Grumman F4F Wildcat

The F4F Wildcat was a fighter aircraft made by Grumman. It first flew in 1937, and was introduced in 1940. It was used in the Pacific during the early years of World War II. It could take off from aircraft carriers. During the war, it mainly fought the A6M Zero. Because the Wildcat was not beating the Zero, a new airplane was made called the F6F Hellcat. The Wildcat continued to fight in places where the Hellcat was too big, and was retired in 1945.

F4F Wildcat
F4F-3 in non-reflective blue-gray over light gray scheme from early 1942
Role	Fighter aircraft
National origin	United States
First flight	2 September 1937
Introduction	December 1940
Retired	1945
Primary users	United States Navy United States Marine Corps Royal Navy Royal Canadian Navy
Number built	7,885

Grumman F4F Wildcat Media

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  The XF4F-3 in 1939; it was written off in a fatal accident on 16 December 1940

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  An early F4F-3 with prop spinner and cowling guns

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  A Fleet Air Arm Wildcat in 1944, showing "invasion stripes"

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  F4F-4s on Guadalcanal, 1942

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  Three U.S. Navy Grumman F4F-3/3A Wildcats of Fighting Squadron VF-5 from the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) flying in formation, circa 1941.

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  The F4F-3S "Wildcatfish", a floatplane version of the F4F-3. Edo Aircraft fitted one F4F-3 with twin floats.

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  One of the main features of the F4F-4 were the Sto-Wing-design folding wings, a Grumman patented design

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  FM-2s from White Plains, in June 1944, with 58 gallon drop tanks

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  A three view drawing of the proposed XF2M-1.

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  The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation at Bethpage, Long Island (USA), on 12 October 1940. The aircraft visible is most probably a G-36A. This was the export version of the F4F Wildcat for France. After the defeat of France in June 1940, all contracts were taken over by Britain. The planes were reequipped with British/US equipment and gun by Blackburn and renamed Martlet Mk.I.