Buffalo

[No.1]

Buffalo was inferior fighter in regard to the Wildcat and it suffer badly in the combat against Japanese fighter. No matter at all it was preferred as stable gun platform by the pilots. Selection of images... sorry I have no Finland sample in the moment ready for display.

[No.1]

Some more images 

[mfg495]

Great set of images. Here's one from my collection, taken a RAF Duxford. 

[santynus]

very nice photos 

[Nico Braas]

In spite of its shortcommings, the Buffalo gave a good account of itself during the war against the Japanese when flown by Dutch pilots! It scored better that the Curtiss Interceptor and the Curtiss P-36 Hawk. In spite of its relatively low performances it was a very rugged plane that could survive severe punishment by enemy fire!
And we can hardly say it was a failure when operated by Finnish pilots agains overwhelming Russian forces!

[No.1]

I have hear long time ago that Dutch pilots on Far East was the first one to get combat kill ratio 1-1 against Japanese fighters. In that time British and USA forces are badly suffer.

[Leo]

 

The Buffalo was the first monoplane carrier fighter of the US Navy.  It was actually and deliberately built stronger and heavier than it needed to be.  The result was a decided reduction in performance.  I wonder which Japanese fighterd the Dutch were fighting in their one to one kill ratio.  The Japanese were using Mitsubishi and Nakajima fgihters with fixed landing gear and twin 7.7 cal machine guns.  I don't believe they would have come anywhere near thet against either Zeroes or Hyabusas.

The Finns had great success with the Buffalo, but here again, what were the Russians sending against them?

[No.1]

For a long time that front was not given attention and there could see even the airplanes which was not used against Germans. But for sure that I-16, MiG-3 and I-153 could match Buffalo and Soviet pilots was very agile in vigilant in dog fight [still remember memory of one Me262 pilot who try to down Yak fighter and result was that he was forced to run]. Answer could be in the Finish very aggressive, excellent trained and high moral of their pilots. Same today- best sky jumper and formula 1 racers are from Finland. Simply they have hart for challenge