The Grumman F6F Hellcat made her maiden flight on June 26, 1942, and was officially introduced into service with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps the following year. The F6F was the direct descendant of Grumman’s F4F Wildcat, which, though technically inferior to the Zero, doggedly held the line in important naval engagements such as the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of
P-51 Mustang pilots shot down a total of 4,950 enemy aircraft, while more than 250 of its pilots achieved ace status and had an average rate of 7.69 air-to-air kills.
Although the Alaska-class tragically did not live up to expectations, if these vessels had been introduced in World War I they indeed would have dominated the seas.
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Cruisin Country: a memorable music festival on Brilliance of the Seas | Newcastle Herald newcastleherald.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newcastleherald.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.