Allied Wings No. 6: Grumman FF
By Gerry Nilles
Author: Phil H. Listemann
Publisher: RAF in Combat
Pages: 40 pages
ISBN No. 978-2-9532544-0-2
Binding: Softbound
Without a doubt the Grumman FF two seat fighter is certainly not very well known when compared to its more famous series of follow-on Grumman naval aircraft like the Wildcat, Hellcat, Panther and eventually the Tomcat. However, as this book points out, its importance as the first of the Grumman line of naval combat aircraft is extremely significant, not to mention the fact that it was the first US Navy fighter to have retractable landing gear. The FF in essence established Grumman as a manufacturer for the Navy, and as it is said, from that point on, “the rest is history”. This book does an excellent job of chronicling the life of the 30 examples produced, including pre-war operations on the USS Lexington as well as use as a WWII trainer. The photos included are of top quality as are the color plates.
Conclusion
This is a gem of a little book dedicated to the history of the Grumman FF fighter. It is full of excellent photos, including overall and detailed shots as well as nine very nicely done color profiles. It is definitely a publication well worth having. Our thanks to RAF in Combat for the review copy.