One was the premier US carrier-borne fighter of WWII that epitomized the term "Grumman Iron," the other is the massively powerful pinnacle of Dodge's muscle car heritage. So let's compare the raw data, Hellcat vs Hellcat, and see how close these heavy hitting American icons truly are to one another.
Manufactured:
SRT Hellcat: By Chrysler in Brampton, Canada
F6F Hellcat: By Grumman at Bethpage, New York
First Model Year:
SRT Hellcat: 2015
F6F Hellcat: 1942
Dimensions:
SRT Hellcat: L- 16.5ft W- 6.3ft H-4.6ft
F6F Hellcat: L- 33.6ft W- 42.8ft H- 13.1ft
Powerplant:
SRT Hellcat: Supercharged 6.2L HEMI V-8, 90-degree V-type, liquid-cooled
F6F Hellcat: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W air cooled "Double Wasp" two-row radial engine with a two-speed, two-stage supercharger
Cylinders:
SRT Hellcat: 8
F6F Hellcat: 18
Engine Output:
SRT Hellcat: 707hp
F6F: Hellcat: 2,000hp
Top Speed:
SRT Hellcat: 199MPH (est)
F6F Hellcat: 380MPH
Curb/Ramp Weight:
SRT Hellcat: 4,500lbs (est)
F6F Hellcat: 9,500lbs
Acceleration/Rate of Climb:
SRT Hellcat: 1/4 mile at about 11 seconds
F6F Hellcat: 3,500ft per minute
Takeoff Distance:
SRT Hellcat: About 200 feet to reach 60mph
F6F Hellcat: About 750 feet
Enhanced Stopping:
SRT Hellcat: Upgraded power brake booster and the next-generation ABS 100 anti-skid braking system
F6F Hellcat: Retractable tailhook
Fuel Capacity:
SRT Hellcat: 18.5 Gallons
F6F Hellcat: 250 Gallons (700 gallons with three 150 gallon drop tanks)
Fuel Type:
SRT Hellcat: Premium Gasoline/92 octane
F6F Hellcat: 100LL Avgas
Economy Range:
SRT Hellcat: 370 miles
F6F Hellcat: 750 miles (internal fuel), 1550 miles (with external fuel)
Cost To Fill Up:
SRT Hellcat: $75 @ $4 per gallon
F6F Hellcat: $1,500 internal fuel, $4,200 w/max external fuel @ $6 per gallon
Fuel Economy:
SRT Hellcat: 20MPG
F6F Hellcat: 3MPG clean, about 2.25MPG with external fuel tanks
Fuel Cost Per Hour Economy Cruising:
SRT Hellcat: $14
F6F Hellcat: $480
Time Till Empty Running At Max Sustainable RPM:
SRT Hellcat: About 13 Minutes
F6F Hellcat: About one hour
Cost For Service:
SRT Hellcat: Oil Change $180, tune up $525
F6F Hellcat: Annual Inspection: $15k, cost for engine rebuild $55k
Occupants:
SRT Hellcat: Five
F6F Hellcat: One
Rarity:
SRT Hellcat: 1200 cars (est 1st model year)
F6F Hellcat: 7 in airworthy condition
Full Coverage Insurance:
SRT Hellcat: $1,200 per year
F6F Hellcat: $60,000 per year
Armament:
SRT Hellcat: Whatever you can fit in the glove box (with the proper permit!)
F6F Hellcat: 6 x 0.5 inch Browning machine-guns with 400 rounds per gun and under-wing attachments for six rockets and up to 2,000 lbs of bombs
Win To Loss Ratio:
SRT Hellcat: Yet to be determined at the track and on the street
F6F Hellcat: 19:1 during WWII
Cost:
SRT Hellcat: $60,000 base
F6F Hellcat: $35,000 (1945), about $2M as a warbird today
So what will it be, F6F Hellcat or SRT Hellcat? Both are big and brutish pieces of American engineering, and neither come cheap. But consider what you get for the cost and they both seem like a relative bargain. The F6F was meant to tear apart Zeros and Kate torpedo bombers while the SRT Hellcat was meant to destroy super-tuned imports and every other muscle car at the drag strip. Either way, winning is worth its weight in iron, steel and currency, and both will impose flag-waving patriotism and American values on all those who dare to oppose them.
Tyler Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer that maintains the website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via the email address Tyler@Jalopnik.com