GRUMMAN F6F HELLCAT FIGHTER AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION LINE 1944 PROMOTIONAL FILM 80304

[@deanmagee4521]

Thanks!

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks very, very much. Donations like this make it possible for us to save more rare and endangered films! Love our channel? Go behind the scenes at Periscope Film on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm

[@robertkavich7426]

My father and mother both worked for Grumman during WWII . I have their "E" pins and a letter from Leroy Grumman recommending my father for acceptance into the Navy . My one regret is I never asked exactly what they did on the production line . Upon cleaning out the family home in the late 80's I found everyone of my mothers pay stubs for the entire war . They worked a lot of hours , you can see the hours ramp up in the early 40's and then state to trail off in late 44 to early 45 , as we were winning the war . I still have my fathers machine tools and his tool box he had painted MIDNIGHT BLUE , the Grumman color

[@californiadreamin8423]

Hello Robert. When I began watching this video, I expected to be disappointed. I skipped some of it, but then was totally absorbed. I trained in aeronautical engineering, have 35,000 to 40,000 hours , and about 1400 on the C47. My Dad was a stretcher bearer from 39 to 45 and was in the US 5th Army in Italy ....and I too have all his payslips post war. As a Brit, I’m really moved by your post about your parents. Stay safe.

[@robertkavich7426]

@@californiadreamin8423 Thank you , amazing times for sure .

[@abundantYOUniverse]

@@californiadreamin8423 You have 40,000 hours? I used to restore warbirds for the Flying Tigers Museum in Kissimmee Florida.

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@abundantYOUniverse Well somewhere between 35,000 and 40,000. I kept a record but didn’t believe in filling log books in while flying , got behind on totals, , and when I wasn’t flying I was managing my rest and trying not to do anything reckless and losing my medical. It’s not that many hours but I was a design engineer for 10 years , flying privately and instructing part time, until I burnt my boats and obtained my ATPL. I was broke for years before getting established. DC3, Viscount, DC9, Fk100, 737, A320. I’m retired now. My shed has a few trophies like mangled pistons and cylinders. We kept dropping valves on the DC3 and later I discovered that back in the day , on overhauls, the valves were simply replaced with new ones. Ours were tested to check the weld between the stem and the head , and if ok they were reused which proved a bad idea. I think I had 13 engine failures in 2 1/2 years, 2 in a row on consecutive nights which can make you twitchy. I was the F/O and learnt a lot .

[@erickmeza-viera2668]

Make sure you preserve that invaluable memorabilia Robert Kavich. Your parents belong to the greatest generations of Americans that this country will probably see during its existence. Kind regards.

[@powellmountainmike8853]

You see that engine? That's a Pratt & Whitney R2800. During WW2 my mother worked at Pratt & Whitney. She was the only woman testing the R2800 engines. There were a lot of men who ran test stands, but she was the only woman who did. She had 2 men mechanics who worked for her. She was quite a woman. When I was older, and had my first car, it wasn't my father who helped me work on it, it was my mother.

[@SquillyMon]

That's awesome

[@Jon.A.Scholt]

My grandmother worked at Willow Run helping to assemble B-24; different times

[@frankfordification]

Aunt's made B-25 Mitchells. A lot of them. b-25history.org/history/fairfax.htm

[@laurienemcsok9177]

It

[@meteor2012able]

@Powell, et al: You are patriot from a patriots family. This is what Americans need to know early in their education. My dad and step mom were both shipyard workers.... we're proud as could be to be part of the war effort... made us kids proud too. Man, I love this land! I could go on and on about my kin during WW2. Great post, amigo. VIVA AMERICA!

[@huguenot67]

My Grandfather, Bob Bury, Sr. built these during his long career at Grumman. Thanks Grandpa, and RIP.

[@garyrunnalls7714]

You have a reason to be proud. Thanks to Gramps

[@frankwosmek7621]

God Bless Periscope - this is one of the greatest short films I've ever seen!! When America was America!

[@john-nx4xn]

I go back to watch these when I see another teenager that's "gender fluid".

[@soxjohn]

And Donald trump wasn't even born yet.

[@chocolatte6157]

Not many people appreciate information like this, but I love it. Between books and videos like this, I can’t get enough about planes like the Hellcat, Corsair, Thunderbolt, Mustang and others. Thank you for making this available. 👍👍👍

[@steveb6103]

My dad had 3 Hellcats in WW2 . Would say it saved his life twice. Made it back to the ship full of flank damage at Truk. They pushed that one overboard it was so bad. Ditched the other one ran out of gas. Tanks shot up. Finished the war with the #3.

[@lonewanderer3593]

They say third times the charm. Amazing.

[@mreid08]

Sounds like a guy with some amazing stories.

[@travisjohnson6676]

Total respect to your dad

[@falconeaterf15]

Guess they call it The Danger Zone for a good reason.

[@tom7601]

Thank you, sir!

[@monsieurcommissaire1628]

That f7f footage is priceless. What a gorgeous plane. With 2 R2800 Double Wasp engines, bloody fast, too.

[@monsieurcommissaire1628]

Grumman was truly great, and they sure made some awesome aircraft. My favourite is the f7f Tiger Cat, which I believe to be one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built. The Hellcats are pretty righteous, too. A hugely effective and purposeful design, and apparently helped keep a lot of pilots alive. I've noticed many comments from people who had WWII vet family members say they owed their lives to this tough, well-designed and built aircraft.

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

I read a story about Grumman. During WW 2 General Motors Eastern Aircraft Divison took over production of the Wild Cat (still needed for use on Escort carriers) and Avenger torpedo bombers so Grumman could concentrate on mass production of the Hell Cat. When the former car production guys had trouble actually building planes from drawings, Grumman sent over Wild Cats and Avengers put together with Parker-Kallon fasteners so they could actually take it apart and put it back together again. To see how it fit together.

[@chrisnizer]

Those folks weren't f**king around, they got work done!

[@johngeverett]

My father flew hellcats off the Yorktown over Okinawa. It did save his life a few times. It's good to hear Uncle Ronnie narrate these films.

[@paulbaker6233]

My Pop flew them too in VF-5 and then later in VF-11.

[@MidEngineering]

Uncle Ronnie ?

[@IvorMektin1701]

@@MidEngineering Ronald Reagan is doing the narration.

[@MidEngineering]

@@IvorMektin1701 Opening credits says "Narrated by Conrad Nagel"

[@IvorMektin1701]

@@MidEngineering Oops

[@slackdaddy1912]

They didn’t call this aircraft “The Zero Killer” for nothing! What an amazing process for an amazing aircraft!

[@ChatGPT1111]

Great job obtaining these and making them available for the next generation. Sites like yours are invaluable at preserving history and giving people perspective they wouldn't otherwise have.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks!

[@philgiglio9656]

PeriscopeFilm...Sure hope you ditch the timecode on the DVD's you sell.

[@shawneewulf6270]

The Tigercat prototype at the end was a nice touch. That all natural metal finish with the big "T E S T" letters on the sides is just gorgeous imho.

[@monsieurcommissaire1628]

Agreed. Those spinners on the props are really something. The thing is a work of art.

[@outlet6989]

My father, uncles, and aunts all worked at the Newport News Shipyard during the war. They built the carriers that carried these warplanes. These workers look so trim and fit probably because, back then, food was highly rationed. Also, no McDonalds back then.

[@therealgsicht]

Beautiful. I didn't expect a 40 min film about a production line to be this interesting.

[@rogerhoward7104]

I really enjoyed this movie, going into great detail showing the complexity of this great Aircraft that Won the Pacific, and our freedom. This movie was greatly appreciated by me, "THANK YOU VERY MUCH."

[@paoloviti6156]

It has been a real pleasure to see this promotional film and really interesting as well! It can be promotional/propaganda as much as you like but you can see that there was real pride among the workers to do a job well done both for their country and for the pilots that are fighting overseas. Thanks for posting this lovely documentary...

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks for this nice tribute to the film. Like our channel? Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@bassmith448bassist5]

Thank you to all who served!!! Our generation owes your generation a debt we can never repay.

[@lorettacaputo6997]

From fighting airplanes to a lunar landing module, the buildings that were in Bethpage, NY housed amazing Americans who put their heart, soul and abiliies to work for a mission. Thanks to them as part of the Greatest Generation, we managed to protect our nation and those who did not want to live under tyranny. May we always have people who are dedicated to completing the mission and leaving a legacy for others to follow.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

That small device @8:45 resembling a long shotshell is a start cartridge. It's basically a large blank that when fired generates a plume of expanding gasses--like a shotgun round--which spins the engine to get it started.

[@Mike383HK]

Grumman made flying tanks. Worked in Bethpage. Saw it all. You could take 2/3 of the rivets out of an F-14 and it would still fly. I worked in plant 3. It was a one mile run around the plant so the runners would use it to clock their mileage and speed. Funny, I worked with that 900 degree salt bath they showed. Looks like a swimming pool until you feel how hot it is.

[@bloodyspartan300]

I fortunately worked on the Hog, and many of those rivets and "high-lock" holes were filled by Stoned Workers with glue and yet they still fly, damn some of those Inspectors, were tolerant. What write up an ME, that is too much work, don't worry there are plenty of straight and tight holes, it will be fine.

[@popetodr]

Bow to our grandparents, saviors of civilization!

[@model-man7802]

Exactly!!!

[@erikhertzer8434]

Big Bill O'Reilly : not so sure...as Trump is pro- military.

[@erikhertzer8434]

Big Bill O'Reilly : how long have you had this delusion that you’re human...

[@confusedbadger6275]

Grandparents? My father lied about his age to fight in North Africa with Montgomery.

[@jimmyhaley727]

and now,,, bow to our Demoncraps politicians ,, the derailers of civilization and freedom,,,, ole USN vet

[@BrassLock]

When you look at a collection of different companies all across the U.S. and Canada during WW2, as featured in these recent releases from Periscope Film (past 6 months or so), it was a truly remarkable effort to design and test these aircraft, then train thousands of very ordinary folk to do their complex repetitive tasks, and to assemble all the specialist machinery under one roof to manufacture them. Surely the Western World can rustle up this kind of enthusiasm once again, instead of getting bogged down in all the negative crap we see in the media every day. Periscope Film should be compulsory viewing for all journalists and politicians to get them thinking like they did in 1944 😄.

[@babygretz5]

dav snow ....grade & high schools too so kids know the history of this. (once) great country..

[@jeffmoore9487]

Three things have changed: 1.The US will likely never need 16,000,000 service people and another 24,000,000 new factory workers again. 2. WW2 answered the question "Who will rule the world"? After the war it of course was the US and the Soviets. 3. President Bush summarized what Americans should do in response to the only big attack since - 9/11. He said: "Go Shopping". Consumer debt, permanent smaller war, and eviseration of US industrial production is a bipartisan policy. Summary: 1. Capitalism has no great agenda anymore. 2. They don't need us much for work or fighting. 3. Without new world's to build or conquer, our role as citizens has largely collapsed to consumer, debtor, and onlooker to foreign policy.

[@zdzichus.3264]

Jeff Moore - kcuf ffo, norom

[@d.jensen5153]

@@jeffmoore9487 If you think it's better to be blowing each other up, you're an idiot. I trust you aren't. :) Guess you could play futbol or hang out in pubs - seems to be how Europeans pass the time. Or you could be more involved in works of charity. Debt? No.

[@DataWaveTaGo]

@@zdzichus.3264 Truth hurts, and it makes some people (like you), the real gnikcuf norom.

[@grandpaweber2097]

My Nana helped build those beautiful, deadly birds; small-statured women fit inside those airframes quite well. She installed wiring.

[@joebudi5136]

#TeamNana the greatest generation

[@Unfassbarer]

Danke!

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks so much, gifts like this help us rescue, scan and present other lost and rare films!

[@Steve1d]

It’s nice to see so many Americans at work, a bygone era.

[@bingosunnoon9341]

War is highly profitable.

[@soxjohn]

Yeah, we were at war. You like that better?

[@rogerhoward7104]

I really enjoyed this film it showed what it was like working in an assembly line plant. I am a retired General Motors. Assembly line worker, that lost my "South Gate plant" and "Van Nuys plant, that I worked at, that were closed & torn down to be rebuilt in Mexico. To get to my point: there never was a moment that I wasn't amassed by the engineering that it took to get a car off the end of the line every minute. If you ever have a chance to see inside an auto or aircraft assembly plant "GO SEE ONE." "It's Great fun and enjoyment to watch!"

[@evan8654]

Great comment, thanks for sharing!

[@robertmaybeth3434]

Grumman used to be a great company to work for. Bill Grumman believed in taking care of his people and treating them well, (unlike the companies now that view their own employees as disposable and even with a certain contempt). My dad worked on F14 project for 36 years. Even in those days (1970's - 80's) spending that long with an aerospace company was almost unheard of, and today rarely happens anymore.

[@Digmen1]

I'm always amazed at the designers who made all those machines - with no CAD!

[@theonlymadmac4771]

That’s why it worked!

[@gplunk]

What a total team effort. Greatest Generation!

[@burntorangeak]

Slight aerodynamic advantage over a refrigerator, coupled with a glide slope to compete with a hand thrown brick. Such a cool plane, I've always been fascinated with them. I built several models back in the balsa and tissue era.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

And mine, of plastic 😏!!

[@fredjones7705]

My Dad ran off to go to war in 1942 when he was 14. He worked installing wiring on Hellcats until he was accepted by the merchant marine. He manned a 40mm gun array at Anzio and was credited with shooting down a JU 88. Later after extensive research he came to believe it was a smart bomb he shot down. Maybe it was but he was comforted by the hope that he didn't actually kill anyone.

[@atatterson6992]

Soldiers kill the enemy in war... that's just how it works.

[@robt5818]

Grumman Goose at 1:10. This was a great seaplane and I was a passenger on this several times.

[@pmullins8821]

I absolutely love the wing folding arrangement on the Hellcat, without elevating the wings. 😊

[@sonyascott6114]

Mr.Mullins,while trying to figure out how to design the folding wings,an engineer picked up some paper and used a paper clip to keep the papers together,and then it dawned on him.Paperclip,wow,what an idea!!!

[@rudyyarbrough5122]

What's really amazing is that after talking to the Pacific pilots, they did not come up with a bubble canopy and stuck with the no-rear-view kind that the Wildcat had. Their later model, the Bearcat did have a bubble canopy ala the P-51 and later models of the P-47.

[@douglasmacomber6881]

Best part of the film was everyone was in shape and actually thin. I noticed that when they went to lunch and played a game softball, volleyball etc.

[@johnrogers9481]

Yes! Today I can't believe the huge bloated gigantic shape I see many Americans being! Fugk, all the food additives, chemicals, and genetically modified "food" people eat!! The filthy food companies who make this garbage food! And it's the people, who push the garbage down their own throats.!!! Bodies have been destroyed!!!

[@louismillevolte8020]

Like going to Walmart. Absolutely depressing to see overweight children as well as adults

[@lrmbvv]

yea, I noticed that also, the misguided belief a productive life comes from typing on little things that glow

[@PelicanIslandLabs]

Watching those workers standing over those big vats of Tric makes me wonder how long they lived. Tough people for sure!

[@rickmayer4002]

Was thinking same thing, no masks or protective gear.

[@michaelmartinez1345]

Those people probably exposed themselves to high levels of carcinogenic materials, as so many of those things were not widely known to have cancer causing materials... People often smoked & chewed tobacco products, and thought little of their rapidly depleting health... That was the way things were back then... But what I noticed most is the devotion to our country... The American flag hanging inside of the shops...

[@donaldrandall9277]

There are cold condenser coils above the trico that condense the vapor and prevent it from rising to the top of the tank.

[@bluegrallis]

@@donaldrandall9277 And the parts still came out dripping wet from the trichlor.

[@bluegrallis]

My brother died of renal cancer at age 53, after working for GE in a repair lab, where they used trichlor to clean test equipment on a regular basis.

[@kurtbjorn]

Great stuff! The F6F was one of the best fighters of WW2. Spitfires and Mustangs reaped the glory, but P-47's and F6F's did the real work.

[@melbro62]

P-47 the "Tank" in the air.

[@richardreed2688]

Ironic you say that. The Grumman Hellcats and Republic P-47 "Jugs" were both made on Long Island, literally almost across the street from each other. It's not a far stretch to think that design philosophy flowed from one company to another and back again. I'm a Grumman retiree. During the 40's, 50's and 60's many skilled workers and engineers moved from "one side of the street to another" depending on whether the current Big Thing was an Air Force contract (Republic) or Navy contract (Grumman). It's not uncommon for retired Long Island aerospace workers to be drawing checks from both companies. It's all gone now, but for a while if you loved airplanes Long Island was a hot place to be.

[@jameshughes9246]

Well, they were designed for totally different environments, i.e. sea duty vs land based. Big differences ensue. Carrier duty required wing tilting and anti-corrosion treatment, long distances in the Pacific required very long range to match up with the amazing range of the Zero-sen, limited resources on a carrier called for better techniques for increasing reliability and maintainability. The Brits showed us the Corsair was perfectly suited for carrier duty, but the Hellcat protected the navy fleets for the duration of the war. I like them both.

[@672egalaxie6]

@@richardreed2688 well said. I'm a LI boy myself, and so proud of the heritage. A couple of my friend's dads are Grumman retirees, and I love chatting with them. This film was so much fun, I've watched 3 or 4 times. I keep stopping it and looking for landmarks. Thanks Richard, for your part in making Grumman such an icon in aviation here on Long Island.

[@michaelmartinez1345]

Cool film... In WW2, so many people pulled together to defeat the enemies that we were opposing . So many people that loved freedom at that time... A study in devotion & courage towards what people did NOT want to guve-up.

[@darthbigred22]

Or you mean the media had far greater control on the population and our government/media were not intentionally trying to get everyone at each other's throats. This IS the same generation who elected FDR 4 times and raised the Boomers to be anti war hippies as well. For all they did in this short time they planted the seeds of the doom of America back then.

[@jeffm4284]

Periscope Film - your historic videos are additive. There are bad and good. You make addiction good. Thank you for the education.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

We apologize if you are hooked. Repeated viewing can result in developing an immune response. Love our channel? Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

An incredible achievement, just one of those planes. But the numbers turned out by Grumman are just incredible.

[@ADOTlied]

These people who built and fought the great war were more incredible than any in history and we owe our freedom to them.

[@johnrogers9481]

It is great to see these Americans working hard for their country? And a generation later work continued at Grumman. Living on Long Island in the seventies and working for the County Bus Co, I had a good friend who worked everyday at Grumman! Kevin worked in The Cage, handing out parts and tools as needed. The job paid pretty well for a twenty something year old. But we used to meet up on weekends and we would talk of how we hated our jobs and were going crazy!! It was no longer a time of working for the survival of our country by building planes at Grumman. Well, we both just had other things we had to do!

[@Kingofgrowers]

The work ethic of the era... we could use that today. There was no "planned obsolescence" , a thing was built to last.

[@elhombre2711]

Not really, they were built to perform. Engines would require complete rebuilds in a matter of a couple hundred hours or so.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Planned obsolescence, is built on GREED!! In other words, Republicans ☹️!!

[@matthewfithian891]

My Dad Flew these AC during the end of WWII, at 21 years old, he belonged to the Top Hatter Squadron, Died from Cancer at the age of 68. LCDR reserve. Luke Fithian JR.

[@garyrunnalls7714]

God I was born 40 years too late. Could you imagine the horsepower plus 6 50 cals, doesn't get too much better.

[@lovethesmellofracefuelinth7374]

That's a badass machine and helped win the war..It's the perfect name for the Hellcat, and is what Dodge named the bad boys after 💪🏼😎

[@abundantYOUniverse]

In the early 1980's you could get a Hellcat in a basket for about 150k. T6's were from 20 to 40k. Now, every piece of that Hellcat is nearly priceless. T6's start at about 100k for a good one now.

[@russg1801]

Well, if the prices for Hellcats were that low it's because they weren't nearly as glamorous as the land-based fighters, especially the Mustang or the Thunderbolt but even including the P-40. No one's ever going to fly one of these off a carrier deck again. Yeah, this had good performance as Grumman stuck the P-47's R-2800 engine in there, but they're tubby and ugly as sin. An improvement over the Wildcat to be sure, but still plenty ugly. Now, the F8F Bearcat is a good-looking aircraft but not the Hellcat.

[@Vibakari]

Russ G The hellcat is beautiful in my eyes. Its kinda cute having such big wings on a stubby airframe. I know this is heresy but i prefer the looks of the hellcat over the corsair. People get overworked by the corsairs bent wings but they forget the awful looking tail section, the way-too-long nose, the doughy wingtips, and the flaps which look like they were added as an afterthought. I love both planes but i love the look of the hellcat more because of its straightforward angular design which are the same reasons why I like the fw 190s

[@TrapperAaron]

I have my dad's Grumman canoe from 1972 all aluminum, and she has seen many many miles only issue we ever had was a small Crack in the bottom of hull. Wich was easily repaired once we finished our 90 day excursion.

[@jimholmes2555]

Hold on to it! Grumman don't make them anymore.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Grumman, used to make step-vans at one time, also.

[@Bramon83]

I love this is from the perspective of the Hellcat.

[@popuptarget7386]

I work in aerospace engineering and marvel at how much they accomplished so quickly with paper and slide rule.

[@bigblocklawyer]

And without metric crap. Miracle we got anything done in inches.

[@Backwoods_870]

A time when Americans were proud to be Americans and stood together to fight against evil...unlike today...no morals..or self respect. No regards of right and wrong!!!!

[@bloqk16]

At @8:40 seeing the guys rotating the prop: That was done to circulate the engine oil that would pool in the lower cylinders. The scene after that was a ground crew guy checking the cartridge used to start the aircraft engine. Back then, some aircraft used what was known as the Coffman starter, which used oversized blank shotgun shells to force the engine to rotate to get it to start. On a large video screen, the words: "Starter Cartridges" can be seen. Advantage of that system meant a simpler electrical system without the need of a starter motor, which would have added weight to the aircraft.

[@panther105]

Wow!! Pilots really do get the best girls.... This was fascinating. Thanks for sharing it..

[@richardc7721]

My dad built runways during the war and my mom rebuilt bombers flown back to the States for major repairs/ upgrades. Every adult in my childhood fought one way or another in WW2

[@model-man7802]

I noticed that too,Nice looking ladies back then.

[@socrates2890]

This film certainly showcases the patriotic fervor that fueled the dynamic & overwhelming manufacturing might of the USA that helped us defeat the Japanese & Germans in WW II. Would this country respond in the same way today if we went to war with Cina or Russia???

[@bcstechnologylimited896]

I don’t think the USA is capable of that sort of massive response anymore. Too much of what we have now is made overseas, not in the USA as it was in the mid-20th century. Also, we lack workers who, not having a college degree, weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty learning a skilled trade. Now, all we have are snowflakes who get butt-hurt when you don’t use their preferred pronouns and wouldn't know an airplane engine if you dropped one on their heads.

[@yahatinda]

My Aunt Ann was a 'Rosey the Riveter" at Grumman in Bethpage. Republic and Grumman were close together which led to mock combats over Great South Bay

[@BR-bj3ot]

Sure miss this America! Hard working, Faith filled, patriotic Americans!

[@Bramon83]

Draft rooms amaze me to no end.

[@Sturminfantrist]

Grumman "Ironworks" Grummans Cats ,F4F, F6F , F7F and F8F are all good Planes

[@shelbyseelbach9568]

F 14 Tomcat

[@haroldwhitt]

Don't forget the Ag Cat

[@kdcobra64]

F -14 TOMCAT

[@michaelmartinez1345]

Grumman also became heavily involved with the U.S. Space Exploration Programs...

[@Johnnycdrums]

A-6 Intruder, EA-6B Prowler, E-2 Hawkeye B-2 Spirit, F-9F Panther, F-9 Cougar, and many more. If you want to see a sexy plane check out the Grumman F-11 Tiger 🐅.

[@billsteele8832]

My dad worked for Grumman 37 yrs. In Bethpage long island. Also helped at cradle of aviation Mitchell field

[@Russojap2]

Mind boggling production. 😮

[@baltsosser]

I noticed that Harley Davidson Servicar rolling around in the opening shots. Pretty cool ride.

[@paulchsney5994]

It’s incredible how the nation came together during the was. My x wife helped build Catalinas during the war. This was a different breed of people, and if we had to do this again, I’m not sure we could.

[@davidj.7779]

It was not a small factor that US armaments were made by a motivated civilian workforce while a large portion of Germany's armaments were built by forced and slave labor. Quality control and mechanical endurance statistics for Allied weapons and equipment were far greater while the Axis powers were plagued with equipment failures, many instances of which were results of assembly line sabotage by the captive workforce.

[@danielebrparish4271]

Actually we do that and more. Spacecraft, fighter helicopters, computer operated machines that can work 24/7 and out produce the best machinists on the best day of that by gone era. Nuclear powered ships, spy satellites and guidance systems, laser guided bombs, pilotless aircraft, computer operated rovers and satellites operating on Mars and sending back test results and video from millions of miles away. Space telescopes that are sending us images of celestial systems that are billions of light years away. Space craft that photographed our outter planets and one that is taking measurements of the sun while orbiting it. Satellites have flown through Saturn's rings and sent us test results of the composition of Neptune along with the first ever close up pictures of each planet. Space telescopes that are sending us images of celestial objects that are more than 2 billion light years away, We landed on a comet, picked up a sample and delivered it back to earth. We can identify the remains of soldiers that were killed in WWII whose bodies have been lying in the jungle for more than 60 years through DNA analysis. We are solving murders that happened many decades ago. We ended the threat from Polio and many other diseases that killed lots of children from that era. We have more whales in the ocean and eagles in the sky than lived in that era. Our factories and military are no longer segregated. Our soldiers have body armor and night vision equipment. DNA technology allows us to identify which body part belongs to which person. Aircraft no longer have to land to refuel. Navy warships don't have to be refueled for years. Satellites allow us to see what is happening behind the borders of all countries. We can spot a missile launch no matter where on the planet it is launched. Most people have color flatscreen tvs and computer equipment in our homes. We can find see who we are talking to on the internet. Send mail instantaneously without stamps with an unlimited amount of photos and video. We have access to thousands of movies without ever going to a movie theater. Movies that are 100 years old have been restored to pristine condition. We can read newspapers stories that we missed when they were first published without having to go to the library and dig through the stacks. We do a lot more in a lot less time and at a level of accuracy that was not possible in that era.

[@scotthaddad563]

My dad was nose gunner and second radioman on a B-24 in WW-2. He had the best seat on the plane. He brought back dozens of plane photos and lots of risqué nose art pics of the ladies that were painted on planes. Too bad that the American people have changed so much since those days.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

God bless your father for his service to our great nation. Become a channel member: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXWliGami8abi6c

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Too bad American people, have changed? WHY, would you say that?? You say it like, it was a bad thing. Who do you think, is responsible for that 🤔⁉️

[@scotthaddad563]

@@rogerrendzak8055 there are so many ridiculous social pitfalls now. People used to be able to be taken at face value. With the last couple of generations the old feel good about the country and it’s direction of travel seems to be out the window. Can you define what a woman is? That is no joke! The ideas flying around today have me firmly convinced that the lunatics are in charge of the asylum! Enough said!

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@@scotthaddad563 Asylum 😁?? Just look at politics 🙄…………

[@scotthaddad563]

@@rogerrendzak8055 did that make you feel better to correct my spellin’? Yes, politics have become the new societal etiquette or visa -versa. If I weren’t so broken up and thirty years younger, I would move to where the air is thin along with the population. And to think I moved back to the state I was born in after a great number of years working in Florida. Who could have foreseen this cluster flop on the horizon? I am proud to be an American, just not proud of the direction we are being coerced into going.

[@kellycollison3611]

The narrator sure sounds like Jack Webb from the old Dragnet Radio and TV series. Excellent video.

[@StatmanRN]

Ron Reagan?

[@larryfinley9221]

You have to admire all those in that now lost generation. Everybody worked together to win that war. It was a war of national survival. Same situation? Yes, we'd do it again, and them some.

[@johnhoney7903]

The Hellcat in this film is not the first to fly, Bu. No. 02982, the XF6F-1 with a Wright Cyclone had it´s first flight 30 July 1942. This is Bu.No. 26101, is the first F6F with the P&W R2800 engine, the -3, first flight was 3 October 1942.

[@rdelrosso2001]

An awesome description of how 40,000 parts go into making a Grumman Hellcat Fighter! I like the way they let the Plane "speak" for itself and how it "sees" itself being made -- first on paper and then as a bunch of parts at first! And then in the 1940s, they take PICTURES of the parts and use the NEGATIVES to make exact copies of the parts! That's something how they would later make Computer Chips, with Photo Negatives! In his Book, "How the Allies Won", by British Historian Sir Richard Overy, he wrote that Henry Ford wanted to be the Prime Contractor for the B-24 Liberator Bomber. People said "Henry, you build a Model T Car with 75,000 parts, but (no disrespect to the Hellcat) the B-24 has 1,550,000 parts!" Henry said : "I can build ANYTHING! All I have to do is build a longer Assembly Line!" So Henry built the World's Longest Assembly Line, about 5,400 feet long! --- Over a mile long! At first, working 24 hours a Day, with three shifts, ten Bombers would be made or one Bomber ever 2 1/2 hours. Then he got the Rate up to 23 Bombers in the same 24 hours or one Bomber every 62 minutes!

[@kutamsterdam]

Now we understand why so many workers from that era suffered from all sorts of cancer, that was their contribution as wel.

[@Minimouse580]

the women looks very nomali means Ok

[@samnuell864]

mmmm, tasty tasty asbestos

[@raxxtango]

It all started on an envelope...The "Boss" was at the controls.

[@deck614]

I feel and believe Grumman is a "cool and efficient" technlogical company. I would have liked to work there!

[@thetreblerebel]

Definitely one of the two fighters that Dominated the air in WW2. THE other being the Mustang I guess. There was a few great fighters in this time

[@Mrbfgray]

Fun advertisement. Don't recall grandparents talking about horseshoes, archery and softball during lunch. Hahaha (but then they rarely talked to me anyway)

[@deckdeckard5297]

The Grumman F6F Hellcat is one of my favourite WWII fighters. It may sound quite strange to some, but I like it even more than the more famous and iconic Chance Vought F4U Corsair (and I'm French, btw).

[@rogerrendzak8055]

It's Ok, you're allowed to be french.

[@deckdeckard5297]

@@rogerrendzak8055 I have no doubt about that.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@@deckdeckard5297 I meant that, in a positive way 😊.

[@blueseanomad7435]

19:48 I didn't know Joey from 'Friends' worked at Grumman. Joking aside, this is very fascinating.

[@TheBandit7613]

I remember in the 80's when my cousin, Dave, told me he was breaking down whole factories and sending them to Asia. It was his union job. They would go in and pack up a whole factory and load it onto ships. Then travel to China and re-assemble the entire factory. Some would stay for a few years to train the new peasant workers. I barely saw him for many years as thousands of industrial factories were sent overseas. They were supposed to become the labor and we would be the management. A win for everyone. Well, it didn't work that way. The USA is now over 20 trillion in debt as we pay our own people not to work. Any little pain? Disability. A lifetime of payments. After all, there's only so many retail jobs at Petsmart and Starbucks. Computers you say? As much as possible those jobs are farmed out overseas. And jobs that can't be exported, we bring in people who will work for cheap. Even people who are here unlawfully. The clock is ticking...

[@craigpennington1251]

You bet your ass it is.

[@warrenchambers4819]

That's N.A.F.A. for ya Thanks Slick willy(Bill Clinton) maybe you haven't noticed but the best president in U.S. history Donald Trump has KILLED N.A.F.A.! And renegotiated the whole deal with U.S.M.C.A. those days you speak of are over and those companies your brother helped move are coming back.

[@drpoundsign]

Well-what did you think?? That Japan LOST??? They lost the War, but won the Peace

[@johngeverett]

You are correct about folks from overseas. I have been a software developer for 45 years, and the last 25 of that I have watched a flood of folks from 12 time zones away (with contrived resumes in many cases) while US citizens are let go. We would be hard pressed today to bring the manufacturing to bear necessary to win a war, as opposed to a 'police action' or a 'regime change', or whatever they are wasting our blood on lately.

[@warrenchambers4819]

@Steven Phillips Correct. And if people don't wake up and see the truth America will fall and those asleep won't wake until it's too late. People we have enemies we always have they've just changed tactics. Now they're amongst us, controlling what you hear, see and think. We have a chance a real chance to change course. 1st you must unplug. Stop listening to the propaganda machine the Mainstream media they're lying to you. Trump is not who they say. If the media, academia, Hollywood and the crazy Democrats do not like them you got the right person. Don't be a sheep, research for yourself don't take anyone's word for it. Wake up!

[@philiphatfield5666]

This baby packed one serious firepower wallop! Guns, bombs, rockets, whatever. She was a real 'muscle car' of the skies with that huge, powerful engine. Tough? You betcha! True, she didn't have the sexy lines of the P-51 or Spitfire, but that didn't stop her from blasting Zero fighters out of the sky------and in record numbers too. She was more than just a great fighter plane. Toward the end of the war, some of them were stuffed full of electronics and became flying radar stations. What an airplane!

[@matthewfuchs7641]

I remember their operations plant in long Island, NY. Grew up with a few friends whose parents were employed there.

[@confusedbadger6275]

For some reason I'm always amazed at how big that plane is.

[@davidduffy5788]

God Bless and Many Thanks to All the Americans involved with World War 2 Victory from a Australian War Baby born in Melbourne Australia July 1942

[@douglassauvageau7262]

In 38 years of uniformed / enlisted service, (1977 - 2015) I had several opportunities to put contractors' feet to the fire. Acceptance of contracted performance is ultimately the responsibility of agents representing the 'end-user'. It was often a contentious relationship, but ultimately a reliably successful relationship.

[@jorgemartinpaez4376]

Grumman used the shoe clerk method i read, what a great plane!

[@davidsiller9078]

I love these videos that showcase American ingenuity and manufacturing might!

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Love our channel? Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks very very much......!

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Love our channel? Want to help preserve American history? Help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@pneumatic00]

Awesome film. Awesome airplane

[@marstondavis]

You just watched the men and women that built more than 12,000 Hell Cats...in less than 4 years!

[@chrismc410]

My first private sector job was with Northrop Grumman 2003-2010 at 23. Before that, first two jobs were with the government; the Department of Commerce 2000-2003 and the U.S. Geological Survey 1997-2000

[@patdalager2598]

The Grumman really helped win the Pacific.

[@matthewdupuis232]

Imagine an on-site archery range in this world of health and safety!

[@dcbrownphd]

especially with the pedestrians beyond the targets; but that was the good ol' days . . . . before OSHA!

[@bcstechnologylimited896]

@@dcbrownphd: That was back when people had more common sense.

[@GUNDAM-NOLASAINTS]

Brilliant Americans, most underrated story ever ... hellcat

[@perrykuehr5538]

Wow, stuka dive sirens at 11:xx

[@robertroyles1165]

Hard work paid off.

[@blacksea7779]

My mom was born in England. 1935. During the war her mom worked in the cordite room in a bomb factory. WW2. People came together. Not like today.

[@migmadmarine]

This aircraft became the major player in making " the big blue blanket"

[@alexandrpetrov1110]

Periscope Film - your historic videos are additive.

[@alaskaaksala123]

What an amazing time to live in..

[@johnreynolds6499]

This film should be mandatory showing at all our schools.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Why??

[@soxjohn]

For what? to show school kids the joysn and beauty of making war?

[@MrRobster1234]

The finest hour of the Military-Industrial Complex :-)

[@jimlaguardia8185]

Beautiful!