Plane: General Motors FM-2 Wildcat
Weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): 5,542lb / 7,412lb / 8,221lb
Wing Area: 260 sq ft
Wing Loading: 21.3lb/sq ft / 28.5lb/sq ft / 31.6lb/sq ft
Length: 28' 10"
Span: 38'
Wing Aspect Ratio: 5.6
Engine: 1350hp Wright R-1820-56 Radial
Flaps: 2 settings
Visibility: (same art as F6F)
Control Feel:
Stall Speed 1k (No Flaps/Full Flaps) 85/75mph
Guns:
type/ammo | ROF | Duration | WB Punch | Muzzle Velocity | Ammo/Gun | |
Primary: | 2x.50cal Browning MG | 12/s | 36s | 3x.50cal/ping | 2810ft/s | 430 |
Secondary: | 2x.50cal Browning MG | 12/s | 36s | 3x.50cal/ping | 2810ft/s | 430 |
Ordnance:
0: none
1: 6xRockets
2: 2x100lb bombs
3: 2x500lb bombs
Fuel Time/Percent: 28 seconds/percent
Power/weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): 4.1lb/hp / 5.5lb/hp / 6.1lb/hp
Corner Velocity: 230mph
Durability:
WEP time: 5 minutes
Maximum Angle-of-Attack (no flaps/full flaps): 14.5/14.0 degrees
Wing Incidence Angle (no flaps/full flaps): 4.5/4 degrees
Accleleration:
1,000ft | 5,000ft | 10,000ft | 15,000ft | |
Stall-200mph | 23.3s | 27.6s | 37.4s | 52.4s |
150mph-200mph | 11.9s | 15.9s | 23.1s | 32.1s |
200mph-250mph | 18s | 24.8s | 38.5s | - |
250mph-300mph | - | - | - | - |
Climb:
1k-5k: 57s
5k-10k: 97s
10k-15k: 114s
Zoom Climb:
1k 400mph: +4,700ft
1k 300mph: +3,000ft
Dive:
Max Speed | After 30s | After 60s | |
15,000ft to 10,000ft | 370mph | 300mph | 280mph |
15,000ft to 5,000ft | 480mph | 340mph | 300mph |
10,000ft to 5,000ft | 395mph | 315mph | 300mph |
10,000ft to 1,000ft | 480mph | 340mph | 310mph |
5,000ft to 1,000ft | 370mph | 320mph | 310mph |
Max Speed:
1,000ft | 5,000ft | |
Climbing before levelling | 290mph | 285mph |
Diving before levelling | 300mph | 285mph |
Turn Performance
300mph | 1,000ft | 5,000ft | 10,000ft | 15,000ft |
One 360 | 12.0s | 12.3s | 13.9s | - |
Two 360s | 25.9s | 25.8s | 31.1s | - |
250mph | ||||
One 360 | 11.9s | 12.6s | 13.1s | - |
Two 360s | 25.9s | 28.4s | 32.8s | - |
Sustained | ||||
No Flaps | 16.4s | 17.6s | 21.2s | 23.1s |
Full Flaps | 15.9s | 18.3s | 21.7s | 24.9s |
Best Flap | full | none | none | none |
Speed/best | 100mph | 110mph | 110mph | 105mph |
Corner Speed and Radii (1,000ft):
Speed: 230mph
Radius: 385ft
Sustained Turn Speed: 130mph
Sustained Turn Radius: 497ft
Full Flaps Speed: 110mph
Full Flaps Radius: 408ft
Corner Times | 1,000ft | 5,000ft | 10,000ft | 15,000ft |
180 degrees | 5.7s | 5.6s | 6.2s | 6.9s |
360 degrees | 12.2s | 13.2s | 13.9s | 15.5s |
Roll Rate:
150mph: 6.4s
200mph: 4.7s
250mph: 4.0s
300mph: 3.8s
350mph: 3.8s
400mph:
Minimum Full-Flaps Full-Power Split-S altitude:
150mph: 900ft
200mph: 1100ft
250mph: 1500ft
300mph: 1800ft
Hoof's Tips and Opinions:
The FM-2 is one of the rare cases (the P38 being another) where a later variant of a plane results in improvements across the board. Most later variants of planes sacrifice something (usually maneuverability) for something else (usually speed). Not so here. The FM-2 is faster, more maneuverable, rolls better, handles better at higher speeds, climbs better, dives better, and has more ammo for it's guns. The only advantage the F4F has over the FM-2 is the extra 2 .50 cal guns, but this is more than made up for by the larger ammunition load in the FM-2. The FM-2 is a fairly competent arena plane, able to turn with P38s and Spits just fine. It is still slow, unable to catch virtually any plane that tries to get away, and it has a rather low punch to it's guns. A Zero or Ki43 should still eat it alive unless the FM-2 pilot has a few thousand feet with which to disengage.
See the write-up on the F4F for more information on flying the Wildcat.