane but a Hellcat or Corsair. Imagine Pappy Boyington in a Spitfire. Me either.

[@geraldworkman3771]

good stuff

[@dogsnads5634]

Love the Lewis Gun at 7.31....you can have 4.5 inch guns, 40mm Pom-Pom and Bofors, 20mm Oerlikon lining the sides of the ship from bow to stern but that extra .303 machine gun could make all the difference..

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

This looks more like a rocket flare launcher to me..

[@dogsnads5634]

@@ottovonbismarck2443 Look at the barrel taper, sight location and mounting point. Definitely a Lewis Gun.

[@boboala1]

Hellcat & its' spawn landings sure seemed smoother & with less deck time management (other than obvious military footage exceptions!) than the Corsairs. 3 out of 7 times I'm thinking probable prop strike on a Corsair landing...

[@robertwood3970]

Rule number one when fighting a Zero, you cannot turn with it. The Hellcat was a Boom and Zoom fighter, used properly it could fight anything in the sky.

[@darrenwhiteside1619]

Yes below 200 knots the Zero was arguably the tightest turning low-winged fighter of the war. Above that the speed stick forces increased to a point where is became severely handicapped against faster, more modern fighters like the Hellcat. With the largest wing of any single-engined WWII fighter, the Hellcat had a very respectable turn radius but unfortunately suffered in overall roll rate. The later F6F-5 incorporated spring tabs which did improve this rate at higher speeds, giving the Hellcat a flatter and thus more predictable roll performance.

[@15emac]

NOT a pilot but I read where USAAF P-47 Thunderbolt pilots used the same "Zoom & Boom" tactics because of the superior diving speed & tremendous firepower & ruggedness-very similar to the F6F Hellcat. As the British pilots showed with landing the F4U Corsair on carriers -you have to know your aircraft AND the enemies as well.

[@songjunejohnlee2113]

5:06 “had an ashtray” lol wonder if it had a pop out lighter too

[@randyjohnson6845]

2250 hp is extreme power

[@billbolton]

Interesting, elbow into your stomach to stop blacking out or describing a loop.

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

Built by the "Iron Works". Designed to be tough and reliable. They could survive a great deal of damage and bring their pilot back to the carrier deck in one piece to fly again.

[@johnappleby405]

Quite a contrast to the fragile Seafire! Still the Spitfire had never been designed as a naval fighter. Great combination of footage and interviews again thank you

[@Richard.Allsop]

Eric Brown said that compared to the Seafire the Hellcat was like flying a steamroller!

[@atatterson6992]

Glad to hear most of the Brits appreciated the HUGE amount of airplanes we provided them.

[@nightjarflying]

Provided on lend lease - paid off in full

[@JackF99]

I'd love to know about other British carrier planes. From my quick Google check apparently there were only about 2,600 Seafires built as opposed to 8,000 Wildcats, 12,000 Hellcats, and 8,000 or so Corsairs. The RN flew some American types but what else did they fly off of their dozen or so carriers?

[@colinmartin2921]

Sea Hurricanes, Fulmars, Fireflies, Avengers, Skuas, Swordfish, Albacores......

[@MrDino1953]

Nothing that was very good, mostly under-powered, obsolete, poorly designed.

[@JackF99]

@@colinmartin2921 Wow that's a lot of homework.

[@EpicThe112]

Since I read Luftwaffe Air War 1942-1945 by Osprey Publishing these F6Fs fought against Heinrich Ehrler's JG-5 in Norway. I wonder what is their tactic against a Luftwaffe bf-109G JG-5

[@nole8923]

The plane the Japanese really feared was the Corsair(drops mic, walks off)

[@thomasbernecky2078]

To those of you who survived flying Fairey's, you're welcome.

[@stevenmc56]

Grumman iron works they called it .

[@06colkurtz]

Ok you got my attention

[@robertsklenka5823]

Would’ve liked to see what it could’ve done vs fw190 and 109’s

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

F6F Hellcat doesn't get the credit it deserves.

[@steriskyline4470]

At the 7:20 mark are those seafires using the same external tanks as the p47’s used? The flatter ones.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

The sources say they took excess Warhawk drop-tank stocks from Papua New Guinea (Probably during the Manus Island visit). The squadron leader said he swapped several pallets of Scotch for them ...

[@steriskyline4470]

@@ArmouredCarriers woah thanks for taking the time to reply! i absolutely love little snippets like this. your videos are absolutely incredible thank you for what you do.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

@@steriskyline4470 It's fun. I enjoy finding those snippets. Glad you do too.

[@edl617]

Rarely hear about the hellcat and wildcat in the European theater

[@johnfranklin8319]

Now these guys were Naval Aviators!

[@4hillines67]

At 11:20 during Richard Griffiths discussion, there is a clip of a Hellcat coming in with its port-side wheel shot out and it slides off the deck, apparently the pilot is lost. I have a still photo of what I believe is this same aircraft taken from the HMS Indomitable from my father's collection when he served as a US Navy signalman attached to this aircraft carrier. Would you be able to verify if this clip is from the HMS Indomitable? Thank you so much, and for this series. It brings my father's service to life and adds much to the stories he told me on board British ships based from Sydney.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Thankyou, and yes - that clip is of Indomitable.

[@4hillines67]

@@ArmouredCarriers thank you for your quick reply. That's great. Do you have enough material to do a segment on the Indomitable?

[@ArmouredCarriers]

@@4hillines67 She is part of the Outflank and Iceberg video series, as well as Pedstal of course. But I may someday see if I can find enough commentary on the individual ships to stand up some "profile" videos.

[@4hillines67]

@@ArmouredCarriers Thanks. That would be great. I have about 9 photos of my dad’s if would be of interest?

[@ArmouredCarriers]

@@4hillines67 Always! Thanks. They could be useful for both a video, and for the relevant pages on www.armouredcarriers.com

[@loujug1]

I think its kill ratio in the Pacific War was 9 to 1. That shows how good it was.

[@j.granger1120]

Glad the Brits liked it. At $45,000 a copy in 1942 USD it was a bargin.

[@colinjohn2708]

Some of these were aussie pilots who flew kittyhawks from port moresby during kokoda campaign. PETER WAS ONE I recognized his voice. An Aussie.

[@colinjohn2708]

Think this was a different pilot his voice was the same. Apologies.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

I'll try to get to the PNG campaign at some point.

[@Turloghan]

I'm always wondering, why Grumman removed those additional rear windows which were in F6F-3 when they start production of F6F-5 ? In some simulator games this lack of rear visibility in Hellcat affect very badly SA of pilot. How real pilots react to those "improvement" ? And how was real rear visibility in plane ?

[@danielebrparish4271]

If I remember correctly the aft canopy windows were deleted to decrease manufacture time. The remaning old style canopies were installed on the F6F-5 until they were all gone. The canopy on later models was higher up and eventually some used a bubble canopy which gave them greater visibility.