F2A-1

F2A-1

F3F-2

F2A-1

F3F-2

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	2.0	2.0

Class:

Fighter

Naval aircraft

Research:4 000

Purchase:2 100

This page is about the American fighter F2A-1. For the premium version, see Thach's F2A-1. For the other version, see F2A-3.

Description

The F2A-1 Buffalo is a rank I American naval fighter with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB/SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The Brewster F2A Buffalo was the first carrier-based monoplane of the US fleet, made to replace the outdated biplanes in service with the US Navy. It had a 950 horsepower engine and a total of four machine guns. The nose armament consists of two machine guns of different calibre, a 0.50 calibre (12.7 mm) and a 0.30 calibre (7.62 mm). Each wing is also equipped with a 0.50 calibre for two more machine guns. Many countries ordered the Buffalo, including the Finnish Air Force which was highly successful with theirs against Russian fighters. But by the time WW2 started, and the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the F2A was outclassed by the Japanese A6M2 and Ki-43s.

The F2A-1 is a competitive machine if using the proper tactics versus the proper enemy. The Buffalo can outrun biplanes and can out-turn most monoplanes. This plane will get a pilot used to the American style of playing using Boom & Zoom, and armaments of .50 calibre machine guns.

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 4,600 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
484	468	8000	19.1	19.7	7.8	7.8	250
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 4,600 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
527	504	8000	17.4	18.2	14.8	10.9	250

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		460	~11	~5

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 405	< 400	< 380	> 306

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,800 m	860 hp	963 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,650 m	760 hp	851 hp

Survivability and armour

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The F2A-1 is armed with:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, nose-mounted (250 rpg)
• 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, wing-mounted (400 rpg = 800 total)
• 1 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (450 rpg)

Usage in battles

The best way to fly this aircraft would be as a Boom & Zoom or energy fighter; it can outrun most aircraft it faces unless it is up-tiered and faces something like the Bf 109 F-1. In such a scenario the best way to destroy more advanced vehicles is through boom and zoom tactics.

In Arcade, there is no need to worry about ammo count as much as in Realistic Battles (RB) and Simulator (SB) since the planes can reload in the air. The target-lead indicator, which shows approximately where their enemy plane will be when the bullets reach the target, also assists aiming. For Arcade, the ammo belts are really useful, it is suggested to use Omni-purpose ammo for the .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine gun and Stealth for the .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine gun. However, another option is to try going all stealth so the F2A can surprise the enemy with bullets they can't see. There are a variety of enemy planes that the F2A-1 faces, ranging from biplanes to low-rank monoplanes.

In the common low-rank Arcade Battle, fur-balls at low altitude are very common, with planes trying to get on each other's tail, a perfect set up for a Boom & Zoomer like the Buffalo. First set the attack angle, which could be from directly above the enemy that is targeted, or from behind (it should be priority to target enemy planes that are chasing friendly planes or for a dangerous threat like MiG-3s, LaGG-3s, Hurricanes, Bf 109s or other Buffaloes). Once the F2A has made a pass on the enemy plane, what happens next depends on the identity of the target. If the attack didn't destroy them on the first pass, and the enemy is a biplane, then keep up the speed and vacant the area, and set up another pass. If the enemy is a monoplane in the same situation, the F2A can choose to either clear the area, or turn onto their tail, but it is advisable to leave the area and check whether the enemy noticed the attacking F2A. If not, and he is chasing a friendly aircraft or going for ground targets, then latch on to his tail and shoot him down!

In Realistic Battles & Simulator Battles, most of the tactics against fighters would be the same as in Arcade, only with a few restrictions.

1. Do not dive too fast, the F2A won't be able to pull up or the plane's wings will break.
2. No Enemy-Lead indicator, pilot skill and intuition will be required to estimate where the enemy plane will be when the bullets reach the targets.
3. Very limited ammo, plus the armament isn't reliable outside of 400 meters.

So how does one play this in RB with all these drawbacks? A few very simple things will help with those problems: at the beginning of the match in RB, climb at about a 15 degree angle until about 3,000 - 4,000 m in altitude. When an enemy is spotted, if a biplane the F2A will have to take up a Boom & Zoom tactic, do not attempt to turn fight. If the enemy is a monoplane, turn-fighting can be a valid tactic; unless they are the British Hurricane or Japanese A5M (not to be confused with the A6M, which is much superior to the Buffalo) or Ki-43, then do not turn fight these monoplanes. For the most part, Russian monoplanes are safe to turn fight (I-16s, MiG-3s and LaGG-3s). When diving on an enemy, put the throttle to 0% so the F2A does not accelerate too fast. If a shot can't be gained on the enemy, pull out by putting throttle at 100% and point the nose up to gain altitude. Once on the tail of an enemy, no matter the plane, open fire only at close ranges, firing at 300 meters or less will help conserve ammo and lessens the need to lead your aim, therefore making each shot more effective.

Surprisingly, especially at its BR, the Buffalo can be effectively used as a CAS fighter in Ground RB. Using the armour piercing rounds for the M2, this plane can not only destroy soft targets such as open-top AA vehicles, but also damage a majority of its tanks in its BR from the top. For maximum efficiency, after spawning in the Buffalo, increase altitude to around 1,500 m to 2,000 m, scouting potential ground targets and/or incoming air threats (enemy dive bombers like the Ju87 with heavy bomb loads must be a priority target as it can cause a lot of damage to your allies). If the skies are clear, drop the throttle to 0%, dive down at an enemy (preferably in a vertical angle to minimise the enemy armours' angling effect) and send your .50 calibre rounds right through the enemy's turret. With the Buffalo's superior firepower, you will most likely disable, or if you are lucky, knock out the enemy with a single pass. As you exit the pass, throttle your engine to WEP as you climb back to your original altitude. Rinse and repeat, you will be a formidable threat to your enemies.

This can apply to all three game-modes: When someone is on the F2A's tail and bullets fly past the plane, with the right altitude, make a short steep dive. With that little dive, it can dodge enemy bullets and it gives an opportunity to take a look back at the offending enemy. If the aircraft is a biplane, continue the dive and get out of range of their guns. If it is a monoplane, attempt to turn fight, but the F2A is still effective in diving away from even faster monoplanes, which will be effective against manoeuvrable monoplanes like the Hurricane and A5M4. Learning the gun sounds also helps, sometimes the sound will help identify the enemy plane so as to make a move more instinctively.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Combined	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 7 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 12 mm
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 12 mm MGs

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fairly fast
• Manoeuvrable compared to most monoplanes it can face
• Good diver
• Good climber (ironic since it was considered overweight in real life)
• Can land on a carrier
• Powerful .50 calibre machine guns

Cons:

• No armour-plating or armour for the pilot
• The telescopic sight is a bit of an annoyance in the first-person view (ex. simulator battles), as these have to be used when zoomed in
• The majority of biplanes the plane faces have better turn times

History

The Brewster Buffalo - in all its variants - holds two very contradictory distinctions: by some it is considered to have been the worst fighter plane of World War II, while at the very same time one singular airframe of its production holds the distinction of being the top scoring fighter aircraft of World War II.

The Brewster F2A, or as it was most commonly known, the Brewster Buffalo first flew in December 1937 as a replacement for the US Navy's biplane fighters. It was the winning design of a competition, which saw three contenders: Grumman, which originally submitted the XF4F-1 biplane fighter but later replaced their entry with the redesigned XF4F-2 monoplane fighter; the Seversky XFNF-1 navalised version of the P-35; and the Brewster XF2A-1. Out of the three, the XF4F-2 was faster but the XF2A-1 was more manoeuvrable, leading the company to win a contract for 54 fighter aircraft. When it entered service in 1939, the Brewster F2A-1 was the US Navy's first monoplane and was a highly promising design. However, like many pre-war designs, reality soon overtook the design.

Problems with the Brewster Buffalo started with the fact it had been built by the Brewster Aircraft Corporation, originally an aviation subcontractor with little experience in the construction of aircraft. Having previously only designed the Brewster SBA scout bomber - a design which would enter service after the Buffalo and which would have a short and indistinct career - it proceeded on designing the XF2A prototype. While this was promising in the type trails, its design hid the fact that Brewster lacked the required know-how to build a naval fighter. Unfamiliar with how to build a folding wing, Brewster circumvented the problem by giving the F2A a short span wing with integrated fuel tanks, which made the type a nimble fighter but ultimately impacted on its climb speed and future performance. The integrated fuel tanks, in turn, made it difficult to repair combat damage: any leaks had to be repaired by taking the entire wing apart. Never having built a naval fighter before, Brewster did not anticipate the forces to which the landing gear would be subjected, and designed it too weak. The decision to design the airframe around the Wright Cyclone engine ultimately meant that it could not be upgraded to more powerful engine designs such as the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp series. But ultimately, the biggest mistake Brewster made was not predicting future requirements for the type, and designing it without future modifications in mind. Additionally, Brewster's production facilities - a former car factory with production taking place on multiple storeys, requiring sub-assemblies to be transported by lift - meant that the company could not build aircraft as fast as other companies. Finally, problems with quality control would lead to serious issues in the type's service life.

The XF2A, F2A-1 and B-239 Buffalo

As designed, the XF2A prototype had a nose-mounted twin-gun armament (one 0.3 and one 0.5 inch gun), but additional requirements saw the initial production model modified with a four-gun armament (one 0.3 and three 0.5 inch guns) and naval equipment. Even these relatively minor modifications already had a considerable impact on the F2A-1 production model's performance, and when severe delays started hitting the delivery timetable with only 5 out of 54 aircraft delivered by November of 1939, the US Navy saw itself forced to reconsider the results of its contest, with an order being placed for Grumman's competing F4F-3 Wildcat.

The outbreak of World War II in Europe saw a number of countries making urgent orders for any available combat aircraft, and it is at this point of its history that Finland, at the eve of its Winter War with the Soviet Union (November 30th 1939 - March 13th 1940), placed an order for any type the US Government agreed to release. 44 F2A-1 aircraft were released for export to Finland as the de-navalised Brewster B-239 variant, with a slightly more powerful engine (950 hp compared to the F2A-1's 940 hp); but Finland's requirements meant the B-239 was almost 800 lb heavier than the US Navy's F2A-1 (5820 lb compared to the F2A-1's 5055 lb). In return for the 44 F2A-1's released for export, 44 improved F2A-2's were ordered for the US Navy. However, Brewster's slow production meant the first of these B-239s only reached Finland by the time the Winter War had ended.

Events meant that Finland's Buffalos ended up entering combat service in the Continuation War which began in June of 1941, fighting against the Soviet Union on the Axis side. Initially superior to anything they encountered, the Finnish Buffalos were also successful through the use of superior combat tactics that could not be countered by the Soviets. Their success in combat started to wane from 1943 onwards when they started encountering new Soviet designs such as the Lavochkin La-5; additionally the lack of spares started to severely impact on their serviceability. By the end of the Second World War only 8 Finnish Buffalos remained airworthy; the last 5 flew on until 1948 when they were put into reserve, only to be scrapped unceremoniously in 1953. In Finnish service, the Brewster B-239 Buffalo scored 477 kills for just 15 losses - a victory ratio of 26 to 1; additionally Finnish Buffalo BW-364 became the highest-scoring single fighter plane of World War II or any conflict with 42 1/2 confirmed kills.

The F2A-2 and B-339 Buffalo

The F2A-2 Buffalo saw the original 940 hp Wright Cyclone engine of the F2A-1 replaced by a 1200 hp variant, driven by a pitched Curtiss Electric propeller; additionally its armament and armour was upgraded. While the F2A-2, would never fire its guns in anger in US service, its export models ended up bearing the brunt of the action both in South-East Asia.

The first export customer for the F2A-2 was Belgium, which ordered 40 B-339B's; just as the first aircraft arrived, Belgium fell under German occupation, and the next six aircraft were diverted to French Martinique where they were stored out in the open and eventually scrapped. The balance of 33 was diverted to the United Kingdom, who briefly used them on Crete and in Egypt where they proved to be inferior compared to Axis types, before relegating survivors to maintenance training units.

The United Kingdom also ordered 170 B-339E's for use in South-East Asia, having found the type unsuited for service in Europe but thinking it would be sufficient for use against 'inferior' Japanese types such as the A5M 'Claude' and Ki-27 'Nate'. They were assigned to RAF, RAAF and RNZAF squadrons for the defence of Malaya and Singapore.

At the same time, the Netherlands ordered 144 model B-339C and B-339D’s for use in the Netherlands East Indies, the former fitted with refurbished civilian 1000 hp engines, the latter with more powerful military 1200 hp engines. As events turned out, only 24 B-339C’s and 47 B-339D’s ended up being delivered.

In service, both the Dutch and English Buffalos ended up being routed by the Japanese during their assault on Malaya, Singapore and the Netherlands East Indies. While they were capable to combat the Ki-27 ‘Nate’ on relatively even terms if them managed to get airborne in time, they were outperformed by the newer Ki-43 ‘Oscar’. The main issue with both the Dutch and English Buffalos was not as much their performance, but the fact that they lacked any early warning systems, meaning their fighter aircraft often had little warning of incoming raids and thus started combat at a distinct disadvantage. The known construction issues such as the weak landing gear and difficult repairs to fuel tanks meant attrition was high and aircraft often became unavailable when they sustained combat damage that was easier to repair on other types. As a result of this, nearly all of the Dutch and English Buffalos were lost in three months of combat, with just 6 (out of 170) English and 4 (out of 71) Dutch Buffalos remaining airworthy by the beginning of March 1942.

The F2A-3 and B-339-23/B-439 Buffalo

New sets of US Navy requirements saw the F2A-2 design modified into the F2A-3, with the integral wing fuel tanks improved so they were self-sealing; additionally, a new fuel tank was added in the nose, which saw the fuselage lengthened in front of the wing. This increased the type’s range, but the addition of more fuel, protective armour and the possibility to carry underwing armament severely impacted on the type’s performance, which was still fitted with the same engine as the F2A-2. Worse, the increased weight did not do the failure-prone landing gear any good, and soon the US Navy came to the conclusion that the F2A-3 Buffalo had reached its development limits. The 108 aircraft built were soon relegated either to training purposes or handed down to the US Marines. These aircraft would be the only Brewster Buffalos to see combat wearing US colours, first being bloodied in the interception of a H6K ‘Emily’ near Midway on March 10th 1942. But they would go on to become infamous for their role during the Battle of Midway, where 13 out of 19 Buffalos were shot down in an unequal dogfight. Following this rout, surviving aircraft were relegated to stateside training units, remaining in service until 1944.

A de-navalised version of the F2A-3 was built for the Netherlands East Indies Air Force, known as the Brewster B-339-23 or B-439, however it arrived too late to see any service in the Netherlands East Indies. Instead, these aircraft were diverted to Australia where they were initially used as reconnaissance aircraft by the RAAF, before some were re-appropriated by the USAAF for use as base hacks and liaison aircraft.

Evaluating the Brewster Buffalo

So why did the Brewster Buffalo prove to be a success in Finnish hands, yet a disaster when used by nearly anybody else?

First it is important to consider the difference between all of the types. The US F2A-1 and its equivalent Finnish B-239 were the earliest variants available of the type, before numerous modifications added considerable weight to the design. Even so, the power-to-weight ratio remained around 0.16 hp/lb throughout its career. However, the increase of weight meant that the wing loading gradually increased over the various variants, from 24 lb/ft² on the F2A-1 variant to 34 lb/ft² on the F2A-3, making the later variants far less agile.

The main difference, however, was in the combat use of these aircraft. The Finnish Air Force was the only air force to consistently use the Brewster Buffalo under conditions where it enjoyed a distinct advantage. For the first two years of their use, the Finnish Buffalos were confronted by aircraft of which performance matched theirs, but whose pilots did not enjoy the same quality of training or use of tactics. Generally, Finnish pilots were able to maintain the advantage in their encounters with their Soviet opponents, through the use of better early warning systems, and by entering combat with a height advantage. It was only when Soviet pilots with improved training and superior aircraft started entering service in 1943 that the Brewster Buffalos started to lose their advantage in combat.

This was not the case the Buffalos used by the British, Dutch and Americans. In their service against the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, the B-339 and F2A-3 not only had to combat enemy aircraft that were both technically superior and present in superior numbers, but also aircraft which almost always encountered them with a distinct advantage. The lack of advanced warning robbed the defending Brewsters in South East Asia and the Pacific of any combat advantage; additionally these Japanese fighters were usually manned by combat veterans, while the Brewsters’ pilots were relative novices. For example, the infamous encounter over Midway saw combat-hardened veterans of the Imperial Japanese Army battle US Marines pilots of which over half had just been transferred straight out of flight school; the F2A-3s involved flew alongside F4F-3 Wildcats which performed just as badly under the same circumstances. Combat experience in Malaya showed the British that reducing the amount of ammunition and fuel carried significantly improved the Brewsters’ performance against their Japanese opponents, but these lessons came too late to make any difference to the outcome of their use in combat.

Overall, it can be considered that the Brewster Buffalo was a fighter type which, while modern at the time of its conception, had been caught out both by shortcomings in its design and manufacture, as well as by the rapid developments in aviation in the late 1930s.

In-game description

The Brewster F2A Buffalo was the first monoplane carrier-based fighter that served in the American fleet. The aircraft had an all-metal construction, with the exception of the control surfaces, which were covered with cloth.

In 1935, the U.S. Navy announced a competition to create a carrier-based fighter which was to replace the obsolete biplanes. The competition was won by the Brewster company and mass production of their F2A began in the summer of 1938. Of the 55 F2A-1s produced, only 11 entered service in the U.S. Finland, which was less demanding than other countries with regards to fighter specs, purchased the rest of the planes, which were then slightly altered for use on airfields.

The F2A-2 variant had a more powerful engine and a pitched Curtiss Electric propeller. The subsequent F2A-3 had a stronger chassis and larger fuel tank. This last modification increased the aircraft’s weight significantly, and the engine did not provide sufficient power, making the F2A-3 inferior even to the F2A-2 in handling and speed.

The F2A was exported to a number of countries, including Finland and Great Britain.

Of the 509 Buffaloes built, 107 were F2A-3s and 20 were B-439s (an export model of the F2A-3 transferred to the Dutch West Indies).

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.