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syscom3
Pacific Historian
There are industrial and logistical advantages of just a single fighter being produced. And that includes pilot training. And the Hellcat was not that much bigger.
Picture of the day. (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter syscom3
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Totally agree for the principle ; but during wartime, you cannot abruptly stop an industrial process to convert and switch to a newer one like that, without risking a shortage on the sharp end, as a not so up to date product is better than nothing (and the FM-2 had still a lot of potential). This is why for instance the P-40 soldiered on to the end.
The FM-2 only entered production in mid-1943 with the last of 4777 delivered in May 1945. The Wildcat was effective right to the end with FAA versions shooting down 4 Bf109Gs as late as 25 March 1945 off of Norway. Rocket-armed FM-2s provided valuable close support during the invasions of the Philippines and Okinawa. One Wildcat claimed destruction of a Japanese Yokosuka P1Y bomber on 5 August 1945, the type's last "kill" of the war.
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syscom3
Pacific Historian
Still was wasted production. Once Grumman was supplying the Hellcats left and right, GM should have been instructed to convert production to the Hellcat. All they needed was the tooling, which could have been provided quickly.
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syscom3
Pacific Historian
A PBY Catalina flying past the escort carrier USS Sangamon (CVE-26), at anchor in the Solomons, 1943.
Eastern astually was preparing to produce the Hellcat as the F3M. While this never came to fruition, a subsequent plan for Eastern's production of the F8F was also to have become the F3M. That plan also fell through with the end of the war.
I've always thought the FM-2 proved to be an excellent aircraft to use an engine already in production, while the F3M Hellcat would have needed increased R-2800 production for build an aircraft that was nearing the end of its useful life.
Cheers,
Dana
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syscom3
Pacific Historian
Crewmen pull a FM-2 Wildcat fighter back from the forward edge of the flight deck, after it flipped over in a "freak accident", This was the escort carrier, USS Makin Island.
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syscom3
Pacific Historian
No doubt the FM-2 was a fine aircraft. Its just that by 1944 is was second rate compared to the Hellcat. The advantages of getting it out of service asap would be simplified fleet logistics. And, the trained Hellcat pilots would be able to immediately redeploy to the fleet carries if losses occurred.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
The FM2 could operate from the smaller carriers. This made the FM2 handy for supporting invasions while the CVs with Hellcats were with the fleet doing fleet stuff.
Good shots!
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Why am I reminded of a Rodeo?
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syscom3
Pacific Historian
Four SBD-5 Dauntless bombers fly over the northern part of Eniwetok Atoll, February 18th 1944. Large island below is Engebi, captured on 17–18 February. Photographed from a USS Chenango (CVE-28) plane.
And a Hellcat is a pretty dicey operation on a CVE. After all that effort went into building them, you want to deprive them of fighter cover?
Escuadrilla Azul
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Yups! Wing failure or unlocked folding mecanism?
Snautzer01
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No the very Secret wing flapping take off assist.
Airframes
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"Flap, yer b*ggers, flap !!!"
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syscom3
Pacific Historian
Wooden pieces of the flight deck of the U.S. Navy escort carrier USS Solomons (CVE-67) fly around after a Grumman TBF Avenger flown by William F. Chamberlin strikes the ramp on recovery. The pilot and his crew, members of Composite Squadron VC-9, survived this accident, but were killed in action a month later during an attack against a German U-boat.
