Replaceable engine one of Hellcat’s virtues

Published 11:54 am Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Why fiddle around with some cantankerous component in the engine compartment when you can pull the whole thing off and bolt another one on? QEC stands for quick engine change. It allowed you to get a misbehaving fighter, like the Hellcat, up and running fast while some other poor sailor figured out what the problem was with original power plant. While it’s certainly not as easy “plug and play,” it’s headed in that direction.

Our mechanics are currently building up the QEC for installation in the nose of the Flying Heritage Collection’s Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat.