Happy Anniversary Grumman Wildcat

On this day on 2nd of September 1937 the first flight of the XF4F-2 (later named Wildcat) occurred. Over 7,855 Wildcats were made but only 1 original still flies (others being FM2’s).

Wildcats were flown by 5 countries most noticeably Royal Navy and US navy.

This is how Japaneese fighter Ace described the Wildcats ability to absorb damage:

“I had full confidence in my ability to destroy the Grumman and decided to finish off the enemy fighter with only my 7.7 mm machine guns. I turned the 20 mm cannon switch to the “off” position, and closed in. For some strange reason, even after I had poured about five or six hundred rounds of ammunition directly into the Grumman, the airplane did not fall, but kept on flying. I thought this very odd—it had never happened before—and closed the distance between the two airplanes until I could almost reach out and touch the Grumman. To my surprise, the Grumman’s rudder and tail were torn to shreds, looking like an old torn piece of rag. With his plane in such condition, no wonder the pilot was unable to continue fighting! A Zero which had taken that many bullets would have been a ball of fire by now.”