Tailhook Daily Briefing

Strike From the Sea

2009-07-10T15:54:51-07:00

A new book, with pictures and everything to assist our Marine Corps Tailhookers, has been authored by Tommy H. Thomason. Strike From the Sea follows on the heals of Tom’s other book US Naval Air Superiority and promises to be full of great images and quality historical information about Naval Aviation.

For those of you unfamiliar with Tom’s history…

“Tommy H. Thomason has worked as a flight test engineer, manager, and executive in the aerospace industry for nearly 40 years, including two years as a flight test engineer on the F-4 Phantom. He has flown more than 3,000 hours in 60 different airplanes, helicopters, and sailplanes. His previous works include U.S. Naval Air Superiority and monographs on the Grumman F-111B and the Bell HSL antisubmarine warfare helicopter.”

To take a gander of what you can expect from the pages of Strike From The Sea, click the this link [ Chapter 5 Preview ]. And if you would like to get yourself a copy all you have to do is place your order here [Link].

Ever Wonder How an F/A-18F is Built?

2009-07-10T15:30:36-07:00

Well wonder no longer fellow Tailhooker, below is a time lapse of a Super Hornet (Australian Mod) being created.

Editor’s Note: Apologies for the sparse nature of postings as of late… Day Job and the “All Volunteer” nature of being TDB’s Editor, Publisher, Photographer, Writer, don’t always play nice with each other. (Thanks to SJS, and Spike for the occasional article to assist in populating these pages.) More contributions are always welcomed! If you have an article, story, or photo you would like to have grace these pages please feel free to send direct to me at this e-mail link.

Meanwhile I will try to improve on the frequency of posts.

Flightdeck Friday: Planning, Building and Training for the Future

2009-06-25T18:47:51-07:00

(which might also serve as a cautionary tale to those who decry 'future warists' - SJS)

...Investments in blood and treasure:

Jan. 1927: 8 officers and 81 enlisted men of VO-1M, led by Maj. Ross Rowell, arrived at Corinto, Nicaragua with six DH's. Amidst the anarchy of the civil and banditry, the U.S. Marines held the railroad. In July the Sandinista rebels (the original ones) besieged 37 Marines at the Ocotal garrison, 125 miles from Manaagua. Patrolling Marine pilots, Lt. Hayne Boyden and Gunner Micahel Wodarczyk, discovered the defenders' plight. After they reported this to Maj. Rowell, he led five DH's to bomb the rebels. From 1,500 feet, they conducted one of the first dive bombing missions, killing dozens of Sandinistas. Rowell and his fliers flew 50 missions against the Nicaraguan guerrillas.

27 June 1927: Dive bombing came under official study as the Chief of Naval Operations ordered the Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet, to conduct tests to evaluate its effectiveness against moving targets. Carried out by VF Squadron 5S in late summer and early fall, the results of these tests generated wide discussion of the need for special aircraft and units, which led directly to the development of equipment and adoption of the tactic as a standard method of attack.

21 March 1930: 21--The Martin XT5M-1, first dive bomber designed to deliver a l,000-pound bomb, met strength and performance requirements in diving tests.

9 April 1931: A contract was issued to the Glenn L. Martin Company for 12 BM-1 dive bombers. This aircraft, which was a further development of the XT5M-1, was the first dive bomber capable of attacking with a heavy (1,000 pound) bomb to be procured in sufficient quantity to equip a squadron.

28 July 1932: Research into the physiological effects of high acceleration and deceleration, encountered in dive bombing and other violent maneuvers, was initiated through a Bureau of Aeronautics allocation of funds to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for this purpose. The pioneer research, pointing to the need for anti-G or anti-blackout equipment, was performed at Harvard University School of Public Health by Lieutenant Commander John R. Poppen MC, under the direction of Dr. C. K. Drinker.

18 November 1934: A contract was issued to the Northrop Corporation for the XBT-1, a two-seat Scout and l,000-pound dive bomber. This aircraft was the initial prototype in the sequence that led to the SBD Dauntless series of dive bombers introduced to the fleet in 1938 and used throughout World War II.

15 May 1938: A contract was issued to Curtiss-Wright for the XSB2C-1 dive bomber, thereby completing action on a 1938 design competition. The preceding month, Brewster had received a contract for the XSB2A-1. As part of the mobilization in ensuing years, large production orders were issued for both aircraft, but serious managerial and developmental problems were encountered which eventually contributed to discarding the SB2A and prolonged preoperational development of SB2C. Despite this, the SB2C Helldiver would become the principal operational carrier dive bomber.

9 December 1941: The Secretary of the Navy authorized the Bureau of Ships to contract with the RCA Manufacturing Company for a service test quantity of 25 sets of ASB airborne search radar. This radar had been developed by the Naval Research Laboratory (under the designation XAT) for installation in dive bombers and torpedo planes.

...And the payoff:

3-6 June 1942: The Battle of Midway-- Concentrating on the destruction of Midway air forces and diverted by their torpedo, horizontal, and dive bombing attacks, the Japanese carriers were caught unprepared for the carrier air attack which began at 0930 with the heroic but unsuccessful effort of Torpedo Squadron 8, and were hit in full force at 1030 when dive bombers hit and sank the carriers Akagi, Kaga, and Soryu. Japanese losses totaled two heavy and two light carriers, one heavy cruiser, 258 aircraft, and a large percentage of their experienced carrier pilots. United States losses were 40 shore-based and 92 carrier aircraft, the destroyer Hammann and the carrier the Yorktown, which sank 6 and 7 June respectively, the result of a single submarine attack. The decisive defeat administered to the Japanese put an end to their successful offensive and effectively turned the tide of the Pacific War.

...Finally a first person perspective of a young Helldiver pilot late in the Pacific war (from a future post):

Off to the side a few balls of flame and black smoke drift seaward. All clear. ..over land now. Thoughts become disjointed. Must concentrate. Habit takes over. Speed increases. The high speed run in. There’s a target! The Japanese troop and munitions ships were still a mile from shore. Task Force 38.3 has won the overnight race and is first to attack. You hear nothing. The engine roar is a whisper after these many months of riding behind it. Suddenly the second Japanese ship in line explodes, sending debris up to 4,000 feet, vaporizing before our eyes from hits by planes preceding us. Black puffs splash against the blue. What a shame to dirty those pretty white clouds. The black balls are bursting all around now. Peel off! Peel off! The lead plane rolls over, down the funnel, into the inferno...light, medium and heavy guns pouring a sheet of metal up from the ships and some shore batteries. Hell concentrated in a few square miles. Straight down goes the first division, six planes cascading down, diving into the black and while and red and orange death bursting around them. Over we go! Mixture rich. Blower low. Props set. Tabs set. Flaps open. Bomb bay doors open. Bombsight on. Switches on. Habit and excruciating training pays off. Down, down, down! The horizon swings overhead. The pipper settles on a large destroyer. Exploding bombs throw up white geysers or volcanoes of debris. The red and black and white and orange death is rushing to meet you but somehow passes harmlessly by. A maelstrom of destruction below yet silence in the cockpit.

The lesson -- you go to war with what you've got. As the war progresses, and if you have the time and space, new tactics, new technologies are developed and introduced - but the crux of what you have to fight with began with pencil to paper long before the first bullet flew. The SB2C Helldiver that replaced the legendary Dauntless in the front-lines late in the war was developed before the war. The mighty Essex class CV that followed the few who held the line early in the war began on the drawing boards before the first bomb fell at Pearl Harbor. Even the B-29, considered the first of the modern bombers with its pressurized environment, centrally controlled defense system and other examples of exotic engineering, was submitted as a prototype by Boeing to the Army - in 1939.

The key tactic, weapon and training of aircrews that turned the tide at Midway began over the jungles of Nicaragua in an act of desperate bravery and from the desk of an officer on the Navy Staff fifteen years earlier. And today? Well, looks like someone has the same idea in mind for a future game-winner:

The Great Game in Space

Things that make you go hmmm..., eh?

(cross-posted at steeljawscribe.com and blog.usni.org)

Centennial of Naval Aviation Update

2009-06-19T11:11:31-07:00

FROM THE CENTENNIAL OF NAVAL AVIATION STAFF

All,

The United States Navy is pleased to announce that 2011 marks the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation. We, the members of the Centennial of Naval Aviation Staff, are coordinating an exciting celebration with events throughout the year to educate the American public and honor a century of aviation achievements.

[Below this post] you will find a copy of the .pdf newsletter "A Centennial of Naval Aviation". This newsletter is the first in a series of Centennial newsletters to be published between now and the end of 2011. Please distribute as you see fit.

This important Anniversary marks 100 years of aircraft operations by the United States sea services. We are planning a number of events throughout calendar year 2011 to mark this achievement. As that schedule comes together, we will keep you updated.

Our staff is coordinating the planning and execution of the Centennial with a large number of regional representatives from the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and NASA. In addition, we are liaising with the Centennial of Naval Aviation Foundation and a number of other organizations, museums, and individuals that are genuinely interested in helping us celebrate. We also look forward to your involvement.

We take great pleasure forwarding our first issue of the Centennial newsletter.
We're looking forward to a great Centennial year!

Very Respectfully,

Centennial of Naval Aviation Staff
Commander, Naval Air Forces (N00CoNA)
PO Box 357051
NAS North Island
San Diego, CA 92135-7051

HT: “Spike” Prendergast for the Update

Start Updating Your Contact Lists, The One Stars Have Been Announced

2009-06-11T17:52:07-07:00

Flag Officer Announcements

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nominations:

Navy Capt. Paul B. Becker has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Becker is currently serving as commanding officer, Joint Intelligence Center, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

Navy Capt. Richard D. Berkey has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Berkey is currently serving as commanding officer, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va.

Navy Capt. Richard P. Breckenridge has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Breckenridge is currently serving as chief of staff, force structure, resources and assessment, J8, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Thomas L. Brown II has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Brown is currently serving as commanding officer, Naval Special Warfare Group One, San Diego, Calif.

Navy Capt. Thomas F. Carney Jr. has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Carney is currently serving as director, Navy Appropriations Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (financial management and comptroller), Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Walter E. Carter Jr. has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Carter is currently serving as commanding officer, USS Carl Vinson, Norfolk, Va.

Navy Capt. Scott T. Craig has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Craig is currently serving as the director, Maritime Operations Center, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command, Bahrain.

Navy Capt. Craig S. Faller has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Faller is currently serving as executive assistant to the chief of naval operations, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Sean R. Filipowski has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Filipowski is currently serving as division director, Computer Network Operations, N33, Naval Network Warfare Command, Fort George G. Meade, Md.

Navy Capt. James G. Foggo III has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Foggo is currently serving as executive assistant to the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Anthony E. Gaiani has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Gaiani is currently serving as commanding officer, Naval Base Coronado, San Diego, Calif.

Navy Capt. Peter A. Gumataotao has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Gumataotao is currently serving as the chief of staff, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego, Calif.

Navy Capt. John R. Haley has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Haley is currently serving as special assistant to the deputy chief of naval operation for information, plans, and strategy, N3/N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C

Navy Capt. Jeffrey Harbeson has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Harbeson is currently serving as executive assistant to the vice chief of naval operations, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Randall M. Hendrickson has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Hendrickson is currently serving as head, Theater Missile Defense, N865, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Robert Hennegan has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Hennegan is currently serving as deputy chief of legislative affairs, Transition Team Task Force, Office of the Secretary of the Defense, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Gretchen S. Herbert has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Herbert is currently serving as deputy director for the assistant chief of naval operations for ext generation, N6, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Michael W. Hewitt has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Hewitt is currently serving as the assistant deputy director for information operations, J3, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Gerard P. Hueber has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Hueber is currently serving as the executive assistant to the deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources, N8, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Jeffery S. Jones has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Jones is currently serving as commanding officer, Surface Warfare Officer School Command, Newport, R.I.

Navy Capt. Matthew L. Klunder has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Klunder is currently serving as commandant of midshipmen, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.

Navy Capt. William K. Lescher has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Lescher is currently serving as head, Quadrennial Defense Review Office, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. David H. Lewis has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Lewis is currently serving as executive assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy (research, development and acquisition), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition), Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Randolph L. Mahr has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Mahr is currently serving as major program manager, PMA 251, Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft Programs, Patuxent River, Md.

Navy Capt. Michael C. Manazir has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Manazir is currently serving as commanding officer, USS Nimitz, San Diego, Calif.

Navy Capt. Timothy S. Matthews has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Matthews is currently serving as commanding officer, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla.

Navy Capt. Frank A. Morneau has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Morneau is currently serving as director, technology and requirements integration, Navy Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Dennis J. Moynihan has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Moynihan is currently serving as chief public affairs officer, Supreme Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, Va.

Navy Capt. James A. Murdoch has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Murdoch is currently serving as major program manager for littoral combat ships, Program Executive Office Ships, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Gregory M. Nosal has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Nosal is currently serving as the special assistant to the commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii.

Navy Capt. Ann C. Phillips has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Phillips is currently serving on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group, Newport, R.I.

Navy Capt. Harold E. Pittman has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Pittman is currently serving as commander, Joint Public Affairs Support Element, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, Va.

Navy Capt. Joseph W. Rixey has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Rixey is currently serving as deputy program executive officer for Anti-Submarine Warfare Programs, Patuxent River, Md.

Navy Capt. John E. Roberti has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Roberti is currently serving as executive assistant to the under secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Kevin D. Scott has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Scott is currently serving as division director for the Aviation Career Management Division, PERS 43, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tenn.

Navy Capt. Thomas K. Shannon has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Shannon is currently serving as military assistant to the secretary of defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Herman A. Shelanski has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Shelanski is currently serving as special assistant to the commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, Va.

Navy Capt. William G. Sizemore II has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Sizemore is currently serving as chief of staff, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego, Calif.

Navy Capt. Elizabeth L. Train has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Train is currently serving as commanding officer, Center of Naval Intelligence, Virginia Beach, Va.

Navy Capt. Thomas G. Wears has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Wears is currently serving as major program manager for undersea weapons, Program Executive Office Submarines, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Diane E. H. Webber has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Webber is currently serving as executive assistant to the deputy chief of naval operations for communication networks, N6, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. David B. Woods has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Woods is currently serving as the head of strategic planning for Navy Quadrennial Defense Review, Washington, D.C

A Proper Understanding of What the Fraternity Is

2009-06-09T20:52:35-07:00

I, along with most of the TDB readership, have been witness to many o farewell speech. Hell… many here have given a number of them. This one was forwarded on for our republishing here from Neptunus Lex (another great regular read for those of you who haven’t cross decked over there…)

This speech was delivered by Cdr. Mike “Beef” Wellington the former CO of the former Blue Dolphins of VFA-203, and it certainly shines a proper light on the Fraternity of Tailhook Naval Aviation!

Two days ago I closed out my career as a Naval Aviator. The realization is just now starting to hit me as I’m sure it will the rest of you some day.

What follows are my remarks at my farewell dinner. Several of the guys in my squadron had asked me for a copy of what I had written and because it had been jotted down on the back of a cocktail napkin in my weird-assed hand writing and because these things came from my heart, I debated for a while whether or not to do write it down, but the response from all the guys and their wives was so humbling and overwhelming, thought……why not.

Being an F-18 pilot and an airline pilot at the same time gives you an interesting and different perspective. Unlike others, at my airline they do not have a history of hiring Single Seat Naval Aviators and as such we are definitely in the minority. On every trip when you first sit down next to a guy, the first volley of questions in getting to know each other always includes “what is your background?” Based on 3 years in the airline industry, I have recently decided to flat out lie and stop telling guys that I am a Naval Aviator and an F-18 pilot. You might be asking yourself, why would anyone do that?

There are 3 reasons.

One…..Because everything that the uninformed population knows about Naval Aviation they got from the movie Top Gun. A credible and reliable source of information if there ever was one.

Two…..Because when I tell guys that I am an F-18 pilot, the machismo and bravado that immediately comes from the left side of the cockpit becomes somewhat intolerable and I am forced to sit and listen to stories for the next 4 days that go something like……”Mike, did I tell you about the time when I landed my C-5 on a 15,000 foot runway with only 30,000 pounds of fuel in the tanks, with the weather at mins…… and oh, oh yeah, did I say it was at night.”

You gotta be shittin’ me!!!

Three…..Because, in their state of curiosity, invariably questions get asked about what flying the F-18 is like and what this business of Naval Aviation is all about. It is in my futile attempts to answer these questions that I have finally decided that it is impossible to do so.

How can anyone possibly explain Naval Aviation?

How do you explain what it has been like to have seen the entire world through the canopy of an F-18 like a living IMAX film?

How do you explain what is like to fly an engineering marvel that responds to your every whim of airborne imagination?

How do you explain the satisfaction that comes from seeing a target under the diamond disappear at the flick of your thumb?….. on time.

How do you explain cat shots……especially the night ones?

How do explain the exhilaration of the day trap?

How do you possibly explain finding your self at 3/4 miles, at night, weather down, deck moving, hyperventilating into your mask, knowing that it
will take everything you have to get aboard without killing yourself?

How do you explain moons so bright and nights so dark that they defy logic?

How do you explain sunrises and sunsets so glorious that you knew in your heart that God had created that exact moment in time just for you?

How do you explain the fellowship of the ready room where no slack is given and none is taken?

How do you explain an environment where the content of a man’s character can be summed up into two simple four-word phrases…….”He’s a good shit” or “He’s a @#*%@$ ‘ idiot.”

How do you explain the heart of maintenance professionals like Rudy and Frank who’s only enjoyment comes from taking care of our young Sailors and providing us with “up” jets to execute our craft?

How do you explain the dedication of our young troops who we burden with the responsibilities of our lives and then pay them peanuts to do so?

How do you explain the type of women who are crazy enough to marry into Naval Aviation, who endure long working hours and long periods of separation and who are painfully and quietly forced to accept the realization that they are second to the job?

The simple fact is that you can’t explain it. None of it. It is something that only a very select few of us will ever know. We are bonded for life by our proprietary knowledge and it excludes all others from our fraternity. As I will, no matter where you go or what do, you should cherish that knowledge for the rest of you life.

For when I am 90 years old sitting on my porch in my rocking chair and someone asks me what I have done with my life, I will damn sure not tell them I was an airline pilot, but rather I will reach into my pocket, pull out my Blue Dolphin money clip and tell them I was a Naval Aviator, I worked with the finest people on the planet, and that I was the Commanding Officer of the Blue Dolphins.

Mike “Beef” Wellington

Well said…

June 4th, 1942

2009-06-04T03:15:56-07:00

Pause...

Ponder...
Remember...

Honor...

From these honored aviators, Marines and Sailors - those departed and the few left with us, we draw our heritage...our ethos.

May they and their actions this day never be forgotten. And from their stand, may we evermore draw strength.
- SJS

Flightdeck Friday: NFO Copilot

2009-05-28T18:06:00-07:00

In the mid-80's, the VAW community in an attempt to address soaring OPTEMPO and a shortage of pilots tried the NFO Copilot program, wherein 2nd tour LTs and LCDRs were taken through a FRS NATOPS syllabus and qualified to fly right seat for day/VMC ops off the boat...

"So Scribe, what was it like as a mole copilot?"

By the way, I had 5 night traps before I saw my first "day" VMC trap from the right seat...

-SJS

Of Polished Planes

2009-05-26T22:05:12-07:00

Knowing how fond the Navy is of polishing anything made of metal, I thought many of you might be a wee bit impressed by the work of the folks at Superior Shine Detailing. No this is not a plug, just an observation of their fine work.

Besides, the President and founder of Superior shine, Joe Fernandez is a former Marine!

In 1986 I joined the U.S. Marine Corps where my love for cars continued. I detailed and repaired cars anywhere the Marine Corps sent me which includes Japan and Korea. I think I maybe the only person in Marine Corps history to get magazines like “Hot Rod” and “Car Craft” shipped to me out in the field.

A few years back I had the fortunate opportunity to be at the local airfield when what did my eyes spy? But a B-17 in the pattern!

That B-17 was “Fuddy Duddy” and I thought she was a beautiful bird then…

As you can see her, aluminum skin has taken on a bit of a patina after a few thousand flight hours. Wait till you see what Superior Shine has done to rectify that! Using over 50 pounds of polish and 600 man hours!

Before…

During…

After…

More images here [link].

If you need a plane shined maybe you might want to look into these guys? Polishing this war bird is evidently not their first big bird job, they also did “SAM 970” one of the 707’s used as Air Force One (now on display in Seattle).

Flightdeck Friday: The F6F-3/-5 Hellcat - Scourge of the Pacific

2009-05-14T16:28:38-07:00

5,156 victories (4797 by carrier-based F6F's) vs 270 lost in air-to-air combat (19.1:1 kill ratio);

305 Aces;

55 per cent of all aircraft destroyed by Navy/Marine aviators for all of WW2;

When WW2 began, the US fighter force (land- and sea-based) was woefully inadequate. Slow in speed and maneuvering, out powered in the climb, often times out-gunned and certainly outnumbered, the fighters that oversaw the US entry into the war were relics of an earlier age, even though most were relatively new production. P-40, F2A, F4F - even the vaunted P-38 all suffered various degrees of inadequacy. In the European Theater of Operations (ETO), the P-47 and ultimately the P-51 would rise to the top of the pile, asserting an ironclad air supremacy that knocked the Luftwaffe from its home skies. In the Pacific Theater - it was the Grumman F6F and specifically the F6F-3 and -5 models that gave the fast carrier task force its lethal offensive counter-air punch.

Begun in February 1938 as an improved derivative of the XF4F- 2 in which the Wright R-2600 replaced the R-1830, the F6F saw a fitful development period, not altogether surprising in light of the pre-war economic austerity that typified American planning prior to WW2. Development work ceased in late 1938 as emphasis had to be given over to the F4F while the design of its follow on proved especially problematic (in particular, the mating of the R-2600 to the relatively simple F4F airframe.

By 1940, the feedback coming from the war in Europe made it clear to Grumman that the current performance of the F4F would have to be dramatically improved to meet the threat. Work began anew on the dormant Design 33/33A. But Grumman wasn't alone in this endeavor - over at Vought, the XF4U-1 was taking form and Curtiss was busy with the XF14C. Of the three, the Navy favored the XF4U which seemed to be further along than the others. As such, Grumman had pretty much of a free hand in working on the XF6F. Ditching the last vestiges of the F4F design, the Grumman team moved on to a larger, heavier aircraft that that bore faint resemblance to the F4F. In turn, the new design emphasized ease of production and maintenance, better forward visibility, a wider track landing gear, increased range (by over 300 nm), airspeed and armor. Liking what it saw, the Navy ordered two prototypes on 30 Jun 1941, coincident with the F4U being ordered into production. While the first prototype was fitted with the R-2600, all subsequent models were fitted with the more capable Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy placed an order for 1080 F6F's to be powered by the R-2600 and delivered Sept 42. Subsequent orders brought the total to over 12,000 F6F's built and delivered - all at the Bethpage plant. (ed. during one of the delivery missions to pick up a new Hawkeye from the plant at Bethpage, YHS had the opportunity to take a plant tour and saw the presses that were used for the production of the F6F - which was then being used for new production aircraft including the E-2. - SJS)

The XF6F-2 prototype first flew on 26 Jun 42 - only a couple of weeks after the defeat administered to the IJN at Midway. Trials continued until August when it was modified to XF6F-3 configuration with the conversion to the more powerful R-2800. Flight trials with the first and second prototypes continued apace and were relatively trouble--free save the teething problems with the new R-2800 and a tail flutter condition during high-speed dives which was solved by strengthening the rear fuselage. The first production model flew that October and by January 1943, were entering operational status beginning with VF-9, based at NAS Oceana, VA and assigned to the lead ship of the next class of carrier, the Essex (CV 9). The first air-to-air victory came in the very first combat employment on 31 Aug 43 by LT Richard Loesch during an attack on Marcus Island. The rest - as they say, was history.