| Caption | F6F-3K Hellcat fighter painted bright orange while being in service as a target drone, post-WW2 ww2dbase | ||||
| Photographer | Unknown | ||||
| Source | ww2dbaseUnited States Navy via Wikipedia | ||||
| Link to Source | Link | ||||
| More on... |
| ||||
| Photo Size | 421 x 257 pixels | ||||
| Added By | C. Peter Chen | ||||
| 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. |
Did you enjoy this photograph or find this photograph helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this photograph with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
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.
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.
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
Change View
Desktop ViewSearch WW2DB
News
- » Wreck of USS Edsall Found (14 Nov 2024)
- » Autumn 2024 Fundraiser (7 Nov 2024)
- » Nobel Peace Prize for the Atomic Bomb Survivors Organization (11 Oct 2024)
- » Wreck of USS Stewart/DD-224 Found (2 Oct 2024)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,150 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 43,917 timeline entries
- » 1,241 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 374 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 260 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,544 photos
- » 432 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944
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