How many flying F6Fs?

[Stephan Wilkinson]

How many true flying Hellcats are there, worldwide? By "flying," I mean those that actually do fly, even if just once a year, as opposed to those that are airworthy but parked.

[Pat Carry]

1. Tom Firedkin Bu 41930, 2. CAF Bu 70222, 3. The Fighter Collection Bu 80141, and 4. Lone Star Flight Museum Bu 94204, 5. Flying Heritage Collection Bu 79863 There are at least 3 undergoing restoration to fly.

[mike furline]

Four or five. http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f6fregis ... istry.html

Edit: Beat me to it.

[Pat Carry]

1. Tom Firedkin Bu 41930, 2. CAF Bu 70222, 3. The Fighter Collection Bu 80141, and 4. Lone Star Flight Museum Bu 94204, 5. Flying Heritage Collection Bu 79863 There are at least 3 undergoing restoration to fly.

To the best of my knowledge there are 2 Hellcats that are airworthy but dont fly. One at the Palm Springs Air Museum & the one at the Yanks Air Museum.

[JimH]

The Kalamazoo Cat is a dust collector as well...

currently under restoration to airworthy
Collings
Croul
Yanks

[bdk]

To clarify, Yanks has one "airworthy" and another under restoration.

[Dan K]

The Kalamazoo Cat is a dust collector as well...

currently under restoration to airworthy
Collings
Croul
Yanks

So how does Kermit Weeks' Hellcat get classified...restoration or dust collector?

[JimH]

hah...I think long term storage

[Mark Allen M]

So how does Kermit Weeks' Hellcat get classified...restoration or dust collector?

Dustoration?

Don't forget to add 'my soon to be purchased' Hellcat from the CAF. They are selling airplanes right?
I then can change my WIX handle back to 'Hellcatdriver' per J Cook's request.

[Rob W]

Bottom line: This world needs more airworthy Hellcats.

[Pat Carry]

Bottom line: This world needs more airworthy Hellcats.

Heck yeah!

[Mike]

I thought the Croul one was still in storage pending completion of the P-47 'Dottie Mae'.

TFC's hasn't flown for five years, hopefully to be remedied again later this year.

Amazing how few fliers considering they achieved more kills than Corsairs, Wildcats and all the rest of the Naval fighters put together.

It seems everyone wants Corsairs and Mustangs these days, overshadowing the equally significant Hellcats and P-47s.

[k5083]

I think the number of current flyers is constrained more by supply of restorable airframes than by demand. Anybody would want one, but it didn't have the longevity of USN service, widespread postwar use by other nations, or functional civilian utility that gave us the numbers we have of some of the other types.

August

[TonyM]

Bottom line: This world needs more airworthy Hellcats.

Yep, it sure does.

[Mark Allen M]

widespread postwar use by other nations

Widespread perhaps not, but some use by the French.


French pilot performing C Q's (Carrier Qualifications) in a Grumman F6F Hellcat aboard the U.S.S. Randolph, CV-14, in 1954


F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of the French Navy 1945


F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of the French Navy is warming up on the deck of the USS Randolph (CVA-15) 1954


F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of the French Navy is on the flight deck of Bois Belleau (formerly USS Belleau Wood) warming up for takeoff 1945


F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of the French Navy is launching from the deck of the Lafayette in Indochina 1956


F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of the French Navy with wings folded are on the flight deck of the Arromances which was loaned to the French Navy by Britain. It was HMS Colussus (R-15) 1950


An F6F Hellcat prepares to land on the French carrier Arromanches operating in the Gulf of Tonkin 1953