The Hellcat, along with the F4U Corsair, were the primary USN fighters during the second half of World War II. The Hellcat was the first USN fighter designed following combat with the formidable Japanese Zero and proved to be the most successful aircraft in naval history. The extensive monograph of this American fighter covers the whole story of the aircraft. Development chapter is followed by description of painting schemes and markings of British, American and other countries' Hellcats. Operational service is illustrated with a great number of photos - from first combats over Marcus, Howland, Baker and Wake, to the final victory and post-war period. Technical description and colour section complete the book. Several colour plates showing tail markings are noteworthy. About Aircraft Monograph This series is published entirely in English presents the most popular, most interesting and the best aircraft design of the 20th century. Every monograph describes particular airplanes in a complex way– it contains a history of its development, its historical background and manufacturing history, combat use, camouflage and markings and a detailed technical description. Complemented by hundreds of historical photographs illustrating the subject, plans in modelling scales, and colour profiles depicting the airframes of different times and units, Aircraft Monographs are a rich source of knowledge, not only for readers interested in aviation history, but also for modellers. The Monografie Lotnicze series is the counterpart of the Aircraft Monograph– these are the books in Polish, in most cases featuring the picture captions in English.