--- title: "How the F6F Hellcat became America’s answer to the Japanese Zero" description: "Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a dominant fighter plane in the early portion of World War II in the Pacific Theater. Enter the F6F Hellcat." date: "2021-01-15" modified: "2022-01-10" authors: - name: "Harold C. Hutchison" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/haroldhutchison.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/how-the-f6f-hellcat-became-americas-answer-to-the-japanese-zero/" categories: - "Aircraft" - "History" - "Navy" - "Tactical" - "War History" - "World War II" --- # How the F6F Hellcat became America’s answer to the Japanese Zero ![]() In some ways, we know the story of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. It was a dominant fighter plane in the early portion of World War II in the Pacific Theater, only to become an easy target. But how did this happen? --- ![F6F Hellcat]() *(Wikimedia Commons)* In some ways, the story we know about the Grumman F6F Hellcat isn't the whole truth. Yes, the discovery of the [Akutan Zero]() helped the United States beat this plane. But [MilitaryFactory.com notes]() that the Hellcat's first flight was on June 26, 1942 – three weeks after the raid on Dutch Harbor that lead to the fateful crash-landing of the Mitsubishi A6M flown by Tadayoshi Koga. ![]() *U.S. Navy personnel inspect the Akutan Zero. (U.S. Navy photo)* Less than six months before Pearl Harbor, the Navy signed a contract with Grumman for a replacement for the F4F Wildcat. Feedback from pilots like Butch O'Hare and other encounters lead to the addition of the Wright R-2800 engine. It also was designed with improved landing gear and visibility. Then, America built a lot of these planes – 12,272 of them. Compare that production run to the 187 F-22 Raptors that the Air Force bought! ![]() *The XF6F-1 Hellcat - which used a R-2600 engine. Feedback from pilots like Butch O'Hare in early 1942 lead to the more powerful R-2800 being used. (U.S. Navy photo)* What the Akutan Zero did, though, was to provide information that let American pilots make the most of the Hellcat's advantages. [History.com]() described one ace, Marine Captain Kenneth Walsh described how he knew to roll to the right at high speed to lose a Zero on his tail. Walsh would end World War II with 17 kills. The Zero also had trouble in dives, thanks to a bad carburetor (the famous Spitfire [also had carburetor problems]()). ![Navy pilots with Hellcat]() *Navy pilots celebrate scoring 17 kills after one of the first combat missions of the Hellcat over Tarawa. (U.S. Navy photo)* The Hellcat truly brought hell to the Axis in World War II. It notched 5,165 kills over World War II, and was the primary plane that was in the [Marianas Turkey Shoot](). The Hellcat even saw action in Korea as a guided bomb, and served until the 1960s in some air forces. ## Author WATM contributor Harold Hutchison was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national web sites. ## More - [This Medal of Honor recipient was the Navy’s first ace-in-a-day]() - [How easy it was for the Navy and Marines to fly the F6F Hellcat]() - [The Navy’s first World War II ace shot down five bombers on a single mission]() - [How the Wildcat held the line against the Zero]() - [7 amazing pilots who became an ‘ace-in-a-day’]() - [The Marine Corps’ all-time top fighter plane was a Navy reject]() - [This was probably the most one-sided air battle in the Pacific during WW2]() - [The Navy’s baddest pilot in World War II isn’t who you think]()