Hello everybody. I’d like to suggest the Grumman XF6F-6, one of the rare and lesser-known Hellcat prototypes, for inclusion in the US aviation tree in War Thunder. This prototype was a modified F6F-5 fitted with the same engine used in the F4U-4 Corsair and equipped with a four-bladed propeller. Intended as the third major production variant of the Hellcat series, the XF6F-6 ultimately never entered full-scale production, as World War II came to an end and the newer F8F Bearcat had already begun rolling off assembly lines.
Unfortunately, technical documentation on XF6F-6 is scarce, and much of its development history remains difficult to trace through publicly available sources. For that reason, I encourage you to share reliable, additional sources, manuals, photos, or flight data in the comments to help build a more complete profile of this rare aircraft.
Conclusion | Why it should be in the game
This suggestion is part of my broader effort to promote more World War II content in War Thunder. The XF6F-6 would be an ideal candidate for inclusion in War Thunder as an event or premium aircraft. Its uprated engine and four-bladed propeller gave it superior high-altitude performance and a stronger climb rate compared to the F6F-5. The same R-2800-18W engine was used in the F4U-4 Corsair, and the four-bladed propeller helped convert the added engine power into effective thrust, enhancing its acceleration and responsiveness.
According to the standard aircraft characteristics (SAC) sheet, the F6F-5 had a top speed of 380 mph at 23,400 feet, while the XF6F-6 exceeded 417 mph under similar conditions. Therefore, the XF6F-6 aircraft offered a modest improvement in flight performance over the F6F-5 aircraft.
Related Suggestions
I made suggestions for the F6F-3 (initial production) and XF6F-4 (with four cannons). If you’re interested in these variants, feel free to check them out!
No, XF6F-6 was using the 6 x 12.7-mm machine guns. The guns were in a staggered arrangement. On each wing, you may have seen the first machine gun’s barrel sticking out further than the rest of the others, so I could see it being mistaken as the 20-mm barrel sometimes.
I’d say the firepower isn’t much of a downgrade. It still has six machine guns, the same as the initial F4U-4, regardless.
All F6F-5s and later could swap the inner set of .50s for 20s. You can see this on the in-game F6F-5N though it wasn’t a popular option due to how unreliable they were.
This would be a nice start in addition of Hellcat variants. There’s many that hasn’t been added yet, and them being premiums or be in the tech tree would be Great!
Interesting. I always thought the 20 mm cannons were exclusive to the F6F-5N with radar equipment. However, after reading further, it’s surely true that all F6F-5 variants, regardless of configuration, had provisions to replace two of the 0.50 caliber machine guns with 20 mm cannons.
When the XF6F-6 is added to War Thunder, I’d like to see it come with alternative armament loadouts. We could choose between the standard 6 x 12.7 mm machine guns or a special arrangement of 2 x 20 mm cannons and 4 x 12.7 mm machine guns.
I’ve updated the weapons list to reflect these points.
It might be worth separating them into different versions for BR reasons. The F6F-5N has nothing over the regular F6F-5 (actually a tad heavier due to radar) but is way higher in BR thanks to the guns.
