Originally posted by SlapShot
And after you get comfortable in the HellCat ... jump into the WildCat (FM2).
!!! Phear the "MildCat" !!!
I like the FM-2, it's a great deal of fun. However, once it gets slow the F6F will gobble it up. You can point to the FM-2's poor turn rate. It can turn very small circles, but it does so slowly, taking 5 seconds more than the F6F to turn a complete circle. That is a huge difference, and the Wildcat's 25 foot smaller turn radius is insufficient to offset the rate differential.
What hurts the FM-2 is that its supercharger does not kick in below 5,000 feet, which results in zero power increase using WEP. Above 5k and below 13,000 feet, the added power of WEP increases the turn rate, and the FM-2 equalizes things over that altitude range. However, the F6F is significantly faster. Naturally, if no flaps are used, the FM-2 holds the edge at any altitude. However, a smart Hellcat pilot will dump flaps and give the FM-2 all it can handle.
My regards,
Widewing