|
|
Stat |
F4F-3 |
F4F-4 |
FM-2 |
Wingspan |
38 feet |
38 feet |
38 feet |
Length |
28 feet 9 inches |
28 feet 9 inches |
28 feet 11 inches |
Empty Weight |
5236 lbs |
5776 lbs |
5542 lbs |
Max Weight |
7065 lbs |
7489 lbs |
7431 lbs |
Engine |
Pratt & Whitney R-1830-76 or -86 |
Pratt & Whitney R-1830-86 |
Wright R-1820-56 or -56W |
Power |
1200 hp |
1200 hp |
1350 hp |
Guns |
Four .50 calibre machine guns, two per wing |
Six .50 calibre machine guns, three per wing |
Four .50 calibre machine guns, two per wing |
Max Speed |
331 mph at 22,000 feet |
318 mph at 19,400 feet |
320 mph at 28,000 feet |
Ceiling |
37,000 feet |
33,700 feet |
35,600 feet |
Range |
860 miles |
1275 miles |
1350 miles |
Production Figures
| Type | Year | Numbers | Notes |
| F4F-3 | 1940-1941 | 183 | |
| F4F-3A | 1940-1 | 30 | Built for Greek airforce, diverted to Royal Navy after fall of Greece |
| " | 1941 | 61 | The rest of an original U.S. Navy order of 91 |
| F4F-4 | 1941-3 | 1169 | 436 in first order, continue in production until General Motors take over in 1943 |
| FM-1 | 1943 | 839 | Produced by General Motors |
| " | 1943 | 311 | As Wildcat V for Royal Navy |
| FM-2 | 1943 | 310 | |
| " | 1944 | 2890 | |
| " | 1944 | 240 | As Wildcat VI for Royal Navy |
| " | 1945 | 1237 | |
| " | 1945 | 100 | As Wildcat VI for Royal Navy |
| FM-2 | Totals | 4437 | |
| Plus | 340 | As Wildcat VI for Royal Navy |
In all 7,885 Wildcats were produced by Grumman and General Motors. Over 60% were General Motors produced FM-2s. 1,100 were supplied to the Royal Navy.
Wildcat Aces of World War 2, Barrett Tillman. Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 3. A well balanced look at the combat service of the Grumman F4F Wildcat, the most important Allied naval fighter for most of the Second World War, looking at its service with the US Navy from Pearl Harbor to the end of the war, and its role with the Fleet Air Arm. [see more]
