BREWSTER BUFFALO

The Brewster B-339 Buffalo is an American mid-wing fighter from the early World War II. In the US Navy, the plane flew under the designations: F2A-1, F2A-2 and F2A-3, and the B-239 version was intended only for export and adapted to the customer's requirements, where the landing gear was mostly modified and the rear hook was removed. The flight of the prototype took place in December 1937, and the following year the machine went to linear units. The B-339 quickly gained the reputation of an easy-to-pilot and maneuverable fighter, but in almost every field it was outclassed by its potential opponent, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Despite exports to European countries, min. Finland and Great Britain, this machine quickly became obsolete in the clash with e.g. the Me 109E. In total, about 500 machines of all versions were built. Technical data: Maximum speed: 517 km / h, climb speed: 12.4 m / s, operating ceiling 10100 m, maximum range: 1553 km, armament: fixed - 4 Browning M2 machine guns, cal. 12.7 mm.