The Grumman F3F was the
last biplane fighter in US service. Looking at the later Grumman Navy
fighters, it is easy to see that they all had some basis on the F3F. It
was a further development of the F2F and first flew in 1935. Fifty-four
of the F3F-1 aircraft were ordered in 1936 and served aboard the Ranger
and the Saratoga. Eighty-one F3F-2s were ordered, like the one below
that served in 2 squadrons of the Marine Corps and with the Navy on the
Enterprise. They stayed in service until 1940-1941. When WWII began,
they were used for training and utility roles. This F3F-2 belongs to
the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino.
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