Grumman F4F Wildcat

The Grumman F4F Wildcat is an American fighter plan for aircraft carrier which was brought into service within the US Navy and of the Fleet Air ARM British in 1940.

Design

The company Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, founded in 1929 to design floats of Seaplane, was not long in designing its first plane, the XFF-1, in 1931, a biplane whose principal characteristics were a landing gear retracting in the fuselage, a closed cockpit and a construction entirely out of metal. After usehaving used some specimens of them, the US Navy ordered then to him an improved hunter, F2F-1 then its successor, the F3F, which arrived in the units of combat in 1938.

Whereas the F3F-1 underwent its program of evaluation, in November 1935, Navy launched a new invitation to tender; Gruman answered it by proposing its G-16 model whose US Navy ordered a prototype under the designation of XF4F-1, the plane stole the March 2nd 1936, but no ordering of series ends. Following the ordering of the prototype of the monoplane Brewster F2A Buffalo in June, Grumman decided to retort with its own monoplane, the XF4F2, which was him also ordered the July 28th. The September 2nd 1937, Bob Hall made accomplish its first flight with the XF4F-2. The monoplane propelled by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830-66 Twin Wasp of 1050 horses, had the same distinctive features that its biplane ancestors, it was armed with two machine-guns of 12,7 mm in the engine cowling and two others could be added in the wings, like two bombs of 50 kg in lower part.

The two prototypes were then tested intensively by the navy to determine the best. However the April 11th 1938, following an engine failure, the XF4F-2 was seriously damaged and thereafter US Navy decided in favor of Brewster in June, even if it were impressed by the performances of the XF4F-2. The Grumman team turned over to her drawing boards and, the February 12th according to, the XF4F-3 took its take-off. The new plane was motorized by R-1830-76 of 1200 ch, had had also its redrawn wings and its empennage; it was evaluated by the pilots of Navy from March to May, then returned in factory to eliminate the defects from stability and cooling met. The dihedral of the wing was then increased by a degree, the surface of the ailerons was decreased whereas that of the rudder was increased. The difficulties of cooling of the engine were solved only by the assembly of a new propeller with broad blades. The tests by the navy were so encouraging, the top speed reached being of 537 km/h, that thirty four planes were ordered as of August, whereas the evaluation was not completed; this one ended in the accident of the prototype in December. But in February 1940, the first specimen of series left the assembly lines of the factory of Bethpage, and was used to finish the development of the model, the second followed in July, they were both armed with two machine-guns of cap of 7,62 mm and of two of wings of 12,7 mm, the fuel tanks were pressurized to facilitate the engine supply to high-altitude. The following will be armed only with four 12,7 mm in the wings, and of the armor-plates and the reinforcements of the landing gear in will be assembled.

Engagements

The F4F Wildcat was used on all the theaters of operation of the Second world war by the US Navy. However, from his design, one primarily finds it in the Pacifique.

In Europe, it intervenes in particular on the Mediterranean theater (MTO) by taking part in the unloading of Provence within the Task force 88.

Alternatives

XF4F-1 prototype biplane
XF4F-2 1st prototype monoplane, driving R-1830-66 of 1 050 ch, 2 machine-guns of 12,7 mm on the cap.
XF4F-3 2nd prototype monoplane, driving R-1830-76 of 1 200 ch, 2 machine-guns of 12,7 mm in the wings and two of 7,62 on the cap.
F4F-3 version of series, driving R-1830-76 then 90 of 1 200 ch, 4 machine-guns of 12,7 mm in the wings, 285 specimens.
Martlet I (designation machines G-36A) version of series, driving R-1820-60 of 1 200 ch, 4 machine-guns of 12,7 mm in the wings, ordered by the France they finished in the Royal Navy, 81 specimens.
F4F-3A (designation machines G-36B) series production based on the XF4F-6, driving R-1830-, 195 specimens.
Martlet II designation of 100 F4F-3A in service in Royal Navy.
Martlet III designation of the 34 F4F-3A intended for the Greece and brought into service in Royal Navy.
F4F-4 second version of series, driving R-1830-86 of 1 200 ch, 6 machine-guns of 12,7 mm in the wings, wings folding, November 1941, 1.389 specimens.
Martlet IV designation of the 220 F4F-4 in service in Royal Navy.
XF4F-5 two prototypes used for the tests of Wright engines, April 1940.
prototype XF4F-6 with R-1830- engine, November 1940.
F4F-7 version of recognition, with capacity of the reserves of 2590 liters, autopilot, 100 ordered, 21 products, first flight on December 30th, 1941.
prototype XF4F-8 with R-1820-56 of 1 250 ch, increased drift, November 1942.
FM-1 1.150 specimens of F4F-4 produces by Eastern Aircraft.
Martlet V designation of the 311 FM-1 in service in Royal Navy.
FM-2 F4F-8 produced by Eastern Aircraft, 4.777 specimens.
Martlet VI designation of the 340 FM-2 in service in Royal Navy.

Other characteristics

See too

List of the military aircrafts

Simple: F4F Wildcat

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