F4F vs FM1

[Puck]

How much difference was there between the F4F Wildcat and the FM1 Housecat?  The FM2 is lighter/faster/better, but I can't seem to find any real information on the FM1.

[Ack-Ack]

FM-1 was the GM produced variant that was identical to the F4F-4 except it had the number of guns reduced to 4 and wing racks for two 250lb bombs or six rockets.  Production later switched to the improved FM-2 variant that was optimized to be used on the escort CVs.

ack-ack

[Saxman]

As Ack-Ack said: The FM-1 is essentially an F4F-4 with the outer pair of guns removed.

The FM-2 is I believe the F4F-8.

Whenever HTC gets around to remodeling the Wildcats I hope they make a separate F4F-3. Its performance was significantly different, and not adequately represented just by removing the F4F-4s outer guns as is currently the case (the F4F-3 was lighter, climbed better, marginally faster, and had longer range). Our 4-gun F4F-4 is basically an FM-1, just without the rocket provisions.

[Yeager]

I thought the FM2 had a more powerful engine and a lengthened Vert stab to deal with the increased yaw from the more powerful engine?

[Ack-Ack]

I thought the FM2 had a more powerful engine and a lengthened Vert stab to deal with the increased yaw from the more powerful engine?

Yep.

ack-ack

[Saxman]

I thought the FM2 had a more powerful engine and a lengthened Vert stab to deal with the increased yaw from the more powerful engine?

The FM-1 is essentially an F4F-4...

FM-1 was the GM produced variant that was identical to the F4F-4....

ack-ack

The FM-1 and FM-2 were two different aircraft. The OP was asking about the former.

[Ack-Ack]

The FM-1 and FM-2 were two different aircraft. The OP was asking about the former.

Isn't that what I said?  My second post was answering Yeager's question.

ack-ack