Hellcat vs Spitfire - which would you take?

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

No argument the F6F was a high scoring fighter. Then again, the Hellcat did not have to fight against fighters of similar performance in a Battle of Britain, nor did it spend a couple of years flying over France and the Low Countries in a situation where the enemy held a tactical advantage, nor was it used in a theatre where its primary role was that of a low-altitude tactical fighter-bomber. Different scenarios, so hard to compare relative scores so easily.

You make a good point.

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

I can't make up my mind on whether you are blind, deluded, or merely insane.

Hey, it is my opinion. You can think the pile of ugliness called the Spitfire is pretty, but the Hellcat is way prettier in my opinion

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

In a dogfight with both planes close to base the Hellcat is in trouble. It is slower, can't climb as well, neither one has a real advantage in dive ( one may start quicker but be limited in top dive speed?), but the Spitfire can turn better. Hellcat is running out of options.

Armor can keep you from becoming dead, it often does NOT allow you to continue the fight with performance unimpaired. A couple of holes almost a foot across from 20mm shells in either fuselage or wing WILL slow you down even if they do no other damage.

Spitfire pilot has several choices for breaking combat almost at will. The F6F pilot does not.

The F6F is a lot better at a number of other jobs than the Spitfire though.

I still think the Hellcat could shred the Spitty, because it can if I think it can

 

[Jabberwocky]

On the kill claim numbers:

I've never seen a firm number, but from my own estimates using the Fighter Command War Diaries and other sources, the Spitfire had around 5,800-6,200 claims in the ETO alone. To that you'd have to add PTO, MTO and CBI kills - admittedly a lesser number, but certainly several thousand as Spitfires over Malta claimed ~600 kills in 1942 alone and at least 300 in 1943 over Sicily.

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

Care to provide some evidence for that statement?

Sure. As said by Aozora: No argument the F6F was a high scoring fighter. The Hellcat had 5,223 air-to-air kills. How many air-to-air did your Spitfire have?

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

On the kill claim numbers:

I've never seen a firm number, but from my own estimates using the Fighter Command War Diaries and other sources, the Spitfire had around 5,800-6,200 claims in the ETO alone. To that you'd have to add PTO, MTO and CBI kills - admittedly a lesser number, but certainly several thousand as Spitfires over Malta claimed ~600 kills in 1942 alone and at least 300 in 1943 over Sicily.

Do you know how many were air-to-air?

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

Care to provide some evidence for that statement?

Also, Wikipedia says: Hellcats were credited with destroying 5,223 aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm This was more than any other Allied aircraft.

 

[pbehn]

in the BoB ...no contest

 

[bobbysocks]

Well, once again Wikipedia lies

and maybe once again??

Also, Wikipedia says: Hellcats were credited with destroying 5,223 aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm This was more than any other Allied aircraft.

you are trying to fit one shread of information to qualify something as the best. it doesnt work that way....apples are apples...oranges are not

 

[redcoat]

Sure. As said by Aozora: No argument the F6F was a high scoring fighter. The Hellcat had 5,223 air-to-air kills. How many air-to-air did your Spitfire have?

The figures given for the Spitfire are all air to air, the RAF didn't count ground kills

 

[Glider]

Both were excellent aircraft and the number game is in my opinion superfluous. Both shot down considerable numbers of the enemy and there are many factors that could be brought into play none of which would add anything to the debate.

As to the original question Hellcat vs Spitfire - which would you take?
My simplistic reply would be - if I was flying from a carrier I would take the Hellcat, if from land the Spitfire. One has a performance advantage the other handling, robustness and range needed for carrier operations.

 

[KiwiBiggles]

I think all we can really take from this conversation is that someone in Oklahoma really likes the Hellcat.

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

Both were excellent aircraft and the number game is in my opinion superfluous. Both shot down considerable numbers of the enemy and there are many factors that could be brought into play none of which would add anything to the debate.

As to the original question Hellcat vs Spitfire - which would you take?
My simplistic reply would be - if I was flying from a carrier I would take the Hellcat, if from land the Spitfire. One has a performance advantage the other handling, robustness and range needed for carrier operations.

I agree. I would rather take the Hellcat for a CV and Spitty from the land. I mean, I love the Hellcat, but it wasn't as good operating from a ground base as the Spitty.

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

I think all we can really take from this conversation is that someone in Oklahoma really likes the Hellcat.

Yes, he does

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

I think the Spitty and the Hellcat are pretty equal in skill. Like I would probably take the Hellcat into most missions, and Spitty for taking out bombers and close fighters. If it was from a carrier, I would take the Hellcat just because it is in my opinion way prettier

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I think the Spitty and the Hellcat are pretty equal in skill. Like I would probably take the Hellcat into most missions, and Spitty for taking out bombers and close fighters. If it was from a carrier, I would take the Hellcat just because it is in my opinion way prettier

WRONG, especially if you're talking later model Spits. Do your homework!!!

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

WRONG, especially if you're talking later model Spits. Do your homework!!!

Hey, there was 2 versions of the Hellcat: F6F-3 and F6F-5 (not including the night fighter version). There was a lot (don't know exactly, but you do) of Spits. It would come down to the skill of the pilot and the determination. A TBF Avenger could take out a B-29, if it was a good enough version. Also, it says, "Which would you rather go into combat in?" And I would prefer the Hellcat

 

[USS Enterprise CV-6]

It is MY OPINION

 

[GregP]

Which Spits are you calling "later model" Spits?

I'm only asking because someone might say something like, "The Spitfire 21 was VASTLY superior to the Hellcat!"

To which I'd reply, "All 120 of them?"

From the XIV onward they made fewer than 3,000 Spitfires against 12,400+ Hellcats, of which almost 6,500 were F5F-5's.

 

[wuzak]

I would suggest that the Spitfire V (1940/41) was a match for the Hellcat (1943).

The Spitfire IX (1942), VII, VIII, XII (1943), XIV (1944), XVIII, 21, 22 (1945) were better than all versions of the Hellcat.