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Description

This is an injection-plastic aircraft model kit.

The Brewster F2A Buffalo was the U.S. Navy's first monoplane fighter, an all-metal (except for control surfaces), mid-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear. However, despite this important first, and it's notable service record in Finland, history has not been kind to the Buffalo.

The Buffalo prototype first flew in January 1938, and numerous changes were made before 54 of the F2A-1 production version were ordered. 11 of these equipped VF-3 on Saratoga in the summer of 1939, and the other 43 were shipped to Finland, which was now fighting off the Soviet Union.

A new rudder and more powerful Wright R-1820-40 engine (1,200hp) were the major changes in the F2A-2, of which the Navy ordered another 43. In addition, Britain ordered 170, Belgium 40, and Dutch East Indies Air Force 72.
Service with the U.S. Navy had shown the landing gear to be too weak for carrier service. Modifications to the gear, additional armor plating, and a stretched nose to accommodate another fuel tank were implemented to create the F2A-3, of which the Navy ordered another 108, but these changes simply added weight to the Buffalo and exacerbated its principal problems: It was overweight, underpowered, and had too little wing area. Eventually, Navy Buffaloes were all transferred to the land-based Marine Corps, while the Grumman F4F Wildcat became the principal carrier fighter.

The Buffalo's shortcomings proved fatal in combat. British Buffaloes in Singapore, Java and Manila were all destroyed by March of 1942. And in its first and last combat action in American hands, VMF-221 on Midway saw the bulk of the squadron quickly shot down by Zeros during the battle for the island in June of 1942.

In the hands of the Finns, however, the Buffalo had a remarkable combat record. While questions can be raised about the quality of Soviet pilots and their tactics, the Finnish Air Force downed 496 Soviet planes for the loss of just 19 Buffaloes over a three-year period -- a strong performance by any standard. Perhaps most outstanding among them was W/O I. Juutilainen of the 24th Squadron, who shot down 28 planes in his aircraft BW-364 without so much as being struck by a single enemy bullet.