Was timely Martlet license production possible?

[Freebird]

By 1942 the British FAA was receiving folding wing Martlets, after first recieiving non-folding versions in 1941. Could Martlets have been avaialble earlier and in greater quantity by Britain license producing them?

Simple answer is no.
The time needed to arrange and retool would certainly preclude and licenced Martlets from being produced anywhere near as fast as Grumman could.

For example, instead of producing Hawker Hurricanes at CC&F (first rolled off the line in Jan 1940) could this plant have made initially non-folding Martlets?

Frankly, CC&F would have been a terrible choice, to meddle with the Canadian factory (for retooling) that in early 1940 just started producing Hurricanes would likely halt fighter production there for 12 - 18 months or more, exactly when fighters are urgently needed.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Simple answer is no.Frankly, CC&F would have been a terrible choice, to meddle with the Canadian factory (for retooling) that in early 1940 just started producing Hurricanes would likely halt fighter production there for 12 - 18 months or more, exactly when fighters are urgently needed.

My thinking was to tool to make Martlets instead of Hurricanes. In May 1939 when the British Air Ministry placed its first order for Hurricanes with CC&F the Wildcat's development and initial production was well underway. CC&F already had established relations with both Grumman and Wright Aeronautics from producing the Wildcat's predecessor, the Grumman Goblin. Seems a good fit to me.

 

[Shortround6]

In May 1939 when the British Air Ministry placed its first order for Hurricanes with CC&F the Wildcat's development and initial production was well underway.

No it was not.
development was underway. Production was far from underway. The US Navy did not order it's first 54 F4F-3s with fixed wings until Aug of 1939. 3 months after The AIr Ministry orders the Hurricanes? The First "production" F4F-3 flies in Feb 1940, 9 months after the Hurricane order is placed.The French order 100 Wright cyclone powered Wildcats in Oct 1939. Now for some weird reasons the 2nd production F4F-3 doesn't fly until July of 1940 but at least 3 other Wildcats have flown in between the 1st and 2nd F4F-3s. At least one export Wildcat with a Wright commercial R-1820 engine and two XF4F-5s (the 3rd and 4th production F4F-3s?) fly the month before the 2nd F4F-3. Shortage of two stage P&W R-1830s? trying to sort out the Wright R-1820 installation for the export fighters?
I don't know but on July 27th 1940 The British, having taken over the French order of 100 planes, accept the 1st French aircraft as Martlet Is.

So where was this "initial production" that was well underway in the spring of 1939

 

[Admiral Beez]

No it was not.

Okay, I can amend that to later 1939 early 1940 when Wildcats were being produced. We'll need CC&F to be producing something else until then, such as the Maple Leaf Trainer II then in production.

 

[Kevin J]

Okay, I can amend that to later 1939 early 1940 when Wildcats were being produced. We'll need CC&F to be producing something else until then, such as the Maple Leaf Trainer II then in production.

I think a better idea would be to give CC&F a contract to develop a folding wing Sea Hurricane. Also move the radiator to under the engine and put a fuel tank in behind the pilot. Then you should have a better fighter than the Martlet available in the same timescale as the actual Sea Hurricane.