F6F-3N “White 319” on the deck of USS Solomons (CVE-67)
During World War II, the US Navy developed two sub-variants of the F6F-3 Hellcat specifically for night fighting. The F6F-3E was created by converting eighteen standard F6F-3s and adding an AN/APS-4 radar in a pod mounted on a rack beneath the starboard wing. The cockpit was equipped with a small radar scope in the middle of the main instrument panel and radar controls on the port side. However, the later F6F-3N, which took its first flight in July 1943, was a more advanced night fighter variant. It was fitted with the AN/APS-6 radar in the fuselage and had an antenna dish in a bulbous fairing on the leading edge of the outer starboard wing. Weighing in at 250lb (113kg), 70lb (32kg) more than the AN/APS-4, it had a search radius of five to five-and-a-half miles (8-9km); in search mode it was effective down to 400ft (122m), and could detect a large ship at 20 miles (32km), while a task force could be detected as far away as 60 miles (97km). The main improvement over the earlier radar was the new “double-dot” display system. This system involved painting a “ghost” dot on the screen beside the true blip of the target, indicating its relative height above or below the night fighter. Additionally, the radar was straightforward to operate, requiring only six dials or knobs besides the on/off switch, and could be easily handled by a single operator while flying the aircraft.
A total of 205 F6F-3Ns were manufactured, with many featuring the improved integral armored glass windscreen found on the F6F-5. Identifying these F6F-3Ns can be tricky, as both night fighter variants, including the F6F-3E, were painted with the same tri-color scheme as the standard day fighters.