Grumman F4F Wildcat

[David]

The F4F Wildcat development actually stemmed from an initial biplane design. Grumman, the principle contractor, was in competition with the Brewster monoplane design for the United States Navy's need of a true carrier-borne fighter aircraft. The initial biplane design, however, was never produced. Instead, Grumman reworked the initial design plans into a monoplane form (the aforementioned Brewster would go on to be accepted as the F2F Brewster, but the US Navy was so impressed by the reworked Wildcat design, then designated as the G-18 monoplane form the G-16 biplane project, that prototyping of the Wildcat would continue as the XF4F-2. Knowing this, one can see now why the fuselage of the Wildcat is so grossly exaggerated, hence the need to accommodate two sets of wings in the initial biplane design.
The F4F was initially armed with just four .50 caliber machine guns, but this would later be addressed with the addition of two more, bringing the front-facing firepower of the this aircraft to a full 6 x 12.7mm machine gun assortment. Alternate models would feature provisions for six 5-inch air-to-surface high explosive, unguided rockets as well as two 250lb bomb assortments. The F4F would also feature groundbreaking engineering in the way of self0sealing fuel tanks and foldable wing elements to assist in lower-deck carrier storage. Minor variations in tail system design and wing surfaces would be encountered from model to model but for the most part the base Wildcat stayed intact.
With impending all-out war in Europe on the doorstep of France, the French military placed orders for a first batch of Wildcats in 1939 (as did the US Navy in that same year). Unfortunately, the fall of France diverted this batch of aircraft into the hands of the British which promptly placed it into service with the British Fleet Air Arm. The British would change the Wildcat designation to the Martlet and deliver a few types in the series known as Mark I, Mark II, Mark III and the Mark IV. For the Mark V, which was essentially the XF4F-8 Grumman prototype, the British changed the designation once more to the FM series (in this case the FM-2), dropping the Martlet designations all together. Martlet production was handled by the East Aircraft Division of General Motors.
The United States Navy would field the F4F Wildcat by force, as the Wildcat was really the only principle option when America entered the war in 1941. To this end, the F4F in US Navy hands would be fielded in full until 1943 when the newer, sexier F6F Hellcats would splash onto the scene.
The United States Marine Corps would field land versions of the Wildcat, utilizing newly captured airbases in Guadalcanal to launch the first offensive strikes against enemy forces in the Pacific Theater of War. Wildcats proved so deadly efficient that a single squadron of Wildcat pilots was responsible for the downing of as many as 70 Japanese aircraft in the span of sixteen weeks. The Wildcat, in fact, would become the stuff of legends and aces for both the United States Navy and Marine Corps branches throughout the war in the Pacific.
The British Navy would also find success with their Marlets, taking on German aircraft and naval convoys. Two Martlets would be responsible for the first downing of a German plane when, in 1941, they intercepted a Focke-Wulf 200 Condor shadowing an Allied convoy. The Martlet would see action against Italian aircraft with similar results, and would go on to provide much needed carrier-based air support throughout the Mediterranean - most notably in the Western Desert of North Africa.
The F4F Wildcat proved to be a most powerful opponent, though outclassed by its Zero rivals. It was found to be somewhat instinctive to fly on the part of the pilot but was highly maneuverable and very well armed. Production for the Wildcat/Martlet lines ran upwards of over 6,000 aircraft. British models would see action up until the end of the war.
Specifications for the Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat:

Designation: F4F Wildcat
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Corporation
Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-86 Twin Wasp Air-Cooled Radial Engine (F4F-4 model)
Length: 28.7 feet
Wing Span: 38 feet
Weight: 5,785lbs (empty); 7,952lbs (Maximum Take-Off Weight)
Maximum Speed: 318 mph
Maximum Range: 770 miles
Armament: 6 x .50 caliber (12.7mm) machine guns; 6 x Air-to-Surface Unguided High Explosive Rockets; 2 x 250lbs of external bomb loadout.
Crew: 1
Models: G-16 - Biplane Prototype Order Designation; XF4F-1 - Official Order Designation; G-18 - Monoplane Prototype Reworked Design Designation; XF4F-2 - Monoplane Prototype for US Navy evaluation; 1,050hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-66 Twin Wasp radial engine; G-36 - Revised prototype with new tail design, larger wing surface and XR-1830-76 powerplant; XF4F-3 - G-36 Redesignation; F4F-3 - Official Production Order Model; F4F-3A - R-1830-90 powerplant; F4F-4 - Most common model featuring folding wings, improved armor protection, self-sealing fuel tanks and 6 x .50 caliber machine guns (up from 4 x .12.7mm count); F4F-7 - Long-Range Unarmed Reconnaissance Model.
British Model Designations are as follows: Martlet Mk I - British Designation of F4F-3 Model; Martlet Mk II; Martlet Mk III; Martlet Mk IV; FM-1 - Martlet Mk V Model (equivalent to the F4F-4 model featuring a R-1830-86 powerplant, 4 x .50 caliber machine guns and bomb provisions (The British would later abandon the Martlet designation in early January of 1944); FM-2 - Martlet Mk V based on XF4F-8 prototype featuring 1,350hp Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone engine, redesigned tail surface and provisions for 6 x 5-inch high explosive unguided rockets.
More Pictures of the Grumman F4F Wildcat Carrier-Borne Fighter

[sshelton]

Repairing an F4F Wildcat.

I need the roller chain that is used to raise and lower the landing gear on the F4F. Production was discontinued some time after WW2,

The chain is designated as 148X1/4 or 50X1/4. I believe these are Diamond Chain part numbers.

I can use any quanity.

Advise if you have or know anyone who may have old inventory.

Joe Shelton, 918 298 8435 ot 918 230 5555. Fax number 918 298 0486. Email sshelton@cox.net.