WarSimBox
Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, the in-game model
1944USAFighter

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was the US Navy’s main carrier fighter from 1943 to the end of the war. With its powerful R-2800 engine, large wing and rugged structure, it gained the upper hand over the Japanese Zero. US Navy and Marine Corps pilots were credited with more than 5,000 kills in the Hellcat, more than any other American naval aircraft.

Big brother to the Wildcat

The Hellcat was designed to replace Grumman’s F4F Wildcat: bigger, with a much more powerful engine and a broader wing. With pilot armour, self-sealing tanks and a rugged structure, it was the opposite of the Zero, which came apart under fire. More than 12,000 Hellcats were built in two years.

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, side view
Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat: the in-game model from the side.

The “Marianas Turkey Shoot”

At the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, Hellcats from American carriers shot down a very large part of the attacking Japanese carrier aircraft; pilots called it the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”. Japanese naval aviation never recovered from the loss.

In WarSimBox

In the game it is a turn fighter in the heavy line: its large wing lets it turn well for its weight, it is very tough and it protects its pilot. Its two-stage supercharger gives it power high up too. It has six .50 in guns and can also carry bombs and rockets.

Unlocked in the aircraft tree after researching Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5 and 2000 hp radial engine.

Top speed
628 km/h · 6,000 m
Climb
14.8 m/s
Sustained turn
20.6 s
Stall speed
148 km/h

These figures come from the game’s flight model (climb, turn and stall at sea level).

Fly it in WarSimBox