MAQUETTE À MONTER - F6F-3 F6F-5 Hellcat Minsi Hasegawa | N° 09561 | 1:48

Characteristics

Description

The U.S. Navy procurement division, in June 1941, sent a request to the Grumman Aircraft Company for a replacement fighter for the F4F Wildcat then in active service with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Grumman was famous for providing the U.S. Navy with robust and totally successful fighter aircraft for many years. The F6F was nicknamed Hellcat by Grumman, and due to the urgent needs of the war, was ordered into production even prior to its first test flight in June 1942. It was quite similar in appearance to the F4F, but was a much larger and totally new aircraft. Its design parameters were influenced to a great extent by the then superior Japanese A6M Zero fighters being encountered in the Pacific War area. The F6F Hellcat had excellent maneuverability and handling characteristics during all flight attitudes, and its heavy firepower made it the best Navy fighter aircraft used during the conflict. It finished world war II with a kill ratio of 19-1, a record that still stands in U.S. Navy history and was not in reach by any other fighter at the time. Its ability to take substantial combat damage and still return to its ship, saved countless U.S. Naval aviators, and gave the Bethpage, New York Company the title 'Grumman Iron Works'. It was produced throughout the war, and included Night fighter and bomber versions. DATA F6F-5: Crew: 1; Length: 10.23m; Wingspan: 13.06m; Height: 4.9m; Max speed: 594km/h @7,300m; Range: 1,750km; Engine: P&W R-2800-10W; Horsepower: 2,100hp @ take off; Weapons: 12.7mm machine guns x 6 or 20mm cannon x 2 and 12.7mm machine guns x 4; Bombs 450kg x 2

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