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Started By
Message
Vader’s Model Desk: F2A2 Brewster Buffalo
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:40 pm
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:40 pm
quote:
The Brewster F2A Buffalo[1] is an American fighter aircraft which saw service early in World War II. Designed and built by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, it was one of the first U.S. monoplanes with an arrestor hook and other modifications for aircraft carriers. The Buffalo won a competition against the Grumman F4F Wildcat in 1939 to become the U.S. Navy's first monoplane fighter aircraft. Although superior to the Grumman F3F biplane it replaced, and the early F4Fs,[2] the Buffalo was largely obsolete when the United States entered the war, being unstable and overweight, especially when compared to the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
LINK
Tamiya 1/48 scale F2A2 Buffalo
US Navy VF-3 USS Saratoga
1940
(There are some decals missing because this was a rather old kit and the decals basically disengaged when I tried to apply them. Thankfully, I had a some leftover decals that would sorta work.)
18
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:40 pm to Darth_Vader
Great model of a terrible aircraft.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:42 pm to Darth_Vader
Felix isn’t very smart, running with that bomb.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:44 pm to FightinTigersDammit
quote:
Great model of a terrible aircraft.
It’s kinda crazy that it entered service in 1939 and in two years was hopelessly obsolete.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:44 pm to Darth_Vader
Both the F2A2 and the F4F were outclassed in early ‘42 against the A6M2 ‘zero’ as far as naval fighters. Especially the veteran Jap pilots on ‘42
Wasn’t until the F4U and F6Fs came out that that the US had a superior naval fighter plane.
Wasn’t until the F4U and F6Fs came out that that the US had a superior naval fighter plane.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:47 pm to GruntbyAssociation
quote:
Felix isn’t very smart, running with that bomb.
Those are the only two decals from the kit I was able to salvage. And even there I had to piece the one on the RH side back together because it came apart while being applied.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:48 pm to Darth_Vader
Love old Navy planes.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:49 pm to tigeraddict
quote:
Both the F2A2 and the F4F were outclassed in early ‘42 against the A6M2 ‘zero’ as far as naval fighters. Especially the veteran Jap pilots on ‘42
The one thing the F4F had going for it was it could take a pounding while Zero was quite fragile.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:52 pm to Darth_Vader
The model looks good. I was just making a joke about Felix. I’m sure if I were alive back then, it would make sense to me.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:53 pm to Darth_Vader
nice work as always
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:54 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
It’s kinda crazy that it entered service in 1939 and in two years was hopelessly obsolete.
We palmed a lot of them off on the Brits. I think the Finns also had them for the Winter War against the Soviets.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:57 pm to GruntbyAssociation
quote:
The model looks good. I was just making a joke about Felix. I’m sure if I were alive back then, it would make sense to me.
All good. At that time Felix the Cat was about as popular of a cartoon character as Mickey Mouse.
VF-3 was the first to use it before WWII. FV-6 used it later in WWII. It’s still in use today by VFA-31…
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:59 pm to Darth_Vader
Great job as always!
Another example of just how far behind the US military machine was in 1941. It seems we did have some awesome aircraft carriers but were way behind in other areas.
Hell, my dad joined the "service" on 6/19/41 and trained on horses....frickin horses.
The "Little Giant of the Pacific".... the 112th Calvary Regiment.
quote:
quote:
Great model of a terrible aircraft.
It’s kinda crazy that it entered service in 1939 and in two years was hopelessly obsolete.
Another example of just how far behind the US military machine was in 1941. It seems we did have some awesome aircraft carriers but were way behind in other areas.
Hell, my dad joined the "service" on 6/19/41 and trained on horses....frickin horses.
The "Little Giant of the Pacific".... the 112th Calvary Regiment.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:59 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
The one thing the F4F had going for it was it could take a pounding while Zero was quite fragile
Us fighter with self sealing fuel tank and the japs without was big. Also the f4F had pilot armor. Especially once F4F pilots learned to dive and attack then get out. They couldn’t match speed and agility of the zeros in a dog fight. Especially against an experienced pilot.
One of the documentaries I read was the the “thatch Weave” was first used in the. Battle of Midway, where they used the strength of the F4F to its advantage.
This post was edited on 9/14/25 at 7:01 pm
Posted on 9/14/25 at 6:59 pm to Godfather1
quote:
We palmed a lot of them off on the Brits. I think the Finns also had them for the Winter War against the Soviets.
Yep. The British sent all of their Buffalos to Singapore and Hong Kong were they fared no better than their American counterparts against the Japanese. I do think the Finns had some success against the Soviets though.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 7:03 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
quote:
Both the F2A2 and the F4F were outclassed in early ‘42 against the A6M2 ‘zero’ as far as naval fighters. Especially the veteran Jap pilots on ‘42
The one thing the F4F had going for it was it could take a pounding while Zero was quite fragile.
Actually, just about any US fighter could outdive every Japanese fighter. It was the development of "no dog fighting" and "zoom and boom" tactics along with defensive formations like the Thatch Weave that closed the gap in pilot experience, and the more advanced planes like the F4U and F6F still used those tactics, but had a much larger performance envelope that could pull the Japanese into their fight.
The Brewster actually did very good in Finland. They had aces in the Brewster fighting against the Russians, our supposed allies. That was a different theater than the Pacific, probably the same or lower altitudes but probably much lower visibility. Also the Finns later put a hotter engine in the Brewster.
Greg Boyington said the Buffalo was a sweet little plane, but then they added a lot more weight on it due to radios, armor, and self sealing tanks, then it was a dog.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 7:03 pm to tigeraddict
quote:
One of the documentaries I read was the the “thatch Weave” was first used in the. Battle of Midway, where they used the strength of the F4F to its advantage.
Yep. It was named for the naval pilot who came up with the maneuver. It took close coordination between a fighter and his wingman.
Posted on 9/14/25 at 7:08 pm to Darth_Vader
Nice work once again!
I’ve been meaning to ask, what is your favorite American fighter plane of WW2? And why? Thunderbolt? Hellcat? Mustang? Corsair? Lightning?
I’ve been meaning to ask, what is your favorite American fighter plane of WW2? And why? Thunderbolt? Hellcat? Mustang? Corsair? Lightning?
Posted on 9/14/25 at 7:13 pm to tigeraddict
The F4F’s roll rate was better than the zero’s as well. It wasn’t feckless against the zeros, they just had to learn how to fight them.
I mean, the navy was using F4F’s through midway and did ok. Plus they still used wildcats off the small carriers throughout the war
I mean, the navy was using F4F’s through midway and did ok. Plus they still used wildcats off the small carriers throughout the war
This post was edited on 9/14/25 at 7:15 pm
Posted on 9/14/25 at 7:25 pm to jake wade
quote:
Nice work once again!
Thanks!
quote:
I’ve been meaning to ask, what is your favorite American fighter plane of WW2? And why? Thunderbolt? Hellcat? Mustang? Corsair? Lightning?
Favorite fighter? That’s a tough one. I’d have to say the P-47 Thunderbolt. I just like its lines.
My absolute favorite American aircraft though is the Douglas TBD Devastator.
Yeah, it was as slow as a loaded dump truck. And, much like the Buffalo, was obsolete even in the early war despite the fact it was only a few years old. But I love its lines.
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