Grumman's F4F Wildcat was the US Navy and Marine Corps' main fighter plane when the United States of America entered WW2. The first operational model, the F4F-3, was quickly followed by the F4F-4 incorporating folding wings to improve storage capacity on carriers. Initially deemed inferior in maneuverability to the Japanese Zero when the two aircraft first met in combat, Navy and Marine Corps Wildcat pilots quickly learned to deal with the Zero's strengths and exploit its weaknesses. By war's end, the Wildcat would record a respectable seven to one kill ratio as proof of its lethality when flown by a skilled pilot.
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