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 Grumman FM-2 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
Grumman FM-2 Armament: |
