Brewster F2A Buffalo in View

Brewster XF2A-1 fighter in flight during tests, circa 1938-39. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-3807.

Recently returned from the war zone, Lieutenant Walter A. Haas, USNR instructs students from the cockpit of a Brewster F2A Buffalo at Naval Air Station Miami, April 9, 1943.

A U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighter pictured during a training flight from Naval Air Station Miami, Florida, in August 1942. The plane was piloted by LCdr. Joseph C. Clifton.

U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighters pictured during a training flight from Naval Air Station (NAS) Miami, Florida, 1942/43.

A U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-2 Buffalo at the NACA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, on 9 February 1943. This F2A-2 arrived at Langley from the factory by truck in 1942, and was sent to NAS Norfolk two years later.

On 19 March 1940 U.S. Navy Lt. John Smith "Jimmy" Thach tipped this Brewster F2A-1 Buffalo (BuNo 1393) onto its nose on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga [CV-3) Ensign Edward Butch O'Hare also flew this aircraft several times during the summer and fall of 1940.

Brewster F2A-3 "Buffalo" fighter, probably from Marine Fighting Squadron 212 (VMF-212) receives maintenance in a camouflaged revetment at Marine Corps Air Station, Ewa, Hawaii, 25 April 1942.

Fueling a USMC F2A-3 fighter in a camouflaged revetment at Ewa, T.H., May 1942.

A Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighter rests in the flight deck gallery walkway after suffering landing gear failure while landing on board the U.S. Navy escort carrier USS Long Island (AVG-1), off Palmyra Island, 25 July 1942. This plane is from Marine Fighting Squadron 211 (VMF-211), the last U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps unit to operate the F2A in a front-line capacity.

The same Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo seen in the previous photo rests in the flight deck gallery walkway after suffering landing gear failure while landing on board the U.S. Navy escort carrier USS Long Island (AVG-1), off Palmyra Island, 25 July 1942. This plane is from Marine Fighting Squadron 211 (VMF-211), the last U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps unit to operate the F2A in a front-line capacity. Note the marking "MF-5" on the plane's fuselage and very weathered paint. The carrier's SC radar antenna is visible atop her stub mast at right.

A U.S. Navy aviation ordnanceman loads the fuselage .50 caliber machineguns of a Brewster F2A Buffalo fighter with ammunition, at Naval Air Station Miami, Florida, 9 April 1943. The F2A was then in use as a training aircraft. Note 3:1 ratio of black-tipped armor-piercing ammunition to red-tipped tracer ammunition.

A Model 339 Brewster Buffalo, Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force (ML-KNIL) serial number B-3119, in Australia. The aircraft escaped from the Netherlands East Indies and was obviously used by the U.S. Army Air Forces. 1942.

Brewster F2A-1 fighter in McClelland Barclay camouflage design #1, September 1940.

F2A-1 fighter in McClelland Barclay camouflage design #1, September 1940.

F2A-1 fighter in McClelland Barclay camouflage design #1, September 1940.

F2A-1 fighter in McClelland Barclay camouflage design #2, September 1940.

F2A-1 fighter in McClelland Barclay camouflage design #2, September 1940.

F2A-1 fighter in McClelland Barclay camouflage design #2, September 1940.

The U.S. Navy Brewster XF2A-1 Buffalo (BuNo 0451) in the full scale wind tunnel at the NACA Langley Research Center, Virginia, 2 May 1938. NACA Langley's drag-cleanup studies of the Brewster F2A in 1938 were so productive that the U.S. Army and Navy sent most of their prototype and production aircraft to the NACA laboratory for similar examination afterwards.

A U.S. Marine Corps Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo from Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-211 is loaded aboard the USS Curtiss AVP-4 at Pearl Harbor for shipment to Midway Islands, in March 1942. The F2As had previously been operated by VF-2 and arrived at Midway on March 28 1942.

A U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-3 fighter photographed on the ground, circa 1941. The Brewster F2A Buffalo 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, 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.

Brewster XF2A-2 Buffalo (0451). The Buffalo was built in three variants for the U.S. Navy: the F2A-1, F2A-2 and F2A-3. (In foreign service, with lower horsepower engines, these types were designated B-239, B-339, and B-339-23 respectively.) The F2A-3 variant saw action with United States Marine Corps (USMC) squadrons at the Battle of Midway. Shown by the experience of Midway to be no match for the Zero, the F2A-3 was derided by USMC pilots as a "flying coffin". Indeed, the F2A-3s performance was substantially inferior to the F2A-2 variant used by the Navy before the outbreak of the war despite detail improvements.

Brewster F2A-3, U.S. Navy.

Brewster F2A-2 Buffalo ‘07’.

Brewster F2A Buffalo in overall neutral gray.

Brewster XF2A-1 (BuNo 0451), maiden flight, December 1937.

Brewster F2A Buffalo.

A U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-1 Buffalo (3-F-18) assigned to fighting squadron VF-3 aboard the aircraft carrier Saratoga (CV-3), 1940. Note “Felix the Cat” insignia.

A U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-2 (2-F-7, BuNo 1412) of fighter squadron VF-2 in flight, 1940/41. This aircraft crashed after a midair collision near Grahams Dairy, Miami, Florida, on 6 February 1943.

A U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-2 (BuNo 1410) of fighter squadron VF-2, circa 1940/41.

A U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-2 Buffalo fighter (2-F-5, BuNo 1410) of Fighting Squadron VF-2 retracting its landing gear. Circa 1940.

A U.S. Navy Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighter (BuNo 01516) used by the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), at Moffett Field, California, for flying qualities, stability and control, and performance evaluations from 21 May 1942 to 1943.

Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighter, probably from Marine Fighting Squadron 212 (VMF-212) with a marine signaling the aircraft for takeoff at Marine Corps Air Station, Ewa, Hawaii, in early 1942.

Three U.S. Marine Corps Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighters from Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-221 over Midway, in May/June 1942.

Brewster F2A Buffalo, white 24, after nosing over during a bad landing.

Brewster XF2A-2 Buffalo (BuNo 0451) with larger fin.

Brewster F2A Buffalo.

Brewster F2A Buffalo.

Brewster F2A Buffalo.

Brewster F2A Buffalo (2-F-17) of VF-2 after another aircraft’s propeller chewed up the tail in a taxiing accident.

Brewster F2A-2 Buffalo VF-2 accident.

Brewster F2A Buffalos (3-F-17 and 3-F-14) of VF-3, U.S. Army Air Corps hangar, Chicago Municipal Airport, 1930s.

Brewster F2A ‘12’ Buffalo in flight.

Brewster XF2A-1 (BuNo 0451) Buffalo.

Brewster F2A-1 Buffalo (3-F-18) of VF-3.

Brewster XF2A-1 Buffalo (BuNo 0451).

Brewster XF2A-1 Buffalo (BuNo 0451).

The famous XF2A-1 NACA wing tunnels trials, which launched a standard in US aviation.

NACA recommendations to improve the Brewster XF2A-1. LMAL chart of the test arrangements. The two columns of numbers show quantitatively the effects of the configuration variations.

Brewster XF2A-1 Buffalo.

Brewster F2A-1 Buffalo.

Brewster F2A-2 Buffalo.

Wartime plan to build a recognition model of the Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo.

A U.S. Marine Corps Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo (BuNo 01552) from Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-221 flown by 2nd Lt. Hank Ellis over Naval Air Station North Island, California, in November 1941. This aircraft was flown by 2nd Lt. Charles M. Hughes during the Battle of Midway and later crashed in a swamp near NAS Miami, Florida, after the pilot bailed out after an engine failure on 13 November 1942.

Battle of Midway, June 1942: Damaged and partially disassembled Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighter (Bureau No. 4006) on Sand Island, Midway, circa 24-25 June 1942. This plane, a unit of Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221), was flown by Captain John F. Carey, USMC, during the squadron's attack on incoming Japanese planes on the morning of 4 June. Carey was wounded in this action. Several other planes are visible right background, including F2A-3 Buffalo fighters. This view looks roughly southwest from near the foot of the Sand Island pier. The seaplane hangar, which was heavily damaged by Japanese bombs on 4 June, is in the left background. Note truck in the middle distance, following a Marine sentry through a gap in the barbed wire defenses. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-11636.

Pilots of No. 67 Squadron (RNZAF), who operated from Singapore and later Rangoon, with Brewster Buffalo.

During the campaign in Malaya, preparations were being made behind the lines to prevent equipment from falling into the hands of the advancing Japanese troops. At a Netherlands fighter squadron, a Javanese member of the ground staff closes one of the gun bay panels on a Dutch Brewster Buffalo fighter.

Brewster Model 439 Buffalo (B-3119), Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force.

The last twenty ML-KNIL 339-23 Buffaloes with the longer fuselage, in the snow at the Brewster plant, early 1942. the Solar exhausts were delayed and the aircraft were shipped to Australia uncompleted. The Aviodrome in Lelystad has recently purchased some remnants of three of these Buffaloes.

Assembly of the second Buffalo (B-396) for the ML-KNIL at Roosevelt Field, Long Island, on 29 January 1941.

Brewster Buffalos of the ML-KNIL.

A whole squadron of Dutch Buffaloes were captured by the Japanese. Add to these the RAF and RAAF Buffaloes captured in Malaya and the IJAAF could have fielded an entire Hiko Sentai. Most Buffaloes went to the GiKen at Tachikawa and Singapore facilities for testing and training purposes.

One of the captured Brewster B-339C Buffalos in Java, evaluated in mid-1942 by the Japanese.

Brewster B-339B Buffalo (export version of the Brewster F2A Buffalo) initially destined for the Belgian Air Force (wearing US civil registration NX56B and Belgian Air Force markings during pre-delivery testing) only to be diverted to France and ultimately captured, tested, and scrapped by the Germans.

Brewster B-339B Buffalo, NX56B, Belgian Air Force.

Mannerheim Cross Knight Vänrikki Lauri Nissinen, Finnish air force, taking off in his Brewster B-239 Buffalo (BW-384), 25 May 1942.

Ilmari Juutilainen and his Brewster B-239 Buffalo (BW-364) during the Continuation War at Tiiksjärvi airfield, Eastern Karelia during the winter of 1942–1943.

Fighter pilot Osmo Kauppinen after returning from a flight in his Brewster B-239 Buffalo, Lentolaivue 24, Finnish air force, Eastern Karelia.

Brewster B-239 Buffalo (BW-368), P.Le Lv 44, Immopla airport, 15 June 1944.

Brewster B-239 Buffalo (BW-357), P.Le Lv 44, 2nd squadron, Hävittälentolaivue 26, Immola airport, 15 June 1944.

Brewster B-239 Buffalo (BW-374), HLeLv 24, Suulajärvi.

Mannerheim Cross Knight Lauri Nissinen of 3./LeLv 24, Finnish air force, in his Brewster B-239 Buffalo in Immola in September 1941.

Lieutenant Wind, Finnish air force, with his Brewster B-239 Buffalo, Suulajärvi, 26 August 1943.

Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, Lieutenant Hans Henrik Wind, Finnish air force, with his Brewster B-239 Buffalo, 12 September 1943.

Finnish Buffaloes (BW-354 in foreground).

Men of Captain Ahola's squadron around his Brewster B-239 Buffalo  in Tiiksjärvi. In the top row: Paavo Koskela, Eero Kinnunen, Heimo Lampi, Eino Peltola and Urho Lehto. In the middle, Väinö Pokela and Lauri Pekuri (Ohukainen). Sulo Lehtiö and Osmo Lehtinen in front. 2/Lentolaivue 24, Finnish air force. 21 May 1942.

Lieutenant Wind with his Finnish Brewster B-239 Buffalo, Suulajärvi, 26 August 1943.

Brewster B-239 Buffalo, Tiiks air base, 14 February 1942.

Brewster B-239 Buffalo heading out on an interception flight, 12 September 1943.

Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, Lieutenant Hans Henrik Wind, Finnish air force, in his Brewster B-239 Buffalo ready to take off, 12 September 1943.

Kers. Erik Lyly, Finnish air force, Brewster B-239 Buffalo, 1./24.LeLv, 29 June 1941.

Brewster B-239 Buffalo, Tiiksjarvi airport, 25 May 1942.

Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, Lieutenant Hans Henrik Wind, Finnish air force, with his mechanics and Brewster B-239 Buffalo, 12 September 1943. 

Original caption: American fighters for Malaya. RAF mechanics in Singapore are working at top speed to assemble and pilots to test large numbers of Brewster Buffalos, American fighting planes. At one Singapore RAF station hangar after hangar is crammed with assembled, partly assembled and crated Buffaloes. Many of the planes are already in the air over Malaya, flown often by British fighter pilots, who have already bagged German planes (one of them ten) in Europe. Photo shows British and Asiatic RAF workers taking a Buffalo from its crate.

A pilot climbs into the cockpit of his Brewster Buffalo aircraft, AS430. This aircraft subsequently served with the Fleet Air Arm.

Brewster Buffalo Mark Is being re-assembled at Singapore following shipment directly from the USA, February 1941. These particular aircraft equipped No. 67 Squadron RAF, reformed at Kallang in March 1941.

Twelve Brewster Buffalo Mark Is of No. 243 Squadron RAF, based at Kallang, Singapore, in flight over the Malayan jungle in formations of three based at Tengah.

Brewster Buffalo Mk I AS430 prepares for takeoff. This aircraft subsequently served with the Fleet Air Arm. August 1940.

Brewster Buffalo Mark I, AS426, on the ground with engine running at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, during a display of new aircraft types acquired from the USA. AS426 was one of 33 aircraft from a Belgian contract, taken over by the British Government, following the German invasion, most of which were passed to the Fleet Air Arm. 24 February 1941.

Brewster B-339E (AN196/WP-W) of No. 243 Squadron RAF. This aircraft was flown by Flying Officer Maurice Holder, who flew the first Buffalo sortie in the Malayan Campaign on 8 December 1941, strafing landing barges on the Kelantan River. Damaged by ground fire, it was abandoned at RAF Kota Bharu before its fall to the Japanese.

Brewster Buffalo Mark Is for the re-equipment of Nos. 21 and 453 Squadrons RAAF, being inspected by RAF personnel at Sembawang, Singapore.

Blenheim MK I, L1134 'PT-F', No. 62 Squadron RAF, taxiing in front of a line of Buffaloes at Sembawang, Singapore, as another section of Buffaloes flies over the airfield. 

A Bristol Blenheim Mark I of No. 62 Squadron RAF taxies past a line of Brewster Buffaloes of Nos 21 or 453 Squadrons RAAF, at Sembawang, Singapore, 1941.

Lineup of Royal Air Force Brewster B-239 Buffaloes at RAF Sembawang in Singpaore, immediately prewar in November 1941.

Brewster Buffalo, AS430, of the RAAF. A Westland Lysander is in the background.

Brewster Buffalos, RAAF, Malaya.

Brewster Buffalo Mark Is of No. 21 Squadron RAAF, lined up at Sembawang, Singapore, on the occasion of an inspection by Air Vice Marshal C W H Pulford, Air Officer Commanding Royal Air Force Far East.

Brewster B-339E wrecks cannibalized for parts, probably in Singapore circa late January 1942. Two of the Buffalos, serials W8156 and W8207, were operated by 453 Squadron RAAF.

Brewster Buffalo aircraft of No. 21 Squadron RAAF over a Malayan airfield. November 1941.

Sergeant-pilot Theo de Waardt of 1-VlG-V at Singkawang, East Borneo, shortly after war with Japan broke out. His Buffalo was not yet fitted with an armor plate behind the seat and no reflector gun sight. He wears a loose set of headphones and does not have a microphone in the oxygen mask.