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