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#cv #f4f #midway #museum #navy #wildcat
Published: 2016-03-09 13:38:02 +0000 UTC; Views: 797; Favourites: 15; Downloads: 0
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Description
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the U.S. Navy's primary fighter for their first year of World War II. Best known for fighting in the Pacific, they also served the Royal Navy as the Martlet. Though replaced by the F6F Hellcat, they continued to be produced and flown from escort carriers until war's end. First flown in 1939, the first Wildcat kill was of a German Ju 88 over Scapa Flow by Royal Navy Martlets on Dec. 25, 1940.The Wildcat followed a vastly different design philosophy than it's Japanese counterpart, the A6M Zero. The Zero was long range, nimble and quick but at the cost of survivability. This was offset by over-trained pilots and as Saburo Sakai saw it, maneuverability was his armor. The Wildcat was designed to be durable and heavily armed, it's pilots countered the Zero's strengths with better tactics. By the end of 1942 US Navy and Marine Corps Wildcats had achieved a 9:1 kill ratio over the Japanese.
Had trouble shooting this due to people, blasting sunlight from outside the hangar bay and typical poor hangar bay lighting.
USS Midway (CV-41)
San Diego, California
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Comments: 5
homicidal45 [2016-03-10 13:14:48 +0000 UTC]
No need to say sorry mate, so many places are hideously lit!
But well done on the facts there.. Great shot.
Rob
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DavidKrigbaum In reply to homicidal45 [2016-03-11 12:22:18 +0000 UTC]
Thanks. I love the way they posed them in there, I could see the underside up close and all the parts you usually can't see. If its hanging from the ceiling its hard to see the top, if its on the ground you usually lose the underside (if you can't get close) and some top as well, but this is the best of all worlds I think. And there was no perimeter so I could get up close and pet the kitty!
It was also fun and kind of weird to do American Navy World War II aircraft again after doing all the Japanese ones.
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homicidal45 In reply to DavidKrigbaum [2016-03-12 12:39:14 +0000 UTC]
Always like walkways around aircraft as it gives great views..
The American Air Museum, Duxford opens this month.. Excellent new walkways there.
Rob
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
artlovr59 [2016-03-09 16:30:49 +0000 UTC]
Great pic!!
A very interesting story, thanks! I had a model of one of these when I was small!
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