The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an iconic carrier-borne fighter used by the US Navy in the Pacific Theater of World War II. It was the second naval fighter monoplane, replacing the Brewster F2A Buffalo, which was the first one. Introduced in February 1940, a total of 7,825 Wildcats were produced, with the F4F-3 and the F4F-4 being the main variants. It was also employed by the US Marine Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force.
Although it lacked the speed and outstanding performance and maneuverability of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Grumman F4F Wildcat had a rugged and well-built fuselage and airframe as it could take up a lot of beating and still be able to fly. It also had considerable and lethal firepower, being equipped with six .50-caliber machine guns. In the hands of skilled and determined pilots, it was able to compile distinguished records during its first year of combat. When its successor, the F6F Hellcat, was not available yet, the F4F Wildcat played a key role in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway in May and June 1942, respectively.
Although the first prototype of the Wildcat, the XF4F-1, was not a trim monoplane but a high performance biplane, the US Navy saw that this biplane design was already outdated. Thus, on July 28, 1936, the Bureau of Aeronautics awarded Grumman a contract for the XF4F-2, which would be the first monoplane developed by this contractor. This aircraft was powered by one Pratt & Whitney SC-G twin-wasp 14-cylinder, air-cooled engine. It was first flown on September 2, 1937, by pilot Robert L. Hall.
Technical Characteristics
The Grumman F4F was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane. It featured dihedral, cantilever mid-wing, with squared-off tips. The wing and the fuselage were of an all-metal construction and utilized the newly developed 230-series airfoils. The ailerons were made of aluminum and covered with fabric. Split flaps were fitted to the wing trailing edge.
The airframe was all-metal, with stressed alloy aluminum skin. The cockpit was rather cramped and visibility was not good enough. The pilot was protected by a thick armor steel plate set up behind his seat. The fuel tanks were located in the wings and held 606 liters (158 gallons) of aviation gasoline.
Specifications (F4F-4)
Type: single-seat, carrier-based fighter
Length: 8.50 m (28 feet)
Wingspan: 11.60 m (38 feet)
Height: 3.60 m (12 feet)
Weight: 2,612 kg (5,746 pounds)
Power Plant: one 1,200-HP, Wright R-1830-36 Cyclone, radial piston engine, with two stage and two-seep supercharger.
Maximum Speed: 512 km/h (318 mph)
Range: 1,239 km (768 miles)
Ceiling: 12,010 m (39,400 feet)
Armament: six 12.7-mm (.50-cal.) Browning, air-cooled machine guns. Two 45-kg bombs.
Below, the F4F-3 version in flight as it banks left in the skies over California.
First production Wildcat out of the factory in 1940.
Below, a historical photo of a Grumman F4F Wildcat in flight in early June, 1942, right before the Battle of Midway.
A squadron of Wildcats on the flight deck of the Enterprise aircraft carrier.
A color photo of two F4F-4 variants in flight.
Grumann F4F Wildcat in action (video)