g36

Grumman XF4F-8 Wildcat BuNo 12229, possibly one of two prototypes, lighter weight version with Wright XR-1820-56 Cyclone 1,350hp engine, tall tail, belly windows deleted. Later possibly fitted with straight radio mast, and possibly became the prototype for the most produced Wildcat variant, the Eastern FM-2, with 4,407 going to the US Navy, plus 370 to the Fleet Air Arm as the "Wildcat VI".

This looks like one of the batch of Grumman G-36 Wildcats produced for the French Navy (1939-1940?) and taken over Britain when France fell...no wing-folding apparently, and this one has civil markings NX-G1 for test flying in the USA?

A neat picture of Jimmy Thach, a close friend of our family. He was in VP-5F with my father in the late '30s in Panama. W.K. Berner Jr.

Here is film of Thach and Butch O'Hare at Kaneohe, which was likely captured contemporaneously with this photo on April 10, 1942 (note the identical kill markings and smudge marks underneath the canopy sill above and on the Wildcat that Thatch boards in the film). YouTube - Critical Past: US Navy Lt.Edward O'Hare and LCDR John Thach, of VF-3, prepare for flight at Kaneohe www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5sx4wks6vU also: www.criticalpast.com/video/65675061850_United-States-Navy... Further, here is additional film of Thach (in the F4F Wildcat marked "F1", F4F-3, BuNo 3976) and O'Hare (in the aircraft marked "F13", F4F-3, BuNo 3986) flying over Oahu, including Kaneohe (likely filmed as part of the same effort as the photo and footage above): YouTube - CriticalPast: US Navy Lt. Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare and LCDR John S. Thach, in flight over Hawaii www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKD7i6PgKa8