Grumman FF

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FF / SF "Fifi"
Type	Naval fighter
Manufacturer	Grumman
Designed by	Leroy Grumman
Maiden flight	1931-12-21
Retired	1940
Primary user	United States Navy
Produced	1932-1934
Variants	Grumman F2F

The Grumman FF was a biplane fighter aircraft operated by the United States Navy during the 1930s, and the first with retractable landing gear.

Contents 1 Development 2 Operators 3 Specifications (FF-1) 4 References 5 Related content

[edit] Development

The FF-1 was Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation’s first aircraft design for the US Navy. The prototype XFF-1 (A8878) was built to a contract placed on April 22, 1931, first flying on December 21 of that year.^[1] A two-seat design, it was powered initially by a 575 hp Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial engine, and when this was exchanged for a 750 hp Cyclone the XFF-1 reached a top speed of 201mph (323 km/h) during testing, faster than any US Navy fighter in service at the time.

A production order was placed for 27 two-seat FF-1s on 19 December 1932, deliveries to Fighter Squadron VF-SB of the USS Lexington beginning in June of 1933.^[1] In service the FF-1 became familiarly known as the "Fifi." Meanwhile Grumman had completed a second prototype (A8940) to 2-seat scout configuration as the XSF-1, from which 33 production SF-2s were subsequently ordered. They differed from the FF-1 principally in having revised internal equipment and in being powered by R-1820-84 Cyclones instead of the R-1820-78 model installed in the fighter version. Delivery of SF-1s started in March, 1934, and they served, also aboard the Lexington, with Scout Squadron VS-3B. One XSF-2 was also completed, this having a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Wasp engine in place of the Cyclone. Both the FF-1 and SF-1 were withdrawn from first-line US Navy squadrons by the end of 1936 and reallocated to reserve units, most of the FF-1s still being in service late in 1940. Later, fitted with dual controls, the surviving FF-1s were redesignated FF-2 and used for instructional duties.

The Canadian Car & Foundry Co acquired a manufacturing licence for the FF-1, of which it completed a total of 57, some of them assembled from US-built components. Fifteen entered service with No 118 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940 with the name Goblin I. Prior to this a single example was delivered to Nicaragua, and, allegedly, one to Japan; the remaining 40 were ostensibly purchased by the Turkish government but were in fact received by the Spanish Republican Air Force in 1937.

[edit] Operators

•  Canada: Royal Canadian Air Force
•  Japan
•  Mexico
•  Nicaragua
•  Spain
•  United States: United States Navy

[edit] Specifications (FF-1)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
• Height: ()
• Loaded weight: 4,655 lb (2,111 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Wright R-1820-78 Cyclone radial engine, 700 hp (520 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 207 mph (333 km/h)
• Range: 920 mi (1,480 km)
• Service ceiling: 22,400 ft (6,828 m)

Armament

• 2× 0.30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns
• 1× 100 lb (45 kg) bomb

[edit] References

• Munson, Kenneth. US War Birds|From World War 1 to Vietnam. (New Orchards Edition Ltd).

[edit] Related content

Related development

• Grumman F2F

 

Designation sequence

FF - F2F - F3F - F4F

Related lists

• List of US Naval aircraft

See also