Hellcat Junkies

[devgru]

I know there are some hellcat junkies out there so im calling out for a little help.  Any tips would be VERY appreciated or if anyone was willing to help in the TA with some ACM and details on that bird.  Thanks for ANY help (videos would also be nice)

[Guppy35]

Look for the guys from H.U.M.P.

That's the Hellcat Uber Manly Pilots association

[BaldEagl]

The F6F Hellcat is the one plane I fly more than any other but only for the reason that it's, in my opinion, one of the best attack platforms in the game and is a reasonably capable fighter after the ord is gone.

First the attack part.  I usually climb to 8-10K over my target and dive in at 40 degrees or more typically dropping bombs on the early passes and firing rockets later on.  You can take your dive past the point of airframe stress but you have to be careful (gentle) pulling out as the F6F has a nasty tendancy to snap wings pulling out of a high speed dive.

Once the ord is gone, or if you didn't take any to begin with, try to keep reasonable speed (200-225 minimum).  The F6F doesn't climb that well so you'll want enough speed to get it over the top.

It's best in the energy fighting game.  Try not to get it wallowing slow on the deck.  It has another nasty tendancy and thats to stall out from under you when you get it too slow.

Don't get me wrong here.  The F6F can turn fight but it's best done with a little speed.  That said, once you get used to the stall you can get slow if you have to.  I've out-dueled Spits one-on-one with the F6F before so it's no slouch but that snap-roll still jumps out and bites me once in a while even after hundreds of fights in it.  

When Turn fighting use flaps.  Use 1-2 notches briefly to improve instantaneous turn rate or to get over the top.  Don't leave them out longer than you have to.  Wing-over reversals are also well suited to the Hellcat.

Hope that helps.  Have fun.

[FBplmmr]

I used to fly it almost exclusively(do not take this to mean that i flew her well lol) but I have been trying to learn the Corsair

the Hellcat is a great plane - it will take plenty of damage - 6 x 50s will saw off an adversaries wing in short order-it will dive very well - it will turn very good with flaps out - it has a cupholder - it has good vision from the co ckpit
it will fly home with half a wing shot off on one side!-its blue!


I found that on a merge i liked to nose down and gather/hide  speed and be on my way up by the time we crossed.

then depending on what the other guy did try to not gather too much speed on the down but wep the crud out of it on the way up with all the flap you can get out to get you over.(throttle management and flaps are as always the key to success)

when you fly it for a while you will get used to always gathering a little speed and then find you are going too fast when you get in something else hehe


she is a sweetie and I miss her but I am trying to not use the Cat as a crutch  and I really want to learn the Hog
 ps someone once said the Hellcat isnt great at anything, but it does everything well.  I take that to mean you drive it how you need to depending on what you are up against.


Did I mention, She is blue?!!!

[TequilaChaser]

I have always requested people learning a new plane to fly that particular plane offline and/or in the TA and REALLY PUSH it's flight envelope.......

find out how fast you can go and pull instantaneous turns and "ride the tunnel" at high G turns, how fast can you kick the rudder and do horizontal scissoring....and take it down to the other end of the flight envelope and push it as hard as you can riding the stall horn/light buffet to almost no buffet ( NOT  A HEAVY BUFFET SHAKING )

riding the edge of the stall, you have a few aduible clues to help you, the  stall horn starts out at a very low volume and increases to loud, find the sweetspot  right near mid volume to a little less.....

find out what minimal speed you need to pull the nose up vertical ( as in straight up and hold it there for about 5 seconds, or even see if you can hold it straight vertical  until the mph gauge drops to "0" )

find out what minimal speed ? E you need to perform a loop, with and without flaps

find out  the minimal speed you need to perform an Immelman, with and without flaps

find out the minimal speed needed to perform a double immelman ( no flaps 1st 1/2, bring flaps in 2nd 1/2 of this maneuver )

find out the absolute lowest altitude you can pull off a TRUE Split ess maneuver ( when I say True I mean a comple vertical down Split ess, no 1/2 way sliceback crap )

practice diving and unloading your G's ( to gain speed quicker )

practice an unloaded climb ( pull stick back when at speed  say 300 to 350 or 400, pull nose to 30 degree to 80 degree above horizon and let go of stick - unload the G's )

practice zoom climbs ( almost like an unloaded climb except you start at speed say 325 to 450 mph, quickly but gently ( no blacking out) pull nose to roughly 45degree to 80 dgree or anywhere in between and unload the G's then a gentle push forward on the stick to rest the G - meter on "0" G's, as you begin to slow down in the climb you will also be leveling out and still have a sufficient 200 +/- IAS to work with...practice between the 2 types and time them see the difference, make it work into your flying style....

then work on how quick you can perform a pitchback maneuver, or how quick you can exert a sliceback maeuver

Hi- yoyo's......Low yoyos.......

then push the plane to the edge, find the edge, learn to fly the plane beyond the edge of the flight envelope ( to where you are stalling or beginning to stall, then learn to bring it back with out departure into a spin....

push the plane even further now, push it hard........make it depart into a spin ( think cross controls of  alieron/elevator/rudder )....then practice recoverying the spins quickly with minimal loss of altitude.

learn to use Rudder Stomp and opposite aileron to actually ride/control a spin to say 1/4 turn and recover
1/2 turn and recover
3/4 turn and recover
full turn, 1 1/2 turn..........

I would bet  my last dollar most of the top 5% of players ( we will call them the COD's of AH  rofl..heheh ) do this for each ride they fly frequently and often......

then go work on energy management, SA ( situational awareness ), Gunnery.....

when you begin to start truely using flaps in the right way, you will need to understand throttle management as well, flaps / throttle management & Aircraft speed all work hand in hand with each other.........when a plane has muilti position flaps,  each flap setting is only good for a particular speed range. One must learn these speed ranges for each flap setting.practice using them.then learn it like it is second nature, to where you can visually see and actually feel the plane/controls start to struggle and you know without a blink of the eye you need to drop a notch or raise a notch......

I used to honestly do this in many days gone by, because I wanted to be one of the best in certian planes way back in Airwarrior , I dove in hard and gave it my all, competition is good for the soul....I did it some in AH1 and very seldom do I bother anymore, and it really shows that I don't......Widewing does, and it truely shows he does

but you get out of it what you put in to it......It is up to each of us as an individual to have the will to push ourselves as far as we can in learning everything we can but do it in a paceing manner do not rush it. Once you think you have reached the end, then push yourself that extra mile on top of that!!!

and as Shaw quoted in his book

"Know and use all the capabilities of your airplane. If you don't, sooner
or later, some guy who does use them all will kick your ass."
                                 Lieutenant Dave"Preacher"Pace, USN
                                 U.S.Navy Fighter Weapons School Instructor


my apologies for the long diatribe here, hope this helps some of you in your quest to learn  ~S~

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