PARKZONE F4F WILDCAT

摘要

From the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor through 1942, the Grumman F4F Wildcat was the only U.S. Navy/Marine fighter in the Pacific theater. Flying alongside U.S. Army Air Corp. P-40 Warhawks, the carrier-based Wildcat was used extensively to meet the advance of the Japanese naval air forces. Though it was somewhat slower and less maneuverable than the Zero, its pilot-saving armor plates, self-sealing fuel tanks and rugged airframe construction often helped U.S. aviators overcome the performance handicaps of their airplanes. Although the F4F was first used in combat by the British (called the Martlet) in the European theater, the Grumman Wildcat has forever become identified as being the first naval fighter to defend Pearl Harbor. Though it was soon replaced with the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair because of its lack of speed, Wildcat pilots, because of their superior training, enjoyed a noteworthy 8:1 kill ratio.