The Hellcat is an American World War II fighter plane in Empires: Dawn of the Modern World. The best fighter plane for the United States can launch from the USS Enterprise and strike land, air, and sea targets.
Strengths[]
- Good vs. bombers and land units.
Weaknesses[]
- Weak vs. anti-air units and gun infantry.
Description[]
Grumman's F6F "Hellcat" was the most successful US Navy fighter aircraft of WWII. Initially designed in 1941 as a replacement for the Navy's F4F "Wildcat" fighters, the Hellcat benefited from the early-war discovery of a nearly intact Japanese A6M "Zero" fighter on an Alaskan island. Based on analysis of the captured plane, the Hellcat was given a larger engine and thus a leg up on its most likely opponent. When the F6F went into combat in 1943, its pilots soon dubbed it the "Aluminum Tank," for the amount of damage it could absorb. With six .50 calibre machine guns, the Hellcat could shred any Japanese plane it met. As one of the largest single engine fighters of the war, the Hellcat was fast (380 MPH), tough and durable, yet also very manoeuvrable. In battles like that over the Philippine Sea in June of 1944, the F6F racked up impressive kill ratios against Imperial Japanese aircraft; in that engagement, the Hellcats took down nearly 350 Japanese planes for the loss of the 30 of their own.
In Empires, the Hellcat continues this proud legacy. In addition to being a powerful aerial defender, these carrier-borne fighters offer the American player a form of stealthy air power, independent of fixed and vulnerable land bases. No matter how thoroughly a foe pounds the United States' airfields, the F6F at sea will always be ready to take the fight to the enemy. Capable of carrying two 1,000 pound bombs or six 5" rockets, the Hellcat is also particularly effective against enemy ships, a role it also performed well historically. Tough, mobile, and hard-hitting, the Hellcat is one of the signature aircraft the United States fields in the World War II era in Empires, and for good reason. No other craft exemplifies the American virtues of power, durability, and flexibility, in the air or at sea.
As the cornerstone of a seagoing air force, the Hellcat is an aircraft that Empire players will come to love, or fear, depending on which side they are playing. Capable of striking land, air, and naval targets with equal ease, and launching from mobile and hard to catch carrier forces, the F6F can change the course of a game, just as it helped the USN change the course of the Pacific war against Japan.[1]
See also[]
References[]
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