F4F Wildcat

The Grumman F4F Wildcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940. Although first used in combat by the British in Europe, the Wildcat was the only United States Navy or Marine fighter in World War II 1941-42 in the Pacific Theater besides the brief appearance of the F2A Buffalo. With a top speed of 318 mph, the Wildcat was outperformed by the more nimble 331 mph Mitsubishi Zero, but its ruggedness and tactics such as the Thach Weave resulted in a air combat kill-to-loss ratio of 5.9:1 in 1942 and 6.9:1 for the entire war.

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Performance

Maximum speed: 331 mph (531 km/h)
Armament


Guns: 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, 450 rpg
Bombs: 2 × 100 lb (45 kg) bombs and/or 2 × 58 gal (220 l) drop tanks