Captured F6F-5 Hellcat Yo-801: The Imperial Japanese Navy’s Evaluation Fighter

Among all American aircraft captured during the Pacific War, few are as fascinating as the Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat BuNo 71441. Unlike most Allied aircraft recovered only as wrecks, this Hellcat remained largely intact after a forced landing in Formosa (Taiwan) on 4 January 1945. The aircraft was recovered by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), repaired, evaluated in flight, and assigned the experimental code ヨ-801 (Yo-801).

Today, BuNo 71441 remains one of the best-documented examples of an American carrier fighter examined by Japanese engineers during the final months of World War II, making it a unique subject for aviation historians and scale modelers alike.

Service with USS Langley

The aircraft was manufactured by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation at Bethpage, New York, and delivered to the United States Navy as F6F-5 Hellcat Bureau Number 71441.

It joined Fighting Squadron VF-44 aboard the light aircraft carrier USS Langley (CVL-27).

The aircraft carried:

• White tail number 29
• Standard Gloss Sea Blue (ANA 623) finish
• No known nose art

The Mission over Formosa

On 4 January 1945, Lieutenant (jg.) Charles V. August launched from USS Langley as part of Strike “B”.

The mission included:

• Escorting six TBF Avenger torpedo bombers
• Strafing Kobi Airfield
• Destroying parked Japanese aircraft
• Attacking communication facilities

During repeated strafing runs, the Hellcat suffered engine failure.

Unable to return to the carrier, August successfully belly-landed near Kobi Airfield before being immediately captured by Japanese forces.

Lieutenant Charles V. August

Although initially reported as Missing in Action (MIA), Lt. August survived without serious injuries.

He became a prisoner of war and was transported to Japan, where he remained imprisoned until September 1945.

Following Japan’s surrender, he was liberated and returned safely to the United States.

Recovery by the Imperial Japanese Navy

Because the aircraft remained largely intact, Japanese ground crews recovered it from near Kobi Airfield.

Initially, the Hellcat was reportedly displayed as a war trophy near Kobi Shrine before being transported to Yokosuka Naval Air Base, one of Japan’s principal naval aviation research centers.

After repairs, the aircraft entered the evaluation program of the Yokosuka Kōkūtai.

Japanese markings were applied, including:

• Hinomaru national insignia
• White outlines around the Hinomaru
• Tail code ヨ-801 (Yo-801)

Evaluation Flights

Japanese test pilots flew the captured Hellcat to evaluate:

• Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine
• Maximum speed
• Climb performance
• Roll rate
• Dive characteristics
• Structural strength
• Pilot protection
• Self-sealing fuel tanks

Its performance was compared with front-line Japanese fighters including:

• Mitsubishi A6M Zero
• Kawanishi N1K-J Shiden
• Mitsubishi J2M Raiden

The evaluation confirmed why the Hellcat had become one of the U.S. Navy’s most successful carrier fighters.

Historical Debate: Was Yo-801 Repainted?

One of the most discussed questions surrounding Captured F6F-5 Hellcat Yo-801 concerns its camouflage after entering Japanese service.

Most published references conclude that the aircraft retained its original U.S. Navy Gloss Sea Blue (ANA 623) finish, while only the national insignia and identification markings were replaced with Japanese Hinomaru and the experimental tail code ヨ-801.

However, some aviation historians and experienced modelers have reached a different interpretation after carefully examining the surviving black-and-white photographs.

They suggest that:

• parts of the aircraft may have received local repainting during repairs,
• replacement panels could have been finished using available Japanese dark green paint,
• or limited overpainting may have been applied before flight testing.

At present, no surviving Japanese maintenance records, official repainting orders, or color photographs have been discovered to confirm a complete repaint into standard Imperial Japanese Navy camouflage.

For this reason, the prevailing historical interpretation remains that BuNo 71441 largely retained its original Gloss Sea Blue finish, although limited localized repainting cannot be completely ruled out.

This uncertainty makes Yo-801 one of the most intriguing camouflage research subjects of the Pacific War.

Final Days

During later evaluation flights, the Hellcat reportedly suffered another mechanical failure and performed a belly landing.

Without access to American spare parts, Japanese technicians abandoned the aircraft.

When U.S. occupation forces reached Yokosuka in September 1945, the Hellcat was found still wearing its Japanese markings, although several components—including the propeller, engine cowling, canopy and fabric-covered control surfaces—had already been removed.

The aircraft’s final fate remains unknown, but it was almost certainly scrapped shortly after the war.

Modeling the Captured Hellcat

The Captured F6F-5 Hellcat Yo-801 is one of the rarest and most attractive Pacific War modeling subjects.

Depending on the interpretation chosen by the modeler, two historically plausible finishing approaches exist.

Interpretation 1 (Most Widely Accepted)

• Overall ANA 623 Gloss Sea Blue
• Japanese Hinomaru
• White outlines
• White tail code ヨ-801
• Moderate operational weathering

Interpretation 2 (Research Interpretation)

• Overall Gloss Sea Blue
• Localized repainting with IJN Dark Green on repaired panels
• Slight tonal variations visible across selected areas
• Japanese markings and tail code

Although the second interpretation remains speculative, it has gained interest among researchers analyzing tonal differences visible in wartime photographs.

History of the Wrecked Zero A6M Fighter

Modeling Paint Guide

Historical Significance

Captured F6F-5 Hellcat BuNo 71441 represents one of the very few American carrier fighters that not only survived capture but also underwent systematic flight evaluation by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Its story combines operational combat, prisoner-of-war history, technical intelligence, and one of the most debated camouflage questions of the Pacific War.

More than eighty years later, Yo-801 continues to inspire historians, researchers, and scale modelers seeking to recreate one of World War II’s rarest and most mysterious captured aircraft.

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