The Grumman Wildcat
in FAA Service

by Bruce Archer

I really do not know why, but I always seem to take on very confusing subjects. Spitfires, for example can and will make your head hurt with the variations between aircraft of the same Mark, let alone the differing Marks. The Grumman F4F Wildcat/Martlet appeared to be no different. For what is supposedly a simple aircraft there are so many variables it appeared even the Admiralty gave up on giving coherent Mark numbers to the Martlet. This article hopes to clarify the apparent confusing Marks, sub-marks and confusing serials of the Martlet/Wildcat in the FAA.

In 1939, the FAA was not ready to fight a war. With no Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) like the USN, and only recently getting their Air Arm back from the RAF, the FAA was straddled with a series of obsolete or close to being obsolete aircraft (such as the Skua, and Sea Gladiator). Though the US Navy was still using bi-planes, the winds of change were apparent. The F2A, TBD, SBD, F4F and SB2U monoplanes were all in development or were in squadron service. Japan, the third naval air power was developing the Zero fighter, the Kate torpedo bomber and the Val dive-bomber. The newest fighter the FAA had was the Blackburn Roc. In addition, the FAA persisted in the outmoded thinking that you needed a second seat in naval fighters, which led to heavy, slow fighters (the Fulmar and Firefly).  With the Sea Hurricane (not really suitable as a carrier fighter) and the Seafire (not at all suitable) a couple of years away the Royal Navy needed aircraft. With the war raging, the British Purchasing Commission was given a blank check and sent looking for aircraft. The Martlet and Wildcat was one type chosen.

With the war in Europe, France approached Grumman in October of 1939 for Wildcats for their two carriers which were under construction (Reference 3). The only engine that was approved, for export by the US Government was the Wright R-1820 Cyclone . This was fitted into the G-36A (as the Wildcat was known by Grumman), the flight tests were successful and machines started down the line. However, France fell before the aircraft production was completed and delivered. The British Purchasing Commission (BPC) quickly acquired these planes for the FAA deliveries starting in July of 1940 (Reference 3).  Martlet I, II, III and Wildcat IV, V, and VI were built for the FAA in substantial numbers. At the end of the war, the FAA was the second largest user of the Wildcat, with an apparent bewildering array of versions.

Martlet Mark I (see title image)

The Martlet Mark I was aircraft originally ordered by France and Belgium. The Belgians ordered Martlets (Reference 10) which, according to Grumman records, were absorbed into the French order when Belgium fell. The Martlet (G-36A) was from the these two orders, which could not be delivered because of the fall of France.

Martlet Is came equipped with a Wright R-1820-G205A Cyclone engine with a single-stage, two-speed supercharger. The Cyclone was shorter than the Twin Wasp so the cowl was shorter in chord and did not have any cowl flaps, and with the overall length being the same (approximate) length as a Wildcat with a Pratt and Whitney engine, the distance between the wing and rear of the cowl was longer. This is true of all Cyclone powered Martlets/Wildcats. With the Mk.I, this distance was 22 inches (as measured on the FAA Museum’s sole surviving Mk.I). It has to be mentioned here, that the single row Cyclone had either baffle plates or air intakes between the cylinders. This forced air over the cooling fins and cooled the engine more efficiently.  All single row radials in a cowl were configured like this. The twin row Twin Wasp did not need the baffles for cooling.

All Martlet Mk.Is had the F4F-3 straight pitot tube and a Hamilton Standard Hydro-matic uncuffed prop. Mk.Is had fixed wings and 4 wing guns, 46” and 117” from the centerline of the fuselage with 430 rounds per gun. Otherwise, these Martlets were similar to F4F-3Bs.

Contrary to popular belief Martlet Is did go to sea. They were equipped with hooks, but the holdback was not fitted. Serials included AL231-AL262, AX824-AX829, BJ507-BJ527, and BJ554-BJ570.

Lost at sea whilst being delivered were Martlet I serials BT447-BT456 (Reference 10, 11).

Martlet Mark II 

The Martlet II was the first Martlet actually ordered by the British Purchasing Commission for the FAA. The contract was for 100 F4F-4A equivalent aircraft with folding wings and 3 guns per wing with 240 rounds per gun. The first ten Mk.IIs were delivered to F4F-3 standards with fixed wings and 4 wing guns. These 10, Serials AM954 to AM963 were redesignated as Mark IIIs (References 2,4,7,8,10,11).  These are covered in the Mark III section. The remaining Mark IIs were differentiated by the pitot tubes. AM964 to AM 999 had a unique pitot. This pitot was located on the port upper wing, near the inner edge of the aileron. This pitot angled to the rear and upwards. These aircraft were the only Wildcat/Martlet to use this pitot. The remaining Mark IIs, serial range AJ100 to AJ153 used the standard F4F-4 pitot. 

The Martlet II (from this point onwards, I am not speaking of the first 10 Mk.IIs which became Mk.IIIs) were powered by a Pratt and Whitney R-1830-90 Twin Wasp single stage two speed supercharged radial. This engine had the magnetos on the rear of the engine, next to the carburetor. The cowl was the standard chord Pratt and Whitney cowl, which had one large cowl flap on each side. The distance from the wing leading edge to the rear of the cowl is 14 5/8 inches on all Pratt and Whitney powered Martlets/Wildcats.   The cowl did not have the carb intake on the top, and the intercooler scoops were deleted. The propeller was a cuffed Curtiss Electric three blade, with a domed (similar to the dome found on P-43s and P-47s with Curtiss props) hub. All had folding wings with 3 guns per wing and had 240 rounds per gun. Some aircraft in the AM serial range had an extended lower fairing, which may have had something to do with the fuel system; AJ series aircraft did not have this extension. Serials for Martlet Mk.II are AM964-AM999 and AJ100-AJ153. Aircraft lost at sea whilst being delivered were AM954, AJ105, AJ106, AJ138-AJ145, and AJ124-AJ126.

Martlet Mark III 

The Martlet Mark III has been the bane of Martlet builders for a long time. However I feel I have cut through the bad information and have finally figured out the convoluted quagmire know as the Martlet Mk.III.

First, it has been documented that the first ten Martlet Mk.IIs  (AM954-AM963) were built to F4F-3 standards with fixed wings and were originally to be converted to have folding wings. However, I have found no evidence this happened.  As they were not similar to the Martlet Mk.II (different Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp, fixed wings and 4 wing guns) they were correctly redesignated as Mk.IIIs. Why was this done? They were very similar to the 30 ex-Greek F4F-3As that the FAA acquired when Greece fell.  These ex-Mk. IIs were powered by a Pratt and Whitney R-1830-76 Twin Wasp with a two-speed two-stage supercharger. The wings were fixed with a straight pitot and had 4 wing guns with 430 rounds per gun. All had the carb scoop and the intercooler scoops. These also had one cowl flap per side and a Curtiss Electric cuffed propeller with a domed prop hub. 

The next Mark IIIs were the 30 ex-Greek Martlets that the FAA acquired when Greece fell. These originally kept their BuAer Nos. 3875 to 3904.  More about these Martlet serials later. These were the first 30 F4F-3A Wildcats/Martlets built. They were powered with a Pratt and Whitney R-1830-90 Twin Wasp, which had a single stage two-speed supercharger. The cowl was a standard Pratt and Whitney cowl with the carb scoop at the top of the cowl but no intercooler scoops. The cowl had one cowl flap per side. The propeller was a Curtiss Electric three blade with cuffs and a stepped prop hub.  The wings were fixed, with a straight pitot, 4 wing guns and 430 rounds per gun.   

The ex-Greek Martlets is where the confusion with serials and numbers of aircraft have resulted. It seems previous authors have added approximately 36 aircraft which do not exist.  I have confirmed only 40 Martlet IIIs. These include the first Mark IIs, and the Greek order. The reason for the confusion was the way the Greek F4F-3As received serials. Local air depots were assigned serials for locally acquired aircraft. Here is where the confusion started. The local air depot assigned serials AX725-AX747, AX753-AX754, AX761, AX824-AX829 and HK841-HK842, (a total of 36 serials) (references 4, 8, 10, 12). The problem is some of these serials were not used. Known BuAer numbers and a correlation with British serials are shown on Table Number 2.

Wildcat Mark IV 

These aircraft were supplied under Lend-Lease, and were the last Wildcats built for the FAA by Grumman, and the first to be called Wildcats. The Mk.IV reverted to the Wright R-1820-40 Cyclone with a single speed, two-stage supercharger. Why this change was made, I do not know. However, it was equipped with a short chord cowl with one small cowl flap on either side. All of the scoops for the intercooler and carburetor were moved to in-between the cylinders.  A Hamilton Standard Hydromatic uncuffed propeller was used. All Mk.IVs had folding, 6 gun wings with 240 rounds per gun. All had the F4F-4 style pitot. These were equivalent to the F4F-4B. The serials assigned were FN100 to FN319.  Wildcat IV lost at sea whilst being delivered were FN205-FN207 and FN240-FN241 (Reference 10, 11).

Wildcat Mark V 

The Wildcat V was the first Wildcat produced by Eastern Aircraft for the FAA. All were delivered under Lend-Lease. These were FM-1s, a F4F-4 with 4 wing guns. All were powered by a Pratt and Whitney R-1830-86 Twin Wasp with a two-speed, two-stage supercharger and had a Curtiss Electric cuffed propeller with a stepped hub. The cowl was the longer Pratt and Whitney style, with both the carburetor and intercooler scoops. There were 4 small cowl flaps per side. Wings were folding but the Mk.V/FM-1 reverted to 4 wing guns with 430 rounds per gun. The pitot was the F4F-4 style. Serials ranged from JV325-JV636.

Wildcat Mark VI 

The Wildcat VI, a FM-2, was an attempt to improve the performance of the Wildcat. A Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone with a single speed, two-stage supercharger was fitted and had an additional 150 horsepower over previous versions. A Curtiss Electric propeller without cuffs was fitted and could have either a domed or a stepped hub. The cowl had a longer chord than the Mk.I and IV, but was shorter than the Pratt & Whitney cowl. There were no external scoops on the cowl; all of the scoops were between the cylinders. The cowl had one cowl flap per side. The exhausts were routed out a cutout on the fuselage (one per side) and out the bottom. The oil coolers were removed from the lower wings and moved into the accessory bay. The wings were folding and had 4 guns with 430 rounds per gun. To counter the added torque of the new engine, the fin and rudder were enlarged. In addition, the windows on the underside of the airframe were deleted. Serials ranged from JV637-JV902, JW785-JW836 and JZ860-JZ889.

There were five camouflage schemes worn by the Martlet/Wildcat in FAA service. All of these schemes are manufacturer-dependant and will be discussed by manufacturer. Remember these are “as delivered” schemes and the aircraft may have been repainted by the FAA at some time. 

Grumman    

Grumman was one of the few manufacturers, perhaps the only US manufacturer to get the FAA’s temperate Sea Scheme correct. With the exception of the first Martlet Is, Grumman used US manufactured colors that were very close, if not matches to Extra Dark Sea Grey, Dark Slate Grey and Sky. The sky at times had a blueish tint to it though.  The first Martlet Is were painted very differently. The uppers were painted in Extra Dark Sea Grey, Light Sea Green and Duck Egg Blue. The exact shade of these colors is still under debate today. Later Martlet I deliveries appear they may have been painted in the correct colors. Alternatively, these may have been FAA repaints. The ex-Greek Martlet IIIs were delivered in overall USN Non-Specular Light Grey, and most soon acquired a coat of camouflage color(s) on the upper surface. Most received a Mid Stone upper surface, but there are images which show a two color upper surface, and at least one aircraft received a dark undersurface. All Grumman Martlet/Wildcat interiors were Bronze Green (close to FS24050 or 20452), and the majority of the remaining interior was painted in “Grumman Grey” This is close to FS6440.  This included the cowl’s interior. The fuel tank was either aluminum of a dull steel color. The lower parts of the landing gear was a heat resistant black, the remainder could be either Grumman Grey or Sky. The notches where the wheel sat was in the underside color. Areas, which were out of sight, were in Zinc Chromate Yellow or Grumman Grey. Props were either polished aluminum with USN stripes, or black with 4” yellow tips. The wheel hubs were the underside color on the outer cover and aluminum on the inner.

Eastern Aircraft

Eastern Aircraft took over the manufacture of the Wildcat from Grumman as Grumman was busy making Hellcats. The Wildcat was manufactured in Linden, NJ (near my home) and towed across the street to the Linden Airport for test flying and delivery.  The first Eastern built Wildcats for the FAA, the Mk.V, may have worn two schemes. The first off the line are reportedly were painted according to Grumman specs, which include the primers, interior color and the correct shades for the Temperate Sea Scheme. However, the majority of Mk.Vs (FM-1s) were painted in the US ANA substitute colors of Olive Drab, Sea Grey and Light Grey. The cockpit was in “Interior Green”, and the remainder of the primed surfaces was in Zinc Chromate, either green or yellow. 

The Wildcat VI was painted in two differing schemes. The first was in the US ANA Substitute Scheme of Olive Drab, Sea Grey and Light Grey. The Interior and primed areas of the aircraft were as above. The second scheme was overall Glossy Sea Blue, with a Non-Specular Sea Blue anti-glare panel. An Eastern Aircraft painter (reference 12) interviewed by me stated that the Non-Specular Sea Blue was used initially because Eastern had quite a bit of this color in stock. When stocks of the Non-Specular Sea Blue were exhausted, a flat varnish was used to paint the anti-glare panel. The cockpit and interior were like the late Wildcat Vs.

I want to extend special thanks to my wife, the lovely and de-liteful Dana for putting up with me, to Joe Lyons for keeping me focused, Steve Eisenman who furnished me with the postings I was missing from the old FAASIG (US), to the members of the old FAASIG US, and the FAASIG UK for the help they have given me, and to the Southern New Jersey Scale Modelers who allow their President to rant on and on about not only Martlets but Spitfires as well. My thanks to all!

Table1: Martlet Variants and Characteristics

*= The closest US Equivalent would be the F4F-3B

**= These serials may not have been delivered

Table No. 2 Ex-Greek Martlet III Serials

(References 4,10,11)

1        F4F Wildcat in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications-2004

2        Warpaint No.9- Grumman F4F Wildcat. Hall Park Books Ltd.-1997(?)

3        In Detail and Scale No.65, F4F Wildcat. Squadron Signal Publications-2000

4        Air Arsenal North America, Pages 210-211

5        The Grumman Martlet, by Wesley Moore, IPMS Update, date unknown

6        Nine Lives by Brian Derbyshire. IPMS UK, date unknown

7        The Martlet and Wildcat by Scott Spencer, FAA SIG website, both US and UK

8        Aircraft of the FAA 1939-1945, Air Britain

9        Dana Bell’s Aviation Color Primers- No.1: US Export Colors of WWII, Meteor Productions - 2002

10   Discussion Board Postings FAA SIG (US and UK)

11   E-Mail conversations with Dave Fleming, Claudio Narduzzi, Jim Bates, Roger Andrews, and Terry McGradey

12   Conversation with Dale Peters, painter with Eastern Aircraft, Linden Plant 1943-1945

13   The Fleet Air Arm Museum’s Martlet Mk.I , serial No. AL 246

14   Mr. Russell Lee, Curator The National Air and Space Museum, who supplied information on the Museum’s FM-1 Wildcat 

Text & Images Copyright © 2006 by Bruce Archer
Page Created 06 March, 2006
Last Updated 06 March, 2006

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