Title: Format: Date: Description:

F4F-3 Wildcat Displayed in Sunken Treasures Exhibit jpeg 2006 View of the F4F-3 Wildcat in the Sunken Treasures of Lake Michigan exhibit.

[1991.269.001] Aircraft - 'F4F-3 Aircraft, Bureau Number 4039'

F4F-3 Aircraft, Bureau Number 4039

Accession Number Accession Date Creator Date Created Object Desciption

1991.269.001 26/09/1991 Creator 9/5/1941 This F4F-3 Wildcat (Bureau Number 4039), which is displayed in the Underwater Treasures of Lake Michigan exhibit, is of diverse historical significance. This Wildcat was among the last of its type delivered to the Navy and is an example of the principal fighter plane with which the U.S. Navy commenced modern carrier warfare and operated during the Neutrality Patrol in the Atlantic during 1939 to 1941. The unique manner in which it is displayed shows the condition in which this and several other World War II Navy aircraft were recovered from the bottom of Lake Michigan prior to restoration and display. Bureau Number 4039 was accepted by the Navy on 5 September 1941, and delivered five days to Fighting Squadron (VF) 5 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Norfolk, Virginia. With this squadron the aircraft embarked in the carrier Yorktown (CV-5), which had moved from the Pacific Fleet in May 1941. From then until the attack on Pearl Harbor, she took part in Neutrality Patrols from the Caribbean to the North Atlantic, the planes of her air group covering convoy crossings to Great Britain against potential German U-boat (submarine) and air attack. The Neutrality Patrols were initiated by President Franklin Roosevelt in September 1939, with Congressional approval, under the Neutrality Act of 1937. With the approval of the Congress of American Republics, a neutrality zone was established out 300 miles from the coasts of North and South America. The patrols were intended to detect and deter any move by hostile forces into the Western Hemisphere. However, the Neutrality Patrols were often that in name only, the positioning of Navy forces being such as to expose them to contact with the Germans. Navy ships and aircraft were directed to report locations of German ships or aircraft in the clear so that British forces could take action. On 23 October 1941, shortly after assignment to VF-5, this airplane was reported to have suffered an engine/propeller casualty requiring repair at Creator Role

Manufacturer

Norfolk. The plane was transferred to Atlantic Fleet Air custody the following day and did not return to VF-5 until 9 March 1942, after being fitted with a new engine. The aircraft remained with VF-5, which remained on the East Coast while Yorktown deployed to the Pacific, until transfer to the new Escort-Fighting Squadron (VGF) 27 in April 1942. After a short-lived stay, on 8 May 1942, the aircraft was reassigned to Advanced Carrier Training Group (ACTG) Norfolk. That training service was interrupted on 29 May when Bureau Number 4039 was transferred to Norfolk authorities for a major overhaul. The Wildcat returned to the ACTG on 14 August and on the last day of the month transferred to Naval Reserve Aviation Base (NRAB) Glenview, Illinois, "for [Operational Training Unit] (OTU) Wolverine," one of two side-wheel excursion boats converted to training flat-tops to operate on Lake Michigan. The Wildcat was logged aboard on 1 September 1942. By that time the airplane had received yet another engine, probably during the August overhaul. On 17 September 1942, NRAB Glenview reported that BuNo 4039 suffered left landing gear, left flap, and propeller damage "from going off [the] flight deck." There is no indication that the plane left the ship altogether. Repaired, Bureau Number 4039 continued to operate from Glenview until 5 January 1943 when it flew to San Diego. The airplane had a brief stay at Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU) San Diego from January 1943 until returning to Glenview CQTU in March 1943. The airplane met its untimely end on 21 July 1943 when, during commencement of a take-off run aboard Wolverine, the right wing tip struck a parked TBF, spinning the Wildcat around, whereupon it left the deck tail-first and flipped over into the water. The Wildcat was stricken from the Navy aircraft inventory on 20 August 1943. Recovered from Lake Michigan in 1991, the aircraft is displayed in the condition in which is was recovered from Lake Michigan. Place of Origin Notes Bethpage, New York F4F/FM Wildcat In 1935, while its F3F biplane fighter was in the initial stages of testing, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation began work on a prototype, engaging in a competition with Brewster Aeronautical Corporation to provide the Navy's next carrier-based fighter. While Grumman proceeded with another biplane, designated the XF4F-1, Brewster engineers drafted plans for a monoplane, its expected performance clearly outclassing the biplane on Grumman drawing boards and prompting a reengineering of the XF4F-1 as a monoplane. Still incorporating the barrel-like fuselage of previous Grumman fighters, the XF4F-2 was a mid-wing design that boasted a top speed of 290 M.P.H. While the Navy chose to procure the Brewster, which was designated the F2A Buffalo, the sea service left the door open for Grumman to continue to develop the XF4F-2. The result was the XF4F-3, which incorporated the more powerful engine and revised control surfaces. Though heavier than the XF4F-2, the modified fighter could reach a top speed of 335 M.P.H. and, speed being life in air-to-air combat, the Navy ordered 54 production versions of the aircraft in August 1939. The following month, Germany invaded Poland, opening a world war in which the new fighter, nicknamed the Wildcat, was destined to play a prominent part. Initially delivered to Fighting Squadrons (VF) 4 and 7, in December 1940, the first examples off the assembly line having been delivered to Great Britain, where they served as Martlets, by the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor the Navy and Marine Corps operated 248 F4F-3 Wildcats. Design features of note included the fact that these first F4F-3s lacked folding wings, which was remedied in later versions to allow for easier storage in the limited space of an aircraft carrier. In addition, all Wildcats featured landing gear that had to be manually cranked up by the pilot using a handle near his right shin. It took thirty-plus turns of the crank to complete the task, a new Wildcat pilot instantly recognizable in the air a few minutes after take-off by the fact that the airplane proceeded to go up and down quickly, the result of the left hand holding the stick inadvertently going forward and back along with the pilot's right hand as he turned the landing gear handle. Naval aviation's front line fighter aircraft when the United States entered World War II, the F4F Wildcat contrasted sharply with its primary adversary in the Pacific, the vaunted Japanese Zero. While the former possessed unmatched maneuverability, rate of climb, speed and range, the

F4F's strength rested in its ruggedness and firepower. These elements, combined with tactics of mutual defense-most notably the "Thach Weave" developed by Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach- and slashing diving attacks against the Japanese fighter, enabled Wildcat pilots to more than hold their own against their counterparts in the vicious air battles at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal during 1942. The Wildcat had its greatest impact in the Pacific, but also served in the European Theater, including support of the landings in North Africa and operations from escort carriers in the continuing battle against German U-boats. Though Grumman-built Wildcats disappeared from the scene in 1943, the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors continued production of the design under subcontract. Boasting a more powerful Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone engine and a taller tail, the General Motors built Wildcats carried the designation FM-1/2 and operated primarily from escort carriers. Though employed in the close air support role in the Pacific, FM Wildcats faced down enemy surface ships during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, their pilots heroically making repeated strafing runs against battleships and heavy cruisers in an attempt to draw fire away from American escort carriers during the landmark engagement. All told, sixty-one pilots became aces while flying the Wildcat, which achieved a 6.9:1 kill to loss ratio in air-to-air combat during World War II. In addition, of the nineteen naval aviators who received the Medal of Honor during World War II, eight were F4F pilots. The inauguration of the National Museum of Naval Aviation's underwater aircraft recovery program in Lake Michigan during the early-1990s yielded a number of rare examples of Wildcats, which had crashed in the lakes waters during carrier qualification on board the training carriers Wolverine (IX 64) and Sable (IX 81). These underwater birds represent the bulk of the fourteen F4F/FM Wildcats owned by the museum. Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation Dimensions: Length: 28 ft. 9 in.; Height: 9 ft., 2 in.; Wingspan: 38 ft. Weights: Empty: 5,342 lb.; Gross Weight: 8,152 lb. Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney 1,200 horsepower R-1830-76, -86 engine Performance: Maximum Speed: 328 M.P.H at 21,000 ft.; Service Ceiling: 37,500 ft.; Range: 845 miles Armament: Four fixed forward-firing .50-in. guns and two 100 lb. bombs Crew: Pilot Aircraft in the Museum Collection F4F-3 (BuNo 3872)- On indoor static display F4F-3 (BuNo 4039)- On indoor static display F4F-3A (BuNo 3969)- On indoor static display FM-2 (BuNo 86747)- On indoor static display FM-2 (BuNo 16089)- On indoor static display F4F-3 (BuNo 12290)- In storage FM-2 (BuNo 55052)- In storage FM-2 (BuNo 16161)- In storage F4F-4 (BuNo 11828)- On loan to San Diego Aerospace Museum F4F-3 (BuNo 12320)- On loan for display at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois F4F-3 (BuNo 12297)- On loan to Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, New York FM-1 (BuNo 14994)- On loan to Valiant Air Command, Titusville, Florida FM-2 (BuNo 74161)- On loan to National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas

FM-2 (16278)- On loan to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, California

1990.574.001] Aircraft - 'F4F-3 Wildcat'

F4F-3 Wildcat

Accession Number Accession Date Creator Date Created Object Desciption

1990.574.001 01/12/1990 Creator 1941 Delivered to the Navy in June 1941, this F4F-3 Wildcat was first assigned to Fighting Squadron (VF) 72 on board the aircraft carrier Wasp (CV 7) and participated in the Neutrality Patrol in the Atlantic Ocean. Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the aircraft was briefly transferred to VF-9 before being assigned to Aircraft Carrier Training Group (ACTG) Atlantic. Earmarked briefly for transfer to Great Britain to equip Squadron 892 of the Royal Navy, it instead remained at Naval Air Station (NAS) Norfolk, Virginia, and underwent an extensive overhaul in November 1942. Assigned to Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU) Atlantic in January 1943, the following May it transitioned to the CQTU at Naval Air Station (NAS) Glenview, Illinois. On the afternoon of 17 August 1943, Lieutenant Albert Newhall was launching from the training carrier Wolverine (IX 64) in this aircraft when he allowed the torque of the engine to pull the plane to port with a final loss of positive control. The plane plunged into Lake Michigan, where it sank after Newhall was rescued. Recovered from the lake in 1990, the aircraft arrived at the museum that same year. Following restoration in the markings of VF-72, it was placed on display. Creator Role

Manufacturer

Place of Origin Notes

Bethpage, New York F4F/FM Wildcat In 1935, while its F3F biplane fighter was in the initial stages of testing, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation began work on a prototype, engaging in a competition with Brewster Aeronautical Corporation to provide the Navy's next carrier-based fighter. While Grumman proceeded with another biplane, designated the XF4F-1, Brewster engineers drafted plans for a monoplane, its expected performance clearly outclassing the biplane on Grumman drawing boards and prompting a reengineering of the XF4F-1 as a monoplane. Still incorporating the barrel-like fuselage of previous Grumman fighters, the XF4F-2 was a mid-wing design that boasted a top speed of 290 M.P.H. While the Navy chose to procure the Brewster, which was designated the F2A Buffalo, the sea service left the door open for Grumman to continue to develop the XF4F-2. The result was the XF4F-3, which incorporated the more powerful engine and revised control surfaces. Though heavier than the XF4F-2, the modified fighter could reach a top speed of 335 M.P.H. and, speed being life in air-to-air combat, the Navy ordered 54 production versions of the aircraft in August 1939. The following month, Germany invaded Poland, opening a world war in which the new fighter, nicknamed the Wildcat, was destined to play a prominent part.

Initially delivered to Fighting Squadrons (VF) 4 and 7, in December 1940, the first examples off the assembly line having been delivered to Great Britain, where they served as Martlets, by the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor the Navy and Marine Corps operated 248 F4F-3 Wildcats. Design features of note included the fact that these first F4F-3s lacked folding wings, which was remedied in later versions to allow for easier storage in the limited space of an aircraft carrier. In addition, all Wildcats featured landing gear that had to be manually cranked up by the pilot using a handle near his right shin. It took thirty-plus turns of the crank to complete the task, a new Wildcat pilot instantly recognizable in the air a few minutes after take-off by the fact that the airplane proceeded to go up and down quickly, the result of the left hand holding the stick inadvertently going forward and back along with the pilot's right hand as he turned the landing gear handle. Naval aviation's front line fighter aircraft when the United States entered World War II, the F4F Wildcat contrasted sharply with its primary adversary in the Pacific, the vaunted Japanese Zero. While the former possessed unmatched maneuverability, rate of climb, speed and range, the F4F's strength rested in its ruggedness and firepower. These elements, combined with tactics of mutual defense-most notably the "Thach Weave" developed by Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach- and slashing diving attacks against the Japanese fighter, enabled Wildcat pilots to more than hold their own against their counterparts in the vicious air battles at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal during 1942. The Wildcat had its greatest impact in the Pacific, but also served in the European Theater, including support of the landings in North Africa and operations from escort carriers in the continuing battle against German U-boats. Though Grumman-built Wildcats disappeared from the scene in 1943, the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors continued production of the design under subcontract. Boasting a more powerful Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone engine and a taller tail, the General Motors built Wildcats carried the designation FM-1/2 and operated primarily from escort carriers. Though employed in the close air support role in the Pacific, FM Wildcats faced down enemy surface ships during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, their pilots heroically making repeated strafing runs against battleships and heavy cruisers in an attempt to draw fire away from American escort carriers during the landmark engagement. All told, sixty-one pilots became aces while flying the Wildcat, which achieved a 6.9:1 kill to loss ratio in air-to-air combat during World War II. In addition, of the nineteen naval aviators who received the Medal of Honor during World War II, eight were F4F pilots. The inauguration of the National Museum of Naval Aviation's underwater aircraft recovery program in Lake Michigan during the early-1990s yielded a number of rare examples of Wildcats, which had crashed in the lakes waters during carrier qualification on board the training carriers Wolverine (IX 64) and Sable (IX 81). These underwater birds represent the bulk of the fourteen F4F/FM Wildcats owned by the museum. Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation Dimensions: Length: 28 ft. 9 in.; Height: 9 ft., 2 in.; Wingspan: 38 ft. Weights: Empty: 5,342 lb.; Gross Weight: 8,152 lb. Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney 1,200 horsepower R-1830-76, -86 engine Performance: Maximum Speed: 328 M.P.H at 21,000 ft.; Service Ceiling: 37,500 ft.; Range: 845 miles Armament: Four fixed forward-firing .50-in. guns and two 100 lb. bombs Crew: Pilot Aircraft in the Museum Collection F4F-3 (BuNo 3872)- On indoor static display F4F-3 (BuNo 4039)- On indoor static display

F4F-3A (BuNo 3969)- On indoor static display FM-2 (BuNo 86747)- On indoor static display FM-2 (BuNo 16089)- On indoor static display F4F-3 (BuNo 12290)- In storage FM-2 (BuNo 55052)- In storage FM-2 (BuNo 16161)- In storage F4F-4 (BuNo 11828)- On loan to San Diego Aerospace Museum F4F-3 (BuNo 12320)- On loan for display at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois F4F-3 (BuNo 12297)- On loan to Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, New York FM-1 (BuNo 14994)- On loan to Valiant Air Command, Titusville, Florida FM-2 (BuNo 74161)- On loan to National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas FM-2 (16278)- On loan to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, California Multimedia

Title: Format: Date: Description:

F4F-3 Wildcat Restored jpeg 1999 View of F4F-3 Wildcat following its restoration

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: Description: Right Side View of F4F-3 Cockpit jpeg 2005 Right side view of cockpit of the F4F-3 Wildcat.

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: Description: Left Side of F4F-3 Cockpit jpeg 2005 Left side view of cockpit of F4F-3 cockpit.

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: Front Cockpit View of F4F-3 jpeg 2005

Description:

View of front of F4F-3 Wildcat.

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: F4F-3 Arriving at the Museum jpeg 1990

Description: View of F4F-3 being unloaded at the museum following transport from Chicago following recovery from Lake Michigan.

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: Description: F4F-3 Arriving at Museum jpeg 1990 F4F-3 Wildcat arriving at the museum following its recovery from Lake Michigan.

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: Description: Side View of Restored F4F-3 jpeg 1992 Side review of F4F-3 following its restoration.

Title: Format: Date: Description:

F4F-3A Wildcat on Display jpeg 2009 View of the F4F-3A Wildcat on display in the museum.

[1993.436.001] Aircraft - 'F4F-3 Aircraft, Bureau Number 3969'

F4F-3 Aircraft, Bureau Number 3969

Accession Number Accession Date Creator Date Created Object Desciption

1993.436.001 06/08/1993 Creator 05/28/1941 The Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat was the first modern fighter in widespread Fleet and Marine Corps use. Entered service with VF-4 in 1940 and served with Marines on Midway. Based initially ashore, then on all carrier types. Served in Pacific, Atlantic, North Africa and Mediterranean. GMmanufactured models were designated FM-1 and FM-2. The F4F-3A was a variant of the F4F-3. It was lighter than the F4F-3, but lacked some of the performance of the -3 model, having reduced supercharging and intercooling in the Pratt and Whitney R 1830-90 engine chosen for it. The impGrumman F4F-3A Wildcat, Bureau Number (BuNo) 3969, on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation was the last of 65 F4F-3As delivered to the Navy and Marine Corps and, as such, was the last of the total 95 plane production run of the -3A. Though preceded in service by the Brewster F2A, the F4F-3 was the first modern fighter aircraft in widespread Fleet and Fleet Marine Force use. As such the type represents a singular advance in naval aviation. First as the F4F-3 fixed mid-wing monoplane and then, as the F4F-4, with folding wings more suitable for carrier use, the Wildcat deployed in both Navy and Marine squadrons in the opening Pacific battles that would eventually turn the tide against Japan in World War II. BuNo 3969 is displayed as it would have appeared early in 1941. act on performance centered on high altitude operations, at 16,000 feet and above. Fighting Squadrons (VF) 2 and 6 flew F4F-3As, but many went to Marine Corps squadrons. The first 30 of the contracted F4F-3A aircraft were intended for Greece. When Greece fell to Nazi Germany, the Creator Role

Manufacturer

Object Notes

airplanes were diverted to the British Royal Navy and designated the Martlet III, These planes operating principally in North Africa. The production run of the F4F-3A lasted from March to May 1941. By 7 December 1941 F4F-3As were deployed aboard Pacific carriers and at shore stations. Two were fitted locally to drop bombs and were flown in the defense of Wake Island. The Navy accepted BuNo 3969 on 29 May 1941. The aircraft was assigned to Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 111, two days later. BuNo 3969 was one of 16 F4F-3As assigned to VMF-111, which was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 11 based at Quantico, Virginia. In December 1941 all but one of MAG 11's squadrons were transferred to San Diego, VMF 111 and its Wildcats among them. BuNo 3969 was reassigned to Battle Force (BATFOR) in San Diego effective 26 December 1941, for service with Aircraft, Battle Force (ABF) Service Detachment. The airplane was transferred to Advanced Carrier Training Group (ACTG) Pacific on 31 March 1942. The ACTGs were a response to the accelerated demand for carrier-qualified naval aviators in the early months of World War II. Lacking available deck time among the seven carriers in service early in 1942, the ACTGs were flight-deck simulators laid out at shore facilities. The airplane remained in the San Diego area until November 1942. During this time is suffered landing gear damage and received a new engine. Place of Origin Notes Bethpage, New York F4F/FM Wildcat In 1935, while its F3F biplane fighter was in the initial stages of testing, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation began work on a prototype, engaging in a competition with Brewster Aeronautical Corporation to provide the Navy's next carrier-based fighter. While Grumman proceeded with another biplane, designated the XF4F-1, Brewster engineers drafted plans for a monoplane, its expected performance clearly outclassing the biplane on Grumman drawing boards and prompting a reengineering of the XF4F-1 as a monoplane. Still incorporating the barrel-like fuselage of previous Grumman fighters, the XF4F-2 was a mid-wing design that boasted a top speed of 290 M.P.H. While the Navy chose to procure the Brewster, which was designated the F2A Buffalo, the sea service left the door open for Grumman to continue to develop the XF4F-2. The result was the XF4F-3, which incorporated the more powerful engine and revised control surfaces. Though heavier than the XF4F-2, the modified fighter could reach a top speed of 335 M.P.H. and, speed being life in air-to-air combat, the Navy ordered 54 production versions of the aircraft in August 1939. The following month, Germany invaded Poland, opening a world war in which the new fighter, nicknamed the Wildcat, was destined to play a prominent part. Initially delivered to Fighting Squadrons (VF) 4 and 7, in December 1940, the first examples off the assembly line having been delivered to Great Britain, where they served as Martlets, by the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor the Navy and Marine Corps operated 248 F4F-3 Wildcats. Design features of note included the fact that these first F4F-3s lacked folding wings, which was remedied in later versions to allow for easier storage in the limited space of an aircraft carrier. In addition, all Wildcats featured landing gear that had to be manually cranked up by the pilot using a handle near his right shin. It took thirty-plus turns of the crank to complete the task, a new Wildcat pilot instantly recognizable in the air a few minutes after take-off by the fact that the airplane proceeded to go up and down quickly, the result of the left hand holding the stick inadvertently going forward and back along with the pilot's right hand as he turned the landing gear handle. Naval aviation's front line fighter aircraft when the United States entered World War II, the F4F Wildcat contrasted sharply with its primary adversary in the Pacific, the vaunted Japanese Zero. While the former possessed unmatched maneuverability, rate of climb, speed and range, the F4F's strength rested in its ruggedness and firepower. These elements, combined with tactics of mutual defense-most notably the "Thach Weave" developed by Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach- and slashing diving attacks against the Japanese fighter, enabled Wildcat pilots to more than hold their own against their counterparts in the vicious air battles at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal during 1942. The Wildcat had its greatest impact in the Pacific, but also served in the European Theater, including support of the landings in North Africa and operations from

escort carriers in the continuing battle against German U-boats. Though Grumman-built Wildcats disappeared from the scene in 1943, the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors continued production of the design under subcontract. Boasting a more powerful Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone engine and a taller tail, the General Motors built Wildcats carried the designation FM-1/2 and operated primarily from escort carriers. Though employed in the close air support role in the Pacific, FM Wildcats faced down enemy surface ships during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, their pilots heroically making repeated strafing runs against battleships and heavy cruisers in an attempt to draw fire away from American escort carriers during the landmark engagement. All told, sixty-one pilots became aces while flying the Wildcat, which achieved a 6.9:1 kill to loss ratio in air-to-air combat during World War II. In addition, of the nineteen naval aviators who received the Medal of Honor during World War II, eight were F4F pilots. The inauguration of the National Museum of Naval Aviation's underwater aircraft recovery program in Lake Michigan during the early-1990s yielded a number of rare examples of Wildcats, which had crashed in the lakes waters during carrier qualification on board the training carriers Wolverine (IX 64) and Sable (IX 81). These underwater birds represent the bulk of the fourteen F4F/FM Wildcats owned by the museum. Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation Dimensions: Length: 28 ft. 9 in.; Height: 9 ft., 2 in.; Wingspan: 38 ft. Weights: Empty: 5,342 lb.; Gross Weight: 8,152 lb. Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney 1,200 horsepower R-1830-76, -86 engine Performance: Maximum Speed: 328 M.P.H at 21,000 ft.; Service Ceiling: 37,500 ft.; Range: 845 miles Armament: Four fixed forward-firing .50-in. guns and two 100 lb. bombs Crew: Pilot Aircraft in the Museum Collection F4F-3 (BuNo 3872)- On indoor static display F4F-3 (BuNo 4039)- On indoor static display F4F-3A (BuNo 3969)- On indoor static display FM-2 (BuNo 86747)- On indoor static display FM-2 (BuNo 16089)- On indoor static display F4F-3 (BuNo 12290)- In storage FM-2 (BuNo 55052)- In storage FM-2 (BuNo 16161)- In storage F4F-4 (BuNo 11828)- On loan to San Diego Aerospace Museum F4F-3 (BuNo 12320)- On loan for display at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois F4F-3 (BuNo 12297)- On loan to Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, New York FM-1 (BuNo 14994)- On loan to Valiant Air Command, Titusville, Florida FM-2 (BuNo 74161)- On loan to National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas FM-2 (16278)- On loan to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, California

[1993.588.001] Aircraft - 'FM-2 Aircraft, Bureau Number 16089'

FM-2 Aircraft, Bureau Number 16089

Accession Number Accession Date Creator Date Created Object Desciption

1993.588.001 03/12/1993 Creator 1943 Accepted by the Navy on 14 December 1943, this FM-2 Wildcat was transferred to the Pacific Theater in February 1944, eventually serving in an aircraft pool on Espiritu Santo before returning to San Diego in November 1944. Transferred to the Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Glenview, Illinois, the aircraft crashed in Lake Michigan on 28 December 1944, when Ensign Leonard L. Alick prematurely cut his engine during an attempted landing on the training carrier Sable (IX 81) and was forced to make a left bank to avoid hitting the ship. The plane spun into the water with the left wing down. Ensign Alick managed to escape from the aircraft before it sank in over 200 ft. of water. Recovered from Lake Michigan on 3 December 1993, the aircraft arrived at the National Museum of Naval Aviation later in the year. In fairly good condition when recovered, the aircraft underwent a limited restoration incorporating parts from another FM-2 Wildcat (Bureau Number 55404) and remanufactured parts (top gun accessory door, engine top accessory cowling, lower hinged door for wing fold, ammo box cover, and radio antenna mast). Found in the aircraft during this process was a yellow life raft dated November 1943 and a patch kit for the raft, one CO2 cylinder for use in the event of a cockpit fire, and one parachute. Following restoration, the aircraft was placed in the Pacific Island Exhibit on the mezzanine of the West Wing, where it remains today. Creator Role

Manufacturer

Notes

Though Grumman-built F4F Wildcats disappeared from the scene in 1943, the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors continued production of the design under subcontract. Boasting a more powerful Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone engine and a taller tail, the General Motors built Wildcats carried the designation FM-1/2 and operated primarily from escort carriers. Though employed in the close air support role in the Pacific, FM Wildcats faced down enemy surface ships during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, their pilots heroically making repeated strafing runs against battleships and heavy cruisers in an attempt to draw fire away from American escort carriers during the landmark engagement. All told, sixty-one pilots became aces while flying the F4F/FM Wildcat, which achieved a 6.9:1 kill to loss ratio in air-to-air combat during World War II. Specifications Manufacturer: Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors Dimensions: Length: 28 ft., 11 in.; Height: 11 ft., 5 in.; Wingspan: 38 ft. Weights: Empty: 5,448 lb.; Gross Weight: 8,271 lb. Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney 1,350 horsepower Wright R-1820-56 engine Performance: Maximum Speed: 332 M.P.H at 28,800 ft.; Service Ceiling: 34,700 ft.; Range: 900 miles

Armament: Four fixed forward-firing .50-in. guns and two 250 lb. bombs or six 5-in. rockets Crew: Pilot Aircraft in the Museum Collection FM-2 FM-2 FM-2 FM-2 FM-1 FM-2 FM-2 Multimedia (BuNo 86747)- On indoor static display (BuNo 16089)- On indoor static display (BuNo 55052)- In storage (BuNo 16161)- In storage (BuNo 14994)- On loan to Valiant Air Command, Titusville, Florida (BuNo 74161)- On loan to National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas (16278)- On loan to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, California

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: 1993.588.001 jpeg

Date: Description:

23/07/2010 Right Front View

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: Description: FM-2 in Pacific Island Exhibit jpeg 2006 View of an FM-2 as the centerpiece of the museum's Pacific Island Exhibit.

Available Sizes:
732x481 (100%)

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[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: FM-2 Following Recovery jpeg 1993

Description:

FM-2 arrives at the museum on a truck after its recovery from Lake Michigan.

[ Image Only ] Title: Close-Up View of Bureau Number

Format: Date: Description:

jpeg 1993 Close-up view of the bureau number on the tail of the FM-2 following its recovery from Lake Michigan.

[1980.046.001] Aircraft - 'FM-2 Aircraft, Bureau Number 86747'

FM-2 Aircraft, Bureau Number 86747

Accession Number Accession Date Creator Date Created Object Desciption

1980.046.001 15/09/1980 Creator 1945 Accepted by the Navy on 27 July 1945 at the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors in Trenton, New Jersey, the museum's FM-2 Wildcat served only for a brief time in the aircraft pool at Naval Air Station (NAS) Tillamook, Oregon, until being stricken from the naval inventory on 28 February 1946. Entering the civilian sector, it was eventually acquired by Ken Spiva of Acampo, California, from whom the museum received the aircraft in 1980. It is currently suspended in the museum Quarterdeck. Trenton, New Jersey Though Grumman-built F4F Wildcats disappeared from the scene in 1943, the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors continued production of the design under subcontract. Boasting a more powerful Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone engine and a taller tail, the General Motors built Wildcats carried the designation FM-1/2 and operated primarily from escort carriers. Though employed in the close air support role in the Pacific, FM Wildcats faced down enemy surface ships during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, their pilots heroically making repeated strafing runs against battleships and heavy cruisers in an attempt to draw fire away from American escort carriers during the landmark engagement. All told, sixty-one pilots became aces while flying the F4F/FM Wildcat, which achieved a 6.9:1 kill to loss ratio in air-to-air combat during World War II. Specifications Manufacturer: Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors Dimensions: Length: 28 ft., 11 in.; Height: 11 ft., 5 in.; Wingspan: 38 ft. Weights: Empty: 5,448 lb.; Gross Weight: 8,271 lb. Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney 1,350 horsepower Wright R-1820-56 engine Performance: Maximum Speed: 332 M.P.H at 28,800 ft.; Service Ceiling: 34,700 ft.; Range: 900 miles Armament: Four fixed forward-firing .50-in. guns and two 250 lb. bombs or six 5-in. rockets Crew: Pilot Aircraft in the Museum Collection FM-2 (BuNo 86747)- On indoor static display FM-2 (BuNo 16089)- On indoor static display Creator Role

Manufacturer

Place of Origin Notes

FM-2 FM-2 FM-1 FM-2 FM-2 Multimedia

(BuNo 55052)- In storage (BuNo 16161)- In storage (BuNo 14994)- On loan to Valiant Air Command, Titusville, Florida (BuNo 74161)- On loan to National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas (16278)- On loan to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, California

[ Image Only ] Title: Format: Date: Description: 1980.046.001 jpeg 21/07/2010 Left Side View

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FM-2 on Display jpeg 2006 View of the museum's FM-2 on display in the Quarterdeck.