Built by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation in Queens, New York City, the F2A Buffalo was the first production monoplane fighter to enter service with the US Navy. The F2A was an all-metal, single-engine, single-seat, mid-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear and a tail hook for carrier operations. The control surfaces, i.e., ailerons, elevators and rudder, were metal framed but covered with fabric. The struts of the hydraulically-operated landing gear retracted into the underside of the wing while the wheels fitted into the stubby fuselage below the wings. The tail hook was fully retractable into the rear fuselage while the tail-wheel partially retracted into the rear fuselage. Because of its short wingspan, the F2A did not need a folding wing configuration to be accommodated on U.S. aircraft carriers.

The Buffalo entered squadron service in the summer of 1940 and it was not long before three serious defects were identified. The first was the landing gear; it was not strong enough for carrier operations. Brewster strengthened two weak struts but a real fix would require a redesign of the aircraft. The second defect was identified by reports from Europe which indicated that the Buffalo did not meet the performance criteria of other aircraft then in combat, e.g., armor protection, self sealing fuel tanks, etc. Armor protection was added to the F2A-3 resulting in a heavier, unstable aircraft. One solution was to use a more powerful Pratt & Whitney engine but this would require a redesign of the aircraft. The third problem was the Brewster company management who had a habit of promising more than they could deliver resulting in serious delays in the deliveries of the aircraft. The final straw came when the Navy realized that the Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat was a superior aircraft in virtually every respect so no further Buffalos were ordered.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a Finnish Brewster Model 239 Buffalo fighter that was piloted by Jorma Karhunen, who was attached to 3./Lentolaivue 24 (Lv.24), during 1941. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 8-3/4-inches
Length: 6-1/2-inches

Release Date: July 2024

Historical Account: "Chaikas" - Jorma "Joppe" Karhunen was a Finnish Air Force ace and an author. He scored 31.5 kills in World War II; 25.5 of his air victories were achieved while flying the Brewster F2A Buffalo, an American fighter. Finnish Air Force's Brewster B-239 formation during the Continuation War.

Soon after the outbreak of the Continuation War, on June 25th, 1941, when he was 1st Lt. Karhunen led the 3rd Flight (of eight Brewster Buffalo) of Lentolaivue (LLv) 24, based at Vesivehmaa.

On July 9th, Karhunen was one of the dozen Brewster pilots led by Major Gustaf Magnusson on a patrol over Lahdenpohja, that in a ten-minute air combat shot down eight out of 15 Soviet bombers and fighters.

At the end of July, Karhunen's 3/LLv24 was ordered to support the offensive against the Karelian Ishtmus, scheduled for July 31st. His unit's opponents were 5th SAD, 7th and 153rd IAP and 65th and 235th ShaPs. On August 1st, Karhunen's unit of seven Brewsters shot down six I-16s near Rautjarvi, WO Ilmari Juutilainen, claiming two of them. Eleven days later, on August 12th, Capt Karhunen was involved in the heaviest air combat over the Karelian Isthmus, while leading six Brewsters from 3/LLv 24 on a patrol. On Antrea area, they attacked a formation of about 20 aircraft from 65th ShAP. During the ensuing 30 minutes air combat, Karhunen and his pilots shot down nine Polikarpov I-153s "Chaikas".