Brewster F2A Buffalo

F2A Brewster Buffalo was the first hunter monoplane of the marine of the the United States, much lower than its principal contemporaries, it however was used at the beginning of the Second world war for lack of machines more powerful and been, for the same reasons, a certain success with export.

Design

The origin of the project goes back to at the beginning of 1936 and was in competition with the future Grumman F4F Wildcat, the prototype flew at the end of 1937. Squat, corpulent, with a median wing F2A1 is entirely metal, two Mitrailleuse S are placed at the top of driving hooding and two others in the wing.

The 9 first F2A1 were tested on the aircraft carrier Saratoga in December 1939, of the accidents due to the weakness of the landing gear and the problems of overheating of the engine led the US Navy to refuse the 43 other specimens of the initial order and to declare them good for export.

In July 1939 after various modifications (three-bladed Hélice, more powerful engine, modification of the tanks) F2A2 reveals better performances but also underwent a strong increase in its mass which burdened qualities with flight like the handiness and the climbing speed which were considered to be good for the previous models, the landing gear is always also fragile. The 9 F2A2 are also refused after tests.

But in January 1940, US Navy orders despite everything 108 F2A3 a version equipped with a Fuselage lengthened to add a fifth tank and with shielding behind the cockpit what still weighs down the plane.

A version F2A4 , equipped with a two-speed compressor and a pressurized cockpit will remain without following cause of its too high mass.

In 1939 front the urgency of the situation much of country turn to the United States, the Belgium order 40 F2A2 but none will arrive before the German invasion of May 1940, 38 of them will be recovered by the English forces and will be dispatched at once in the Far East with the 170 specimens ordered previously.

The Dutch send 72 F2A2 and 20 F2A3 with the the Indies Dutchwomen, as for the Finnish, they receive 44 F2A1 released by US Navy, on the whole 506 specimens will be produced, the last in May 1942.

Engagements

With US Navy

June 4th, 1942 at the time of the attacks Japanese against the island of Midway, twenty F4F3 accompanied by six F4F Wildcat intercept the planes Japan board, thirteen F2F3 and two F4F are cut down and only three of the eleven surviving hunters are still usable, after this disaster no F2A will not take part more has an action of war on the American side.

In the Mediterranean

Eighteen of English Buffalos and ex-Belgians intended for the Far East are diverted for the needs for the sector and are based, in September 1940, on the aircraft carrier Eagle . Their pilots then ask to return on… the biplane Gloster Gladiator. In May 1941, six of them will be sabotaged in Crete, the others will be declared inapt in Egypt at the beginning of the same year.

Against the Japanese

Buffalos dispatched of Europe form several will squadrons English, Australia NS, New Zealand with Singapore and in Burma, but good number of them will not be used for lack of spare parts. Dutch Buffalos equip three units of which one of drive. After the Japanese invasion all these units are confronted with much higher apparatuses: the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa and famous A6M ZEKE the Zero. Moreover Japanese pilots are tested much than the pilots combined coldly left the schools. Buffalos are not long in disappearing from the Malayan sky; confrontations with the revolving Japanese hunters often with the massacre. At the end of January 1942, it does not remain enough any more of planes to form a squadron in Singapore, and during the evacuation at the beginning of February, only four Buffalos join Sumatra. Very rare Buffalos survivors are withdrawn from the service to the profit of more modern planes in March.

In Finland

Been able to too late take share with the War of Winter, Finnish Buffalos will be used as from June 1941 against the Russian and the small corpulent hunter will be very appreciated Finnish pilots for several reasons: the pilots are very tested, the colder climate avoids the overheating of the engines and it is the first modern hunter used by the Finns. Vis-a-vis the hunters used by the Russians Polikarpov I-16 Ishak, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, LaGG-3, Mig-3, Yak-1, Hurricane and Airacobra, they will obtain astonishing results, when in April 1944 they are transformed on BF 109 G, twelve of the pilots of Buffalos are credited of more than 10 victories.

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