The Grumman F3F is a single-seat biplane fighter aircraft produced by the Grumman aircraft for the United States Navy during the mid-1930s. Designed as an improved F2F, it entered service in 1936 as the last biplane fighter to be delivered to any American military air arm. It was retired from front line squadrons at the end of 1941 before World War II, and replaced by the Brewster F2A Buffalo. The F3F inherited the Leroy Grumman-designed retractable main landing gear first used on the Grumman FF, and was the basis for a biplane design ultimately developed into the F4F Wildcat.

Design and development

thumb|F3F-3 assigned to [[Naval Air Station Anacostia]]

The Navy's experience with the F2F revealed problems with stability and poor spin recovery, prompting the 15 October 1934 contract for the improved XF3F-1, placed before F2F deliveries began. The contract also required a capability for ground attack, in addition to the design's fighter role. Powered by the same Pratt & Whitney R-1535-72 Twin Wasp Junior engine as the F2F, the fuselage was lengthened and wing area increased. A reduction in wheel diameter improved streamlining, and eliminated a prominent bulge behind the cowling of the F2F.

The prototype, BuNo. 9727, was delivered and first flown on 20 March 1935 with company test pilot making three flights that day. Two days later, six dive-recovery flights took place; on the 10th dive, the aircraft's pullout at registered 14 g on the test equipment. The aircraft broke up in midair, crashing in a cemetery and killing the pilot. The second prototype was rebuilt in three weeks, flying on 20 June 1935. An order for 54 F3F-1 fighters was placed on 24 August of that year, following the conclusion of the flight test program.

Operational history

The first production F3F-1 was delivered on 29 January 1936 to the test group at Naval Air Station Anacostia, with squadron service beginning in March to VF-5B of and VF-6B of . Marine squadron VF-4M received the last six in January 1937.

Grumman, wanting to take advantage of the new Wright R-1820 supercharged radial engine, began work on the F3F-2 without a contract. The order for 81 was placed until 25 July 1936, two days before the type's first flight.

All F3Fs were withdrawn from squadron service by the end of 1941 following the introduction of the Brewster, though 117 were assigned to naval bases (Mainly NAS Miami and NAS Corpus Christi) for training and utility duties until December 1943.

Incidents

  • 30 October 1936, the pilot was killed when both left wings of an F3F-1 tore off at during dive bombing practice at Border Field, San Diego.
  • 10 November 1936, pilot killed when an F3F-1 crashed into on approach. It sank in of water.

Variants

Data from: Aerofiles - Grumman

;G-11

:Company designation for F3F-1 carrier-borne fighters

;XF3F-1

:Three prototypes of the F3F (all with Bureau Number 9727), powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535-84 Twin Wasp Juniors

;F3F-1

:Initial production version for the US Navy, 54 built.

;G-19

:Company designation for the F3F-2 and F3F-3

;XF3F-2

:One prototype, powered by a Wright XR-1820-22 Cyclone G

thumb|The Grumman G-22 Gulfhawk II at the [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum.]]

;F3F-2

:Second production model, powered by a Wright R-1820-22 Cyclone, 81 built.

;XF3F-3

:One prototype F3F-3 with curved windshield, modified forward fuselage with a widened diameter cowling with a single cowl flap on either side

;F3F-3

:Final production variant for the US Navy, 27 built. Featured a redesigned forward fuselage.

;G-22 Gulfhawk II

:A single hybrid F2F/F3F, powered by a Wright R-1820 Cyclone, for display pilot Al Williams, sponsored by the Gulf Oil Company for demonstration flights and aerobatic displays. The G-22 Gulfhawk II was retired to the National Air Museum in October 1948.

Operators

;

  • United States Marine Corps
  • VF-4M
  • VMF-1
  • VMF-2
  • VMF-211
  • VMJ-1
  • United States Navy
  • 0972 – F3F-2 owned by Hawks Zeroq3 in Sonoma, California. This airframe was restored by Chris Prevost and was on the flight line at Vintage Aircraft in Sonoma, California. It has since been sold to Lewis Air Legends in Texas.
  • 1028 – F3F-2 on display at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.
  • 1033 – F3F-2 owned by the National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
  • 335 – G-22 on static display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.

Specifications (F3F-2)

thumb|Three-side drawing of an F3F-1