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Naval Historical Center #NH 44277
| Dimensions | 23'2" by 32' by 9'4" 7.06m by 9.75m by 2.84m |
| Weight | 3285-4795 lbs 1490-2175 kg |
| Engine | One 950 hp (708 kW) Wright R-1820-22
9-cylinder radial engine driving a three-blade propeller |
| Speed | 264 mph 425 km/h |
| Ceiling | 33,200 feet 10,100 meters |
| Range | 980 miles 1580 km |
| Wing area | 260 square feet 24 square meters |
| Armament | 2 0.303 machine guns in engine cowling |
The F3F was the last biplane
carrier
fighter of the U.S.
Navy, and it would have been only a
historical footnote but for the fact that it was the direct ancestor of
the F4F Wildcat. The lineage
is apparent from the stubby fuselage and the landing gear retracting
into the forward fuselage.
The prototype first flew in May 1935 and production deliveries began in 1936. It remained with front-line squadrons into 1941, and a few were still in service at North Island, in training or patrol capacities, at the outbreak of war.
References
Naval Historical Center (accessed 2009-11-11)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009 by Kent G. Budge. Index
