Grumman Wildcat and FM-2

[@curtsmall8596]

Thank you for all of this info and your FM2 comments on your Ki61 video. My father flew a FM2 from the CVE Nehenta Bay during the Okinawa campaign providing close air support and protection from Kamikazes. He earned a Distinguised Flying Cross from a mission taking out an artillery piece in a cave with HVAR rockets. He was credited with 2 1/2 planes downed against a large Kamikaze raid. He always felt he had murdered the young, poorly trained pilots who did not know how to maneuver their planes... he spoke highly of the FM2 although he favored the Corsair and flew a few attacks in it during the Korean War. The older I get, the more I wish I had discussed more things with him about his experiences...

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Curt, thanks for sharing. I love these types of comments.

[@jimjenkins2319]

😲

[@billchessell8213]

The older I get the more I wished I had talked with my father, step father, mother, neighbor, etc. To bad youth is wasted on the young.

[@unclemike8467]

It has been observed that the Wright brothers were first to fly because the canard design of the Flyer allowed them to *survive long enough* to master powered, controlled flight, without being killed in crashes along the way. I think the Wildcat did something similar - its ruggedness and ability to get pilots home during the early days of the Pacific war allowed them to survive long enough for America's industrial capabilities to ramp up. When the Hellcats and Essexes finally began appearing in theater in 1943, we had experienced men still alive to operate them. The Wildcat bought us those first critical 15-18 months.

[@fazole]

The unsung heroes who held the line in 1942 were the USN enlisted pilots, usually experienced, older sailors (late 20's) who filled out the fighter pilot ranks pre-war as the Navy didn't have the money to commission and train enough pilots from the civilian world.

[@jakobc.2558]

More likely, pilots who survived engagements in which they were heavly damaged/almost shot down were pilots which could learn from their mistakes and addapt. Although japanese pilots had more combat experience and training, the U.S. pilots got a very special experience. The experience "of oh f*** I almost died, next time I better do things differently so that doesnt happen again."

[@HJBounell]

your observation on the Wright's reconciles so completely with the first aviation fatality from a controllable aircraft was a passenger in a wright flyer!

[@spindash64]

@@jakobc.2558 I’d argue at least 40% of this came not from the planes themselves (at least in terms of Wildcat vs Zero), but rather from IJN doctrine devaluing the rescue of downed pilots. Japan was an island nation with booming population and strained resources, and thus naively assumed that it was cheaper to replace the pilot than to spend the fuel and resources to rescue him. Only later did they learn how badly that attitude cost them

[@mpetersen6]

Considering that during the war most if not all naval aviators did their carrier qualification flying out of Lake Forrest* NAS the bottom of Lake Michigan it still littered with a fair number of Wildcats and SBD. I'm not sure if T-6s were used for carrier qualification also. And if somebody does locate a wreck the Navy still owns it. *I think it was Lake Forrest.

[@thebluegrocer]

One aspect of your excellent videos that doesn’t attract much comment is your choice of images. They’re often so good that I learn a great deal from them alone. You must spend a fair bit of time selecting them. Much appreciated!

[@analogman1496]

My dad's brother was a Naval Aviator and flew FM-2's and F4F's off the USS Makin Island (CVE-93) as a plank owner from May 1943 until the end of the war. He became a corporate pilot and flew to the ripe old age of 72. Thank these guys for their service. They had cojones for sure and a lot of their flying was seat of the pants.

[@fazole]

Over water navigation, with few electronic aids, using a clock and compass and judging the wind on the waves, in a single engine piston aircraft by yourself is already awe inspiring.

[@mikewoodard6984]

@@fazole well said

[@FirstDagger]

@@fazole ; And electromagnetic interference from the Earth itself in the Pacific (especially Guadalcanal), Japanese pilots started removing radios on their Zeros because the wires would catch fire.

[@420noscopeyeetcannon2]

Best aviation technical channel on the internet

[@RextheDragon881]

Hands down. Good work Greg

[@brookeshenfield7156]

I agree.

[@n176ldesperanza7]

Thanks Greg. My dad was a WWII naval aviator (PBM pilot) and flew the FM-2 for the first time on a ferry flight to be scrapped after the war. He was checked out by another pilot who was standing on the wing with the flight manual. My dad asked the man if he had a lot of hours in the airplane. The man replied, "I've never flown one." Different times!

[@Nghilifa]

Reminds me of the: "Here's our new P-51 Mustangs, you can learn how to fly them on our way to the target!" quote.

[@cammobunker]

An old trick for the Wildcat pilot getting ready to land was to unlock the landing gear, get out of the way of the handle in the cockpit, and pull up sharply. The handle would spin madly as centrifugal force pulled the gear down to lock. Still had to wind it up manually on take off though.

[@petesheppard1709]

Interesting. I had read that the handle was connected by a chain to the landing gear mechanism, and that letting go of the handle and letting it spin risked having the chain jump loose, disabling the gear.

[@Mishn0]

@@petesheppard1709 There's three chains involved. One from the crank to a splitter mechanism and one chain from that down to each landing gear mechanism. "The Book" prohibited the use of the gravity method of gear extension, but that doesn't mean it wasn't done in the field.

[@neilrobinson3085]

I had a chance to fly an FM-2 n the 1970s and the owner warned me never to let go of the gear handle whilst it was in transit because the chains could derail and jam the gear halfway. Fun airplane!

[@Nghilifa]

@@neilrobinson3085 You lucky SOB! 🤣

[@neilrobinson3085]

@@Nghilifa Yup, it was total luck and serendipity.

[@hokehinson5987]

Really enjoyed this video. Most folks just don't know much about this plane. Its usually represented as zero bait. Dad a marine veteran of nicaragura campaign of 1920...joined the navy in 1941. Originally a football defensive tackle in the 1920s for the all marine team...dad had gained up to 320lbs by 1941. In those days induction centers were in many federal buildings in D.C. The day dad was rejected by the acting naval flight surgeon, dad bumped into / met congressman broyhill as he decended the capitol steps. Dad knew the senator thru addressing congress as a leader in the AFL-CIO union. Broyhill asked what dad was all flustered about..after explaining, broyhill personally accompained dad back into the flight surgeons office telling the surgeon he had better take another look at this valuable asset. After which dad was inducted with rate of chief petty officer. Dad was an instructor at lorton federal prison...teaching police apprehension & restraint techinques as well as small arms training. In the naval, Dad designed and managed the building of small arms ranges in pensecola florida and later in bases around san diego califorina. Acting as head instructor on small arms .30 cal thru 40 mm. Dad Instructed naval personel and british too. Heard him speak of naval ace Joe Foss. Dad, 1907- 1970. Thanx dad! & also, to all the men & women of the Power Generation!

[@williamcoolidge9884]

Yay! My favorite plane! The Wildcat to me is a good representation of the Marine Corps. Doing more with less since 1775.

[@faunbudweis]

Eric Brown had only words of praise for the "Martlet" :)

[@benvandermerwe4934]

Backtracking from the future. Great library of excellent journalism. Years of entertainment ahead.

[@reaperthemad8731]

For many of us nerding out on these awesome videos, I suspect there are 2 feelings - 1) what am I doing with my life spending the time to learn about "outdated" mechanical creations. 2) this is pretty much necessary info for me to live, I must understand everything

[@sski]

I can't wait until you get to the Bearcat lore. That said, this was a great take on the Wildcat.

[@spindash64]

@Hoa Tattis Not in combat, no, but it WAS shipped to squadrons before the war ended. So by technicality it was in service during WWII

[@mpetersen6]

@Hoa Tattis Along with F9F Tigercats

[@andrewpease3688]

@Hoa Tattis there's always someone like you on you tube , no one said it fought in WW2. Or are you trying to provoke Poe's law?

[@alexanderrahl482]

​@@mpetersen6F7F*

[@ThreeSpeedBikes]

Great video - the Wildcats were workhorses that helped hold the line and even win some pivotal early battles for the US. The US-made radials were among the best aero engines of that era.

[@reaperthemad8731]

It's still interesting to me that the Spitfire and the Mustang get basically all the glory, but other aircraft were really more responsible for the ultimate win.

[@thurbine2411]

@@reaperthemad8731the spitfire did quite a lot of work but the mustang is the most overhyped in my opinion as it is so well known for bomber escort but during the worst and most important times it was mostly the thunderbolt that did that work(1943)

[@rayschoch5882]

Excellent, as usual, Greg. My Dad accumulated about 400 hours in the Hellcat, and another 500 hours in the F4U-4, but I have no idea if he ever flew a Wildcat.

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, By guesstimation, he probably might have flown a Wildcat, in training..., maybe after Harvards and before Hellcats ? That might make sense if they had "spare" Wildcats available..., but considering that Escort Carriers were still fielding Wildcats till War's end - maybe people only trained on Wildcats if they were going to fight in Wildcats...? These days you can probably ask for his Service Records online, and find out for certain (?). Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !

[@stay_at_home_astronaut]

@@WarblesOnALot my grandfather (who flew F4F's, F4U's and F6F, among other types during WW2) always said that the question of "What aircraft did you choose to fly in the war?" was ridiculous: "You flew whatever they told you to fly!" Another thing he (and others have) related to me was that the process of getting checked out in a new type was much more casual than it is today: "You had the POH, a parachute and gold wings on your chest, you were expected to be able to fly whatever they told you to." It was a different time.

[@petesheppard1709]

Great video! Some trivia: The Eastern Division of GM did build a few F4F-4 clones, designated FM-1, before going over to the FM-2. Also, according one account, the weight problem with the two additional .50s of the -4 was that, being relatively far out in the wings, they reduced roll rate to levels pilots disliked. AND, I believe that US pilots were told to roll as they dove away from Zeros, because of the stiffening of the Japanese plane's controls in a fast dive.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Yes, that's all true.

[@WildBillCox13]

Indeed, the Zero was reputed to be very maneuverable compared to contemporary western monoplanes, but its highest roll rate was at a relatively low air speed. Above 290mph it was very hard to maneuver. Contrast this with the P40-not known to be a maneuverable plane, but its highest roll rate was accessible at 340mph. "Our" pilots could wingover and dive away at high speed, leaving the Zero in the vertical air column's dust. That's one of seral reasons why "our" pilots were warned against aerobatics and told to "boom and zoom"; no turning fights against the foe. Statistically speaking, in WW1 or WW2, energy state fighting was the way to win. Greg's fave, the P47, contains several such warnings in its wartime demonstration/orientation video. In fact, aerobatics are strictly prohibited in the P47.

[@philp8872]

A second factor not liked by the pilors additional to the weight issue was less rounds per gun in the 6 gun -4. So the pilot has less time to fire his guns before they went out of ammo. I also read that some squadrons removed the two additional guns to counter this both issues.

[@petesheppard1709]

@@philp8872 I wondered if there was stowage for more ammo if the outer guns were

[@lqr824]

@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles the designer of the Zero wrote a tiny book about it which I hope someone gets you for Christmas if you don't have it. My recollection is that the control cables for the Zero had springiness to them. At low speed, the lightly-loaded surfaces would move a large amount for a given stick movement, but at high speed they'd move much less and have the same effect due to deflecting a lot more are. This made the contralability much more even, rather than being knife-edge at high speed. But it might have been too flexible, simply not capable of large-enough deflections at high air speeds for the maximum roll...

[@TCobra190]

Love seeing the Wildcat getting some love. Excellent video!

[@blueboats7530]

Thanks for the emphasis on the supercharger details. I had always wondered how a "rugged" 1930's airframe with a basic engine size could perform so well.

[@fafner1]

P & W rarely gets credit for developing 2-stage supercharging years before anyone else. RR was late to the game, but still gets credit for coming up with the idea of packaging 2 stages on the same shaft with integral intercooling, allowing it to fit in the skinny nose of a liquid cooled fighter.

[@tonyunderwood9678]

There's a trick that savvy pilots used to help get the gear up in a Wildcat. Accelerate after take-off without touching the gear crank. Let the airplane gather speed by gradually climbing only. After picking up some speed, pull up sharply, climb steeply, then push over through a long arc back into level flight. Gets you into zero-g for the better part of about 10 seconds if you get it right. With the gear now weighing zero-pounds it's easy to spin the crank and get the gear up quickly without having to grind away on the crank handle. After "getting good" at it, a pilot could easily get the gear up in less than 10 seconds during that zero-g time. The Wildcat pilot who showed me the trick could do it in 5 seconds, watched him do it. It was an FM-2 that he said had some improvements in the gear mechanism that helped make the retraction smoother.

[@lorrinbarth1969]

When I was a kid, say around 1960, it was announced in the paper that there was going to be an airshow at the Hastings, NE airport, my home town. The deal was this man was trying to soar across the country and was stuck in Hastings. Now, he said it was due to a lack of updrafts but looking back, probably lack of money. To make the show a little more interesting the then Confederate Air Force brought in a Wildcat. The Wildcat flew first. What I remember most about the Wildcat are the death defying dives straight down to where I was sure it would crater. The pilot did this over and over again to where I was feeling sorry for the wings. Anytime the mismatch between the Wildcat and the Zero is brought up I remember this demonstration.

[@yes_head]

Awesome video, thanks. I didn't know the Martlets lacked the supercharger. The more one learns about U.S. naval aviation in WW2 the more one comes to appreciate the job the Wildcat did. Or more specifically, the guys who flew them. I think Greg is right: by the time the Hellcats came on the scene the fate of the war in the Pacific had largely already been decided.

[@khaccanhle1930]

Yes, it was the one that did the heavy lifting.

[@maxbest20s11]

@@khaccanhle1930 Much like the P47 in the ETO before the P51D came along.

[@hokehinson5987]

Always wondered why allies didn't share technology during a world war. If every allie had the most advanced technology seems the war would've ended sooner. Seems not much 'trust' amongest so called friendlys....

[@Mtlmshr]

I’ve always had a spot in my heart for these aircraft because as a small kid I would make plastic models of these and I was always fascinated with the landing gear, I always thought it was cool. In my later life I got into professional off-road racing and saw that exact suspense used on race trucks in the 70’s- 80’s!

[@erikberg1623]

My favorite WWII USN Fighter. Thanks, very well done as usual.

[@dingo8babym20]

Fantastic video; great research. My Dad flew TBFs off CVL-25. Their 1st action, on 10/6/43 resulted in the loss of a third of the F-6s, only 2 pilots recovered. Those men kept my father and his squadron( VT-25) alive. They didn't lose 1 aircraft between 7/43 until they rotated to stateside in 9/44. Astonishing, really.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

And I believe well liked in the FAA too! Another gem Greg, thank you.

[@adamelliott2302]

YES! Finally a day works out that I can catch your discussion from the beginning. Looking forward to it.

[@billtimmons7071]

The Zero had such an intimidating reputation. The fact that these naval pilots were able to develop tactics to counter the Zero always impressed me. The Thach weave was genius. I heard it also called the "beam" defense. Little squat, barrel chested, Wildcats taking on slim, light weight Zeros is the stuff of legends. I wish they would do movies about this era rather than Top Gun and Top Gun 2, but I'm a baby boomer and my bias shows :) Great channel.

[@Nghilifa]

The "beam defense maneuver" was the name that Thach came up with, I guess other pilots just named it the "Thach weave" after John Thach once it was introduced to the fleet.

[@billtimmons7071]

@@Nghilifa They need to make movies about these guys. A challenging time of war, savvy pilots, and finding and using equipment's strengths. The war could have gone the other way if not for guts and octane. We need movies about these guys but not with Tom Cruise though :)

[@Nghilifa]

@@billtimmons7071 Wouldn't that be something? I doubt that'll happen unless some aviation enthusiast also happens to be a billionaire (so that the movie would be produced properly).

[@Colt45hatchback]

Im not a boomer and i agree, although it would be good if said movie featured (or maybe a pair of pilots who come to fight eachother at some stage) one from america and one from japan, with actual historical accuracy, as apposed to overdramatised crap/propaganda/national pride etc. Would be really good to have a documentary shown from a first person perspective of each pilot, starting before the war, through it and after. Perhaps one of the guys that end up becoming friends post war with the guy they were shooting at many years ago

[@tomcox6429]

Another great video. The museum I volunteer in has a Wildcat FM -2 and a Hellcat sitting side by side. I always use Butch O'Hare"s story when talking about the planes. Now I have some more technical things to talk about after watching this.

[@cannonfodder4376]

That supercharger system undoubtedly helped the Wildcat climb to 20,000 feet and over to position themselves for intercepting Japanese raids over Guadalcanal. Compared to the P-40/39's which struggled against such attacks in other parts of the Pacific. Another informative video as always Greg.

[@MultiZirkon]

I just love how you go back to unsung heroes, and often back in time. I love the Ta-152 video, but others would try to just go for click-bait stuff. ....with "mood music". -- This one of the reasons I support your channel!

[@therealzilch]

Another fascinating and well presented look at a technical marvel. I had to chuckle when you pointed out that the Wildcat's flaps were powered by the intake manifold's vacuum, because that's how the windshield wipers on my 1957 Cadillac Eldorado worked too. That had the disadvantage that if you were moving very slowly, the wipers were very slow too. Thanks again. Cheers from cool Vienna, Scott

[@tootired76]

About 50 years ago I bought a 1/32 scale Revell kit of an F4F4 Wildcat. It had awesome folding wings!! I recall having to stack several hinge parts then glue them to the wings. One of my favorite kits AND airplanes ever!!

[@fafner1]

If you drive 20 miles or so north of Henderson field on Guadalcanal there is a "museum" off in the jungle with several crashed aircraft including a P-38 and a Wildcat. The folding wing of the Wildcat still works!

[@jimfisher5856]

With regards to the bulge for the intercoolers, the first Wildcat, the XF4F-2 had a different engine which didn't require the bulges. Apparently they couldn't squeeze in the intercoolers without a major fuselage redesign or more simply adding the bulges. If you look at later variants of the Wildcat, the bulges came and went with the engine variants.

[@spindash64]

I believe that’s part of the reason the Buffalo won the contract at first

[@randyhavard6084]

It's great that you go into so much detail on these awesome machines.

[@co8783]

Was wondering when you'd get around to doing a breakdown on the Wildcat family. Great stuff!

[@b.griffin317]

He has a whole past series on the Wildcat in much more detail than this.

[@waltsweet2455]

Hi Greg, I am a docent at an air museum in CA. (Chino Planes of Fame) I rely on your excellent videos for learning details about WW II planes. Thanks

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thanks Walt. That's nice to hear.

[@roryvonbrutt7302]

I kept forgetting to watch this and now I am so excited, because this guy knows how to put on a show ‼️®™️

[@rogerpattube]

Priceless photo at the end. Edit: and the shots of the display - thanks Greg!

[@lycossurfer8851]

This video is great Greg. For those who haven't seen it, Kermit Weeks has 2 or 3 Wildcat videos with his camera that goes from inspection/wing unfolding through a flight.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thanks, and yes Kermit Weeks has some amazing stuff on his channel.

[@kevinmcghee742]

Finally a journalist I Agee with. The Zero didn't preserve the Naval Air Armada it was the week link! 4 naval battles and the carrier armada was defeated. The Zero lost every naval battle as far as A/C lost by a wide margin. The Wildcat was the best naval fighter until the Hellcat.

[@dennismason3740]

In 1966 or so my brother bought a FM2 model with retractable gear. This model, needing to accommodate the working gear, was huge. Imma not do the research. Also the gear actually worked. I was blown away.

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

Ah, the Grumman Wildcat! My favorite plane of the era (I think the first 1/72 model I built as a kid in the 70s). Underrated, as is its USAAF counterpart, the Curtiss P40 Warhawk.

[@caryclemenson6283]

I love the engineering aspect of these videos, as a kid I read so much about these fascinating machines and their role in the greatest generation. My adult mind appreciates the diagrams and details as well as the expertise of Greg, you are exceptional sir.

[@michaelmcclay7749]

Another informative video about a much under rated and often dismissed aircraft.

[@marcadriencooper8367]

Fascinating, thank you. My grandfather flew Martlets for several years, including in combat over Norway in operations against the Tirpitz. He flew many types but consistently credited the Martlet with saving his life due to its toughness.

[@TomWillcox-wo3hl]

Great presentation. At 17:20 is a Navy photo of an inflight engagement with unexpended rockets and one fuel tank. I have that Navy glossy at home given to me by my father-in-law, an FM-2 Naval Aviator on USS Salamaua. Naturally as a fighter pilot he has been known to fib! but I've always thought it was him.

[@darrellborland119]

At NAS Tillamook, there was a Wildcat....and it looked small...and I hope in retrospect, that engine was reliable, against that very large expanse of ocean. Thanks....and love your well researched videos.

[@KorbinX]

Easily in my top 3 all time favorite planes. Fantastic little bird. Thank you for covering this beautiful piece of history.

[@cammobunker]

Wildcats (and FM2s) also served in the Atlantic for anti-submarine patrols from Jeep carriers escorting convoys. Several U-Boats were sunk after being found by Wildcats either being flown by US Navy pilots or Royal navy and French Navy pilots.

[@darrellborland119]

@ross lundberg...the Wildcat would stock the u-boat, and Avenger would drop it's "mine" which was actually an acoustic homing torpedo, after the 'boat dove....a hunter-killer duo. Thanks.

[@darrellborland119]

@Hoa Tattis...Thanks for your correction, @Hoa...I am referring to the time frame of 1943-44, as hunter- killer groups roamed the Atlantic. Wildcat/Avenger teams, flying from Jeep carriers...made quite a number of U-boat kills. Admiral Donitz withdrew them from the Atlantic eventually, due to the high attrition rate. The American exploits using this revolutionary system of aircraft plus newer electronic technology turned the tide against the U-boat menace.

[@thomasbaker6563]

​​@@darrellborland119 most of the Atlantic convoy escort work was RN or RCN by mid to late war in the north Atlantic. Each Did something like 48% of all escort work, Americas biggest contribution to the battle for the Atlantic were the liberty ships and a large number of merchant marine seamen. The usn for obvious reasons had large headaches to sort out pretty much single handedly in the Pacific. The poor old Canadians, merchant seamen, and American dock yard crews tend to get left out in popular tellings of the Atlantic convoys even the RN to a certain extent, there's a bit of over repression of the usn surface forces and enigma decrypts in the normal portrayal. To be fair the poor old liberators, costal command aircraft and there counterparts from the us services also seem to get too little attention.

[@darrellborland119]

@@thomasbaker6563 Thank you, Thomas for further insights. I grew up on WW2 history, but 3 years ago, I became fascinated by the building of the "Original Transcon RR"....done by the works' of giants of their day. And, one can easily see what they left behind. Makes for wonderful trips to desolate areas. I sometimes talk with friends about 'said works, and photo's from that era. Thanks, again, Thomas, for sharing your knowledge. Darrell.

[@thomasbaker6563]

@@darrellborland119 I've only just started reading into famous civil engineering, I'll give the transcontinental rail road a look. To my limited knowledge most of the interior of the us only really became accessable to bulk trade with the arrival of the railway, so it's clearly an important subject.

[@ohger1]

Greg makes a point I've been hammering for years: the Wildcat and Warhawk both were fighting the best and most battle experienced pilots in the world at a time when U.S. pilots were just getting up to speed. The U.S. pilots were 2-5 years behind the other Axis pilots in experience at the time of Pearl.

[@antred11]

"The U.S. pilots were 2-5 years behind the other Axis pilots in experience at the time of Pearl." Really? I had always been under the impression that, while early-war USAAF pilots may not have been of the same caliber as their Axis counterparts, U.S. naval aviators were highly killed even during the early years, albeit it took them a while to figure out how to best fight the nimbler Zekes.

[@ohger1]

@@antred11 Other than the mercenary Flying Tigers, U.S. pilots didn't see action until 1942. The German pilots were in combat since 1940 and the Japanese years earlier against China.

[@antred11]

@@ohger1 I'm not just talking about combat experience; I'm also talking about training. It is my understanding that navial aviators, even in 1940 were a lot more thoroughly trained than army air force pilots.

[@ohger1]

@@antred11 Sure, but training and combat experience are not the same thing - and before 1941, the U.S. had a very small standing army and air force.

[@grantsmythe8625]

Gosh, I do love all this old airplane stuff. If it doesn't have a propeller, it isn't beautiful.....with a few exceptions, like the F-86, the ME 262, and a few others.

[@nivlacyevips]

F-101 Voodoo is a beaut

[@grantsmythe8625]

@@nivlacyevips Yes she is. A real beauty.

[@tomaszmrozek176]

Another deep analysis of great plane. Thanks Greg

[@nicolatesla9429]

Awesome video Greg! The Wildcat is my favourite US Navy fighter, and I had the pleasure of seeing FM-2 fly at Duxford a couple of years ago.

[@stanpotter7764]

Amazing info and presentation. I can listen to these for hours!

[@alancranford3398]

Good video, very informative. The F4F Wildcat was the plane that the US Navy used to break the back of the Imperial Japanese Navy's air force. If the Corsair (F4U type) hadn't issues with carrier operations, the Marines would have been flying Wildcats far longer for all Marine Corps fighter bomber missions in World War Two. I was lucky to see a modified and restored FM-2 flying in the Reno Air Races for three consecutive years. It came in last place each year and won a special award, but it was still thrilling to watch.

[@jimgoff1170]

I remember watching “air biscuit “ at Reno too! He was just able to qualify in unlimited class at about 301 mph!

[@wazza-au]

Magnificent video, the engineer in me is completely enthralled. Thank you.

[@Enigma89]

Very informative. This channel is such a good resource to dive deep on topics like this.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Thanks Enigma. The latest videos on your channel were a pleasure to watch.

[@jonwatkins254]

Great Video! Just visited the Midway in San Diego. A Wildcat is nicely displayed in a climbing right turn with the gear up. You can view it up close. Jimmy Thatch's name is on the side.

[@thomaspinney4020]

Another brilliant video. You answer many of the questions that I had about this marvelous old war bird. British test pilot 'Winkie' Brown who flew more types of aircraft than anyone was very fond of the Wildcat. I would love for you to cover two other old warbirds that started the war as state of the art, quickly became obsolescent, but were made in large numbers throughout the war: The Hurricane and the P-40. Both are legendary and look really cool Thanks again. Keep up the good work.

[@narabdela]

'Winkle', not 'Winkie' . He achieved his Focke-Wulf Condor kills flying Martlets from convoy escort carriers.

[@daveschwi3767]

Really well done. I delighted that we are able to get videos of the caliber. Nobody really else knows it or does it....

[@m.r.donovan8743]

Another fine treatise on a great historic airplane Greg! The "Ironworks" on Long Island built them so damn tough that it's the stuff of legend. Thank you so much for all of your research and effort. Not only are the charts and analysis informative, but the photos you choose to go with the narration are terrific.

[@muskepticsometimes9133]

Under rated plane. Faced Japan when US pilots much less experienced. Japanese pilots were experienced.

[@fazole]

Wildcats worked well by diving on the Japanese aircraft and because USN pilots were trained primarily in deflection shooting. These tactics were possible because the USN ships had RADAR, had learned from the British how to use it, and could detect the enemy with enough advanced warning for the slow climbing Wildcat to get above the Japanese. So there were many synergistic factors that allowed the Wildcat to be effective against the more experienced IJN pilots.

[@jeffreytam7684]

Thank you for redoing the audio on this video! Great to hear it in its full glory.

[@cvr527]

Just to reiterate and reinforce the point made in the video. The Wildcat was the only fighter on our fleet carriers during the critical early carrier battles. Coral Sea, Midway, Battle of the Eastern Solomons and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. By the end of the Battle of the the Santa Cruz Islands The Kido Butai was effectively dead as an offensive force. Yes we only had one damaged carrier left in the Pacific, but we had many more on the way and the Japanese simply could not replace their losses. Particularly their losses in experienced pilots with over half of the pilots who had attacked Pearl Harbor killed. The Wildcat played a vital role for the US in the most critical stages of the war and continued giving good service for the duration of the war.

[@krasw]

This is pure gold as usual! Can't wait for navy superprops video.

[@cyclingnerddelux698]

Thrilled to get your take about this aircraft!

[@sebclot9478]

You actually could have gotten his take at any point in the last four years. This is a remake one of his earliest videos, which he appears to have taken down now that the new one is up. The content is more or less the same with a few improvements. The biggest difference is that the original had horrible audio quality. He has come a long way since those days.

[@alward9901]

Excellent production. The audio is perfect . One of the best sound trucks I have enjoyed for a long time thanks 🇺🇸🇨🇦👍 yes it was not till the Mustangs came in that the double turbo inter cooler was used on the Merlin . Some time later . I may be wrong .

[@nhack5504]

Great video as always! The Wildcat, like the Hurricane never gets the glory it deserves. I have (somewhere) a old tattered 1946 era book called "Our Fighting Planes" that rated the Bearcat range fairly highly if I remember so I would like to see the Bearcat video at some point. BTW, today that book almost has a propaganda feel, but I wore that book out as a kid in the 1960s. It is what fostered a lifelong obsession with these late piston fighters.

[@randyallen2771]

Great job Greg!

[@davidewhite69]

great pic at the end Greg. One of the aircraft I maintained was the Pilatus PC-9, it had the bendable trim tabs on the control surfaces you mentioned (as well as powered trim tabs). they were set up in the factory and were only 'adjusted' if the aircrew complained that the aircraft needed an unusual amount of trim, it was usually a try it and see exercise

[@SharkVsTree]

26:57 "So, that's why water injection is awesome." Well said, Greg. Well said. :D

[@johnross2086]

I saw an fm2 startup and takeoff at an airshow in Manassas in the 80s and without a military load it climbed more dramatically than I remember from any other fighter that I've seen live

[@FinsburyPhil]

Just the best, no BS, factual breakdowns of WW2 aircraft. Many thanks Greg

[@rudywoodcraft9553]

Thanks for another enjoyable video! I've been reading some accounts of WW2 wildcat pilots and had the same thought: critical, successful, and with duration through the course of the war.

[@73Trident]

What a great picture at the end of two legends of Wildcat history. Awesome!

[@johndonaldson3619]

Marvellous history and story telling!

[@burroaks7]

very awesome. lol and as a Chicagoan Its really to cool to see the Wildcat at O'Hare. the Dauntless at Midway is also pretty cool

[@ahnonymuch4183]

Yep, again an excellent video. No surprises there. I hope the algorithm notices.

[@jeromestern4399]

Thanks. A great Video that leaves hardly a question.

[@briantincher9284]

Love these videos. Great content. Thank you Greg for your passion and high quality presentations. I love WW2 aircraft but lack a complete knowledge of flight and flight characteristics. You make covering these complex subjects easily understood and always enjoyed. Thanks Greg.

[@glennlacewell5766]

Wildcats , P-40, P-36's won the war , without them the Japanese would have ran wild across the Pacific and the German U boats would have ruled the Atlantic . . They did the job and held the line while newer designs went into production . They held the enemy at Coral sea , they won Midway , in the Deserts of North Africa , they protected the convoys across the Atlantic. They did everything ask of them and more . Thank God they were there ready when we needed them !

[@palker4]

Martlets MkII are flyable in Il2 Desert Wings Tobruk. Great planes a bit too slow but if you get a jump on them, the .50 cals will make the 109s pay.

[@fighterace316]

Another great video Greg, I'm excited for the US Navy Super Prop aircraft video. I can't wait!!!

[@bluetopguitar1104]

I have a friend who's dad flew Wildcats from escort carriers. Great video.

[@RichardGoth]

Superb work as always Greg, in 30 minutes I learnt more than the several (albeit slim) books I own on the wildcat :-)

[@billballbuster7186]

Great presentation as always and lots of new information. An aircraft judged more by its looks than its capabilities. Fleet Air Arm aircraft were often fitted out with bomb or rocket racks for anti-submarine warfare.

[@thomaslockard9686]

Another great video Greg. Thank you.

[@123fockewolf]

US Navy: So whats the Vne on the Wildcat? Grumman: Yes.

[@TheIke444]

Super informative Greg. Thanks for another lesson!

[@dennisfox8673]

I think that video is how I found your channel, although maybe it was from a search looking for more specifics on how water injection boosts performance; in any event it has been a great find and I look forward to seeing this video!

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Hi Dennis, there won't be too much new here, but I did improve the older version quite a bit. I have most of my water injection info in the automotive videos.

[@dennisfox8673]

@@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles I’ve watched most of your videos over the last couple of years, so I have learned what I wanted to know- and then some more besides!-about water injection. :). Plus it’s been quite awhile since I watched the Wildcat videos, so it’ll seem pretty new, plus, truth be told, I’ve been known to rewatch your videos from time, I’m sure I’ll enjoy this.

[@nomuddywater5978]

Thanks greg ,4 ur time & video, love all these old planes ,

[@AdmiralQuality]

Great stuff as always, Greg! One thing you didn't mention that I've always been curious about... the windows in the floor!

[@marckyle5895]

One reason for the landing gear being as it is was the previous Grummann fighter, the F Three F had that type of retractable gear. Not only do the fuselages of both fighters look very similar, the very first design drawings of the F Four F were of a biplane. The design for the gear worked and the engineering was mostly done on it.

[@prosecutor4536]

Another phenomenal review, as always. One thing that could not understand, and Greg could likely explain, is the choice in engine. Grumman was working on this project in 1939, yet they went with the 1,200 hp Twin Wasp that was introduced and went into production 7 years earlier. Seven years was an old engine for the rate of development in the 1930’s. Why did the Pratt and Whitney engineers recommend their new Double Wasp, that also went into production in 1939. I know it was nearly double the weight, but the 2,000 hp engine in the 7,500 pound F4F would have been outstanding. Its dimensions were almost identical to the later Bearcat. I’m sure the frame would have needed more strength, and balancing the weight would have needed work

[@prosecutor4536]

Edit, “why didn’t the Pratt and Whitney engineers recommend the Double Wasp?

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

It was just a matter of timing. The Wildcat really started with the F3F which predates the R2800 by a few years. By the time the 2800 was ready for prime time it made sense to design a whole new plane.

[@prosecutor4536]

Thank you so much for the insight. Your channel is absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@andrewmetcalfe9898]

1:00 Fun fact: Branded the Martlet, the Wildcat had already seen close to a year’s war service with the British Royal Navy in the North Atlantic by the time of Pearl Harbour.

[@GregsAirplanesandAutomobiles]

Yes, but without the dual stage and intercooling system.

[@garethonthetube]

Flown by Eric Brown of later test pilot fame. He rated it highly.

[@mpetersen6]

The F4F variant was the first US built fighter score an aerial victory in WWII flying for the RN. Ju-88 iirc.

[@fafner1]

@@garethonthetube He flew it off escort carriers against FW-200's. He was one of the first to figure out the best way to attack a four engined bomber was nose on.

[@Air-Striegler]

Just lovely!

[@buzbuz33-99]

Excellent technical explanation. The FM-2 was a superb late war fighter. My father-in-law served with VC-27 during the invasion of the Philippines and they were credited with over 60 kills while losing only a handful of pilots (one of whom crashed while performing a victory roll). They might have been able to launch F6Fs from CVEs since VC-27 included Avengers which they launched with a primitive catapult system. But, for the kind of actions they were ivnolved in, the FM-2 was probably the better choice.

[@dukecraig2402]

Those torpedo planes had lower landing speeds, that's why they could operate off of the escort carriers, when loaded they needed the catapult to get them off the deck but when coming back empty they could fly slow enough they didn't need a huge carrier deck. And they did launch the bigger fighter's like Hellcat's from the escorts but they were replacement planes in reserve to replace the one's lost off the big carriers, once launched they were never meant to come back to the escort.

[@bobharrison7693]

@@dukecraig2402 A few of the CVEs did have F6Fs.

[@phildem414]

Interesting perspective giving justice to a key machine.

[@amptechron]

I love this channel! Always top shelf content!

[@mpetersen6]

For the pilots sake I hope he recovered from that takeoff. 13:00 mark. Excellent as always. Once the FM-2 came online and Grumman could switch over to F6F production didn't most if not all FM-2s and surviving F4Fs primarily serve in Hunter Killer groups in the anti sub mission. Or flying onto and off of the Sable and Wolverine As a side note. In terms of production one thing that made the F6F fairly easy to manufacture was aside from the engine cowling and a small area at the base of the vertical tail is that there are no compound curves on the skin of the airplane.