Warbird Information Exchange

Plenty of post-war Hellcat images here. Would be nice to see some current F6F schemes depicting this era, but just not enough Hellcats around. Sources, National Museum of Naval Aviation archives,

Part 1 of 4


XF6F-1 Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground. It became XF6F-4 and was later delivered as F6F-3.


F6F-3 Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground at , probably, NAS Willow Grove, PA.


F6F-3 Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground. This ihas an experimental installation of airborne intercept radar on this early F6F-3.


F6F-5 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARU Oakland, CA, on the ground at Nellis AFB NV.1950


F6F-5N Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground at NAS Patuxent River, MD.. There is radar on the wings.1944


F6F-5E Hellcat NATC aircraft is on the ground. The 34 view shows the radone configuration.1944 NAS Patuxent MD


F6F-5 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARU Oakland, CA, on the ground at Sonoma (CA) County Airport.1948


F6F-3N Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground at NAS Quonset Point, RI. It is part of Project AffirmNight Fighter Development Unit. It was permanently assigned to BuAer Re


F6F-3 Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground at , probably, NAS Willow Grove, PA.1945


F6F-5N Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARU Oakland, CA, on the ground at NAS Oakland, CA. 1950


F6F-5 Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground at an unknown location.1944


F6F-5 Hellcat of VF-3 LT Henry M. Shorty Rowland from Clinton, S. Carolina, lands with 40 mm shell hole in the tail


N-F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of NAS Minneapolis, MN, reserve unit, on the ground.1948


F6F-5 Hellcat NATC


F6F-5 Hellcat NATC 1944


F6F-5 Hellcat NATC 1944


XF6F-3 Hellcat NATC aircraft is on the ground at Grumman in Bethpage, NY. It was called Yellow F6F 1943


F6F-3 Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground at an unknown location.1943


F6F-5P Hellcat USNR aircraft of NAS New York, NY on the ground at Floyd Bennett Field.1950


F6F-5 stopover at Bakersfield CA 1945

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“With bottomless pockets...anything is possible”

Part 2 of 4


F6F-5 front view


F6F-5N Hellcat of NATC shown on the ground at NAS Patuxent River, MD.. There is radar on the wings.1944-2


XF6F-3 Hellcat NATC aircraft is on the ground at Grumman in Bethpage, NY. It was called Yellow F6F.


F6F-5 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARU New York, NY, in flight.1948


F6F-3 Hellcat NATC aircraft is in flight. It was the 4th production of the aircraft.


F6F-3 Hellcat NATC aircraft is the first one produced. It is shown here in flight. The pilot is Connie Converse.


An F6F-3 Hellcat aircraft of VF-2 is in flight. The squadron is assigned to USS Hornet (CV-12).


An F6F-5 Hellcat assigned to the light carrier Independence (CVL 22) pictured in flight, 1945.


F6F-3 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARU New York, NY, in flight.1948


F6F-3 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARU New York, NY


F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of VF-3 crash landed. Fighter lands without taill hook. LT Henry M. Rowland from Clinton, S. Carolina, landing with 40 mm shell hole in the tail.


Hellcat F6F-3 aircraft of VF-1 on the flight deck of USS Hornet(CV-12) is on its nose after crashing in the barrier. The aircraft is from the USS Yorktown (CV-10),


F6F-5 Hellcat of VF-40 USS Suwanee (CVE-27).


F6F-5 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARTU New York on the ground at NAS New York at Floyd Bennett Field in what looks to be a snafu


F6F-5KD Hellcat aircraft of VU-3K is launching from the catapult of USS Philippine Sea (CVA-47).


Members of the ship's Marine Detachment pictured on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Ticonderoga (CV 14)

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“With bottomless pockets...anything is possible”

The left wing mounted pod looks like some sort of 'gajillion watt' searchlight

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Part 3 of 4


Two F6F-3 Hellcat aircraft of VF-2 are in flight.


A flight of four (4) F6F-5P Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARTU Columbus, OH, VF-695, are in flight over Miami, FL.1950


F6F Hellcats of Fighting Squadron (VF) 86 off Wasp (CV 18) in flight.


F6F-3 Hellcat aircraft of VF-3 are in formation flight near San Diego, CA.1943


F6F-3 Hellcat aircraft of VF-3 in flight in their debut for the public.


F6F-5 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARTU Los Alamitos, CA, in flight over Southern California. NIne (9) aircraft are in formation.


Five (5) F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of NARTU Dallas, TX, are in flight.


Five (5) F6F-5 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARTU Dallas, TX, assigned to CVG-55 and CVG-83, are in flight near NAS Pensacola, FL.


Five (5) F6F-5 Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARTU Dallas, TX, assigned to CVG-55 and CVG-83, are in flight near NAS Pensacola, FL.1948


Four (4) Hellcat F6F-3 aircraft of VF-1 are in flight over Hawaii.1944


Four (4) Hellcat, F6F-3 aircraft of VF-1 are in flight over Hawaii.


Four (4) Hellcat, F6F-3 aircraft of VF-1 are in flight over Hawaii.1944


Four F6F Hellcat aircraft of VD are flying in echelon with an SB2C behind and down from them. They are at New Cumberland, PA.


Four F6's of VD2 in flight over Harrisburg, PA.1944


Four F6's of VD2 tangle with an SB2C in flight near NAFs New Cumberland, PA.1944


Naval Air Reservists from the Greater Chicago area soar high above the USS Cabot (CVL-28 shown at the extreme left) while on annual training duty in the Caribbean


Two (2) F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of VU-1 are in flight as seen from above.

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“With bottomless pockets...anything is possible”

Part 4 of 4 ... Some interesting civilian Hellcats of which I'm sure the experts here can fill in plenty. Note: original photographers for these images unknown.


F6F-3 Hellcat aircraft from VF-21 that had ditched in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, CA, January 25, 1944.


It was raised by the salvage team of the USS White Sands in Octobe,r 1970, and placed at NAS North Island, CA.


F6F Hellcat not sure of any info on this one.


Based at Hubbard, Oregon it is shown in this 1973 photo with owner-pilot Bill Compton. It was destroyed in a crash in 1977. Caption reads: F6F-3 Hellcat civilian aircraft is on the ground. The oldest surviving Hellcat that was only the 210th production machine. It flew from USS Ranger (CV-4) with VF-4 and USS Sangamon (CVE-26) with VF-37, one of the very few warbirds to have seen operational service. Based at Hubbard, Oregon it is shown in this 1973 photo with owner-pilot Bill Compton. It was destroyed in a crash in 1977.


F6F-3 Hellcat civilian aircraft is on the ground at Ottumwa Industrial Airport, IA.1975


F6F-3 Hellcat Confederate Air Force, based at Harlingen, TX.1976


F6F-5 Hellcat civilian aircraft is on the ground at NAS Miramar, CA. The fuselage has VF-17 markings.1977


F6F-5 Hellcat civilian aircraft piloted by Mike Retke is on the ground at Ottumwa Industrial Airport, IA.


F6F-5 Hellcat civilian aircraft piloted by Mike Retke is taking offfrom the ground at Ottumwa Industrial Airport, IA.1975


F6F-5 Hellcat on the ground at Abbottsford, British Columbia. Planes of Fame 1975


F6F-3 and F6F-5 Hellcat civilian aircraft are on the ground at Ottumwa Industrial Airport, IA.1975


F6F Hellcat in flight. June, 1970, Charles F. Willis, then Alaska Airlines' Board Chairman, with his F6F-3 Little Nugget, caption reads: F6F Hellcat civilian aircraft is in flight. June, 1970, Charles F. Willis, then Alaska Airlines' Board Chairman, with his F6F-3 "Little Nugget" painted in his airline's colors. The big jetliners were emblazoned with "Golden Nugget". Photo taken over Puget Southnd. The aircraft was purchased by Bill Compton of Albany, Oregon and destroyed in a crash in 1977.

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“With bottomless pockets...anything is possible”

Fantastic post Mark. You can never have too many Hellcats in my opinion!

Better throw one of dad in here ... VF 153 NAS Oceana 1946, he looks a little weary of war

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“With bottomless pockets...anything is possible”

Charlie Willis, who ran ALASKA AIRLINES for many years before being tossed out by Bruce Crandall, was an absolute corner cutting pirate. A friend of my late father worked @ ASA right after the war in the freight office. As soon as a freight contract was signed, everyone ran to the bank to cash their up till then worthless paychecks while there was money in the bank, he used to say that Willis and a creditor fighting over a Penny is why the world had copper wire.
Charlie was known to remove red tags from condemned parts and have them reinstalled to make schedule. For a while they weren't allowed onto SEATAC and if you wanted to ride ALASKA you drove to KPAE to catch a DC-6.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

It looks like the one in flight off the coast of New York (#25 with the canopy open and engine on the right side of the pic) is actually over Breezy Point in the Rockaways, which was so hard hit by Sandy. You can see the runways of Floyd Bennett Field just to the right of the propeller hub.

Note the C-74 in the background - might narrow it down.


N7896C BuNo 79683 owned then by John Ortseifen - parked for years at Chicagoland Airport in Wheeling, IL; last flown '66 - I got to see it fly at Oshkosh in '80 or '81 after it had a $150,000 restoration; now static at the Air Zoo.


NAS Glenview to be exact - love seeing planes from my hometown. Thanks for posting 'em!

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)