Vintage aircraft are never easily documented. Papers and builders’ plates are exchanged, aircraft are in and out of commission, are wrecked, restored, or retired. Very few people are in a position to keep a continuous record of each surviving warbird, even within specific categories.
By the latter part of 1977 about 15 Hellcat airframes remained intact in the United States. One had been destroyed in a crash earlier that year, and another was undergoing extensive repairs. Six F6Fs were being flown, with probably another three in airworthy condition.
Only three F6F-3s remained by the end of 1977, and five of the -5s were reconverted from F6F-5K drones. The only night fighter is the F6F-5N held by the Marine Corps Museum at Quantico, Virginia, though one privately owned -5N remains active as a “straight” -5.
In addition to the 15 surviving Hellcats in the United States, at least two are known to be preserved abroad. The Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, Somerset, retains a Hellcat II, number KE209. It remains semiairworthy and is said to be in good condition. Less certain is the state of an F6F-5 still held by the Uruguayan Navy, which has been reported in storage for eventual display at Montevideo.
It is sadly unavoidable that as long as classic aircraft are flown, they will eventually be destroyed. Not even an easy-to-fly aircraft like the Hellcat can remain active indefinitely. And while whole airframes can be assembled from bits and pieces, the day must inevitably come when the last active F6F makes its last flight. When that happens, however, there will still be room for cheer among those who care about historic aircraft. The splendid restorations accomplished by the National Air and Space Museum, the Navy and Marine Corps museums, and a few private collectors will ensure that the F6F will never be gone or forgotten.
Former Navy pilot Charles F. Willis, Alaska Airlines board chairman, flying his F6F-3 “Little Nugget” over Puget Sound in 1970. The airline’s jets were emblazoned with “Golden Nugget,” hence the Hellcat’s name. Photo: F. A. Johnsen
The oldest remaining Hellcat is F6F-3 BuAer number 41476, a permanent exhibit in the Marine Corps Museum at Quantico, Virginia.
An oversized VF-16 insignia and curiously modified cowl mark the Confederate Air Force F6F-5, based at Harlingen, Texas. Photo: F. A. Johnsen
The following list is not comprehensive in that it includes only those Hellcats known to be intact or complete at the time of compilation. It is possible that one or two whole airframes have been assembled from parts during the interim. Almost certainly, the ownership of some of the individual planes has changed.
