Until the arrival of the Grumman Hellcat, the Mitsubishi Zero was the undisputed king of the Pacific skies. But the little, nimble Japanese fighter was unceremoniously and brutally shoved off its pedestal with the arrival of a real bully.
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was bigger, heavier, more powerful, and better protected. It countered the Zero’s relatively light armament with six punishing .50-caliber guns. While the Zero was all style and grace, the Hellcat was like an aerial bouncer — lacking the looks, but all muscle, power, and punch.
You can see that big ol’ Hellcat take to the sky (along with the B-25) on our last free Fly Day of the year, September 13.
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