Originally designed as a biplane in the rapidly evolving aeronautical climate of 1936, the Grumman Wildcat quickly transformed into the familiar square-winged monoplane configuration before its first flight in 1937. It entered U.S. Navy squadron service in late 1940 and was America's most capable naval fighter in the early World War II battles at the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. By exploiting its advantages of firepower and armor and using advanced tactics such as the Thach Weave, the Wildcat competed successfully against the faster and more agile Japanese Zero. The first Navy ace of the war, Edward "Butch" O'Hare, achieved his aerial victories in the Wildcat. The Wildcat also served in Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa, and were operated by the British Royal Navy (known as "Martlets") in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Grumman Aircraft suspended Wildcat production in May of 1943 to concentrate on producing the new F6F Hellcat. The Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors continued to build Wildcats under license as the FM-1 and FM-2, which mostly operated from escort carriers, as Hellcats assumed the primary fighter role aboard fast fleet carriers. Generally similar to the Grumman-built F4F-4, the FM-2 was armed with four rather than six .50-caliber machine guns, but carrying about 10% more ammunition. The FM-2 also incorporated split flaps, a taller vertical tail, and other differences relative to the F4F-4. A total of 7,825 Wildcats were built, of which 5,837 were FM versions built by Eastern in their factory at Linden, New Jersey.
The Museum's aircraft is an FM-2 with the powerful Wright Cyclone R-1820 engine. The aircraft was accepted by the Navy on December 27, 1944 and assigned to squadron VC-93 aboard the escort carrier USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80). The aircraft's specific combat history is not known, but it is likely to have participated in the invasion of Okinawa in March 1945. It was stricken from active service in September 1945 and issued to the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center in Tacoma, Washington. After being featured in Armed Forces Day parades for more than a decade, the Wildcat was donated to the Seattle Parks Department in 1959, who installed it at the Astro Land park in White Center for several years. The deteriorating airframe was placed in storage and eventually rescued by the Pacific Northwest Aviation Historical Foundation (the predecessor organization to The Museum of Flight) in 1969.
Restoration of the FM-2 was initiated in the 1970s by PNAHF and individuals in the Navy Reserve at Sand Point, Washington. Later, members of the Washington Air National Guard at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane joined the project. The Museum of Flight took over restoration efforts in 1998.
This aircraft loan is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida.
Originally designed as a biplane in the rapidly evolving aeronautical climate of 1936, the Grumman Wildcat quickly transformed into the familiar square-winged monoplane configuration before its first flight in 1937. It entered U.S. Navy squadron service in late 1940 and was America's most capable naval fighter in the early World War II battles at the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. By exploiting its advantages of firepower and armor and using advanced tactics such as the Thach Weave, the Wildcat competed successfully against the faster and more agile Japanese Zero. The first Navy ace of the war, Edward "Butch" O'Hare, achieved his aerial victories in the Wildcat. The Wildcat also served in Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa, and were operated by the British Royal Navy (known as "Martlets") in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Grumman Aircraft suspended Wildcat production in May of 1943 to concentrate on producing the new F6F Hellcat. The Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors continued to build Wildcats under license as the FM-1 and FM-2, which mostly operated from escort carriers, as Hellcats assumed the primary fighter role aboard fast fleet carriers. Generally similar to the Grumman-built F4F-4, the FM-2 was armed with four rather than six .50-caliber machine guns, but carrying about 10% more ammunition. The FM-2 also incorporated split flaps, a taller vertical tail, and other differences relative to the F4F-4. A total of 7,825 Wildcats were built, of which 5,837 were FM versions built by Eastern in their factory at Linden, New Jersey.
The Museum's aircraft is an FM-2 with the powerful Wright Cyclone R-1820 engine. The aircraft was accepted by the Navy on December 27, 1944 and assigned to squadron VC-93 aboard the escort carrier USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80). The aircraft's specific combat history is not known, but it is likely to have participated in the invasion of Okinawa in March 1945. It was stricken from active service in September 1945 and issued to the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center in Tacoma, Washington. After being featured in Armed Forces Day parades for more than a decade, the Wildcat was donated to the Seattle Parks Department in 1959, who installed it at the Astro Land park in White Center for several years. The deteriorating airframe was placed in storage and eventually rescued by the Pacific Northwest Aviation Historical Foundation (the predecessor organization to The Museum of Flight) in 1969.
Restoration of the FM-2 was initiated in the 1970s by PNAHF and individuals in the Navy Reserve at Sand Point, Washington. Later, members of the Washington Air National Guard at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane joined the project. The Museum of Flight took over restoration efforts in 1998.
This aircraft loan is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida.