The Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing will hold a Living History presentation on the F6F Hellcat it’s calling “A short life and violent!”
The Grumman F6F Hellcat entered service in the Pacific Theater in early fall 1943, yet by early fall 1945, it was relegated to second-line duty.
“But what an impact it had in those two short years, sweeping the skies of Japanese aircraft and racking up the highest kill ratio of any World War II fighter,” say officials.
On Saturday, June 4, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the wing will conduct a presentation on the venerable warhorse at Camarillo Airport (KCMA). Officials will discuss some of the late design changes driven by early war combat lessons and look at some of the key aerial battles where the Hellcat dominated.
CAF SoCal also recently flew the Hellcat across the country to an airshow just outside Atlanta, Georgia, which was chronicled, and officials will share some of that journey’s highlights.
Other iconic aircraft from World War II, most in flyable condition, will also be on display, including a Spitfire and a Zero.
After the presentation, docents will be available to answer questions about the exhibits and offer guided tours of the wing’s museum. A $10 donation per adult is requested.
The CAF Southern California Wing is a volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the history of World War II aircraft. The wing has 12 flying military aircraft, as well as a collection of World War II artifacts displayed in a hangar museum. Due to COVID restrictions, the museum is open only on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
My father served in the Soloman Islands at an airstrip known as “Munda Field” not far from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. He was a fighter aircraft mechanic who was tasked with repairing and maintaining F4F, F6F and F4U aircraft.
He told me of F6F pilots that wanted wheel wells painted on the bottom of their fuselage mimicking the F4F’s wheel wells. The pilots told him that the Zeros would turn tail and run if they encountered a F6F which had the wheel wells in the wing. The pilots were hoping the Zeros would fight if they thought they were engaging a F4F.