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Pacific War, WW2
Naval Aircraft Lists, 1942
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Naval Airplanes of Early WW2
SINGLE ENGINE | Manufacturer
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Designation | Name | Flew | ServiceDate | Qty | Notes
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| BREWSTER
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SBA | scout bomber | Apr36 | Nov 40 | 30 | 2-seat,mid,metal,retr, SBN-1
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F2A | Buffalo | Dec37 | Jun39 | 161+354 | export
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SB2A | Buccaneer | Jun41 | Jul42 | 771+200 | export. Larger SBA
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| CURTISS
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F12C/SBC | {Helldiver} | Jan34 | July37 | 257 | Biplane, 2-seat
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SOC | Seagull | Apr34 | Nov37 | 258 | SON'44
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| DOUGLAS
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TBD | Devastator | Apr35 | | 130 | ( '37-mid'42) Coral Sea, Midway.
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SBD | Dauntless | 1939 | | 5,000+ | (late40-late44)
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| GRUMMAN
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F4F-1 | | | cancel | | Biplane, lost to Brewster
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F4F-2 | Wildcat | Sep37 | | 1P | Monoplane, lost to Brewster
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F4F-3 | Wildcat | Mar39 | Dec40 | 300 | 1940-43
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FM-1 | Wildcat | May41 | Nov41 | 1,151 | GM built F4F-4
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FM-2 | Wildcat | | | 4,777 | GM built F4F-8
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TBF | Avenger | Aug41 | June42 | 10,000 | GM built as TBM
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| NORTH AMERICAN |
SNJ | Texan | 1935 | | 17,000 | Adv Trainer, AT-6
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| VOUGHT
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O3U | Corair | 1927 | 1930 | 290 | Biplane Scout, SU-4
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SBU | | 1934 | Nov35 | 124+ | Biplane, scout bomber
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SB2U | Vindicator | 1936 | | 170+exp | mono,retr,fold,hook. Midway,Fr,Br
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OS2U | Kingfisher | Mar38 | Aug40 | 1500+ | catapult biplane,fleet reconn
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MULTI-ENGINE
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| CONSOLIDATED
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P2Y | Admiral | Mar32 | Feb33 | 47 | Twin engine flying boat
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PBY | Catalina/Black Cat | Mar35 | Oct36 | 2,600+ | Twin engine flying boat
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PB2Y | Coronado | Dec37 | Dec40 | 260 | Four engine flying boat
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LB-30/PB4Y | Liberator (UK,USN) | Dec39 | Jun41 | 19,000* | B-24D *all types of B-24
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PB4Y-2 | Privateer | | 1942 | | Single tail similar to B-24M **
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| ** Five PB4Y flying as fire fighting tankers. One crashed in CO 18July2002. |
| LOCKHEED
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PV-1 | Ventura | 1940 | Nov'42 | | Twin engine, Loadstar, reconn bomber
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PV-2 | Harpoon | 1943 | | 500 | Upgraded PV-1
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| NORTH AMERICAN
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PBJ | Mitchell | Sep39 | Aug40 | | Adapted B-25J
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HELICOPTERS |
| SEVERSKY
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XFN-1 | Helicopter | | | | east coast, experimental.
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NAVY NAMING CONVENTIONS
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Prefix -- Navy Type Designations.
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F | Fighter | O | Observation
| SB | Scout Bomber (dive bomber) | R | Transport
| SO | Scout Observation | T | Training
| TB | Torpedo Bomber | U | Utility
| P | Patrol | G | Glider
| PB | Patrol Bomber | H | Helicopter (rotary)
| X | experimental | Z | Blimp (lighter than air)
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| Abbreviations used here.
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Mono- | Mono plane, single wing
| Bi - | Bi plane, double wing design
| Retr- | Retractable landing gear
| Fold- | Folding wing for carrier use
| Hook- | Tailhook for carrier landing
| Twin- | Two engines
| Exp - | Export
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Suffix |
Code | Manufacturer | Japanese
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A - | Brewster | Aichi
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B - | Boeing or Beech
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C - | Curtiss
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D - | Douglas
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E - | Piper
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F - | Grumman
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G - | Goodyear Tire&Rubber
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H - | McDonald
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J - | North American
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K - | Fairchild | Kawamish | Ki - Kawisaki, Tachikawa
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L - | Consolidated, Bell
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M - | Martin or Gen.Motors | Mitsubishi
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N - | Naval Air Factory | Nakajima
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O - | Lockheed
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P - | Spartan, Piasecki
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Q - | Fairchild
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R - | Ford, Ryan
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S - | Sikorsky
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T - | Northrop
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U - | Vought
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V - | Vega, Lockheed, Vultee
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W - | | Watanabe/Kyushu
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Y - | Consolidated, Convair | Yokosuka
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Detailed history Offsite
This page shows with what the U.S. Navy had to fight in the Pacific during the
early years, 1942. The Japanese "Zeke" and "Val" were the best of their types
in the world. Even Spitfires brought to Asia fell before the Zero. The Val
diver bomber could outrun our fighters. The only
tactic available at the time was to attack from above where the dive
increased our speed; from the Sun where they couldn't see us and we
had the element of surprise; hit once; and run like hell.
This is before the period of American dominance with the:
- Chance Vought F4U Corsair -- first combat with USMC on Guadalcanal 13Feb43
with 12,570 built.
- Grumman F6F Hellcat -- first combat from Yorktown 31Aug43 with 4,423 built.
- Curtiss SB2C Helldiver -- first combat in the second strike on Rabaul 11Nov43
with 6,000 built.
The year 1943 saw Japan lose 6,203 planes (4,824 airmen), three times more
than had to start the war and, strangely, Japan did not have an adequate
replacement training program.
See Naval Air Types
Fighter.
The Brewster F2A Buffalo is universally criticized for inadequate performance
against the Japanese Zero. This is a bad rap; NO allied aircraft could compete against
the fast and maneuverable Zero fighter -- even the vaunted Spitfire.
The standard navy fighter until early 1941 was the Grumman F3F biplane.
The second wing allowed the extra lift traditionally needed for carrier take off.
Naval air contracts awarded in 1936 had designs still in service five years later
that were not able to compete in warfare. The grumman F3F bi-plane fighter was withdrawn
in 1941, only months before Pearl Harbor. Brewster, a new company, won the 1936
competition with a single wing design, over the Grumman entry, a single wing upgrade
to their standard bi-wing fighter, the F3F, then in squadron service. Brewster performance
was far superior and they won the bulk of the production orders in 1938 and units were
in front line service by June 1939.
Grumman,
a preferred vendor with satisfactory contacts was given a second chance and was awarded
a prototype for a hastily redesigned biplane entry of a mid-wing monoplane. Granted further development money, Grumman was able to improve their
design with a more powerful engine giving more speed and maneuverability, the F4F-3.
The war had started in Europe and international orders for both planes came in for export.
Soon all available production capacity was utilized.
Most of the first Brewster production order was sent to Finland.
A second batch went to the RAF and to the Netherlands East Indies. A renewed
completion awarded a contract for the improved single wing version of the Grumman
F4F-3 Wildcat. That model was introduced to fleet service by the time of
Pearl Harbor while Buffalos were still in service in the Asian fleet, Philippines,
and Wake Island. Grumman continued development of improved models.
F4F-4 production was provided by General Motors under the designation FM-1.
The F4F-8 was also produced by General Motors as the FM-2.
Meanwhile Grumman designers concentrated on the next generation fighter, the F6F Hellcat,
that entered service in late 1942, and qualified pilots entered combat in Aug 1943.
The Japanese introduced a new fighter in 1940 to the fighting in China.
Reports as to its specifications were not believed in Washington, preferring
to believe it was Chinese incompetence, rather than a superior Japanese fighter
that was causing Chinese losses. 78 flew in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The secrets of the Zero were released after the invasion of Attu in June 1942 when
a nearly undamaged Zero was found overturned in a bog. The Zero was salvaged and flow
for testing of its flight envelop by September 1942. A tip to evading a Zero was
immediately broadcast to the fleet units : dive to exceed 200 knots and turn to the right.
The heavier US planes could gain speed quickly by diving, at 200 knots the light
controls on a Zero became sluggish, and a Zero turned more easily to the left. This
escape procedure allowed many US airmen to survive for another day when their experience
was able to defeat the Zero.
Designation | F2B -Buffalo | F4F-3 -Wildcat | A5M-Claude | A6M2-Zero, Zeke |
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Manufacturer | Brewster | Grumman | Mitsubishi | Mitsubishi |
Contracted | 1936 | 1938 | 1935 | July40 |
Flew | Dec 1937 | Mar 1939 | Feb 1935 | Apr 1939 |
Service | 1939-1942 | 1940-1943 | 1936-1942 | 1940-1945 |
Engine - hp | 1200 | 1200 | 710 | 925 |
Max Speed - mph | 321 | 318 | 280 | 346 |
Guns - caliber | 4-.50 | 6-.50 | 2-.30 | 2-20mm;2-.50 |
Range - miles | 965 | 770 | 746 | 1,120 |
Weight - pounds | 4,723 | 5,760 | 2,680 | 4,178 |
Number Produced | 161 +354 export | 173 +6,050 | 1,394 | 11,000 |
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Last updated on June 14, 2001
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