Grumman FF

The Grumman FF, even if it is not particularly well known, is important in that it was the start a long dynasty of carrier-based fighters for the USN which included the famous WW2 Hellcat, the Panther and Cougar of the Korean War and the F-14 Tomcat of the Cold War era. It was also the first USN fighter to use a retractable landing gear. The full history of this two-seat fighter, of which less than 30 examples were produced, is narrated in 40 pages. Its career as a fighter was short with only one front line USN unit operating it for just three years. However it had a longer career as a fighter trainer and was not withdrawn from use until 1942.  Each aircraft history is fully documented and the publication is illustrated by over 30 photographs and 11 color profiles. This is a good reference for historians and modelers alike.