pinehilljoe
Senior Airman
- 674
- May 1, 2016
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how would the F4F-3 Wildcat/Martlet 1 have fared
Against the German bombers, not too badly. Against the Bf109, about as well as the P-36.
First enemy plane shot down by a Martlet, yea, any F4F at all, was a Ju-88 over Scotland in December 1940.
Depends on where you put them.
I'm pretty certain an F4F could tackle a Bf 110 escort
None of the Bf110's cruising speeds (even at 20,000 feet) were faster than the F4F/Martlet's max.Going off the spec's, the Bf 110 cruising speed is approx 15mph higher than the Martlet's max speed, the Bf's could bounce the Martlet's all day using superior speed and height.
Wouldn't matter were you put them, A&AEE rated their speed at 290mph and climb under 2,000fpm, they would be as useless as P40's in the BoB. Over England, as long as they stay above 200mph and 15,000ft the Luftwaffe bombers would almost be immune to attack.
Going off the spec's, the Bf 110 cruising speed is approx 15mph higher than the Martlet's max speed, the Bf's could bounce the Martlet's all day using superior speed and height.
So, if you were planning on defending your country against attack and you had F4Fs, would you just leave them on the ground and just give up?
Yet Wildcats were considered inferior to the A6M but plenty of A6Ms were shot down by pilots flying Wildcats. Heck, even Defiants and Gladiators shot Bf 109s down. The world is full of paradoxes...
None of the Bf110's cruising speeds (even at 20,000 feet) were faster than the F4F/Martlet's max.
Be sure you're looking at the early Bf110 and not the G series.
The Finns and their Buffaloes were fighting a lot of uncompetitive Soviet aircraft, like the I-15 biplane. I would not want to use either the Buffalo or early Wildcat to intercept Ju-88, Do-17 or He-111 escorted by Bf-109. Both fighters are too slow, too underarmed. Against the plodding Ju-87 and Do-18 ASR they'd be fine, not sure about the Bf-110.The Finns had success with the Brewster Buffalo too but no one is suggesting that they were an effective front line fighter, on any front.