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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Grumman F4F/FM Wildcat
    Latest Model:F4F-3A Wildcat
    Last Military Serial:3969 USN
    Construction Number:0851
    Latest Owner or Location:National Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola, Pensacola, Florida

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a F4F-3A.

    1941

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 3969.

    By April 1941

    Transferred to Fighter Squadron 7 (VF-7), USS Wasp (CV-7).
    As part of the Neutrality Patrol in the Atlantic before the United States entered World War II.

    Circa 1943

    Transferred to Training Carrier USS Sable (IX-81), Lake Michigan.

    30 November 1943

    Crashed.
    Ditched in Lake Michigan while flying off of USS Sable.

    Circa 1987

    Recovered.

    1987

    To National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, FL.

    From 1987 to 1990

    Loaned to Loaned to Patriotts Point Naval and Maritime Museum/USS Yorktown (CV-10), Patriots Point, Charleston, SC.

    From 1991 to 1992

    Restored.
    Restored for static display by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Bethpage, NY.

    1993

    To National Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola, Pensacola, FL.
    Displayed hanging from ceiling.
    View the Location Dossier

    11 September 2003


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

    19 April 2010


    Photographer: Matt Maranto

    8 October 2012


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

    8 October 2012


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

    8 October 2012


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier was started by a contributor.
    An preliminary review of the submitted data is pending.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Print Sources
     United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 (1976) by Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers
    Internet Sources
     Aviation History Site by Geoff Goodall
    Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America
    National Naval Aviation Museum
    Warbird Registry by Scott Rose
    Individual Contributors
     Glenn Chatfield
    Matt Maranto
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    Direct Link: https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=1326
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