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WW II U S Navy Carrier Aircraft

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  • Member since
    August 2005
WW II U S Navy Carrier Aircraft
Posted by Sailorman on Thursday, August 14, 2008 10:35 PM
Help.  Which WW II carrier aircraft had folding wings, which didn't.  Thanks for your help.
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Thursday, August 14, 2008 11:51 PM

Well, I'm not really a World War II specialist, but I think I can take this one on.  The Navy actually didn't fly a large number of different aircraft types off carriers during the war, so the answer is relatively simple.

At the time of Pearl Harbor, most squadrons were equipped with three types of aircraft.  The TBD Devastator had wings that folded vertically.  The SBD Dauntless and the F4F-3 Wildcat had fixed wings.

I believe one or two carrier-based fighter squadrons were still flying F2B Buffaloes in early 1942.  The F2B's wings were fixed.

Shortly before the Battle of Midway the fixed-wing F4F was replaced by a later version with folding wings.  The F4F-4 (and, I believe, the later versions of the F4F-3) had outer wing panels that twisted and pivoted backward, so the wingtips wound up next to the horizontal stabilizers.

Shortly after Midway the TBD was replaced by the TBF/TBM Avenger, whose wings folded backward like those of the late F4F.

The F4F was eventually replaced by the F6F Hellcat, whose wings also folded backward.

The SBD was replaced by the SB2C Helldiver, whose wings folded vertically.

Some carriers carried the F4U Corsair, whose wings folded vertically.

I believe those were the only combat types flown from carriers during the war.  In the first few months some of them carried a few SNJ trainers and J2F Ducks as "utility aircraft"; both of those types had fixed wings.  At the time of Pearl Harbor a few old SBC Helldiver biplanes were still on board American carriers (there are color photos of them on board the Hornet, which wasn't commissioned at the time the war started); they had fixed wings too.  And, of course, for the famous "Doolittle raid" the Hornet carried 16 Army B-25 twin-engined bombers.  And various other Army types (and a few British ones) were carried by American carriers on ferry missions.

Some of the WWII experts may be able to think of some others, but I think the above comes close to covering the subject.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: EG48
Posted by Tracy White on Thursday, August 14, 2008 11:57 PM

A little time with Google would answer your question.

Look for:

F4F Wildcat versions -3, -4, and -6 as well as the FM-2

F6F Hellcat, F4U/FG1/F3A Corsair

That covers the fighters.

Then you want the TBD Devastator and TBF/M Avenger for torpedo bombers

SB2U Vindicator,  SBD Dauntless, and SB2C/SBC Helldiver. That will cover the scout/attack aircraft

If you really want to go wild you can also look up the J2F Duck and NE-1 Grasshopper/Cub as they were used as hacks on carriers sometimes. I've seen SNJs on escort carriers during training sessions as well.

Tracy White Researcher@Large

  • Member since
    August 2005
Posted by Sailorman on Friday, August 15, 2008 10:29 AM
Thanks guys.  I knew I could count on the experts here.
  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
Posted by subfixer on Saturday, August 16, 2008 12:45 AM
For aircraft questions, you should really go to the aircraft forum and ask the wingnuts.

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Carmel, CA
Posted by bondoman on Sunday, August 17, 2008 3:59 AM

And the SOC-3, the rather ubiquitous Seagull biplane had folders that went back, up and down.

Few on carriers, but there were.

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