FM-1 Wildcat | |
|---|---|
| Pays | Usa |
| Première mouche | Le 2 septembre 1947 |
| Construit | 7885 |
Lla Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy (as the Martlet) in 1940. First used in combat by the British in Europe, the Wildcat was the only effective fighter available to the United States Navy and Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater during the early part of World War II in 1941 and 1942; the disappointing Brewster Buffalo was withdrawn in favor of the Wildcat and replaced as units became available. With a top speed of 318 mph (512 km/h), the Wildcat was outperformed by the faster and more nimble 331 mph (533 km/h) Mitsubishi A6M Zero, but its ruggedness, coupled with tactics such as the Thach Weave, resulted in an air combat kill-to-loss ratio of 5.9:1 in 1942 and 6.9:1 for the entire war. GM produced the FM-1, identical to the F4F-4, but reduced the number of guns to four, and added wing racks for two 250 lb (110 kg) bombs or six rockets. Production later switched to the improved FM-2 (based on Grumman’s prototype XF4F-8) optimisé pour les opérations de petits transporteurs, avec un moteur plus puissant (le Wright R-1820-56 de 1 350 ch (1 010 kW)) et une queue plus haute pour faire face au couple.
Source: FM-1 Wildcat sur Wiki
Vues : 5853
