F6F's (2) ...

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 5887

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

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

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 5887

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)

The Inspector · **Posted:** Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:15 pm

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

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 5887

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.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 5887

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.

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1218

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

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 5887

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

The Inspector · **Posted:** Thu Dec 27, 2012 4:20 pm

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.

SaxMan · **Posted:** Thu Dec 27, 2012 8:52 pm

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.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Thu Dec 27, 2012 10:24 pm

Quote:

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

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

Quote:

F6F Hellcat not sure of any info on this one.

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.

Quote:

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

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

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