Hellcat, the F6F in World War II Largely responsible for
crushing Japanese airpower wherever the American fast carrier
force sailed, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was considered the most
... Show synopsis Largely responsible for crushing Japanese
airpower wherever the American fast carrier force sailed, the
Grumman F6F Hellcat was considered the most important Allied
aircraft in the Pacific during 1943 and 1944. Designed for
speed, range, and climb to compete with Japan's exceptional
Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it succeeded not only in engaging the
"Zeke" on equal terms but also in dictating the rules of combat.
Fighters in every sense of the word, the Hellcats were credited
with destroying more than five thousand Japanese aircraft,
gaining outright air supremacy over the invasion beaches, and
helping ensure Allied amphibious victories in the Central
Pacific. Aviation historian Barrett Tillman presents the full
story of the fighter plane--the men who built and tested it, the
squadrons that flew it, and the heroes it creat