Grumman F6F Hellcat Photo Gallery
The Grumman F6F Hellcat is one of the forgotten warbirds that served with the US Navy during WWII. Below are the ones I have seen on my various journeys around the United States. More photos and information will be added early in 2013.This page updated 11-14-2017.
Pacific adversaries. The Grumman F6F-3 and the Mitsubishi A6M5 on the ramp at the Planes of Fame 2010 Airshow.
Type: F6F-5
Location: Yanks Air Museum - Chino, CA
Date: May 3, 2013
Owner: Yanks Air Museum - Chino, CA
FAA Registration: N9265A
Navy Bureau Number: 78645
Type: F6F-3
Location: Yanks Air Museum - Chino, CA
Date: May 3, 2013
Owner: Yanks Air Museum - Chino, CA
FAA Registration:
Navy Bureau Number: 78645
Type: F6F-3
Location: Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum - McMinnville, OR
Date: May 26, 2012
Owner: National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, VA
FAA Registration: None
Navy Bureau Number: 41476
Editor's note: This Hellcat as of April, 2013 is now owned by the Collings Foundation of Stow, MA and is being restored to flying condition. The National Museum of the Marine Corps traded it to Collings for a Boeing FB-5. I will leave these photos up until I am able to photograph 41476 at a later date. DDJ 11-14-2013
This is F6F-3, BuNo. 41476, on loan from the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Actually I this is the second time I have seen this. In May of 1978 I was at the MCAS Cherry Point Air Show and this Hellcat and a Corsair were on display. Both were being restored by Marine Aviation Techs at Cherry Point. I distinctly remember talking with the one that was at display.
The end of the wing has broken off and is being held on by 2x4s and cargo tie downs.
Type: F6F-5
Location: New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, CT
Date: August , 2017
Owner: New England Air Museum
FAA Registration: None
Navy Bureau Number: 79192
Type: F6F-5K
Location: USS Yorktown at Mt. Pleasant, SC
Date: July, 2012
Owner: USS Yorktown.
FAA Registration: None
Navy Bureau Number: 79593
Location: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Portage, MI
Date: 8-16-2009
Owner: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Portage, MI
FAA Registration: N4PP - The Museum has let the registration lapse
Navy Bureau Number: 79683
F6F-5
Location: Palm Springs Air Museum
Date: May 23, 2010
Owner:Pond Warbirds, LLC of St. Cloud, MN
FAA Registration: N4964W
Navy Bureau Number: 94473
This F6F-5 was part of the last production batch that Grumman built and was accepted by the US Navy on October 18, 1945 and was stored in the New York City area until February 1948 when it was placed in the Fleet Service Squadron. From April to June of the same year it served with VCN-1 which was a Night Composite Squadron. It also served at Akron, OH and Barbers Point, HI until July of 1954. In March of 1955 it went to Litchfield Park, AZ for conversion to a F6F-5K drone. Its last assignment was from December of 1958 to May of 1959 at the China Lake Naval Air Facility for R&D where it was stricken from the record. In 1966 Ed Maloney purchased it and it was stored the Air Museum in Ontario, CA from 1967-1983 and then restored in 1984 by Fighter Rebuilders of Chino, CA. On May 8th of 1984 Steve Hinton did the first test flight after his company rebuilt 94473. During another test flight 12 days later it ran off the end of the runway and ended up on its back, of which the damages were repaired by July. It was then registered to the present owner. It should be noted that this Hellcat and others belonging to Bob Pond and now at the Palm Springs Air Museum were originally in his museum known as Planes of Fame - East and which was in Minnesota. He moved his collection of warbirds to California in 1996. In reading the history of the Palm Springs Air Museum, the warbirds belonging to Bob Pond like the Hellcat may only be on loan to the Palm Springs Museum for display as this Museum is not apparently owned by him.
Type: F6F-5
Location: Various
Date: Various
Owner: American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum, i.e. Commemorative Air Force, Midland, TX and operated by the Southern California Wing in San Diego
FAA Registration: N1078Z
Navy Bureau Number: 70222
The next three photos were taken on May 16, 2009 at the Chino Air Show.
Type: F6F-3
Location: Udvar- Hazey Center, Virginia
Date: 9-26-2011
Owner: National Air and Space Museum
FAA Registration:
Navy Bureau Number: 41834
