Grumman F6F Hellcat

Grumman F6F Hellcat. Top speed: 391mph/629kph. Armament: 6x Machine guns.

The Hellcat was the successor to the F4F Wildcat, improving on it in almost every way. It dominated the skies in the pacific when it was introduced, greatly outperforming the Japanese aircraft that it went up against. The Japanese pilots at this time were becoming increasingly poorer in their quality due to rushed training programs in an effort to replace ever growing losses. This, combined with the Allies rapidly growing technological superiority meant that Hellcat pilots claimed a staggering victory ratio of 19:1. It's important to note however that kill claims were often grossly exaggerated in part thanks to the chaotic nature of combat.