Warbird Walk-around: Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat

Walk-around FHCAM's Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat with Senior Restoration & Maintenance Manager Jason Muszala. Simple, rugged, and deadly, the Hellcat dominated the skies over the Pacific during World War II. Explore the unique systems, history, and design that lead to its success in the Pacific.

[@steveb6103]

Largest wings by square footage of any fighter plane of WW2. My dad was a Hellcat pilot.

[@genechronister7085]

Beautiful bird

[@TeargasHorse]

Hellcats are my favorite Navy fighter of WW2. It's a beautiful, fightery looking fighter. It's so big, she's like the P-47C of the sea! I didn't know about the "automatic" flap system, thanks for crawling underneath to show the spring, that was cool!

[@user-kd1nc4kn5l]

Glad to see someone acknowledge the size of the Hellcat too. I have been saying the Hellcat is in some aspects the largest single engine fighter of WWII (wing area, stabilizer) . The T Bolt has a longer fuselage, "only in inches". I believe T Bolts flew at heavier weights. I am researching the height of the two now. I wish I had factory records of which took more sheet metal to build though. From it's best viewing angles, The F6F is absolutely at about the top of my favorite best looking planes list.

[@c.a.t.732]

What a contrast in size to the Bf 109-E shown in another video on this channel!

[@bensipiorski6645]

The F6F Hellcat is without a doubt my favorite US naval airplane of World War II. It is the fighter that helped win the Pacific.

[@danielblythe5337]

Great Close Up video. The Hellcat is one of the best looking planes! Yes, based on looks alone, the F6F is one of the best! Combat proven, safe!

[@lordw9609]

This is my wife's favorites fighter. The sound in flight is so Ominous 😈 Thanks for the updates! You all rock!

[@radekgrec1467]

Dude, I could listen to Your descriptions all day long. So clear, and interestingly told

[@user-id2sm7yz5u]

it's true)

[@thierryjulie3620]

SUPERBE AVION. GREAT !!! TRES TRES BELLE VIDEO !!! VERY GOOD PRESENTATION FOR THIS FAMOUS PLANE OF WWII AND THE PACIFIC WAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! 😊

[@TartanJack]

Wonderful job. Great piece of history. Amazing to think that much technology existed at that time.

[@davidcole333]

Great job describing an awesome aircraft!

[@dinosoarmotorsports]

Love this aircraft...all-time favorite by a lot...love this video. Thanks much for posting!

[@chicagoskyhawk2052]

Really enjoying your walk-around videos. Please continue to make more for each different warbird!

[@MadMatt13]

What a beast! Great vid👍

[@kevinburt44]

Hi from England, I love all the Iron Works aircraft, they got it so right, it's a shame no Grumman aircraft on US Navy carriers now. The F5 and A6 are my two favourite US aircraft. Great video.

[@danielmartinoli8441]

Qué hermoso avión ,una joya de la fuerza aérea estadounidense !...

[@scottorton482]

Very well done!!! Wonderfully tech news. I build model aircraft, flying and static. Great insights.

[@russreid6881]

I just discovered your chanel. What a fantastic job of describing aircraft design. Thank you so much!

[@andrewlabat9963]

Great walk around. Love the F6F..

[@Mors_Inimicis]

Really enjoyable, great explanations too.

[@hughboyd2904]

Really nice walk around and explanation. Thanks! & Subscribed.

[@garrisonnichols7372]

Always loved the Hellcat. The Corsair and P51 Mustang get all the Glory but the Hellcat has the highest kill ratio for American planes during the war.

[@roderickval]

Awesome

[@user-id2sm7yz5u]

nice tutorial. thanks

[@joseluiscastanorestrepo]

Great plane.

[@ronverduin1979]

I believe that those markings (white stripes on stabilizer and white alerons) went with a fighter group assigned to the Hornet and then the Randolph in the South Pacific. I had a friend

[@pararaftanr2]

Those markings were assigned to specific carriers, not air groups, in this case the CV USS Randolph. CAG-12 and CAG-16 aircraft wore those markings when they were aboard Randolph in 1945, until the marking system was changed later in 1945.

[@zanegrey4720]

Nice aeroplane the hell cat i have always liked this aircraft.

[@johndavey72]

Huston we have a problem! The video stops at 10.24secs (approx') Tried twice but no luck . Nonetheless, everyday's a school day!! Will try again later. Grumman certainly made very robust aircraft. The Supermarine Spitfire as supreme as it was , was very fragile as a sea fire and the majority were lost in carrier landings. Thankyou Jason. Take care and stay safe.

[@britishamerican4321]

Right. The British eventually developed a rugged carrier-based plane, the Hawker Sea Fury.

[@stevelalley6194]

I had no idea there was fabric used on this airplane. Thanks.

[@ryanmoeller3308]

Such an amazing aircraft!! Are there any books you guy's would recommend to read on the F6F Hellcat? Keep up the GREAT work!! 👍👍

[@owensweetland342]

Read Naval History magazine.

[@p47thunderbolt68]

The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine gets all the attention and it did change the war in the European theater and what it did to get the Mustang having the performance and the range to escort bombers all the way to and from targets in Germany, Seems the Pratt and Whitney Wasp that the Hellcat ,Corsair and the Thunderbolt had should get more credit too .

[@visionary_8865]

That auto flaps thing was first invented and applied by Germans on the Stuka, n became part of the first auto pilot system in the world

[@rodcody7278]

Do all prop planes turn counterclockwise?

[@rodrigomartinelli741]

Sorry for ignorance, why are some rivets countersunk and some not ? also, why do some rivets bent the sheet metal noticeably like left from the handhold and some others just barely ?

[@johndavey72]

Rodrigo. The differences are cost V airflow. Flushfit rivets allow the air to flow smoothly over the aircraft. Domed head interfere with that and lessen the speed of the aircraft. Speed is everything but cost has to be considered. It is very labour intensive to fit flushfit . So the designers reach a compromise, hope this helps. Take care and stay safe.

[@rageagainstroy]

Yeah, when are you going to finish the Stuka?

[@josevicentejrmeneses8552]

They don't call GRUMMAN "Iron Works" for nothing.

[@GTX1123]

The Navy needed a new front line carrier based fighter superior to the Wildcat with an easy learning curve for green USN pilots. That's exactly what they got with things like the Hellcat's wing loading, self adjusting flaps, cockpit visibility and sturdy strut & gear height for carrier landings. It wasn't as fast as the F4U but was slightly better in a turn than the Corsair and most important, was faster than the A6M. The increase in speed alone gave USN pilots a huge advantage.

[@matthewbratton3825]

A downed Zero in the Aleutians was a big development in the F6 from the Wilcat.

[@GTX1123]

@@matthewbratton3825 Yep. The Japanese invasion of the Aleutians was absolute hell for U.S. troops but worth the price paid for the recovery of that Zero. Based on the data he got from it, Roy Grumman determined that F6F could match the Zero without sacrificing pilot armor, self sealing fuel tanks and a stronger air frame to support the more powerful double wasp engine.

[@pararaftanr2]

@@GTX1123 That is a common misconception. The Hellcat was designed well before any Zeros had been captured. Koga's Zero was discovered in July 1942. The first Hellcat prototype flew in June 1942.

[@GTX1123]

@@pararaftanr2 It was both. Yes, the common misconception is that the F6F's initial and overall design was based on the Akutan Zero; i.e. it was already obvious that the USN needed a fighter that could match or exceed the Zero, at least in speed but also be suitable for carrier op's. This was why F6F's engine was upgraded to the more powerful Double Wasp in June 1942 before the Akutan Zero was discovered-restored-tested which was completed by September of 1942. But is is a fact that the data learned from the Akutan Zero's flight test was used by Roy Grumman to finalize the F6F's design long before it went into production for things like wing loading, fuel capacity and pilot armor. That's why it was both.

[@pararaftanr2]

@@GTX1123 You state that " it is a fact that the data learned from the Akutan Zero's flight test was used by Roy Grumman to finalize the F6F's design long before it went into production". You also state that testing of the Akutan Zero "was completed by September of 1942." however, the first production F6F-3, powered by an R-2800-10, flew on 3 October 1942, so this would appear to contradict the alleged importance of that Zero's flight test data relevant to the design, or production, of the Hellcat. In fact, an actual influence was information provided by Navy Wildcat pilots who had previously engaged Zeros in air combat.

[@paratrooper7340]

I've never seen a F6F with a 4 blade prop - was a 4 blade prop ever used or tried on this fighter and if not, why?

[@zippytpinhead847]

Search Greg's Airplanes. He has à video that is on the three vs four topic.

[@bretz71]

There was a 4-bladed prop on the XF6F-6. But production of that model was canceled because the war was winding down, the Navy had already chosen higher-performing Corsairs over Hellcats by then, and Grumman was committed to development of the future F8F Bearcat.

[@dwainashton7043]

Radio controlled drone? Thank god it made it.

[@rufusmedrano2962]

No cockpit.

[@ryanhell921]

Wasn't the BF/ME 109 the most successful fighter aircraft of WW2?🤔

[@justin36004]

I think he meant it for the US.

[@rabidlenny7221]

1:01 the most successful US fighter* The top 105 luftwaffe Bf109 aces had 15,000 victories between them. And that’s only a portion of the Bf109 total victories

[@GERSON8687]

he looks like a carbon copy of tony stewart

[@TheFunkhouser]

Only high scoring b/c it was fighting the way weaker Japanese planes. It wouldve been different if it had to go up against the much better german fighters.

[@Bryster51]

Please turn off the music background. So distracting. Thanks

[@garethsouthgate4395]

Too much technical detail for me...