Grumman F4F Wildcat

	Grumman F4F Wildcat
		F4F Full Text

	The F4F had an inauspicious beginning. It was first ordered as a biplane in March of 1936, but never built. Then the second prototype was heavily damaged after seven months. Finally, the third prototype entered service November 1940, thirty-seven months after its initial flight. In comparison, its future adversary, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, was flying sorties over China only sixteen months after its first flight. However, the Wildcat compiled an enviable record and remained in service until the end of the war. Read More ...