How Many Hellcats?

[Stephan Wilkinson]

A search shows this to be an oft-discussed topic, but most of the posts are from 2010 and earlier.

My question specifically is: are my lists below correct as of May 2013?

Actively flying F6Fs
--Tom Friedkin
--CAF Camarillo Wing
--Paul Allen's (Flying Heritage Collection)
--The Fighter Collection (UK)

Undergoing full restorations to flying status
--Yanks Air Museum
--Jack Croul
--Collings Foundation

Potentially airworthy but parked
--Kalamazoo Air Zoo
--Lone Star Museum
--Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight
--Palm Springs Aviation Museum

[C VEICH]

Technically speaking the TFC airplane is not airworthy and has not been flown in several years. I believe that is due to change in the very near future however. The Yanks actually have two Hellcats, one in airworthy condition but not flown and a second undergoing rebuild. Lastly, the Weeks airplane may be rebuilt to fly eventually but is not what I would classify "potentially airworthy but not flown".

PS - I believe the Lone Star airplane is receiving a new paint job and will be re-joining the "actively flying" ranks in the near future.

[Pat Carry]

Now for static displays. the Hellcat at NASM/Udvar Hazy comes to mind.

[SaxMan]

...and the "wind vane" Hellcat at JSB Andrews.

[Steve Nelson]

There are 3 Hellcats currently at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola: a -3 and -5 on display, and -3 under restoration (recovered from Lake Michigan a few years ago.) There's a Hellcat on the Hangar deck of the USS Yorktown in Charleston, SC. The registry lists it as a -5K, but it's painted as a -3, and has the small windows behind the cockpit.

<Potential Thread-Jack Alert>

I know -5 Hellcats came from the factory with zero-length rocket racks, but what about bomb racks? Were they permanently installed at the factory, or just attached as needed for the mission?

SN

[Steve S]

LSFM is in the paint shop but was a regular flyer prior and will most likely be again when she emerges in her new look

[Roger Cain]

Don't forget the registry list of displayed Hellcats: http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f6fregis ... istry.html

[Stephan Wilkinson]

Right, but for my purpose--an article I'm writing for Aviation History magazine--I'm only interested in 1/Hellcats that are actually flying, 2/Hellcats that assumedly are airworthy but are parked or in storage, and 3/Hellcats that are in the process of restoration to flying status. Museum Hellcats and other static displays are beyond my purview.

[Roger Cain]

missed that in your title and subject...

Last edited by Roger Cain on Sat May 11, 2013 8:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Mark Allen M]

And don't forget this one .... and yes I know not on your lists but certainly looks like a flyer in these photos.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f6fregis ... 94203.html









Source NMNA archives

[Steve Nelson]

Being part of the NMNA collection, I don't think it would fit the criteria. The aircraft may be potentially airworthy, but is permanently grounded as a static display. In the case of some of the others mentioned, there is some possibility, however remote, that they may fly again someday.

I'm still curious as to what the plans are for the Hellcat pulled from Lake Michigan. The restoration is proceeding nicely, but I doubt it'll go on display at Pensacola, as they already have an immaculate -3 and -5.

SN

Last edited by Steve Nelson on Sun May 12, 2013 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[bdk]

Doesn't Westpac have a few Hellcat wrecks to restore?

[kalamazookid]

Doesn't Westpac have a few Hellcat wrecks to restore?

At least one, owned by Tennessee Museum of Aviation. Per a museum docent, it's being restored to fly- not sure whether there is any active work taking place though.