- Yes
- No
Hello, and welcome to my Third and Final suggestion in the series of suggesting the Grumman F6F Hellcat in Royal Navy service, today I will talk about one of the least known Hellcat variants the Hellcat Mk.IIs fitted with Camera equipment, dubbed the Hellcat FR Mk.II! I feel this could come as a tech tree alternative to the Mk.II currently in the british tree as a Premium.
History
Spoiler
The Hellcat Mk.II, Based on the F6F-5 was the Most common Hellcat variant the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm used during WW2, with over 900 units used, there was also the lesser known type called the NF Mk.II, based on the F6F-5N, that was not able to reach combat before the war ended, however there was one more variant that not many people know of, the FR Mk.II similar to, but not based on, the F6F-5P, these aircraft were specially modified Mk.IIs outfitted with Cameras for Fighter-Reconnaissance missions
One squadron equipped with the FR Mk.II was 898 Naval Air Squadron, this squadron had originally flown Grumman Martlets in the Mediterranean and Norway however were reformed on the 1st of January 1945 equipped with a mix of standard F Mk.IIs and Fighter-Recon FR Mk.IIs, some of these aircraft were ex 804 Sqn aircraft however most were brand new aircraft delivered fresh to the squadron, The squadron was deployed to the CVE HMS Pursuer in preparation for Operation ZIPPER, the Planned recapture of the staging areas around Singapore, However the war ended before this operation was carried out.
Another Squadron, 899 Sqn was equipped with a small number of Hellcat Mk.Is and FR Mk.IIs and was preparing for deployment from scotland to the far east, intending to photograph the beaches of Japan in a planned naval invasion, however with the end of the war the squadron was disbanded, and by the stipulations of the lend lease agreement stated that the Hellcats had to be returned to the US, but as the US had no need for these aircraft, the Hellcats were pushed overboard off the Coast of scotland, a similar fate to many lend lease aircraft following the end of the war.
A small number of Hellcats did survive the end of the war however, one such aircraft, KE209, remained the personal aircraft of the Lossiemouth Station commander Flight Commander Casper John until 1952 in which it was transferred to the Aircraft Holding Unit until 1954 and is now on display at the FAA Museum, Yeovilton.
Images
Spoiler
A Drawing showing the Camera position on the aircraft clearly
Hellcat KE209 on display in the FAA Museum
A Hellcat FR Mk.II following a nasty crash on an unknown carrier
A Hellcat FR Mk.II being prepped for launch from a steam catapult
A Hellcat FR Mk.II of 898 Sqn
KE209 from the rear, clearly showing its Camera equipment in the side of the fuselage
Specs/Armament
Spoiler
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 33 ft 7 in (10.24 m)
- Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.06 m)
- Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
- Wing area: 334 sq ft (31.0 m2)
- Engine: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) with a two-speed two-stage supercharger and water injection
- Aspect ratio: 5.5
- Airfoil: root: NACA 23015.6; tip: NACA 23009
- Empty weight: 9,238 lb (4,190 kg)
- Gross weight: 12,598 lb (5,714 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 15,415 lb (6,992 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 250 US gal (208 imp gal; 946 L) internal; up to 3 × 150 US gal (125 imp gal; 568 L) external drop tanks
- Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0211
- Drag area: 7.05 sq ft (0.655 m2)
- Propellers: 3-bladed Hamilton Standard, 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m) diameter constant-speed propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 391 mph (629 km/h, 340 kn)
- Stall speed: 84 mph (135 km/h, 73 kn)
- Combat range: 945 mi (1,521 km, 821 nmi)
- Ferry range: 1,530 mi (2,460 km, 1,330 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 37,300 ft (11,400 m)
- Rate of climb: 2,600 ft/min (13 m/s)
- Time to altitude: 20,000 ft (6,096 m) in 7 minutes 42 seconds
- Lift-to-drag: 12.2
- Wing loading: 37.7 lb/sq ft (184 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg)
- Take-off run: 799 ft (244 m)
Armament
Guns
- 6 x 12.7mm Browning machine guns (400 rounds per gun)
Bombs
- up to a 2000 lbs bomb under fuselage
- up to 1000 lbs of bombs under each wing
Rockets
- Up to 6 HVAR Rockets
- possibly up to 6 RP-3 Rockets (unsure)
- 1 x Tiny Tim rocket under each wing
Torpedos
- 1 x Torpedo of up to 2000 lbs
Place in game
Spoiler
I feel this could come to game as a Tech Tree alternative to the Hellcat Mk.II currently in game as a premium vehicle, it would provide the UK tree with a naval fighter at around 3.3 which is currently only filled by an Attacker, the firefly, this would provide a high performance multi role fighter and help diversify both the Air and Ground Lineup with the British Tree.
I would propose this be put in a folder with the Mk.I and NF mk.II, with the Mk.I at 3.0, the FR at 3.3 and the NF at 4.3 to add diversity and fill the gaps within this section of the Naval line.
Sources