How a Chain of Fixes Turned the Aging Wildcat Into the Perfect Fighter for Tiny Escort Carriers

Comments · 159

• ID

  @Idahoguy10157 · 10 days ago

  The Wildcat was a workhorse and an underdog. Much more successful than its specifications promised. Which it lasted so long. So was the Curtis P-40.

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• TB

  @TBlakely-s4p · 8 days ago

  By the time the Hellcat arrived almost all the highly trained Japanese pilots were killed off by Wildcats and AAA. The Japanese assumed a quick war and didn't develop a large, robust pilot training system.

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• MO

  @MosinGuy59 · 9 days ago

  My dad served aboard the USS Fanshaw Bay during the Battle off Samar, the Okinawa campaign, and others. He had a deep, lifelong respect for the FM-2 and TBM pilots. Kudos to a very good production. Looking forward to more.

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• BO

  @bobharrison7693 · 10 days ago (edited)

  According to my friend and FM-2 ace Joe McGraw, the operational squadrons "Tweaked" the R1820 and were getting closer to 1500 HP in emergencies. Joe beat a well flown Zero in a high speed turning fight for his last claim.

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• MA

  @MakeMeThinkAgain · 3 days ago

  Pilots requested the MG reduction because it gave them more time actually shooting.

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• WM

  @wmffmw · 10 days ago (edited)

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZhSI06sNII&amp;t=64">1:04</a> Interesting how things work out. My Father ran Grummans Flight Test Department from 1941-65 when he moved to the Apollo program. I heard a lot and Grumman Aircraft as a kid. The Iron Works was an extremely tight community. Dad retired after 39 years there. I only worked there 6 months before an opportunity came along to double my salary by going back to a former Employer who could not find a replacement when I quit. I got lucky.

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• PA

  @Palaemon44 · 10 days ago

  Pilots complained about the -4’s six guns. The total number of rounds of ammunition didn’t go up so each gun had fewer rounds and therefore shorter total firing time. The four .50 caliber guns in the -3 were more than enough for lightly protected Japanese aircraft so Wildcat pilots preferred the weight saving and having more firing time.

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• ST

  @SteveBull-tg8mi · 7 days ago

  This is better than most AI slop, but too repetitive in the attempt to drag out attention

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• AL

  @alexius23 · 8 days ago

  If a person is flying through Chicago’s O’Hare airport there is a Wildcat present to honor Medal of Honor winner Butch O’Hare (a Chicago native). That fighter had ended up there as it had been found in the cold fresh waters of Lake Michigan. The USN maintained two converted Great Lake steamers to teach naval cadets how to do carrier landings &amp; take offs One of their graduates was former President George Bush. The cadet pilots were stationed at the Great Lakes Naval station. They would fly either a SBD, TBF, or a Wildcat from a land airport to then do the carrier landings/take offs on either the USS Wolverine or the USS Sable. Over the years several USN aviation wrecks have been found, raised &amp; been restored.<br>.

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• AL

  @AllenBowring-f6y · 9 days ago

  My father was machinist mate on a jeep carrier during WW2 he won air crew wings pitched on the shoulders of the &nbsp;pilot with signal Flasher to act as a signal men to maintain radio silence on submarine patrols he never saw combat but was proud of his wings and proud of the Wildcats he worked to maintain

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• W.

  @w.reidripley1968 · 9 days ago

  The F9F Panther at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZhSI06sNII&amp;t=1930">32:10</a> is relevant, at least, to the officer&apos;s later career.<br>The carrier in the background there may be having a bit of burner trouble in the engine room, to be making that much heavy smoke. Needs to adjust some fuel valves!

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• FA

  @Farout-c1q · 7 days ago (edited)

  There is a ship&apos;s bow, a bow tie, the bough on a tree, even a rainbow, not to mention a bow and arrow, Ai struggles perhaps soon Ai will get it right. Even so this was a very good video, lots of info I had not heard of, thanks

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