Grumman F6F Hellcat

F6F Hellcat
A U.S. Navy Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
Role Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer Grumman
First flight 26 June 1942
Introduction 1943
Retired 1960 Uruguayan Navy[1]
Primary users United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
Royal Navy
French Navy
Produced 1942–1945
Number built 12,275
Unit cost $35,000 in 1945[2]

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy (USN) service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big brother".[3] The Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair were the primary USN fighters during the second half of World War II.

The Hellcat was the first USN fighter designed in view of lessons from combat with the Japanese Zero.[4] The Hellcat was credited with destroying 5,271 aircraft[5] while in service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (5,163 in the Pacific and eight more during the invasion of Southern France, plus 52 with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II)[6], which was more than any other Allied aircraft. Postwar, the Hellcat was phased out of front line service, but remained in service as late as 1954 as a night fighter.

Contents

Design and development

Grumman was working on a successor to the F4F Wildcat well before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. While the F4F was a capable fighter, early air battles revealed the Japanese A6M Zero was more maneuverable and possessed a better rate of climb than the F4F. The F4F did have some advantages over the Zero. Wildcats were able to absorb a tremendous amount of damage compared to the Zero, and had better armament. The F4F was also much faster in a dive than the Zero, an advantage frequently used by Wildcat pilots to elude attacking Zeros. The F6F Hellcat was designed to enhance the favorable aspects of the F4F while having a much higher top speed and greater range, allowing it to outperform the Zero.

The contract for the prototype XF6F-1 was signed on 30 June 1941 and was designed to use the Wright R-2600 Cyclone engine of 1,700 hp (1,268 kW) driving a three-bladed Curtiss Electric propeller.[8] However based on combat accounts of encounters between the F4F Wildcat and A6M Zero, Grumman decided to further increase the new fighter's performance.[3] Grumman redesigned and strengthened the F6F airframe to incorporate the 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp, estimating a 25% increase in performance would result.[3] Instead of the Wildcat's narrow-track, hand-cranked undercarriage retracting into the fuselage, the Hellcat had wide-set, hydraulically-actuated undercarriage struts which twisted through 90° while retracting backward into the wings.[9] The wing was low-mounted instead of mid-mounted and was arranged to allow each panel outboard of the undercarriage bay to fold backwards, parallel with the fuselage, with the leading edges pointing down.[10] The cockpit was mounted high in the fuselage and the front fuselage sloped down slightly to the engine cowling, providing good all-round visibility for the pilot.[11]

The Cyclone-powered XF6F-1 prototype (02981) first flew on 26 June 1942 and was followed by the first Double Wasp-equipped aircraft, the XF6F-3 (02982), which made its first flight on 30 July 1942. The first production F6F-3, powered by an R-2800-10 (late production versions used the R-2800-10W) driving a three-bladed Hamilton-Standard propeller, flew on 3 October 1942, with the type reaching operational readiness with VF-9 on USS Essex in February 1943.[12] Two night fighter sub-variants of the F6F-3 were also developed. The F6F-3E, converted from standard -3s, featured the AN/APS-4 radar in pod mounted on a rack beneath the right wing: a small radar-scope was fitted in the middle of the main instrument panel and radar operating controls fitted on the port side of the cockpit.[13] The later F6F-3N, first seen in July 1943, was fitted with the AN/APS-6 radar in a bulbous fairing mounted on the leading-edge of the outer right wing.[14] By November 1943, Hellcat night fighters had seen their first action.[15]

Standard armament on the F6F-3 consisted of six .50 in (12.7 mm) M2/AN Browning air-cooled machine guns with 400 rpg; later aircraft gained three hardpoints to carry a total bombload in excess of 2,000 lb (900 kg). The center hardpoint also had the ability to carry a single 150 gal (568 l) disposable drop tank. Six 5 in (127 mm) HVARs (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket)[16] could be carried; three under each wing.[17] A bullet-resistant windshield and a total of 212 lb (96 kg) of cockpit armor was fitted, along with armor around the oil tank and oil cooler.[12] Self-sealing fuel tanks further reduced susceptibility to fire and often allowed damaged aircraft to return home. A total of 4,402 F6F-3s were built through until April 1944 when production was changed to the F6F-5.[11]

The F6F-5, featured several improvements including a more powerful R-2800-10W engine, embodying a water-injection system and housed in a slightly more streamlined engine cowling, spring-loaded control tabs on the ailerons, and an improved, clear view windscreen, with a flat armored-glass front panel replacing the F6F-3's curved plexiglass panel and internal armor glass screen.[11][9] In addition the rear fuselage and tail units were strengthened, and the colour scheme was changed to an overall gloss sea blue finish.[18] After the first few F6F-5s were built the small windows behind the main canopy were deleted.[19] Fitting AN/APS-6 radar to F6F-5s resulted in the night fighter F6F-5N, recognizable with a radar fairing mounted on the outer-starboard wing. A small number of standard F6F-5s were also fitted with camera equipment for reconnaissance duties as the F6F-5P.[20] While all F6F-5s were capable of carrying an armament mix of one 20 mm (.79 in) M2 cannon in each of the inboard gun bays (220 rpg), along with two pairs of .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns (each with 400 rpg), this configuration was only used on many later F6F-5N night fighters.[21] The F6F-5 was the most common variant with 7,870 being built.[11]

Other prototypes in the F6F series included the XF6F-2 (66244) and F6F-3 which was converted to use a turbo-charged Wright R-2600-15, which was later replaced by a turbo-charged Pratt & Whitney R-2800-21. The performance proved not to be as good as was expected and the turbo chargers proved to be unreliable on both engines: 66244 was converted back to a standard F6F-3 and delivered to the navy.[22] Prior to the XF6F-2 the XF6F-1 prototype (02981) became a testbed for a projected F6F-4: the XF6F-4, which first flew on 3 October 1942, was armed with four 20mm M2 cannon and was powered by an R-2800-27. This model was rejected and 02981 was converted to an F6F-3 and also delivered to the navy.[23] Two XF6F-6s (70188 and 70913) were converted from F6F-5s and used the 18-cylinder 2,100 hp (1,567 kW) Pratt and Whitney R-2800-18W two-stage blower radial engine with water injection and driving a Hamilton-Standard four-bladed propeller.[24] The XF6F-6s were the fastest version of the Hellcat series with a top speed of 417 mph (671 km/h).[9] The war ended before this variant could be mass-produced.[25]

The last Hellcat rolled out in November 1945, the total production figure being 12,275, of which 11,000 had been built in just two years.[26] This high production rate was credited to the sound original design, which required little modification once production was underway.

The US Navy preferred the more docile flight qualities of the F6F compared with the Vought F4U Corsair, especially during carrier take-offs and landings, and the F6F remained the standard USN carrier-borne fighter until the F4U series was finally cleared for carrier operations in late-1944.[27] In addition to its good flight qualities the Hellcat was easy to maintain and had an airframe tough enough to withstand the rigours of routine carrier operations.[28] Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was designed for ease of manufacture and ability to withstand significant damage. The U.S. Navy's all-time leading ace, Captain David McCampbell USN (Ret) scored all his 34 victories in the Hellcat. He once described the F6F as "...an outstanding fighter plane. It performed well, was easy to fly and was a stable gun platform. But what I really remember most was that it was rugged and easy to maintain."[29]

Operational history

The Hellcat first saw action against the Japanese on 1 September 1943 when fighters off the USS Independence shot down a Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boat.[30] Soon after, on 23 and 24 November, Hellcats engaged Japanese aircraft over Tarawa, shooting down a claimed 30 Mitsubishi Zeros for the loss of one F6F.[30] Over Rabaul, New Britain, on 11 November 1943, Hellcats and Corsairs were engaged in day-long fights with many Japanese aircraft including A6M Zeros, claiming nearly 50 aircraft.[30]

When trials were flown against a captured Zero Type 52, they showed that the Hellcat was faster at all altitudes. The F6F outclimbed the Zero marginally above 14,000 ft and rolled faster at speed above 235 mph. The Japanese fighter could out-turn its American opponent with ease at low speed and enjoyed a slightly better rate of climb below 14,000 ft. The trials report concluded:

“Do not dogfight with a Zero 52. Do not try to follow a loop or half-roll with a pull-through. When attacking, use your superior power and high speed performance to engage at the most favourable moment. To evade a Zero 52 on your tail, roll and dive away into a high speed turn.” [31]

Hellcats were involved in practically all engagements with Japanese air power from that point onward. It was the major U.S. Navy fighter type involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, where so many Japanese aircraft were shot down that Navy aircrews nicknamed the battle The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. The F6F accounted for 75% of all aerial victories recorded by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.[32] Radar-equipped Hellcat night fighter squadrons appeared in early 1944.

Navy and Marine F6F pilots flew 66,530 combat sorties and claimed 5,163 kills (56% of all U.S. Naval/Marine air victories of the war) at a recorded cost of 270 Hellcats (an overall kill-to-loss ratio of 19:1).[33] The aircraft performed well against the best Japanese opponents with a claimed 13:1 kill ratio against Mitsubishi A6M, 9.5:1 against Nakajima Ki-84, and 3.7:1 against the Mitsubishi J2M during the last year of the war.[34] The F6F became the prime ace-maker aircraft in the American inventory, with 305 Hellcat aces.[N 1] The U.S. successes were not only attributed to superior aircraft, but also because they faced increasingly inexperienced Japanese aviators from 1942 onwards, as well as having the advantage of increasing numerical superiority.

In the ground attack role, Hellcats dropped 6,503 tons (5,899 tonnes) of bombs.[33]

The British Fleet Air Arm (FAA) received 1,263 F6Fs under the Lend-Lease Act; initially it was known as the Grumman Gannet Mark I. The name Hellcat replaced it in early 1943 for the sake of simplicity, the Royal Navy at that time adopting the use of the existing American naval names for all the U.S.-made aircraft supplied to it, with the F6F-3 being designated Hellcat F I, the F6F-5, the Hellcat F II and the F6F-5N, the Hellcat NF II.[N 2] They saw action off Norway, in the Mediterranean and in the Far East. A number were fitted with photographic reconnaissance equipment similar to the F6F-5P, receiving the designation Hellcat FR II.[36] The FAA Hellcat units experienced far fewer opportunities for air-to-air combat than their USN/Marines counterparts; they claimed a total of 52 enemy aircraft kills during 18 aerial combats from May 1944 to July 1945. 1844 Naval Air Squadron, on board HMS Indomitable of the British Pacific Fleet was the highest scoring unit, with 32.5 kills.[37]

FAA Hellcats, as with other Lend-Lease aircraft, were rapidly replaced by British aircraft after the end of the war, with only two of the 12 squadrons equipped with the Hellcat at VJ-Day still retaining Hellcats by the end of 1945.[38] These two squadrons were disbanded in 1946.[38]

Postwar, the Hellcat was succeeded by the F8F Bearcat which was smaller, more powerful and more maneuverable than the Hellcat, but entered service too late to see combat in World War II.[39] The Hellcat was used for second-line USN duties including training. In late 1952, Guided Missile Unit 90 used F6F-5K drones, each carrying a 2000 lb bomb, to attack bridges in Korea; flying from USS Boxer, radio control was from an escorting AD Skyraider.[40] The French Aéronavale was equipped with F6F-5 Hellcats and used them in Indochina. The Uruguayan Navy also used them until the early 1960s.[41]

Variants

XF6F-1
First prototype, powered by a two-stage 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) Wright R-2600-10 Cyclone 14 radial piston engine.
XF6F-2
Second prototype, powered by a turbocharged Wright R-2600-16 Cyclone radial piston engine.
XF6F-3
The first XF6F-1 prototype revised and fitted with a two-stage supercharged 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
F6F-3
Single-seat fighter, fighter-bomber aircraft, powered by a 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
Gannet Mk. I
British designation of the F6F-3 Hellcat; later redesignated Hellcat F Mk.I.
F6F-3E
Night fighter version, equipped with an AN/APS-4 radar in a fairing on the starboard outer wing.
F6F-3N
Another night fighter version, equipped with a newer AN/APS-6 radar in a fairing on the starboard outer wing.
XF6F-4
One F6F-3 fitted with a two-speed turbocharged 2,100 hp (1,567 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Double Wasp radial piston engine.
F6F-5 Hellcat
Improved version, with a redesigned engine cowling, a new windscreen structure with an integral bulletproof windscreen, new ailerons and strengthened tail surfaces; powered by a 2,200 hp (1,640 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W (-W denotes Water Injection) radial piston engine.
Hellcat F Mk II
British designation of the F6F-5 Hellcat.
F6F-5K Hellcat
A number of F6F-5s and F6F-5Ns were converted into radio-controlled target drones.
F6F-5N Hellcat
Night fighter version, fitted with an AN/ APS-6 radar. Some were armed with two 20 millimeter (0.79 in) AN/M2 cannon in the inner wing bays and four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the outer.
Hellcat NF Mk. II
British designation of the F6F-5N Hellcat.
F6F-5P Hellcat
Small numbers of F6F-5s were converted into photo-reconnaissance aircraft, with the camera equipment being fitted in the rear fuselage.
Hellcat FR Mk II
This designation was given to British Hellcats fitted with camera equipment.
XF6F-6
Two F6F-5s that were fitted with the 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial piston engine, and four-bladed propellers.
FV-1
Proposed designation for Hellcats to be built by Canadian Vickers; cancelled before any built.[42]

Operators

 France
 United Kingdom
 United States
 Uruguay

Survivors

A relatively large number of Grumman F6Fs are survivors, either in museums or in flyable condition. In order of Bu.No. they are:[43]

United Kingdom

Airworthy
On display

United States

Airworthy
On display
Under restoration

Specifications (F6F-5 Hellcat)

Data from Quest for Performance,[66]Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II[67]Standard Aircraft Characteristics[68]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References

Notes
  1. ^ Quote: "...flown by 305 aces, most of any US fighter in World War II."[35]
  2. ^ meaning Fighter Mark I, Fighter Mark II and Night Fighter Mark II respectively
Citations
  1. ^ Uruguayan Navy
  2. ^ Ferguson 2005, pp. 149–175.
  3. ^ a b c Sullivan 1979, p. 4.
  4. ^ Faltum 1996, p. 35.
  5. ^ Tillman 1996, p. 81. Tillman gives a figure of 5,271.
  6. ^ Tillman 1996, pp. 78–79
  7. ^ U.S. Naval Aircraft Marking from US Naval Historical Center, retrieved 11/03/2008
  8. ^ Kinzey 1996, p. 16.
  9. ^ a b c Taylor 1969, p. 503.
  10. ^ Kinzey 1987, p. 14.
  11. ^ a b c d Kinzey 1996, p. 6.
  12. ^ a b Kinzey 1987, p. 6.
  13. ^ Kinzey 1996, pp. 28-29
  14. ^ Kinzey 1996, pp. 30-31.
  15. ^ Green 1975, p. 91.
  16. ^ "5 inch FFAR/HVAR." designation-systems.net. Retrieved: 3 April 2008.
  17. ^ Sullivan 1979, pp. 24, 30, 33.
  18. ^ Kinzey 1996, pp. 6-7.
  19. ^ Kinzey 1996, p. 7.
  20. ^ Green 1975, pp. 93–94.
  21. ^ Kinzey 1987, p. 27.
  22. ^ Kinzey 1996, pp. 17-18.
  23. ^ Kinzey 1996, p. 32.
  24. ^ Kinzey 1996, pp. 50-51
  25. ^ Sullivan 1979, p. 46.
  26. ^ Winchester 2004, p. 110.
  27. ^ Styling 1995, p.67
  28. ^ Tillman 1996, p. 6.
  29. ^ Kinzey 1987, p. 58.
  30. ^ a b c Dean 1997, p. 559.
  31. ^ Spick 1983, p. 118.
  32. ^ Tillman 1979, p. 9.
  33. ^ a b Barber 1946, Table 2.
  34. ^ Barber 1946, Table 28.
  35. ^ "Airpower Classics." Airforce Magazine, April 2006, p. 98.
  36. ^ Green 1975, p. 93.
  37. ^ Tillman 1996, p. 78.
  38. ^ a b Thetford 1994, p. 217.
  39. ^ O'Leary 1980, pp. 147–48.
  40. ^ Jackson 1998, p. 126.
  41. ^ Donald, David, ed. American Warplanes of World War II. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1-874023-72-7.
  42. ^ Norton 2008, p. 38.
  43. ^ Krist 2006, pp. 91–92.
  44. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 80141." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  45. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79779." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  46. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 41930." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 16 May 2011.
  47. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 70222." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 16 May 2011.
  48. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 78645." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 16 May 2011.
  49. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79683." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 16 May 2011.
  50. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79863." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 16 May 2011.
  51. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94204." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 16 May 2011.
  52. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94473." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 2 June 2011.
  53. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 41476." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 15 May 2011.
  54. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 41834." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  55. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 42874." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  56. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 66237." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  57. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 77722." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  58. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79192." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  59. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 79593." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  60. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94203." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  61. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 94263." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  62. ^ "Grumman F6F retrieved from Lake Michigan." navytimes.com, November 2009. Retrieved: 14 December 2010.
  63. ^ "Restoration hangar." Yanks Air Museum. Retrieved: 17 January 2011.
  64. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu.43041." FAA Registry.. Retrieved: 16 May 2011.
  65. ^ "Grumman F6F Hellcat/Bu. 70185." Warbirds Resource Group. Retrieved: 13 December 2010.
  66. ^ Loftin, L.K. Jr. "Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft." NASA SP-468. Retrieved: 22 April 2006.
  67. ^ Bridgman 1946, pp. 233–234.
  68. ^ Standard Aircraft Characteristics: F6F-5 Hellcat. NAVAER 1335A.
  69. ^ Mondey 2006, p. 145.

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External links

Manufacturer
designations

G-1 (floats only) · G-2 (floats only) · G-3 · G-4 · G-5 · G-6 · G-7 · G-8 · G-9 · G-10 · G-11 · G-12 · G-13 · G-14 · G-15 · G-16 · G-17 · G-18 · G-19 · G-20 · G-21 · G-22 · G-23 · G-24 · G-25 · G-26 · G-27 · G-29 · G-30 · G-31 · G-32 · G-33 · G-34 · G-35 · G-36 · G-37 · G-38 · G-39 · G-40 · G-41 · G-42 · G-43 · G-44 · G-45 · G-46 · G-47 · G-48 · G-49 · G-50 · G-51 · G-52 · G-53 · G-54 · G-55 · G-56 · G-57 · G-58 · G-59 · G-60 · G-61 · G-62 · G-63 · G-64 · G-65 · G-66 · G-67 · G-68 · G-69 · G-70 · G-71 · G-72 · G-73 · G-74 · G-75 · G-76 · G-77 · G-78 · G-79 · G-80 · G-81 · G-82 · G-83 · G-84 · G-85 · G-86 · G-87 · G-88 · G-89 · G-90 · G-91 · G-92 · G-93 · G-94 · G-96 · G-97 · G-98 · G-98J · G-99 · G-100 · G-101 · G-102 · G-103 · G-104 · G-105 · G-106 · G-107 · G-108 · G-109 · G-110 · G-111 · G-112 · G-113 · G-114 · G-115 · G-116 · G-117 · G-118 · G-119 · G-120 · G-121 · G-122 · G-123 · G-124 · G-125 · G-126 · G-127 · G-128 · G-134 · G-159 · G-164 · G-191 · G-231 · G-234 · G-251 · G-262 · G-303 · G-426 · G-712 · G-1128 · G-1159
By role
Piston fighters

FF · F2F · F3F · F4F · XF5F · XP-50 · F6F · XP-65 · F7F · F8F
Jet fighters

F9F · F9F/F-9 · XF10F · F11F/F-11/F11F-1F · G-118 · F-111B · F-14
Attack/Patrol

SF · TBF · XTSF · TB2F · AF · S-2 · A-6
Recon/Scouts

SF · XSBF · E-1 · OV-1 · EA-6 · E-2
Utility/Transports

UC-103 · JF · J2F · OA-12 · JRF · J3F · OA-9 · OA-13 · OA-14/J4F · U-16/JR2F/UF · C-1 · C-2
Civil aircraft

Mallard · Ag Cat · Kitten · Tadpole · Gulfstream I · Gulfstream II
Others

Apollo Lunar Module · EF-111  · X-29 · Q-8 · X-47A · X-47B
By name

Ag Cat · Albatross · Avenger · Bearcat · Cougar · Duck · Fifi · Goose · Greyhound · Guardian · Gulfhawk III · Gulfstream I · Gulfstream II · Hawkeye · Hellcat · Intruder · Jaguar · Kitten · Mallard · Mohawk · Panther · Pegasus · Prowler · Skyrocket · Super Tiger · Tadpole · Tiger · Tigercat · Tomcat · Tracer · Tracker · Trader · Wildcat · Widgeon
USN fighter designations pre-1962
General Aviation
Brewster

XFA
(XFA) • F2A • F3A
Boeing

FB • F2B • F3B • F4B • XF5B • XF6B • XF7B • XF8B
Curtiss

FC • F2C • F3C • F4C • (F5C) • F6C • F7C • F8C • F9C • F10C • F11C • XF12C • XF13C • XF14C • XF15C
Douglas
McDonnell

XFD • (F2D) • F3D • F4D • F5D • F6D
FD • F2D • (changed to 'H')
Grumman

FF • F2F • F3F • F4F • XF5F • F6F • F7F • F8F • F9F Panther/F9F Cougar • XF10F • F11F/F11F-1F · XF12F
Eberhart
Goodyear

FG • F2G
FG • F2G
Hall
McDonnell

XFH
FH • F2H • F3H • F4H
Berliner-Joyce
North American Aviation

XFJ • XF2J • XF3J
FJ-1/FJ-2/3/FJ-4
Loening
Bell

XFL
XFL • F2L • XF3L
General Motors

FM • F2M • F3M
Seversky

FN
Lockheed

FO
Ryan

FR • XF2R
Supermarine

FS
Northrop

XFT • F2T
Vought

FU • XF2U • XF3U • F4U • XF5U • F6U • F7U • F8U/XF8U-3
Lockheed

XFV
Wright

WP • F2W • F3W
Convair

XFY • F2Y
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