The Grumman F4F Wildcat first flew in September 1937, it had been designed to meet the USN's need for a new carrier based fighter aircraft but also served with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as the Martlet. In mid 1942 in order to free-up their production lines for their new F6F Hellcat, Grumman contracted GMC to build the Wildcat for them, General Motors went on to build an improved design prototyped by Grumman fitted with the more powerful 1,350 hp Wright R-1820 engine and a new larger tail fin to counteract the increased torque, the new version was designated the "FM-2 Wildcat", these aircraft served with both the USN and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (as the Wildcat Mk VI) where it acquired the nickname of the Peanut Special. Grumman FM-2 Wildcat Specifications: Wing Span: 38 feet Length: 28 feet 11 inches Gross weight: 8271 pounds Engine: Single 1,350 hp Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone single-row radial engine Maximum Speed: 332 mph
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