Grumman F3F - Bilder og video

Den Grumman F3F var det siste amerikanske dobbeltflyet som ble levert til USAs marine (faktisk den siste dobbeltdekkeren som ble levert til en amerikansk militær luftarm), og tjenestegjorde mellom krigene. Designet som en forbedring på en-seters F2F, gikk den inn i tjeneste i 1936. Den ble pensjonert fra frontlinjeskvadroner i slutten av 1941 før den kunne tjene i andre verdenskrig, og ble først erstattet av Brewster F2A Buffalo. F3F som arvet den Leroy Grumman-designede uttrekkbare hovedmonteringsutstyrskonfigurasjonen som først ble brukt på Grumman FF, fungerte som grunnlag for en biplandesign som til slutt utviklet seg til den mye mer vellykkede F4F Wildcat.

Kilde: Grumman F3F på Wikipedia

Den Grumman F3F was a biplane fighter aircraft produced by the Grumman aircraft company for the United States Navy during the mid-1930s. It was designed as an improvement on the previous F2F model, with a longer fuselage, increased wing area, and a more powerful engine. The F3F was the last biplane fighter to be delivered to any American military branch, as it was soon replaced by monoplane designs such as the Brewster F2A Buffalo and the Grumman F4F Wildcat. The F3F entered service in 1936 and was retired from front line squadrons at the end of 1941, before it could see action in World War II.
However, some F3Fs were used as training and utility aircraft until 1943. The F3F had a single-seat cockpit, a Pratt & Whitney R-1535 radial engine with 700 hp, and two fixed forward-firing machine guns. It had a top speed of 231 mph, a range of 530 miles, and a service ceiling of 28,500 feet. The F3F could also carry up to 110 lb of bombs for ground attack missions. The F3F was known for its excellent maneuverability and aerobatic performance, and was popular among its pilots and spectators alike.