Flying The FM-2 Wildcat

A Modern Pilot’s Personal Perspective

- Mike Heiny Sr.

I fully realize that the following dissertation on preflight, takeoff, cruise, and landing will be seen by experienced pilots as monotonous overkill—and too much detail. My thought here, however, is explain the airplane to the non-warbird pilot, paying special attention to the detail freaks, and to show the complexities and idiosyncrasies of even the simplest of World War II fighters. Note that the following is based on an FM-2 Wildcat with the original Bakelite brakes and a hard rubber carrier tailwheel. After about 50 hours, we exchanged the original brake shoes for heavy-duty truck lining and found a pneumatic tailwheel. These two things vastly improved ground handling.

This aircraft was not designed for speed (47% power = 564hp, 27 inches/1,900rpm = 195mph; and 80% power = 960hp, 35 inches/2,300rpm = 215 mph). The wing design does give good lift, so plus or minus 2 or 3mph will result in the need for a trim change, both pitch and yaw. I have spent many cross-country hours entertaining myself by trying to trim the Wildcat to fly hands-off. This aircraft has very light elevator forces, however, and the ailerons are heavy and will require two hands to roll at more than 200mph. The rudder is effective throughout the speed range, but the forces are heavy. One thing I must say about the Wildcat is that no fighter, then or now, will turn inside of it. Its overall flight characteristics are straightforward and benign. In flight, it handles much like a 1,350hp AT-6/SNJ.

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