re: History in Pictures is a great twitter feed. Here is one just posted.

quote:

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While waiting for him, here is a plane for you:

Type/make/user

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Grumman F2F-1 'Flying Barrel'. Almost identical to the F3F.

The user was the US Navy. More specifically, that aircraft is plane 6 of VF-2 and operated from the USS Lexington. You can get all that from the prewar side code 2-F-6. The first number is the squadron (2), the letter is the type (f = fighter), and the second number (6) is the aircraft id. Plane 6 of Fighting 2. Going a step further, squadrons and air wings were numbered based on their carrier. USS Lexington was CV-2, so her air group (2) consisted of VF-2 (fighters), VT-2 (torpedo), VB-2 (dive bombers), and VS-2 (Scout - really a second dive bomber squadron). The air wing/squadron number matching the carrier ended with the explosion of wings and carriers in WWII.

Grumman F3F. US Navy

eta, Close, but not quite.