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The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United States Navy's dominant fighter in the second half of the Pacific War, outdueling the faster Vought F4U Corsair, which had problems with carrier landings.
The history of the Hellcat is intertwined with the birth of USN Night Fighter development. The USN faced a real challenge in early 1942. Japanese air attacks were simply something they had no defense against. Evan “Pete” Aurand was an ambitious naval officer who had been assigned to Scouting 2, flying SBD dive-bombers and he simply had to get into fighters. Accepting the first assignment offered in May 1942, Aurand headed for NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island. He became immersed in the effort to build a night fighting aircraft to protect the fleet. It would be a type of plane the U.S. Navy had never possessed before. Aurand worked with scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to improve the Hellcat’s effectiveness as a night fighter. VF(N)-76 began as one of three pioneer squadrons to use the new radar and navigation tools. Pete Aurand was instrumental in this secret program and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his contributions to developing these important technologies.
From January to September of 1944 this Hellcat (Bu 41476) was assigned to one of four detachments in the Pacific Fleet. The Detachments were assigned to the aircraft carriers Bunker Hill, Yorktown, Hornet, Essex, and Lexington. Dispersed among 5 ships, each detachment had little time for detailed record keeping cohesion. The squadrons were successful immediately. They began to take a toll on the night raiders that were previously unopposed. In fact, VF(N)-76 was the highest scoring night fighter squadron with one detachment scoring 26 victories. The task force pressed the attack against the Imperial Japanese Navy. Well-known engagements included the Battle of Philippine Sea, the “Marianas Turkey Shoot” and attacks on Iwo Jima. Several Hellcat pilots became “aces” during this period.
The Hellcat in the Pacific War exhibit is seen with its wings folded and gun bay covers open. The Browning .50 Cal machine guns and ammunition pods are seen within.
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The United States is one of the most diverse countries on earth, jam packed full of amazing sights from St. Patrick's cathedral in New York to Mount Hollywood California.The Northeast region is where it all started. Thirteen British colonies fought the American Revolution from here and won their independence in the first successful colonial rebellion in history. Take a look at these rolling hills carpeted with foliage along the Hudson river here, north of New York City.The American south is known for its polite people and slow pace of life. Probably they move slowly because it's so hot. Southerners tend not to trust people from "up north" because they talk too fast. Here's a cemetery in Georgia where you can find graves of soldiers from the Civil War.The West Coast is sort of like another country that exists to make the east coast jealous. California is full of nothing but grizzly old miners digging for gold, a few gangster rappers, and then actors. That is to say, the West Coast functions as the imagination of the US, like a weird little brother who teases everybody then gets famous for making freaky art.The central part of the country is flat farmland all the way over to the Rocky Mountains. Up in the northwest corner you can find creative people in places like Portland and Seattle, along with awesome snowboarding and good beer. Text by Steve Smith.
