Grumman F6F-5P's ...

[Mark Allen M]

The F6F-3P and F6F-5P were the photo-recon conversion of the F6F-3 and F6F-5 Hellcat. An unknown number of aircraft were converted to a photo reconnaissance version with one camera in the rear fuselage just behind the wing.. All F6F-5N and F6F-5P variants substituted a 20mm cannon with 200 rounds for the innermost machine gun in each wing.

F6F-5P Hellcat USNR aircraft of NAS New York, NY on the ground at Floyd Bennett Field.1950 by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr
F6F-5P Hellcat USNR of NAS New York, NY on the ground at Floyd Bennett Field. c 1950

F6F-5P Hellcat aircraft of VF-75 by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr
F6F-5P Hellcat of VF-75

F6F-5P Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARU Oakland, CA, on the ground at Nellis AFB NV. by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr
F6F-5P Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARU Oakland, CA, on the ground at Nellis AFB NV.

A flight of four (4) F6F-5P Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARTU Columbus, OH, VF-695, are in flight over Miami, FL.1950 by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr
A flight of four (4) F6F-5P Hellcat USNR aircraft of NARTU Columbus, OH, VF-695, are in flight over Miami, FL. c 1950

F6F-5P Hellcat aircraft of CASU-27 in flight. 1945 by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr
F6F-5P Hellcat aircraft of CASU-27 in flight. 1945

F6F-5P Hellcats of Fighting Squadron (VF) 85 off the carrier Shangri-La (CV 38) pictured in flight near Japan #OTD in 1945. by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr
F6F-5P Hellcats of Fighting Squadron (VF) 85 off the carrier Shangri-La (CV 38) pictured in flight near Japan #OTD in 1945.

F6F-5P camera by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr
F6F-5P camera

[Mark Allen M]

And a -3P

F6F-3P Hellcat aircraft from VF-17 1945 by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr
F6F-3P Hellcat aircraft from VF-17 1945

[quemerford]

F6F-5Ps used in Operation Crossroads had an under-fuselage trimetrogon camera system. I have yet to see a good shot of that camera fit. These are the best shots I have, all aircraft operating from the USS Saidor for that operation, as well as photo TBMs. You can see that there is a prominent deflector flange rivetted just in front of the RH side camera port (same for LH I assume) but the ventral camera port can only bee seen internally. Any more photos out there?

Last edited by quemerford on Fri Oct 06, 2017 10:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Mark Allen M]

Here's a couple of Bearcats with a trimetrogon camera pod.

F8F-2P BuNos 121606 and 121608 were two of the rare photo-recon Bearcats by Central Repository for Aviation Photos, on Flickr