The Plane That Shot Down the Most Japanese Zeroes
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- Опубліковано 17 лют 2022
- In this episode we're at Patriots Point on board USS Yorktown talking about one of their aircraft, the Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat.
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My Dad flew a combat tour in F6Fs in the summer and fall of 1944 with VF-19 aboard USS Lexington. He ended up with about 500 hours accumulated in the Hellcat by the time he was rotated home. Awarded an Air Medal, a DFC, and a Navy Cross, he shot down 4 Japanese planes (a torpedo bomber, a Zero and a pair of Tojo fighters), and put a 500 lb. S.A.P bomb through the flight deck of a Japanese carrier at Leyte Gulf, helping to sink that ship. His Hellcat was badly shot-up by land-based Japanese AAA fire a couple times, but he managed to nurse it back to the ship. Nicknamed "the Brute" by the British, who flew F6Fs via Lend-Lease, the Hellcat's airframe was very sturdy, as was its P&W R-2800 engine. Not the prettiest WW 2 fighter, it was a bargain for U.S. taxpayers, and it got the job done.
What is a Tojo fighter? Never heard that term before.
Good for your dad. What did YOU do with YOUR life though?
@@studinthemaking Ki-44
@@studinthemaking The Tojo was a quite capable single-engined Japanese Army fighter developed later in the war: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakajima_Ki-44
@@MrSvenovitch That's an odd question in this context. Why do you ask?
The F6F Hellcat was the first plastic kit I ever built.
A Christmas gift in 1959, the Monogram kit kept me busy through the summer storms that prevailed that year and shook our beach side home for much of that summer.
I built many models in my times, but never a Hellcat.
I did the same model during the probably same year (I was 8). Definitely my favorite model. Cheers.
My first kit too, circa 1955. It was an Aurora kit and I was maybe 5 years old. Dad built it for me. My first few years of life were next to Jacksonville NAS where Hellcats still roamed in the early 50s.
@@clevlandblock That must have been cool to see! I my earliest memories of an aircraft was that of C-119's with the USAFR 927th Wing flying over our house on route to then-Selfridge AFB, now Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Those Flying Boxcars seem to be flying real low.
If I have the story right, an intact Japanese Zero was found in the Aleutians in July of 1942. It was fixed up and flown as a test aircraft. After detailed study of its' characteristics, Grumman created the F6F Hellcat specifically to defeat the Zero. The captured Zero was called the "Akutan Zero." Despite the plane being intact, its' pilot was killed in the crash landing.
The F6F was already far in development when that Zero was test flown. A few tweaks were done to the Hellcat's design to make sure that it was superior.
The Pilot broke his neck when the Zero flipped over on it's back because of a gear down landing on rough ground.
Yes that is correct. The lessons learned from that aircraft when we test flew it also helped counter the zero
Yes, it was "Koga's Zero" or "The Akutan Zero" and it was an intelligence bonanaza. Too bad it was wrecked or we might still have it today.
You are correct, the Hellcat was designed on the basis of knowledge gleaned from that captured Zero fighter.
Exactly...The video maker has their wires crossed. This is a sad set of circumstances when l can point out desscremisties , on so called documentaries/ mockmenties.
Let’s get you to 100k subs! I had the pleasure today to visit the USS New Jersey and it was amazing! 5/5 totally worth the money. So much to explore and do. Gift shop was nice and so were the staff. Really like the lines that guided you through the ship. 16 inch guns were a sight to behold.
The F4F did manage to deal with the A6M Zero. And they went up against the best Japanese aviators. The F4F is my favorite carrier fighter.
*Jimmy Thatch has entered the chat*
@@keepyourbilsteins That would be Thach.
Agreed. It was the Wildcat that held the line in that first critical year when the issue was in doubt. By the time the Hellcat reached the fleet, American victory was all but guaranteed.
Without the experiences of the F4F pilots being rotated back to the states and serving as trainers for the first units to field the F6F it is unlikely the F6F would have achieved a dominating status as soon as it did. Tactics developed to simply survive fighting Zeroes in the Hellcat were used to completely crush Zeroes by the more capable F6F and better trained pilots.
The ultimate example of doctrine defeating design.
I have always been partial to the Hellcat. F4U Corsairs are nice also. But I would have loved to see the F8F Bearcats get into the war, they never made it into combat before the war ended.
By mid-1945 the F6F appeared to be on its way out with the F8Fs being fleet defense fighters while the F4Us handled the escort mission. With their speed and climb, the Bearcats would have wrecked incoming attackers.
A10...🇺🇸🥰🇺🇸
Love it when they fly over our warehouse in Chambersburg Pa (12 miles north of their birthplace in HagerstownMd)
Hearing Ryan say the word big chungus has just made my day
Love the Hellcat, but my favorite carrier based fighter is the F7F Tigercat which entered service right as the war ended.
F6F was an amazing "Iron Works" product. Love that plane!
Thank you for posting
I definitely understand and respect your love of the hellcat. But as a kid I absolutely loved the TV show Black Sheep Squadron!! So because of that. The Corsair is my pick!! 🙂
My Grandfather flew Hellcats off the USS Bonhomme Richard (CV-31) at Okinawa.
My favorite WWII navy fighter is the F4U Corsair parked behind you.
Let's not forget the study of the Alaska Zero, that helped add design idea's for the F6F. I absolutely LOVE the F6F. But it's because of it's lineage of the "Cat" family...Grumman Aircraft and the USS New Jersey are near and dear to me anyway, as we are all from the same hometown, NY NJ area...I appreciate all your hard work in all your endeavors.
Semper Fi
I love the F6F and the F4U,both had good range, manuverablity heavy weapon load and great kill rates.
Hellcat my favorite aircraft too!
I saw part of an interview with a WW2 Navy fighter pilot with time in both F6Fs & F4Us. He said the F4U had better flying qualities, but the F6F was better if someone was shooting at you.
The Hellcat is great, but my favorite WW2 fighter will always be the Corsair. It wasn’t as easy to fly as the Hellcat, but in the hands of a good pilot it became a contender for the title of “best fighter of the war.” The Corsair was also magnificent at attacking ground targets with a bomb load that was greater than what many twin engine medium bombers could carry. Finally, it was a Corsair that won the last piston engine dogfight in history when, in 1969, a Honduran Corsair shot down a Salvadoran P51 Mustang. Love that Whistling Death!
My favourate WWII naval fighter would be the Supermarine Seafire. The navalised Spitfire, even if it's undercarriage was rather fragile for carrier operations.
The Hellcat will always be my favorite American Fighter Aircraft from WW2.
Mine as well
I love the Hellcat as well, but have to say that beauty directly behind you is my fave, Whistling death
Thanks Ryan. I know it didn't participate in WW2 but naval fighters I've gotta pick the F8F Bearcat. How would it have fared in combat with the Japanese? I like the entire line of Grumman fighters.
I believe the Bearcat would have been a short range point defense fighter, and would probably have done well against the kamikaze threat. USN units flying them in 1950 were converted to older F4U’s for Korean War ground attack service, due to range I believe.
@@billbrockman779 Yeah, Greg's Aviation channel has an in-depth look at the Bearcat, and that's essentially how it shakes out. It was sort of the F-104 of its time. Super light with a huge engine that allowed it to rocket to altitude to intercept kamikazes. But not that good in the multi-role mission naval aviation was heading towards.
I love how energetic our curator is today 😄
My Uncle was on F4U Corsairs, my favorite.
I like the hell cat. Love the corsair though it didn't get carrier approval till late in the war. But my favorite WW2 fighter is the P 38 lightning
Love to see your enthusiasm about this plane, that’s always great to see. Additionally I’m thankful to get to learn so much from the efforts of you and your crew. History is awesome.
History is awesome, sadly much of it is forgotten as each new generation creates its own.
The F6F was a beast the Japanese could never fully figure out. The F4U had it beat in performance but the long, high nose made it tricky on carrier landings. The Marines and the British had to show the Navy how to do it. They just didn't make it in decent numbers until the very end.
They used to load all armor-piercing incendiary in the .50s with every 5th a ball tracer. You've seen the videos of Hellcats chewing up merchant ships and destroyers. Those flashes as they hit tell the tale. The incendiary ignites on contact and the bullet's armor-piercing abilities can defeat the thin skins of merchants and destroyers. That very hot bullet with the burning tail travels on into the ship and can ignite anything flammable. Very potent.
I think the Corsair was the best carrier fighter, but it was late coming to the CVs. The Hellcat was undoubtedly a truly great fighter, and it's really a shame that more were not saved and flying today.
Agreed all around
My Father flew the F6F off the Randolph and Enterprise as a night pilot. He had some good stories.
Let's hear more about the A-10, Ryan! It was built in Maryland!
I absolutely adore the the Hellcat my favorite
Good show 👏
Would have been fun to make another in the series, the Alley Cat. That would win my vote.
Great video.
My favorite was the F-4U Corsair. The Japanese called it "Whistling Death." I think this was a truly beautiful plane. Originally it was thought that it was too big to be a carrier plane. Also, due to the size of the prop and positioning of the cockpit, the pilots had to learn a different way to safely land aboard a carrier. With a 19:1 kill ratio the Hellcat was better than the Corsair, which had an 11:1 kill ratio. Of course, that might have been different had the Corsair entered the war sooner.
I thought the P-38 was known as the whistling death due to its turbochargers. Also nicknamed the fork tailed devil
@@willmetz1490 Yep, the P-38 was the Fork Tailed Devil and the F4U was Whistling Death.
To this day my drools just looking at the Corsair. I know there are those that favor the Mustangs and Thunderbolts, but give me the Corsair. I just can't imagine actually flying one.
Well, Ryan - since you asked - my favorite aircraft from WWII was the F4U Corsair because that plane was pure aero-sexiness. My second favorite was the PBY Catalina. After that the SBD Dauntless. I also love the B-24, the C-47, and the B-25. Not a fan of the Hellcat or Wildcat, the P-47, or the P-40. I like the P-38 and (oddly, I'll admit) the AT6 Texan and the P39 Airacobra, and another Vought bird: the OS2U Kingfisher. I give a slightly jealous nod to the B-17 and B-29. Okay, and the freaking P-51 Mustang. Yeah, I like it. I just don't like admitting that I like it. HAHAHA!!! Good video, sir.
BB-55 North Carolina has a kingfisher :D
My favorite carrier fighter used to be the Corsair (just so badass in every way), but I think it's now the Wildcat. The fact that Wildcats (flown by very clever and brave pilots) were able to hold back the IJN at a time when the Japanese had the advantage in terms of numbers and skilled pilots speaks volumes about the qualities of the F4F. Yeah, the F6F shot down more planes, but there were also A LOT MORE OF THEM AROUND.
Great video! As much as I love the Hellcat and Corsair, SBD Dauntless is still my favorite plane of WW2. The Yorktown is the only place I have seen one up close so far.
F4U Corsair was flown by Marines. That makes it the best fighter (plane) of WW2.
Agreed, however I might be biased...lol
Yup, the Hellcat was equipped with that Pratt & Whitney R-2800, a beast of an engine that also powered the Thunderbolt and Corsair (although unlike the P-47, the F6F wasn't outfitted with a turbocharger, but then again it really didn't need it since the Zero wasn't encountered often at very high altitudes). The Hellcat was also significantly larger than the Wildcat; put them side by side and the F6F dwarfs the F4F.
Ron...if you haven't yet visited the Naval Air museum at NAS Pensacola might I suggest it. My wife's great Uncle was a Lt. Commander stationed there to teach new pilots carrier landings during WWII and before. e was also quite instrumental in helping with the start up of the Museum.
I also love the 'Bent Wing Bastard from Conneticut' (F4U Corsair)!
Corsair is my favorite carrier fighter. Love the SBD Dauntless as well.
I love the Hell Cat and let’s be honest I love all WWII aircraft, however there is no better sound than hearing a P51 Mustang flying over you!
Awesome!! great video but I love the corsair more! I think thats one behind you? Do that next!!
Corsair and Sea Mosquito my fav carrier fighters! :D But I like the Curtiss SC Seahawk the most :(even though it is not a carrier fighter)
My favourite WW2 aircraft was never built: the 1942 proposed Lockheed L-133. if they'd pushed forward with it, modifying the wings to sweep back, the Allies would have had a jet fighter a couple of years before the Nazis.
Best carrier aircraft has to be the F6F-3, though. The Corsair is a close second in my book.
Was not aware of the L-133 but after looking at it you are dead on. That thing is slick. Hell, the should have shoved a Merlin in and continued with the progression to jet propulsion.
Great respect for the Hellcat, but the Corsair has always been my favorite WWII aircraft. I wonder what it could have done in Europe.
Great video. Thanks. I fly RC models and my favorite model to fly is the F4U-1 Corsair. I've never looked for an R/C Hellcat model but would enjoy having one if my hangar wasn't already overloaded. I came on here looking to find what the actual kill ratio was for the Zero by the end of the war. The 1 to 12 ratio is often quoted for the first year of WW2 but no one knows what it was by the end of the war. It should be much lower, but?
That was my first impression upon seeing that very hellcat. She’s got that thiccc engine
B I G C H U N G U S 5:19
My favorit is F4F, yes less power full than F6F or F4U, but it was in service to end of the war. First in British hands, then US. Been used on both on all oceans.
The Hellcat has always been my favorite carrier fighter, hands down. More American pilots became aces in the F6F than any other fighter. Excellent speed, power, handling, armament and durability. Grumman really nailed it with that design.
While it’s true that the F6F Hellcat was better than the F4F Wildcat, the Hellcat first saw action in September of 1943. After most of the best Japanese pilots were gone, thanks to the Wildcat and AA fire.
F4F: did the heavy lifting.
Have you guys made a vid about the bosun? If you haven’t it would be interesting to see.
I’m a Corsair guy but those hellcats are a different breed for sure
My great grandpa used to fly the Corsair, the wildcat or the bearcat and the early version s of the e2 halk eye and a large other selections of naval planes
Me, an intellectual: Well, actually Ryan...
Ryan: LOok At thIS CHUNGUS
Me: Well, 75% is a lot...
Eric Brown loved the F4F. Hampton Gray won a VC in the F4U, but the numbers support the F6F as the greatest carrier fighter in history.
In terms of looks, I like the Seafury. It could have been a major type as early as 1943 but all the effort was directed to Europe, and the FAA was really neglected. Imagine the swath USS Robin could have cut with Seafuries.
My Dad turned wrenches in Europe on B-17's and B-24's so those are my favorites but I have a soft spot for the P-40, most notably the Flying Tigers.
The Wildcat was underrated in my opinion. One of the problems for the Wildcat and other Allied fighters was the brass ignored the reports out of China about capabilities of Japanese fighters, highly maneuverable, somewhat light on the engine, and poorly armored. Thus, traditional dogfighting was a recipe for being shot down. Different tactics such as the Thatch Weave which forced the Zero to fight Wildcats on the Wildcat's terms showed the Wildcat to be a solid design.
The Yorktown’s hanger deck is a treat: F4F, F6F, TBF, F4U, and my favorite: the Slow-but-deadly Dauntless among others.
The A6M was "beyond a doubt the best" fighter of 1941-42?
Even the humble F4F Wildcat managed a 1:1 kill ratio against the A6M through the first year of the war; contemporary models of the Bf109 and Spitfire certainly had the performance to handle the Zero if flown to their strengths (plus features like pilot armor and self-sealing fuel tanks that were years away from appearing in any model of the A6M). The Zero's one unique characteristic was its range, which, it's true, allowed them to fly missions that no other fighter of the time could match... but which could - and did! - become a double-edged sword when battle-damaged aircraft had to fly several hours to return to their bases.
Giving credit where credit is due, the A6M was a fantastic aircraft, a real marvel of aeronautical engineering. It's performance is especially impressive given its rather underpowered engine! But it was a *competitive* fighter in 1941-42, not a *superlative* one. And in a longer view, the fragility of the Zero (especially its tendency to burn) made it a death trap for thousands of Japanese pilots. A great airplane, but not a great warplane.
Also, Grumman was working on the Hellcat before Pearl Harbor. The F6F absolutely was not developed as a "response" to the A6M, it was a response to Grumman wanting to build a fighter around the new P&W R-2800 engine.
I would have to go with the FW 190 as the best fighter in the 1941-42 period.
I think he misspoke slightly. I believe that he intended to say that the zero was the best carrier based fighter.
I Think Ryan meant best carrier fighter during this period. And that would be truth.
Love that TIE!!!!!!
The Chance Vought F4U Corsair is my favorite. I grew up watching Baa Baa Black Sheep so no other plane stands a chance.
Ryan, I have never seen you so excited about a subject. Personal I am more partial to the F4U. I just love the gull wings. And like the Hellcat, it could take a beating and still come home.
I saw a hellcat at the museum in Everett,Wa.
I agree that the F6F-3 was the best naval fighter until near the end of the War, and at the time when it mattered most. Fighters like the Seafury and Bearcat came a long late.
My Father served aboard USS Lowry DD 770 in the Pacific Theater. When the TV program Ba Ba Black Sheep aired, my Father laughed watching an episode and said the Hellcat was a MUCH better fighter than the F4U Corsair.
I have to agree the Hellcat is the best carrier fighter of the war
I agree with you sir one of the best aircraft produced during the time.
Yeah, I like the F6F also! The Corsair was just kinda funny looking too me.
The one right behind you 😊
I personally was always an F-4U fan, but the F6F was definitely a force to be reckoned with.
I think that the best carrier fighter was the Corsair, and it has such an iconic look.
Love the corsair
Switching subjects, I'd like you to consider a trip to England and Sweden. This would be to visit 2 of the earliest battleships: the Mary Rose and the Vasa. Thank you.
I love the Hellcat. I do wish it had a 4 blade prop. Ive heard of an experiment but I can't find it.
The thunderbolt is my favorite ww2 fighter for the army . The hellcat is my favorite navy carrier fighter.
The Essex class carrier is the the shit!
My favorite naval fighter of WW2 is the Grumman Hellcat!
My dad watched the Hell Cats in the Pacific. He said it looked like a hawk going after a pigeon.
I got such whiplash hearing Ryan call a F6F Hellcat a "big chungus"
A-10 and big chungus references...dude really is one of us
I'm trying to figure out what exactly is so cool about MD ANG A-10s that isn't present on regular A-10s
The hellcat is NOT an improved Wildcat. It is a completely different design. There are some superficial gross similarities in things like the tail because the engineers found those shapes to be useful in the Wildcat, but none of the actual engineering carried over from the other airplane.
awesome
Im curious in the Pacific, do we know how many Japanese fighters were shot down by fighters vs ship AA? And Corsair all the way, first toy plane I got was a Corsair
Don't forget the the F6F could be produced for half the price of a F4U Corsair or P-38 Army aircraft......The F6F was also easier to learn how to fly, and easier to Master.
The Hellcat never had any issues being carrier qualified, the Corsair wasn’t carrier qualified until the Royal Navy figured out how to do it.
They are a cool plane but my favorite is still the "Whistling Death"!
I still think the F4U Corsair was the better carrier Fighter. The biggest reason why the Hellcat had the most shoot downs was because it was deployed in larger numbers
Corsair may have been the better fighter. Hellcat (especially earlier) was the better CARRIER fighter.
Was the Hellcat more durable when shot at than the Corsair?
Completely agree. Hellcats were the best.
The Hawker Sea Fury is my favorite. I saw one in person at Osh Gosh do a low level fly by, totally amazing.
Osh Gosh huh?
@@EstorilEm The Experimental Aircraft Association has a meet every year in Osh Gosh, Wisconsin. They have World War II aircraft fly in that are privately owned. It is a wonderful opportunity to see operational World War II aircraft.
Oshkosh. Or whoosh!
@@birlyballop4704 Oshkosh is correct
Too hard to tell... I love em all. Have a uniform that belonged to a VF31 Hellcat pilot that had a kill over Iwo during a carrier raid on July 4, 1944.
My favorite is the F4U Corsair.
I thought the fleet air arm composition was increased to become more fighter heavy so as to better protect carriers from the dangers of other naval aircraft, after the losses suffered at Coral Sea and Midway. So as to allow for simultaneous fighter coverage of Naval strikes while maintaining a larger combat Air Patrol, as both defensive screens were insufficient and Naval anti-air fire was not sufficient to defend carriers from damage.
Hellcat by a mile for carrier based aircraft but my all time fav WW2 fighter is the P-38 Lightning.
My favorite world War 2 carrier Aircraft is the SBD Dauntless.
The F4U to his right: *Am I a joke to you?!*