Buffalo

[cardboard_killer]

[80 years ago today] "• The US Navy orders 108 Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighters, for delivery between July and December. Based on reports from Europe, armor protection is incorporated into the aircraft increasing its weight, which lowers rate of climb, service ceiling, stability and handling. This version also has underwing bomb racks added. "

 

 

[Irishratticus72]

1 hour ago, cardboard_killer said:

[80 years ago today] "• The US Navy orders 108 Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighters, for delivery between July and December. Based on reports from Europe, armor protection is incorporated into the aircraft increasing its weight, which lowers rate of climb, service ceiling, stability and handling. This version also has underwing bomb racks added. "

 

 

The U.S. Navy`s answer to a Lada.

[Heliopause]

Around the same time the Dutch where also trying to purchase the Buffalo fighter for use in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI).

In total 72 where purchased. The first 24 had an 1100HP engine whereas the remainder had 1200HP engines. These machines where based on the F2A-2.

Most had been delivered by the beginning of July.  A follow-up order (based on the F2A-3) came too late.

The Dutch machines flew operational missions against the Japanese from Singapore, Borneo and Java.

 

Picture of factory fresh B3-119 in the USA. It suffered damage during a later test flight and was delivered too late to see action in the NEI, arriving in Australia in april '42.

 

 

Probably the same machine, seen here in Australia in US Army guise but NEI number on tail. A number of Dutch machines that arrived to late to see action in the NEI

where then used by the Royal Australian Airforce (RAAF).

 

Dutchies on Kallang airfield, Singapore. A small group of Dutch Buffalos was sent over to aid the Britisch forces in Dec '41. They where pulled back around Jan 15th '42 for

operations in Borneo.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Heliopause