
Historical Information | |||||
Caption | F6F-3K Hellcat fighter painted bright orange while being in service as a target drone, post-WW2 ww2dbase | ||||
Date | 1946 | ||||
Photographer | Unknown | ||||
Source Information | |||||
Source | ww2dbaseUnited States Navy via Wikipedia | ||||
Link to Source | Link | ||||
Related Content | |||||
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Licensing Information | |||||
Licensing | Public Domain. According to the United States copyright law (United States Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105), in part, "[c]opyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government". Please contact us regarding any inaccuracies with the above information. Thank you. |
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Metadata | |||||
Added By | C. Peter Chen | ||||
Photo Size | 421 x 257 pixels |
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Visitor Submitted Comments
2.
Bill says:
9 Jan 2016 08:30:39 PM
POST-WAR SERVICE:
In the post-war years the F6F Hellcat continued
to serve aboard carrier air groups, naval air stations and reserve units, until replaced by the AD Skyraider and early jet fighters.
TARGET DRONE: F6F-K's (DRONES)
Drone Hellcats were also used as targets for Navy and Marine pilots in air-to-air gunnery practice. Less fortunate F6F-3's and F6F-5's were converted into target drone aircraft as F6F-3K's and F6F-5K's. These aircraft were used as an early form of surface to surface missile that was radio controlled and carried a 2,00lbs / 907kg, warhead to bomb bridges in North Korea, some were equipped with a TV camera, for strike results. Controlling aircraft were Douglas AD-4Q Skyraiders.
ATOMIC HELLCATS:
Special drone Hellcats were used to fly through radioactive cloud to collect air samples during Operation Crossroads testing Atomic Weapons, Bikini Island in the Pacific.

9 Jan 2016 08:30:39 PM
POST-WAR SERVICE:
In the post-war years the F6F Hellcat continued
to serve aboard carrier air groups, naval air stations and reserve units, until replaced by the AD Skyraider and early jet fighters.
TARGET DRONE: F6F-K's (DRONES)
Drone Hellcats were also used as targets for Navy and Marine pilots in air-to-air gunnery practice. Less fortunate F6F-3's and F6F-5's were converted into target drone aircraft as F6F-3K's and F6F-5K's. These aircraft were used as an early form of surface to surface missile that was radio controlled and carried a 2,00lbs / 907kg, warhead to bomb bridges in North Korea, some were equipped with a TV camera, for strike results. Controlling aircraft were Douglas AD-4Q Skyraiders.
ATOMIC HELLCATS:
Special drone Hellcats were used to fly through radioactive cloud to collect air samples during Operation Crossroads testing Atomic Weapons, Bikini Island in the Pacific.
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14 Aug 2010 10:24:23 PM
F6F-3K Hellcats were converted into target drone aircraft.
Other F6F-3K Hellcats were used as drone
aircraft in Operation Crossroads, the Atomic
bomb tests, Bikini Atoll, July 1946