Hellcat versus Wildcat at Philippine Sea

Could the US Navy have done as well with the F4F Wildcat, or did the F6F Hellcat make that much difference?

The Wildcat still had value, but by 1944 the Hellcat's power, ruggedness, reliability, and safer carrier handling made it the better fighter for the Philippine Sea fight.

The Hellcat was more than a simple replacement fighter. The Wildcat might still have done almost as well in some circumstances because a carrier could carry more of them, and it remained useful on escort carriers. By 1944, however, the Hellcat's power, ruggedness, reliability, and safer carrier handling mattered. The comparison connects aircraft design and carrier capacity to the air-defense outcome of the battle.