NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Brewster Buffalo

The Brewster F2A "Buffalo" was an American fighter plane which saw limited service during World War II. In 1939, the F2A became the first monoplane fighter aircraft used by the US Navy. In December 1941, it suffered severe losses with both British Commonwealth and Dutch air forces in South East Asia, for reasons unrelated to the basic design. It also saw action with US Marine Corps squadrons at the Battle of Midway. The F2A was derided by some American servicemen as a "flying coffin",^[1] due to poor construction and perceptions of its general performance. Despite this reputation, the F2A proved a potent weapon with the Finnish Air Force, against the Soviet Air Forces. Image File history File linksMetadata F2A-1_VF-3_CV-3_Felix_the_Cat. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... The Brewster Aeronautical Corporation was a 1940s failure of the American aviation industry. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1937: Events March March 5 - Imperial Airways opens a new flying boat base at Hythe, Hampshire. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1939: Events January January 12 - the RAF Auxiliary Air Force Reserve is formed February February 9 - Alex Henshaw sets a new speed record for the round trip between England and Cape Town in 4 days 10 minutes in a Percival Mew... USN redirects here. ... RAF redirects here. ... The Brewster Aeronautical Corporation was a 1940s failure of the American aviation industry. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A monoplane is an aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... USN redirects here. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders - Queen Elizabeth II - Secretary-General Don McKinnon since 1 April 2000 Establishment - Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926 - Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931 - London Declaration 28 April 1949 Area - Total... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€ Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... The Finnish Air Force (FAF) (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. ... The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: Ð’Ð’Ð¡, Ð’Ð¾ÐµÐ½Ð½Ð¾-Ð²Ð¾Ð·Ð´ÑƒÑˆÐ½Ñ‹Ðµ ÑÐ¸Ð»Ñ‹ (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily), formed the official designation of the air force of the Soviet Union. ...

Design and development

In 1935, the US Navy issued a requirement for a carrier-based fighter intended to replace the Grumman F3F biplane. Two aircraft designs were considered: the Brewster Model 139 and the Grumman XF4F-1 which was still a "classic" biplane. The Model 139 incorporated sophisticated features for the time: a monoplane configuration, wing flaps, arresting gear, retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and in most cases recover aircraft, acting as a sea... The Grumman F3F was the last bi-winged fighter aircraft delivered to the U. S. Navy. ... The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading producer of military and civilian aircraft of the 20th century. ... Main and nosewheel undercarriage of a Qatar Airways Airbus A330 The undercarriage or landing gear is equipment which supports an aircraft when it is not flying. ... VC-10 (1960s) Airliner Cockpit. ...

The US Navy competition was opened up to allow another competitor, the Seversky XNF-1, a navalized P-35 that was eliminated early on when the prototype could not reach more than 267 mph.^[2] Alexander Procofieff de Seversky, (or De Seversky or DeSeversky), (June 7, 1894-August 24, 1974) was a Georgian-born American aviation pioneer, inventor, and influential advocate of strategic air power. ... The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft built in the United States in the late 1930s. ...

The Navy awarded Brewster the contract; the Model 139 was redesignated as XF2A-1. The prototype first flew on 2 December 1937 and early test results showed that it was far in advance of the Grumman entry. While the XF4F-1 would not enter production, it would later re-emerge as a monoplane, the Grumman Wildcat. The Brewster fighter looked "pugnacious" with a stubby fuselage, mid-set wings and a host of advanced features. It was all-metal, with flush-riveted, stressed aluminum construction, although flying surfaces were still fabric-covered. Split flaps, a hydraulically-operated retractable main undercarriage (and partially retractable tail wheel) and a streamlined framed canopy gave the XF2A-1 a modern look. Powered by a Wright R-1820-22 Cyclone producing 850 hp gave it a top speed of 277.5 mph (later boosted to 304 mph at 16,000 ft after improvements were made to the cowling streamlining and carburetor/oil cooler intakes).^[3] Image File history File links Brewster_XF2A-1_fighter_g03807. ... Image File history File links Brewster_XF2A-1_fighter_g03807. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... F4F-3 Wildcat of Lt. ...

Service testing of the Brewster prototype began in January 1938 and, in June, the Navy ordered 54 of the F2A-1 production model. The initial armament mix of two machine guns, a .30 caliber and .50 caliber Browning machine gun mounted in engine cowling firing through the propeller arc, would later be augmented by the provision of an additional two .50 caliber machine guns, one in each wing outboard of the landing gear. Image File history File linksMetadata F2A1_Thach_Saratoga. ... Image File history File linksMetadata F2A1_Thach_Saratoga. ... John Smith Thach (19 April 1905 - 15 April 1981) was a World War II naval aviator, air combat tactician, and Admiral in the United States Navy. ... The fifth USS Saratoga (CV-3) was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. ...

A later variant, the F2A-2, of which 43 were ordered, included a more powerful engine, a better propeller, and integral flotation gear, and was followed by the F2A-3. Unfortunately, the improvements added weight that adversely affected the fighter's performance and caused perennial problems with its landing gear (collapse issues), especially in shipboard service.

Operational history

Of the first deliveries, beginning in June 1939, nine went to Squadron VF-3 on the USS Saratoga. The balance of 44 were declared surplus and sold to Finland (see below). Although it was becoming clear that the F2A was inferior to the latest German fighters, in early World War II, all modern fighter types were in demand, including the Brewster Buffalo. Consequently, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands East Indies purchased several hundred of the land-based versions. Image File history File links F2A_Buffalo_Cockpit. ... Image File history File links F2A_Buffalo_Cockpit. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The fifth USS Saratoga (CV-3) was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands Indië) was the name of the colonies colonised by the Dutch East India Company which came under administration of the Netherlands during the ninteenth century (see Indonesia). ...

Belgium

Just before the start of World War II, Belgium sought more modern aircraft to expand and modernize its air force. Belgium ordered 40 F2A-2s (which had a factory designation of B-339), with a different engine, the Wright R-1820-G105, with a power output of 1,000 hp. The arrestor hook was removed and the plane got a slightly longer tail. Unfortunately, only two aircraft reached France during the collapse of Belgium and they were later captured by the Germans. Six planes ended up in Martinique with the French Air Force, where they were eventually destroyed. The rest of the order was passed to the UK, where they were considered unfit for duty in western Europe and they were supplied to British Commonwealth air forces in Asia. The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders - Queen Elizabeth II - Secretary-General Don McKinnon since 1 April 2000 Establishment - Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926 - Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931 - London Declaration 28 April 1949 Area - Total...

British Commonwealth

Facing a shortage in combat aircraft in January 1940, the British government established the British Purchasing Commission to acquire US aircraft that would help supplement domestic production. Among the fighters that caught the commission's attention was the Buffalo. The UK ordered 170 of the variant known as B-339E. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Sembawang Airbase is located in the north of Singapore, and is operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... The British Purchasing Commission was a United Kingdom organization of the Second World War. ...

The B-339 was fitted with an export approved 1,100hp Wright Cyclone engine and redesigned for land use with navy equipment such as the life raft and arrestor hook removed.^[4] The RAF stipulated numerous upgrades to their order, including replacement of the standard ring and bead gun sight with a British Mk III reflector gun sight, and improving pilot protection, by adding reinforced armor plating and installing armored glass behind the canopy windshield.^[5] For the 1944 movie, see Lifeboat (movie). ... Tailhook on an E-1B Tracer A tailhook or arrestor hook is a device attached to the rear of an aircraft. ...

They were sent to Royal Australian Air Force, RAF and Royal New Zealand Air Force fighter squadrons in Singapore, Malaya and Burma, shortly before the outbreak of war with Japan. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) is the air force arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ...

Prior to December 1941, the Western Allied air forces seriously underestimated the numbers, pilots, leadership and capability of their Japanese opponents. Despite having initial successes against the Nakajima Ki-43, the five British Commonwealth squadrons that flew Buffalos in the Malayan campaign, suffered severe losses on the ground and in the air, especially during the first week of the campaign, resulting in the ongoing merger of squadrons and their gradual evacuation to the Dutch East Indies.^[6] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Western Allies were the democracies and their colonial peoples, within the broader coalition of Allies during World War II. The term is generally understood to refer to the countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations and Poland (from 1939), exiled forces from Occupied Europe (from 1940), the United States... The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (éš¼, Peregrine Falcon) was a single-engined land-based fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II. The army designation was Type 1 Fighter (ä¸€å¼æˆ¦é—˜æ©Ÿ); the Allied codename was Oscar. ... Combatants Malaya Command: Indian III Corps Australian 8th Div. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The two RAAF, two RAF and one RNZAF squadrons, during December 1941-January 1942, were beset with numerous problems,^[7] including: poorly-built and ill-equipped aircraft; poor supplies of spare parts; inadequate numbers of support staff; airfields that were difficult to defend against air attack; lack of a clear and coherent command structure; antagonism between RAF and RAAF squadrons and personnel, and; inexperienced pilots lacking appropriate training.

The Hawker Hurricanes which succeeded the Buffalos (from 20 January), also suffered severe losses from ground attacks, and were also virtually wiped out.^[8] The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. ... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Four British Commonwealth pilots: Geoff Fisken, Maurice Holder, Benjamin Clare and Richard Vanderfield, became aces on the Buffalo.^[9] Fisken, the highest scoring of them, later flew P-40s and became the highest-scoring Commonwealth pilot within the Pacific theatre. Geoffrey Bryson Fisken born February 17, 1916, was New Zealand and the British Commonwealthâ€™s leading air ace in the Pacific theatres of World War II. // Early Life Fisken was born in Gisborne. ... The Curtiss P-40 was a US single-engine, single-seat, low-wing, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft which first flew in 1938, and was used in great numbers in World War II. It was a direct adaptation of the existing P-36 airframe to enable mass production... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ...

Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The Javanese are an ethnic group native to the Indonesian island of Java. ...

Netherlands East Indies

The Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (ML-KNIL; "Military Air Service of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army") had ordered 144 Brewster B-339C and 339D models, the former with used engines supplied by the Dutch and the latter with new and more powerful engines that Brewster purchased from Wright. By the time war began, only 71 had arrived in the Netherlands East Indies, and not all were in service. A small number served briefly at Singapore before being withdrawn for the defense of Java. The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL) was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1939 until 1950. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands Indië) was the name of the colonies colonised by the Dutch East India Company which came under administration of the Netherlands during the ninteenth century (see Indonesia). ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ...

As the Dutch Buffalos were lighter than the F2A-3 used by the US, they were able to successfully dogfight the Japanese Ki-43 Oscar, although it was still out-turned by the A6M Zero. Apart from their role as fighters, they were also used as dive bombers against Japanese troopships. Though reinforced by the Commonwealth Buffalos retreating from Malaya, the Dutch squadrons were unable to stem the superiority of Japanese forces at ground level, and they flew their last mission on 7 March. Altogether 17 Dutch pilots were killed, 30 Buffalos were shot down, 15 were destroyed on the ground, and several were lost to misadventure. In return, Dutch pilots claimed 55 enemy aircraft destroyed.^[10] In a major engagement on 19 February 1942, eight Dutch Brewsters intercepted a formation of about 35 Japanese bombers, which had an escort of about 20 Zeroes. The Dutch pilots destroyed 11 Japanese planes and lost four Buffalos.^{[citation needed]} The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (éš¼, Peregrine Falcon) was a single-engined land-based fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II. The army designation was Type 1 Fighter (ä¸€å¼æˆ¦é—˜æ©Ÿ); the Allied codename was Oscar. ... Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero wreck abandoned at Munda Airfield, Central Solomons, 1943. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Two Dutch pilots, Jacob van Helsdingen and August Deibel, scored the highest on the Buffalo. Both recorded a total of three victories.^[11] Captain Jacob Pieter van Helsdingen (born 7 March 1907 â€“ 7 March 1942) was a pilot of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. ... Lieutenant August Gerard Deibel (? â€“ 12 June 1950) was a Dutch pilot of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. ...

US Marine Corps

The US Marine Corps flew F2As at the Battle of Midway, and suffered 15 losses out of 25 aircraft. The grim outcome was the primary source for the reputation of the Brewster being one of the worst fighters flown in combat. However, the main reasons for the losses included the obsolescence of F2A-3, inexperience of USMC pilots, who attempted to enter into a World War I-style dogfight with experienced Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighters, and the fact that the Buffalos were outnumbered and caught at a tactical disadvantage. United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€ Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero wreck abandoned at Munda Airfield, Central Solomons, 1943. ...

The poor performance of the USMC in the aerial battle sparked Finnish Ace Hans Wind to write his combat manual on Brewster; he analyzed the air combat, the tactical errors the Americans made and proposed tactics which the Finnish Brewster pilots were to use when encountering different types of enemy fighters. They were later used with remarkable success in 1942-43. Meanwhile, the Battle of Midway marked the end of F2A-3's American combat career. The surviving airframes were transported to mainland US as advanced trainers. Hans Henrik Hasse Wind (July 30, 1919, Tammisaari - July 24, 1995, Tampere) was a Finnish fighter pilot and flying ace in World War 2 with 75 official victories. ...

Finland

In Finland, the Brewsters enjoyed their greatest success. The aircraft did not arrive in time for the Winter War, but their impact in the Continuation War (1941-44) was remarkable. The fighter was never referred to as the Buffalo in Finland; it was known simply as the Brewster, or sometimes by the nickname Taivaan helmi ("Sky Pearl") or Pohjoisten taivaiden helmi ("Pearl of the Northern Skies"). Other nicknames were Pylly-Valtteri ("Butt-Walter"), Amerikanrauta ("American hardware" or "American car") and Lentävä kaljapullo ("flying beer-bottle"). The 44 Brewsters used by the FAF received the serial numbers BW-351 to BW-394. It appears the workmanship of the Finnish airframes was also better than those produced later; this was a common phenomenon as the aircraft factories were manned by a less-skilled workforce after the start of World War II. Combatants Finland Soviet Union Commanders Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Kliment Voroshilov Semyon Timoshenko Strength 250,000 men 30 tanks 130 aircraft[1][2] 1,000,000 men 6,541 tanks [3] 3,800 aircraft[4][5] Casualties 26,662 dead 39,886 wounded 1,000 captured[6] 126,875 dead... Combatants Finland Germany Italy1 Soviet Union United Kingdom2 Commanders C.G.E. Mannerheim Kirill Meretskov Leonid Govorov Strength 530,000 Finns[1] 220,000 Germans 900,000â€“1,500,000[2] Casualties 58,715 dead or missing 158,000 wounded 1,500 civilian dead[3] 200,000 dead or missing...

The Brewster was regarded as being very easy to fly and many Finnish pilots commented that it was a "gentleman's plane" while the Messerschmitt Bf 109 (also used by the FAF) was "a killing machine." Brewsters were also popular within the FAF because of their long range and endurance, and their good maintenance record. This was due in part to FAF mechanics, who solved a problem plaguing the Wright Cyclone engine by inverting one of the piston rings in each cylinder, thus enhancing engine reliability. Note that the Finnish aircraft dispensed with most of the US Navy gear such as a life raft, resulting in a considerably lighter aircraft. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Finnish Air Force (FAF) (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. ... Combatants Finland Germany Italy1 Soviet Union United Kingdom2 Commanders C.G.E. Mannerheim Kirill Meretskov Leonid Govorov Strength 530,000 Finns[1] 220,000 Germans 900,000â€“1,500,000[2] Casualties 58,715 dead or missing 158,000 wounded 1,500 civilian dead[3] 200,000 dead or missing...

In the end, the Brewster gained a reputation as one of the most successful combat aircraft ever flown by the Finnish Air Force. In service during 1941-1945, the Brewsters were credited with 496 Soviet and German aircraft destroyed, against the loss of 19 Brewsters: a victory ratio of 26:1. However, the substantiation of this claim on German and Soviet records is so far incomplete, and all claims have not been managed to be connected on actual losses (as of 2007). The Finnish Air Force (FAF) (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. ... CCCP redirects here. ...

During the Continuation War, Lentolaivue 24 (Fighter Squadron 24) was equipped with the B-239s until May 1944, when the Brewsters were transferred to Hävittäjälentolaivue 26 (Fighter Squadron 26). Most of the pilots of Lentolaivue 24 were Winter War combat veterans and the squadron achieved total of 459 kills with B-239s, while losing 15 Brewsters in combat. For example, between 25 June 1941 and 31 December 1941, LeLv 24 scored 135 kills with Brewsters at a cost of two pilots and two Brewster Buffalos. No. ... No. ... is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ...

The top-scoring Buffalo pilot was Hans Wind, with 39 kills in B-239s. Wind scored 26 of his kills while flying BW-393 and Eino Luukkanen scored seven more kills with the same aircraft. After evaluation of kills claimed on Soviet actual losses, BW-364 is credited with 43 kills in total, possibly making it the fighter aircraft with the greatest number of victories in the history of air warfare. BW-393 is credited with 40 victories. Hans Henrik Hasse Wind (July 30, 1919, Tammisaari - July 24, 1995, Tampere) was a Finnish fighter pilot and flying ace in World War 2 with 75 official victories. ...

The top scoring Finnish ace, Ilmari Juutilainen, scored 34 of his 94 and one-half kills while flying B-239s, including 28 kills with BW-364. Ilmari Juutilainen (February 21, 1914 - February 21, 1999) was a Finnish Air Force fighter pilot during Winter War (1939-1940) and Continuation War (1941-1944). ...

Although the Buffalo was clearly obsolete in 1944, barely holding its own against Soviet fighters, with most airframes worn out, LeLv 26 pilots still scored some 35 victories against the Soviets in the summer of 1944. The last aerial victory by a Brewster against the Soviet Union was scored over the Karelian Isthmus on 17 June 1944. After Finland agreed to a truce, it was obliged to turn against its former ally, Germany, and a Brewster pilot, Lt Erik Teromaa (11 kills), claimed a Luftwaffe Stuka on October 3, 1944, during the Lapland War. The Karelian Isthmus is the narrow stretch of land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (German: air force, literally Air Weapon, pronounced lufft-va-fa, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Stuka redirects here. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Germany Finland Commanders Lothar Rendulic Hjalmar Siilasvuo Strength 200,000 60,000 Casualties 950 killed 2,000 wounded 1,300 captured 774 killed 3,000 wounded 262 missing The Lapland War (Finnish: ; German: ; Swedish: ) is a name used for the hostilities between Finland and Germany between September 1944 and...

There were many other modifications to the B-239 that were made locally in Finland during its career. Some of these were the installation of pilot seat armor and replacing the single 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun with a 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun. By 1943, all except one Finnish B-239 had four 0.50" machine guns. The wing guns had 400 rounds and fuselage guns 200 rounds each. The 0.30 in (7.62 mm) had 600 rounds. In spring 1941, before reflector sights — the Finnish Väisälä T.h.m.40 sights, which were based on the Revi 3c — were installed; metric instruments were also installed. // Vaisala Group Vaisala develops, manufactures and markets products and services for environmental and industrial measurement. ...

During the war, Finnish designers devised a new aircraft, the Humu based on the Brewster Buffalo, but domestically produced from cheaper materials such as plywood. Only a single prototype was built, as the plane was clearly obsolete in 1943 and deliveries of Messerschmitt Bf 109s filled the needs of fighter squadrons. The VL Humu at Central Finland Aviation museum. ...

The last flight made by a Buffalo in Finnish service was on 14 September 1948. Besides the Humu prototype, the hood and fin (with 41 kills) of BW-393 survive in a museum. The BW-372 is displayed today in NAS Pensacola's aviation museum, restored in Finnish colours. is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Survivors

Surviving Brewster aircraft are extremely rare, as their construction quality was generally poor, and most were quickly dispatched to foreign military service. It was long thought that no intact Buffalo remained, but during the summer 1998, a Finnish B-239 (serial no. BW-372) was discovered in a Russian lake, Big Kolejärvi, about 50 kilometers from the town of Segezha, Russia. This aircraft was identified as one of 44 model 239s sold to Finland during the Winter War. Segezha (Russian: , Finnish: ) is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. ...

On 25 June 1942, BW-372 piloted by Lieutenant Lauri Pekuri was in a formation of eight Brewsters that encountered a mixed squadron of Soviet Hurricanes and MiG-3s. In the clash, seven Soviet aircraft were damaged. Lieutenant Pekuri shot down two Hurricane fighters (he had to his credit 18 kills, including seven Hurricanes) but his fighter was hit by heavy cannon fire from a MiG-3 and he was forced to ditch the burning Brewster in Big Kolejärvi lake. Lieutenant Pekuri survived the crash with minor injuries and managed to walk 20 km to the Finnish lines. is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lauri Pekuri (born November 6, 1916 in Helsinki, Finland, dead August 3, 1999 in Spain) was a WW2 fighter ace of the Finnish Air Force and a Finnish jet aircraft pioneer. ... The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. ... The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 (ÐœÐ¸ÐºÐ¾ÑÐ½-Ð“ÑƒÑ€ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐœÐ¸Ð“-3) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development of the MiG-1 in an attempt to curb some of that aircrafts handling problems. ...

The aircraft was recovered from the lake in 1998, and after extensive negotiations with Russian officials, it was finally transported to the United States. The Brewster fighter finally reached the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida on 18 August 2004. After discovering the historic nature of the aircraft, original plans to restore and display it as an F2A from the Battle of Midway were quickly dispensed with. The museum plans to reassemble the Brewster and display it exactly as it came from the lake in Russia. Damage caused by enemy fire and subsequent crash landing will not be disturbed. As near as possible, it will be fully authentic and original and instantly recognizable as a Finnish Air Force B-239 at a point in time when it made its last flight in hostile skies and settled to the bottom of the lake. is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Better than its reputation

While the press has not been kind to F2A, its actual combat performance appears to have been far better than usually imagined. F2A was already obsolete when it entered combat, and almost all its adversaries were one generation newer aircraft than it itself. Yet despite overwhelming superiority, both in quantity and quality, the F2A pilots fared fairly well. Even if discounting the Finnish success on F2A, even the Dutch and British pilots gained almost 2 to 1 kill-to-loss ratio. The disaster at Midway occurred because of all odds were against Marines: the Japanese enjoyed both superior planes, better trained and far more experienced pilots, better tactics, numerical superiority and advantageous attack position.

The mauling the USMC got at Midway inspired Hans Wind to write the combat manual for F2A. It is likely that if the USMC had employed correct tactics (zoom and dive instead of dogfighting), they would have scored far better results. While F2A was clearly obsolete in 1944 and remaining airframes worn and war-weary, the Finns still scored well against far superior Soviet planes during the Great Summer Offensive. Hans Henrik Hasse Wind (July 30, 1919, Tammisaari - July 24, 1995, Tampere) was a Finnish fighter pilot and flying ace in World War 2 with 75 official victories. ...

Variants

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2043x1024, 1057 KB) Brewster F2A-2 (Brewster Buffalo. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2043x1024, 1057 KB) Brewster F2A-2 (Brewster Buffalo. ... The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... RAF redirects here. ...

Operators

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (414x640, 59 KB) Summary Ordnanceman loads guns of a F2A fighter. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (414x640, 59 KB) Summary Ordnanceman loads guns of a F2A fighter. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... Categories: ... No. ... Categories: | ... No. ... No 85 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron which provided air defence to Western Australia during World War II. No 85 Squadron was formed at Guildford, near Perth, Western Australia, on 12 February 1943. ... No. ... No. ... No. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland. ... The Finnish Air Force (FAF) (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. ... No. ... No. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL) was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1939 until 1950. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) is the air force arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. ... 14 Squadron RNZAF is an air force squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. ... 488(NZ) Squadron, Royal Air Force 488 Squadron formed in September 1941 at Rongotai, New Zealand under squadron leader W.G. Clouston, a veteran of the Battles of France and Britain with 9 victories to his credit. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... RAF redirects here. ... No. ... The name No. ... The name No. ... The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... 805 Naval Air Squadron (805 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm squadron. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The United States Army Air Forces, or USAAF, was a part of the U.S. military during World War II. The direct precursor to the U.S. Air Force, the USAAF formally existed between 1941 and 1947. ... The Fifth Air Force (5AF), with headquarters currently located at Yokota Air Base,Japan, is one of very few numbered air forces of the United States Air Force never to have been based in the United States itself. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps in World War II. During the war, they flew the Brewster Buffalo and. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€ Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... USN redirects here. ... VF-2 was a United States Navy aircraft squadron, commonly known as the Bounty Hunters, that has since been re-designated VFA-2. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€ Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... Naval Air Station Pensacola, The Cradle of Naval Aviation, is a United States Navy base located in Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits. ...

Specifications (F2A-1)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft is allowed to try to achieve flight. ... Wright R-1820 Cyclone The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 was an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright and widely used on 1930s through 1950s aircraft. ... V speeds are speeds that define certain performance and limiting characteristics of an aircraft. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft, or cross-country speed and environmental conditions in unpowered aircraft. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... The Browning M1919 was a . ... An M2 machine gun surrounded by spent shell casings The M2 . ...

Specifications (F2A-3)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft is allowed to try to achieve flight. ... V speeds are speeds that define certain performance and limiting characteristics of an aircraft. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft, or cross-country speed and environmental conditions in unpowered aircraft. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... An M2 machine gun surrounded by spent shell casings The M2 . ...

References

Harper, W.J. (Squadron Leader). Report on No. 21 and No. 453 RAAF Squadrons UK Air Ministry ref. AIR 20/5578. London: UK Public Records Office, 1946. Squadron Leader W.J. Harper, 1946, "REPORT ON NO. 21 AND NO. 453 RAAF SQUADRONS" (transcribed by Dan Ford for Warbird's Forum.) Access date: 8 September 2007.
Huggins, Mark. "Falcons on Every Front: Nakajima's KI-43-I Hayabusa in Combat." Air Enthusiast Issue 131, September/October 2007.
Keskinen, Kalevi and Stenman, Kari. Brewster Model 239: Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 1A (in Finnish). Espoo, Finland: Kari Stenman Publishing, 2005. ISBN 952-99432-3-7, Brewster Model 239: Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 1B (in Finnish). Espoo, Finland: Kari Stenman Publishing, 2005. ISBN 952-99432-4-5.
Maas, Jim. F2A Buffalo in action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal publications, 1988. ISBN 0-89747-196-2.
Raunio, Jukka. Lentäjän näkökulma 2 – Pilot's viewpoint 2 (in Finnish). Self published, 1993. ISBN 951-96866-0-6.
Shores, Christopher. The Brewster Buffalo (Aircraft in Profile 217). Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1971.
Taylor, John W.R. "Brewster F2A Buffalo." Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.
Winchester, Jim. The World's Worst Aircraft: From Pioneering Failures to Multimillion Dollar Disasters. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2005. ISBN 1-904687-34-2.
Wixey, Ken. "A Rotund New Yorker; Brewster's Embattled Buffalo." Air Enthusiast Issue 105, May/June 2003.
Zbiegniewski, Andre R. Brewster F2A Buffalo (bilingual Polish/English). Lublin, Poland: Kagero, 2003. ISBN 83-89088-14-2.

is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Air Enthusiast is a long-running, British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, currently published by the Key Publishing group. ... Air Enthusiast is a long-running, British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, currently published by the Key Publishing group. ...

External links

Contents

Design and development

Operational history

Belgium

British Commonwealth

Netherlands East Indies

US Marine Corps

Finland

Survivors

Better than its reputation

Variants

Operators

Specifications (F2A-1)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Specifications (F2A-3)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

References

External links

Related content

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

Contents

Design and development GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Operational history

Belgium

British Commonwealth

Netherlands East Indies

US Marine Corps

Finland

Survivors

Better than its reputation

Variants

Operators

Specifications (F2A-1)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Specifications (F2A-3)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

References

External links

Related content

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

Design and development