Grumman F4F Wildcat -  VMF-221 Based on Midway Island,  For Moggy's Midway campaign 


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Originally designed to compete with the Brewster Buffalo as the new U.S.Navy carrier based aircraft in mid 1938, The original XF4F-3 was narrowly beaten by the Buffalo although it had a higher top speed. The Navy,however, must have seen something in the design as they ordered a second prototype in October 1938.

The second prototype flew in March 1939, with the addition of  more powerful Twin Wasp 1000hp dual stage super charged engine. During the testing phase yet another (third) prototype was introduced to the testing. This one having a redesigned tail unit.
This third model was shown to have a top speed of 335mph (539kph) at 21,300ft (6,490m) and displayed very good handling characteristics and manoeuvrability.
The U.S.Navy ordered 78 of the F4F-3 production aircraft on 8 August 1939.

Later that year, Grumman recieved orders for 81 F4F-3's from France and another 30 from Greece. These having the 1000hp Wright Cyclone engine designated G-36A. They were ready by 27 July 1940, by which time the French had already been overrun by the Germans.

 RAF/FAA Service
The British Purchasing Commision agreed to purchase them and increased the order to 90 aircraft, the first arriving in the UK by July 1940.

Designated the MartletI they went to No.804 squadron in the FAA. Two aircraft from this squadron were the first US built fighters in British service to destroy a German aircraft in WWII.

The Martlets rapidly gained the respect of the FAA pilots for their reliability, excellent performance and lethal firepower.

They were followed later by the Twin Wasp powered, folding wing MartletII, 10x F4F-4A and the 30 Greek ordered G-36As as MartletIIIs and then lend lease F4F-Bs with Wright Cyclone GR-1820 engines as MartletIVs.

In January 1944 they were ALL redesignated "Wildcats" although they retained their mark numbers throughout.

U.S. Service
First flown on 20 August 1940 by the U.S.Navy, by December the F4F-3 equipped Squadrons VF-7 and VF-41.  By early 1941 VF-42 and VF-71 as well as Marine Squadrons VMF-121, VMF-211 and VMF-221 flew the mark. The last squadron (VMF-221) being particularly distinguished by their stoic defence of Wake Island with only 4 remaining F4Fs.

The Wildcat went on to be flown by another 8 Navy and Marine squadrons, and was central to the success of the Battles of Midway and the Coral Sea and the operations at Guadalcanal as well as the Torch landings in North Africa. They were central to all major actions in the Pacific until superceded by more advanced aircraft in 1943.
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Skin by DeanH, New HR 3dz by Col. Gibbon based on the updated LR model by Capt Kurt.
Additional adjustments and many thanks to Moggy for the Prop fix.
The 3DZ programming work to relocate the hardpoints was originally solved by Claudio
The original canopy transparency was developed by Woolfman.  