Having trouble keeping it ( focus ) on the Wildcat. Faster than you think. They're not the fastest but no slouch either. Love them tremendously and would love to fly one.
I guess as warbirds go, the Wildcat would be somewhat affordable for a private party to own and operate. Its relatively low powered engine, compared to a Hellcat's R-2800, would be more economical and AFAIK radials generally require less expensive maintenance than an inline like the Mustang's V12 Merlin.
The FM-2 designation means this particular Wildcat was actually BUILT by General Motors and not Grumman. The US Navy had some rather strange ways of designating their aircraft; not as simple as the USAAF's labels like B-17 or P-38. It's amazing that at one time combat aircraft could be built in an auto plant and a single plane didn't cost hundreds of millions of dollars like the very flawed F-35!
