Evolution of the Grumman F4F Wildcat - US Variants

[@garrisonnichols7372]

The Wildcat and P40 Warhawk were the planes that were there and done it during the dark days of WW2. If the USA didn't have these planes when the war started we would be screwed. Sure the later fighting planes get all the attention but these early fighters saved our butts.

[@svgproductions72]

I agree with you on that, both planes I believe were and still are overlooked. I think this is due to the numerous advantages the A6M Zero had over them. But you have to give them credit where it’s due, plus they both look pretty damn cool!

[@nickdanger3802]

@@svgproductions72 Hello, foreign variants please. I would be especially interested in the "huge improvements" made (or more likely recommended) by the British according to Armoured Carriers.

[@benwalker4660]

@@svgproductions72 The P-40 also fought the Me109 in North Africa. The Spitfire served in the Pacific too. The Dive Rate in the P-40 was better than the zero but the roll rate the Zeros advantage. The Spitfire and Wildcat could turn with the Zero but some Spitfire pilots had problems with the cannon ammo freezing up in New Guinea highlands. There were plenty of aces who knew their planes advantages and the Zero lacked armor so if your shot hit- they burned. Plenty of Wildcats and P-40s took battle damage.

[@jackdaniel7465]

You are Absolutely correct 👍!!

[@treyriver5676]

Lest we forget P-39 Aircobra

[@ditzydoo4378]

When one steps back and looks at the Naval war in the Pacific. The F4F was the lead fighter type in all pivotal battels and lead to the decimation of the flower of the Japanese naval pilots long before either the F4U Corsair or the F6F Hellcat were in theater use. It was the Wildcats that held the naval line and pushed back the Japanese at sea. Yes the F4U and F6F have higher totals, but this was against a vastly inferior pilot from what was faced before, and neither of which was compatible with the Escort type carriers which far out numbered the Fleet types.

[@svgproductions72]

Very valid point! Lots of people forget that the F4F was facing the “cream of the crop” of Japanese naval aviators in 1942

[@konnorhalsey6981]

@@svgproductions72 The F4F pilots of 1942/1943 also didn’t have the advantage of the knowledge of the zeros weaknesses learned from the Akita Zero, which made their work even harder. As mentioned by DitzyDoo the pilots of the zeros against the F6F and F4U were more inferior, but not all were, but the pilots of the F6F and F4U also gained in more superiority because they knew the weaknesses of the A6M learned from the Akita Zero. Great video btw, F4F is one of my favorites, and the fact of the FM models are largely unknown.

[@markrobinson1135]

Exactly what happened. The F4F killed the Top Japanese Pilots.

[@Eirik36]

To be fare, the marines got the Corsair pretty early on

[@markymarknj]

@@Eirik36that's because it took a long time to clear the F4U for carrier use.

[@washguy5982]

Great job, the Wildcat, P40 & Hurricane were the 3 fighters that saved the allies bacon, the only competent truly mass produced fighters at the start of the war, not show horses, work horses

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you! I Totally agree with you on that

[@hemihead001]

You fail to remember the P - 38 Lightening .

[@marquee6]

Those aircraft are my favorites of the era.

[@SoloRenegade]

@@hemihead001 P-38 and F4U were late to teh party. P-40, Hurricane, P-39, and F4F were there day 1.

[@drbichat5229]

The Wilcat was ideal for the small escort carriers, and without them the outcome of the war could have been different

[@svgproductions72]

They really were perfect for that role

[@jessfrankel5212]

While the Wildcat couldn't outperform the Zero in climb or turn ability, and while it was slower, it packed a hell of a punch and could take an awful lot of punishment--due to its solid construction and armor--compared to the Zero. It took a lot of bullets to down a Wildcat. It took very few for a Wildcat to blow a Zero out of the sky.

[@anonymousanteater5888]

Very informative, can you do a more in depth look at how they were used on escort carriers after the introduction of the F6F Hellcat after it took over the main fighter role

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks! This was more of an overview of the variants, but I’d like to do a video of that topic in the future

[@thomasknobbe4743]

As a brief introduction, because the Wildcat could take off and land on an escort carrier and the Hellcat could not, the Wildcat, especially the FM-2 version, served fighter duty on the escort carriers. I am more familiar with their service in the Pacific, where they primarily worked in tandem with Avengers to provide protection against Japanese submarines for the invasion fleets (Wildcats would scout and strafe, until the Avengers could come in and bomb or depth charge), as well as close air support for the landing troops until the Seabees could build an airbase and the Army fighters could be brought in. The FM-2 was lighter and somewhat more powerful than the F4F (mostly due to the availability of water injection), allowing it to have a better climb rate. But it only had a one stage supercharger, so it could not climb as high. But for the role it was given, it worked well and was loved by its pilots and by the Marines who could call on it when they needed an extra punch.

[@Sacto1654]

A reason why the FM-2 became popular was the fact it flew slow enough to operate off smaller US Navy CVE's and Merchant Aircraft Carriers (MAC ships). The FM-2 proved vital in sinking U-Boats in the Atlantic and to provide additional air cover for the "island hopping" campaign in the Pacific.

[@stacyobrien1729]

This little plane is one of my favorites, but do you happen to know how many air frames still survive and how many are airworthy? Love the video!!!

[@svgproductions72]

I checked Wikipedia, less than 20 are airworthy, only one of which is an F4F-3, all the rest are General Motors FM-2s! Plenty of all types are on display still, mainly in the US.

[@e.a.corral4713]

Try going to THE PLANES OF FAME IN CHINO,CA. Awesome place to visit.The airshow in May is awesome as well. But r he local NEW RESIDENT'S want to shut this down? Whitney ME'ERS? IT IS USA MILITARY HISTORY. Shutup U FOOLS?

[@joelhouser2911]

Long range Wildcat? Incredible.

[@svgproductions72]

Very cool idea but unfortunately not needed!

[@mikepette4422]

Excellently done. Simply but accurately explained history.

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you! Be on the lookout for new videos coming soon

[@andrewbartczak5941]

I liked your delivery. Good pace. I enjoyed the content. Keep it up.

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you!

[@PilotSpOB]

Keep up the good work. Well presented material with good photographs, this channel will get a large following with quality videos like this.

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you for the kind words, WWII is my passion and these videos are fun to make, be on the lookout for new ones coming soon !

[@dave8599]

very good presentation. Thank You! and yes I will love to see more aircraft documentaries in your skillful style. This video is akin to the five minute guide to warships series, excellent quality!

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you! I plan on doing a bunch more hopefully soon

[@MegaBloggs1]

comprehensive -well done-the lightweight decks of the escort carriers kept it in production

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you! I appreciate the comment, be sure to check out the other videos!

[@kevinmalloy2180]

Wow. Superb thorough scholarship. The result: FASCINATING presentation about a wonderful little fighter!!!

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks Kevin! I appreciate it, be sure to check out the other videos on my channel! More to come out soon... for aircraft the F4U Corsair is next

[@theodoreolson8529]

Hey hi. I guess you've moved on to other things. I subscribed anyway. Your video was very informative and despite being an avid WW2 fan I learned a few things here about the Wildcat. I hope you get back to making the videos, you done good here.

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks! I’m in the middle of making more, however work comes first, be on the lookout a new vid soon

[@waldopepper1]

A nice interesting documentary on the Wildcat. What gets me is the pilots saying all they needed was 4 - 50cal’s to get the job done!

[@svgproductions72]

Flying against Zeros with non-existent armor protection and self sealing fuel tanks, it makes sense to me that 4 M2s was enough!

[@elixir4487]

A solid presentation about a solid plane. Thx!

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

[@sueneilson896]

Nicely done.Fleet Air Arm versions ?

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks! Hopefully soon enough, I’m working on some other planes at the moment but may revisit the foreign versions of the F4F !

[@svgproductions72]

Finally made one on the fleet air arm versions, check it out!

[@gabrielleite02]

Nice video! I'm really looking foward to seeing more videos from your channel!

[@MrFlintlock7]

Outstanding video! I grew up with the myth of early US fighter designs being grossly inferior to the Zero. When you look at raw performance numbers, they aren't that far apart.

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks! I know there’s some videos out there discussing the real statistics, Military Aviation History channel dives into that

[@MrFlintlock7]

@@svgproductions72 It took a bit to sink in, but you also clarified something that has bothered me for years. In the opening of the movie "Flight Command", Rob Taylor is bringing a "new fighter" to base. It is CLEARLY a P-35 and I have assumed it was Hollywood sloppiness. Thanks to you, I now know it was legit!

[@markpiersall9815]

They learned to work in pairs against the Zero using the "Thatch Weave" named after a pilot named Thatch. When you get a Zero on your tail you and your partner fly toward one another and your partner shoots at the Zeke head-on.

[@MrFlintlock7]

@@markpiersall9815 True. Armor and self-sealing fuel tanks didn't hurt, either.

[@jackg9581]

Nice job! Your research is commendable!

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you!

[@kenbower6611]

Excellent video! I would live to see a follow up an variants used by other nations.

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you! I’m finishing up a video on the Brewster F2A soon but will come back to the Wildcat foreign variants down the road!

[@scottdewey3544]

Thanks--that was interesting. I knew what a crucial role the F4F filled during 1942, and I'm also familiar with its use by the Brits (as the Martlet, if I remember right, as a convoy escort fighter)--but I didn't know its earlier history, or the many different variants that were experimented with (especially an ultra-long-range reconnaissance version!). [It sort of reminds me of the countless different variants of the Wildcat's land-based contemporary, the Curtiss P-40, which in its basic manifestations was a tough, durable, decently armed and well-armored plane that couldn't quite match the performance of its rivals but managed to hold its own anyway.]

[@svgproductions72]

I plan on doing the foreign variants as well soon enough, be on the lookout for new videos coming soon!

[@vincentcondron588]

A good video of the f4f wildcat and could you do a foreign version plus 2 videos about USN battles an foreign battles with this aircraft

[@svgproductions72]

I’m looking to do a foreign variants video for this plane soon, the others though, we’ll see!

[@svgproductions72]

Just made the foreign variants video, be sure to check it out!

[@brentfellers9632]

Need an episode of royal navy/and others wildcat, the martlet

[@svgproductions72]

Just made one, check it out!

[@rpm1796]

I was surprised to find out on the USN's history site that the Wildcat finished the war with a 6.9 -1 kill ratio.

[@SoloRenegade]

because it's a better plane than people are made to believe.

[@Paughco]

Thank you for posting!

[@svgproductions72]

No problem! Be on the lookout for new videos coming soon!

[@petesheppard1709]

Another complaint about the extra two guns on the -4 was that, being further out in the wing, roll rate was noticeably slowed.

[@svgproductions72]

And you ran out of ammo quicker due to less rounds per gun!

[@petesheppard1709]

@@svgproductions72 Yep. I guess somebody figured that shorter bursts would be needed per kill, so the useful firing time would even out.

[@brookeshenfield7156]

An episode on the P-39 and the P-400 (“a P-39 with Zero on its’ tail”) would be appreciated. My father commanded an LST off New Guinea and said he “always felt better when I saw the Airacobras”)

[@nickdanger3802]

P-39 Airacobra U.S. vs. Soviet Use kzbin.info/www/bejne/opDTq5x-aNl8b9E

[@teddyduncan1046]

Nice job.

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you!

[@royalmason1539]

I just received my dad's Navy flight logbook from 1945. There is one entry in it that states he flew and F4F-1 from San Diego to Big Springs TX. This is a straight line distance of about a thousand miles. No stops between were listed, and besides, the F4F-1 was never built. Most F4Fs I believe had less than a 1000 mile range. I wonder if the plane he flew was an F4F-7 and the 7 came out looking like a 1? No idea where these planes were deployed in the US or scrapped?

[@svgproductions72]

Wow that’s very interesting! You’re correct, the -1 was never made, plus it was a bi plane design. If your dad was flying an F4F-7 (~3000 mile range) he was flying a very rare bird, only 21 or so were ever made in late 1941. They were used in the Solomons but not sure how many survived until 1945, most were converted back to fighter spec or used as spare hulks. If you find out anything more I’m interested in hearing more

[@lightunicorn1371]

Great video I think along this thought process if you wanna keep making videos. The p-40 or maybe the 109 would be great planes since they have so much to talk about

[@svgproductions72]

Takes awhile to make them but I will definitely be making more like this soon!

[@yes_head]

Nicely done. Thanks.

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you!

[@prosecutor4536]

The 2,000 HP double wasp was being developed at the same time as the F4F. It seems to me that they could have beefed up the frame and placed this engine on the Wildcat. It was about the same size as the later F8F Bearcat.

[@svgproductions72]

Imagine that!

[@hertzair1186]

Always had a soft spot for the chubby little underdog.

[@svgproductions72]

I have always had a soft spot for early WWII planes too, this one being my favorite

[@billstewart5421]

Great program!!!!! If I could own a WW2 fighter it would be a WILDCAT!!!

[@svgproductions72]

Same here, a majority of those remaining are FM-2s though, but I wouldn’t mind!

[@CaliforniaFly]

Great video

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks!

[@brucer81]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@svgproductions72]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@keepyourbilsteins]

Thanks algo for the recommendation! New sub here.

[@robertshaver4432]

Great Video: Which variant was prevalent at the battle of Midway? Also I read somewhere that there was an F6-F on Midway that day but no one had been checked out in it so it didn't participate in the Battle and was apparently destroyed on the ground. Can you verify this for me? Great Video would love to learn of all the escort carrier duties that it performed: maybe some war time camera video of shooting up submarines and ground attacks and its other duties.

[@svgproductions72]

Hey Robert, thank you! The F4F-4 was the primary Wildcat variant at Midway, they served on the carriers Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet. The -4 was introduced on carriers before Midway. I forget if they came before Coral Sea. I think the F4F-3 variant was serving with VMF-221 along with the Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo during the battle, fighting from the land bases at Midway. The F6F Hellcat made its maiden test flight in late June 1942 so there’s no way it was at Midway Hope this helps!

[@robertshaver4432]

@@svgproductions72 Thank You!

[@Xapp69]

Favorite Plane!!

[@svgproductions72]

Same here that’s why I started with this one first !

[@cliffordturner7664]

hi do you think you could do one about wildcats that serve in the fleet air arm i think that would be interesting

[@svgproductions72]

Hi Clifford, I actually have started putting a script together and gathering images now. It will be out soon! Work has been ultra busy, so that takes priority.. stand by!

[@cliffordturner7664]

Great i"ll look forward to it

[@svgproductions72]

@@cliffordturner7664 just released the fleet air arm video, be sure to check it out!

[@treyriver5676]

well done video.

[@svgproductions72]

Thank you!

[@markpiersall9815]

These planes were modified in the field to carry a 500 pound bomb under the belly. Twelve such planes along with five Buffalo Brewster's and two Kingfishers stopped fourteen barges of troops and two supply ships from arriving at New Guinea.

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks Mark, as someone who has studied the Wildcat extensively that is new info to me! Love learning new stuff everyday!

[@cpocraig1]

Please do a piece on the foreign versions.

[@svgproductions72]

I will be making one soon!

[@svgproductions72]

Just finished the foreign versions video, be sure to check it out!

[@USApatriotLarry]

Stand for the national anthem. Watch Sam Morrison Band "I will always stand" on KZbin.

[@svgproductions72]

took a look, nice B-25 in the background!

[@tigerman3]

Foreign variants please!

[@svgproductions72]

I’m looking into doing a video on them soon!

[@svgproductions72]

Just made the foreign video, be sure to check it out!

[@kermitlynotfound1129]

she could take a beating that's for sure! even in war thunder, it is a very resilient fighter.

[@BlueBoyMarine]

When is your next video?

[@svgproductions72]

Currently more than halfway through on the Brewster F2A video! Just need some good pictures then it will be the next week or so

[@robertshaver4432]

Thank you so much for your previous reply. I have another question: P-38s were sent to kill Yamamoto. Lindbergh showed/taught a squadron group how to substansually extend the range of the P-38 via utilizing a designed in engine feature. Did Lindbergh teach this before the attack that killed Yamamoto? Should Lindbergh be accredited for making the attack possible? Been Curious!

[@svgproductions72]

That I’m not sure of to be honest! I plan to do a video on the P-38 one day, and I can do a bit more reading on that

[@wlmac]

Lindberg's visit was well after the Yamamoto mission so no.

[@robertshaver4432]

@@wlmac Good to know, I've always wondered: Thank you! Robert :)

[@markpiersall9815]

Lindbergh's efforts allowed a long range mission to bomb a Dutch oil facility controlled by the Japanese. Balikpapan was bombed September 30 to October 18, 1944 using B-24 and P-38 aircraft. Basically after flying on two patrols he gave a talk before going up the third time. Once airborne and at cruising altitude, turn the manifold pressure knob Up, and turn the Fuel Mix knob to the left for Thin. This increased their airtime by 40% or something.

[@markpiersall9815]

Had Lindbergh been captured he could have been killed as a Spy. This is because President Roosevelt was bitter that he spoke out against the war with Henry Ford and resigned his Reserve Commission. He was an Isolationist. Once Japan bombed Hawaii he and Ford were good patriots but alcoholic adulterer Roosevelt refused to reinstate him. He was there as a Consultant to an Aircraft manufacturer.

[@and15re1]

I would say that there's the FM-3 missing, but still GJ

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks! I understand that the FM-3 would have been the natural progression, but from my knowledge there were no official plans on a next iteration of Wildcat. If there was I’d be happy to read about it!

[@rexfrommn3316]

The F4f Wildcat was a tough fighter but was outmatched by the Japanese Zero. The American pilots had to develop the Thach weave maneuver to survive against the more agile and maneuverable Zero. The Wildcat got the United States through the Coral Sea and Midway battles I think the Wildcat performed pretty mediocre to poor in the Solomons. Once the Wildcat got into a turning battle with the Zero it often became a statistic. Dive and zoom tactics worked for the Wildcat but at some point a fighter plane has to turn with the enemy to shoot it down. The United States took heavy losses in shipping with 24 major warships lost including two carriers at the various Guadalcanal battles with the same losses as the Japanese. The United States should NOT have lost all those warships had we had a better fighter plane. Granted the Japanese were many times better than the US Navy at night fighting even when the Americans had primitive radar. The high kill ratios you read about the Wildcat in the Solomons are for ALL types of Japanese aircraft bombers, dive bombers, transports and fighters.At least the Wildcat was strong enough to take all of the Zero's machine gun bullets once the Zero pilot ran out of 20mm ammunition. But if the Zero fighter had 20mm ammo left then the Wildcat got splashed into the ocean. American pilots were brave because you had to be flying an obsolete Wildcat. The United States didn't start winning the air war in the Pacific until the wide scale deployment of the Hellcat in mid-1943. The Wildcat went into production with General Motors because it was a good jeep carrier fighter. The Wildcat was just an old fighter in 1942/43 with no more design capacity for a large more powerful engine. General MacArthur's big leap frogging campaign towards the Philippines didn't pick up steam until Admiral Nimitz's Navy carriers got the Hellcat. The Great Marianas Turkey shoot and the battle of Leyte Gulf were the turning points of the Pacific war. The earlier Solomons and New Guinea campaigns were nothing but a slow moving human sausage grinder battle of attrition on air, land and sea. The Hellcat won the war in the Pacific with help from the P-38 Lightining and Corsair to move the bomber line forward to smash Japanese cities with the capture of Saipan and Tinian/Guam. The fleet submarines of the US Navy also sunk 5.5 MILLION TONS of Japanese Merchant shipping and warships. The best praise you can give the Wildcat was it held the line in the early 1942/43 battles keeping the United States from being completely defeated in the Pacific until the Hellcat came off of the assemby lines. It would have taken the United States until 1948 to defeat the Japanese without the Hellcat fighter plane.

[@rednaughtstudios]

During the Solomons a great many of those US ships lost were lost at night when the F4F's were on the ground or aboard ship. Japanese ships didn't tend to move during the day due to the danger from allied aircraft, hence the Tokyo Express operating at night. There were many harsh lessons learned by the US Navy during the Solomons. Most of them were in regards to fighting surface actions at night and learning to trust and operate using radar. At least according to what I've read in James D Hornfischer's excellent "Neptunes Inferno."

[@briancooper2112]

Exactly

[@svgproductions72]

I agree with you, this rugged plane held the line until better ones were in its place! Just shining some light on an unsung hero

[@rexfrommn3316]

@@rednaughtstudios The Wildcat was a mediocre air superiority fighter in 1943. It was what American Navy had at the time for a fighter. The Japanese Navy had practiced night fighting around China for years. Their night optics, surface warfare tactics and Long Lance torpedo gave them big advantages. Some of the newer American battleships had primitive radar in 1942 but the ability to properly interpret the information in a command information battle center to the guns on the ship and to other American warships in flotilla was pretty primitive. So it took America about 18 months of the Pacific war to get its act together. So it was late 1943 until things started turning around. Yes, we were "winning" the Guadalcanal campaign but our advances were so slow getting bogged down from fierce Japanese resistance that we were on the "slow boat" in the Solomons and New Guinea. Way too many Japanese bomber squadrons could get through to bomb us in the Solomons and especially at Guadalcanal. Yes, you are right the Japanese ships wanted to get away from American airpower but Japanese warplanes still took a steady toll of American aircraft at Guadalcanal. The Hellcat, Corsair and P-38 Lightning changed these dynamics.

[@rednaughtstudios]

@@rexfrommn3316 Hey Rex. Thanks for the detailed reply. I don’t really have any issues with any of that. I just think the first two sentences in your second paragraph in you original post seems to suggest if the US had a better fighter then they would have lost less ships at night even though hardly any US aircraft operated at night at that stage. Please forgive me if I’ve misread or misunderstood what you’ve written there.

[@jimwinship7159]

I love the WWII aircraft.

[@svgproductions72]

Same here!

[@davy1458]

Its still a bucket!!!!! a jalopy!!!! The flying equivalent of a cobra II mustang

[@svgproductions72]

I agree it wasn’t the best plane ever, but it did what it had to do at the outset of the war!

[@halojump123]

Subscriber 243

[@duanesarjec6887]

th F4 was faster than the first mitsubishi A6M

[@fredmyers120]

Slap a Wright R-2600 under the hood & clear the deck!

[@terrygregg1228]

Too bad you are not speaking loud enough for this older man to hear you. It' too tedious to continually try to listen to you. sorry. t

[@svgproductions72]

I’m sorry to hear that Terry! Future vids will be more clear, minimizing background music. I think the closed captions on KZbin are pretty good, I hope they work well on this video so you can enjoy it!

[@MVeminor7]

I'm building a scale model of the F4F-4 and this video is indispensable to my research. Thanks, looking forward to more aircraft history

[@svgproductions72]

Thanks Michael, my first model I ever built was a 1/48 scale F4F-4, that’s where my passion took off. Im glad you liked the video, be sure to be on the lookout for the foreign variants of this plane coming out very soon!

[@MVeminor7]

@@svgproductions72 Great. thanks so much again

[@MVeminor7]

@@svgproductions72 My friend and his dad worked for Grumman and I've always like their aircraft and mindset toward aviation in general. Great video. I'll be looking out for new ones and I will revisit some of your previous posts. I just found your channel through this research and,,, well, you never know what you will find. I found your channel. Aces mate