Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat
F4F-4 Wildcat V, "T" 852 Sqn FAA HMS Nabob 1944

Here is my interpretation of the Grumman Martlet / F4F-4 Wildcat V, "T" from 852 Sqn FAA aboard HMS Nabob during June 1944.

In researching a colour scheme for my Martlet / Wildcat, I was totally overwhelmed by the plethora of FAA camouflage and markings used throughout the war years, and so settled on a scheme that I both really liked and believe the FAA actually intended.

As the FAA struggled to produce carrier-based aircraft of equivalent quality to that of the other two main carrier powers, the US and Japan, it relied extensively on US aircraft provided via Lend-Lease. Until 1944, Lend-Lease aircraft were typically factory painted in the US to FAA standards. Initially, from from the start of the Lend Lease in 1941, this meant using US equivalent paints to the three main FAA colours of, Dark Slate Grey, Extra Dark Sea Grey and Sky.

From 1942, the there was an attempt to coordinate colours between the US's two main services (USAAF and US Navy) as well as with the Ministry of Aircraft Production in the UK. This resulted in the Army-Navy Aeronautical (ANA) system that was officially implemented from 28 September 1943. Along with the new system came the decision to use ANA substitutes for all Lend-Lease aircraft. This was fine for the undersides, as the new palette included Sky but there were no ANA versions of Dark Slate Grey or Extra Dark Sea Grey and instead Olive Drab and Sea Grey were used respectively. This is one reason why I was confused to see both two tone grey and green & grey schemes during my research.

As for the markings, I came across white, yellow and red lettering and no lettering! Upper roundels of red and blue and red, white and blue .. yes I know - as with camouflage paint colours - they have special names but by now I was losing the will to live!

So, of all the pictures I viewed and as, for a change, I was not using any specific aircraft markings, I may have gone for a bit of a mongrel. I liked the red lettering and red and blue roundels, and having discovered the same being used by 852 Sqn FAA in 1944 aboard HMS Nabob, this placed my Wildcat at least with a real squadron. The colour pallet I’ve used is the two grey scheme which I actually found in one of my reference books: ‘Flying Colours’, probably reflecting the scheme the FAA intended before the US ‘colour blindness’ confused things.