World War II Database

1.  David Stubblebine says:
1 May 2008 01:27:36 PM

This F6F was with VF-5 aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-10 - Essex-Class) in late 1943 or early 1944.

2. ChrisJ says:
24 Nov 2009 03:22:18 PM

Picture Air_Hellcat4 caption reads that it could be off of Yorktown or Enterprise. Hellcats didn't reach the Fleet until after we lost Yorktown at Midway. Essex class Yorktown would have had Hellcats though.

3.  Bill says:
14 Aug 2010 10:30:20 PM

Did You Know... The Navy's 10,000th F6F-5 Hellcat, served with VFB-87,aboard CV-14 USS Ticonderoga Jun. 1945

4.  Bill says:
29 Jun 2012 11:37:58 AM

DID YOU KNOW: Grumman got the idea for the folding wing design to fold against the fuselage from an eraser and a paper clip. HOW WAS IT DONE: SIMPLE IN DESIGN Grumman took an eraser and used it, as the fuselage of the plane. Then he took two paper clips for the wings and bent out the short end of each of the clips, so that it was perpendicular to the body of the paper clip. He stuck the short ends into the eraser until he found the right angle and position at which the clip, when twisted to the vertical position, would also fold back against the eraser. It worked! all that was necessary now was the engineering to design the folding wing mechanism, make it strong and fail-safe. This principle was used on the F4F Wildcat the F6F Hellcat and the TBF Advenger. DID YOU KNOW: The folding wing design is still used today on carrier-based US Navy aircraft that are built by Grumman.

5.  Bill says:
30 Jun 2012 08:18:59 AM

Oops! sorry misspelled Avenger, sometimes I type too fast. Did you know the Royal Navy were supplied 1,000 TBMs, under lend-lease and were named Tarpon Mk.1s, later the British renamed them Avenger Mk.1s these aircraft operated in both the Altantic and Pacific theaters during WWII. After the war the Royal Navy continued to use the TBM, until 1955! replaced with the Fairey Gannet anti-submarine warfare and patrol bomber. The TBM-3s were armed w/2x.50 caliber wing mounted machine guns w/335rpg, 1x.50 caliber turret mounted machine gun w/400rpg and 1x.30 caliber machine gun w/500rounds and was mounted in the rear belly position. 1xMk.13 torpedo or 2000lbs of bombs or depth charges and 8x5in under-wing mounted rockets. For more info, click to the TBF/TBM Avenger here at ww2db