American carrier-based fighters
The Grumman F6F Hellcat carrier-based fighter, whose development began in 1941, became a logical continuation of the F4F Wildcat fighter line. "Hellcat" has absorbed the rich combat experience of its predecessor, which it was supposed to replace, and, most importantly, got rid of its inherent drawbacks: insufficient speed, mediocre maneuverability and high accident rate due to a narrow chassis track.
Fighter "Grumman" F6F-3 "Hellcat" (Fig. Site wardrawings.be)
The F6F "Hellcat" made its first flight in 1942, and the delivery of production vehicles to combat squadrons began in January of the following year. The main serial modifications of the carrier-based fighter were the F6F-3 and F6F-5 (from May 1944), supplied under Lend-Lease to the UK and referred to as the Hellcat Mk. I and Hellcat Mk. II, respectively.
Fighter "Grumman" "Hellcat" MK. I (F6F-3) (Fig. Site wardrawings.be)
The installation on the Hellcat of a heavier and more powerful engine, additional tanks, an increase in ammunition for six 12.7-mm machine guns, as well as a new chassis led to an increase in the size and take-off weight of the fighter. The aircraft received a low wing, the folding mechanism of which was similar to that of its predecessor. The Hellcat became the largest single-seat and single-engine carrier-based fighter of the Second World War.
F6F-3 "Hellcat" in readiness for take-off with the help of an aircraft carrier catapult, May 12, 1944 (Photo by wordpress.com)
Among the shortcomings of the new aircraft, the pilots noted the sinking of the fighter at the moment of touchdown during landing, when the propeller could touch the surface of the deck. The reason for this phenomenon was the large travel of the landing gear of the fighter. With due observance of the speed and angular parameters of the approach, this could be avoided.
Fighter "Grumman" "Hellcat" MK. II (F6F-5) (Fig. Site wardrawings.be)
Hellcat modifications differed from each other mainly in the power of the installed engine. On the F6F-3, a 2000-horsepower engine accelerated the aircraft in level flight to a maximum speed of 605 km per hour and provided a climb rate of 990 meters per minute. The F6F-5 engine with a capacity of 2250 horsepower provided the fighter with a maximum speed of 644 km per hour with a climb rate of 1032 meters per minute. The F6F-3 had a flight range (without PTB) of 1,755 km and a service ceiling of 11,430 meters. For the F6F-5, these figures were: 1520 km and 11370 meters, respectively.
In flight, the F6F-3 Hellcat fighter that has survived to this day (Photo from www.warbirddepot.com)
Placed in the wing (outside the circle of rotation of the propeller) machine gun armament "Hellcat" was supplemented by the outboard. One 454-kg bomb or an additional fuel tank could be suspended under the center section. Under the wing consoles there were attachment points for two more 454-kg or four 227-kg bombs. On the F6F-5, instead of bombs, fuel tanks dropped in flight could be suspended here. Six 227-mm unguided missiles of the HVAR type could be placed on special nodes. Two rockets of a larger caliber - 298 mm - were suspended on bomb holders under the wings. External assemblies for the suspension of weapons at the factory were installed only for the F6F-5. On the F6F-3 modification, similar work was carried out in field repair aircraft workshops.
Multipurpose fighter F6F-3 "Hellcat" with outboard weapons in flight. (Fig. Site badfon.ru)
The F6F-5 could carry three 454-kg bombs on external suspensions, and the F6F-3 only two. The two central heavy machine guns on the "five" could be replaced with 20-mm cannons.
British "Hellcats" MK. I and MKII were equipped with quad mounts for suspension of eight 76-mm (27-kg) unguided rockets of national production.
Night fighter "Grumman" F6F-5N "Hellcat". (Fig. Site wardrawings.be)
An AN / APS-6 radar was installed on the front edge of the left wing console on the Hellcat F6F-3E / N modification of the F6F-3E / N night fighters produced by a small batch, which made it possible to detect large enemy aircraft (bombers) at ranges from seven to eight kilometers. All aircraft of the F6F-5 modification, already in the production process, received the technical ability to install radar in the field, which, if necessary, turned them into night fighters.
Night fighter F6F-5N "Hellcat" with radar on the right wing, two 20-mm cannons and an external fuel tank. (Photo site www.mediafire.com)
The F6F Hellcat inherited high survivability from its predecessor, the Wildcat, which was achieved by the armor of the cockpit and oil coolers, sealed fuel tanks, as well as the robustness of the airframe structure. It was the most difficult-to-kill American carrier-based fighter during the Second World War.
Due to its powerful armament and resistance to enemy fire, the F6F Hellcat was successfully used as a strike aircraft, providing direct support during amphibious operations.
British Hellcat Mk. II fighters attack Japanese airfield with rockets (Fig. Site www.artes.su)
In aerial battles with the Japanese Zeros, inferior to him in horizontal maneuverability, the F6F Hellcat won in most cases thanks to the "strike and escape" tactics. Possessing higher speed characteristics, the solid construction of the F6F easily escaped from the Zero's impact half-loop downward, having previously turned sharply onto its back. The experience and quality of training of the pilots influenced the results of the fights. In this regard, the Japanese pilots were noticeably inferior to the allies.
F6F-3 "Hellcat" fighter in aerial combat with A6M5 "Zero". (Fig. Site www.findmodelkit.com)
F6F-5 Hellcat and A6M5 Zero at the air show. Our days (Photo site www.airshowfan.com)
The results of the air battle over Leyte Gulf in October 1944, when the Japanese lost one hundred Zeros in one day, are indicative. F6F Hellcat carrier-based fighters accounted for a quarter of this number.
In the air combat F6F-5 "Hellcat" of the aircraft carrier "Essex", October 25, 1944 (Fig. Site warwall.ru)
In air battles with Japanese army fighters of the Ki-84 or Ki-100 type, the results of the battles were far from always in favor of the Hellcats, which were inferior to the enemy both in speed and firepower. So, in August 1945, the Japanese ace Iwamoto in his "Kawanishi" N1K2-J "Shiden-Kai" in an air battle with six "Hellcat" shot down four of them and left the pursuit of the remaining two.
Hellcat MKII at an air show in California, USA, today (Photo by wikimedia.org)
F6F-5 Hellcat in flight. Our time (Photo site fanpop.com)
Development of the new Grumman carrier-based fighter F8F Birkat began in 1943. The new aircraft was a further development of the proprietary line of carrier-based fighters F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat and was intended to eliminate one of their main drawbacks: insufficient horizontal maneuverability, to provide a significant increase in maximum speed and rate of climb.
Grumman carrier-based fighters F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat and F8F Bircat (Photo by avmil.net)
The new fighter was similar in appearance to the Hellcat, and was comparable in size to the Wildcat and made its first flight in July 1944. On trials, Birkat showed excellent maneuverability and speed characteristics.
The fighter's excellent maneuverability was provided by a new wing, equipped with firing tips (they prevented its destruction when the aircraft reached critical values of speed in a dive and ensured the ability to make a trouble-free landing after leaving the battle) and special - "combat flaps" operating at high flight speeds and providing the necessary lifting wing force during horizontal maneuver. Air brakes mounted on the lower edge of the wing helped to maintain acceleration speeds when diving within safe limits.
Fighter "Grumman" F8F-1 "Birkat" ("Wolverine") (Fig. Site www.wardrawings.be)
Production of the first serial modification of the Birkat F8F-1 was launched in December 1944. The single-seat carrier-based fighter was equipped with a 2100-horsepower engine, which provided it with a maximum horizontal speed of 681 km per hour at an altitude of 4570 meters and a climb rate at sea level of 1722 meters per minute. The flight range with the PTB was 1,778 km and the service ceiling was 10,575 meters.
Fighter "Grumman" F8F-1 "Bircat" at an air show in Texas, USA, October 17, 2015 (Photo by www.airliners.net)
The small arms of the fighter consisted of four 12.7-mm machine guns (300 rounds of ammunition per barrel), located in the wing outside the rotation area of the four-blade propeller (3.83 m in diameter). On the F8F-1B modification, which was put into production after the end of the war in the fall of 1945, four 20 mm cannons were installed instead of machine guns.
Fighter "Grumman" F8F-1B "Birkat" (Fig. Site www.wardrawings.be)
An external fuel tank with a capacity of 568 liters was usually suspended on the ventral assembly of the Birket, which, due to its drop-shaped shape, had low aerodynamic resistance and could not be dropped during maneuverable air combat. Two 454-kg aerial bombs (or 757-l PTB) and four 127-mm unguided HVAR missiles could be suspended under the wing.
F8F-1B Birkat fighter at the Thai Air Force Museum, Bangkok, January 14, 2010 (Photo by www.airliners.net)
The Birkat pilot was protected by an armored backrest and an armored pallet. The aircraft received sealed fuel tanks and oil system armor protection.
Fighters "Grumman" F8F-1 "Birkat" aerobatic team "Blue Angels", August 25, 1946 (Photo by en.wikipedia.org)
The first combatant squadron of carrier-based fighters F8F-1 "Birkat" was deployed in July 1945 on the aircraft carrier "Langley". Until the end of the war, the new fighters did not take part in the hostilities.
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