36 FlightJournal.com
Flying the FM-2 Wildcat
Thisaircraftwasnotdesignedforspeed
(47%power=564hp, 27 inches/1,900rpm=
195mph;and80%power=960hp,
35 inches/2,300rpm= 215 mph).Thewing
designdoesgivegoodlift,soplusorminus
2 or3mphwillresultintheneedforatrim
change,bothpitchandyaw.Ihavespent
manycross-countryhoursentertainingmyself
bytryingtotrimtheWildcattoflyhands-off.
Thisaircrafthasverylightelevatorforces,
however,andtheaileronsareheavyand
willrequiretwohandstorollatmorethan
200mph.Therudderiseffectivethroughout
thespeedrange,buttheforcesareheavy.
OnethingImustsayabouttheWildcat
isthatnofighter,thenornow,willturn
insideofit.Itsoverallflightcharacteristics
arestraightforwardandbenign.Inflight,it
handlesmuchlikea1,350hpAT-6/SNJ.Prestart Checks
Let’sstartbysittingintheaircraftandlocking
thecanopyopeninthesecond-to-lastfull
openpositionatmyrightshoulderbecause,
withtheshoulderstrapstight,Icannotreach
itwithmylefthandtocloseitwhenit’s
lockedinfullopen.Visuallycheckthatthe
wing-foldinglocktabslocatedonthetop
ofthewingcentersectionaredown.Checkthatthegearratchetselectorisdown.Weare
nowreadyforstart.Brakescheckedandheld.
Thereisnoparkingbrake,sohavechocksin
placeaswellasatrainedfireguardstationed
andreadytoputoutanyfire.
Next,Iadjusttherudderpedalsalltheway
forwardandlock,thenlookbackandmake
suretherudderisneutral.Theseatisadjusted
tothehighestsettingfortaxivisibility,and
beltsarebuckledandtightened.Theheadset
ispluggedinontherightabovetheradios.
Makesuretheheadsetleadsareplaced
behindyourrightshoulderandarmwhere
theyareoutoftheway.Yo udon’twantthem
tointerferewiththegear-handlecranking
motion.Afailinggradeherewillresultinthe
cordwrappingaroundthecrankhandle,thus
crankingyourheaddownandthegearup.
I’mtalkingfromexperiencehere!
Now,goingaroundthecockpitfromleft
toright:fuelselectoron,flapshandleup(vacuumoperated),blowershiftlocked“Low,”
pitchtrimsetto 0 units,rolltrimsetto
6 unitsright,ruddertrimsetto 1 1/2units
noseright,throttleopen1/2,mixture“Idle
CutOff,”quadrantfrictionsnug,magnetos
off,boostpumpoff,electricpropeller“Breaker
In,”selector“Automatic,”propellervernier
knobforward,allflightinstrumentschecked
andset,ambientmanifoldpressurenoted,
Hobbsmeterreadandrecorded,cowlflaps
fullopen,andallelectricalswitchesoffor
set.(Note:Theoriginalelectricalbreakersare
abitdifferentfromthemodernones.They
donotpopoutwhentripped,soyoucannot
tellbyfeelwhichonehaspoppedunlessyour
fingerisonitwhenitpopsandyoufeelit,
ortheareaisveryquietandyouhearavery
lightmetallic“ping.”Ifyouhaveanelectric
probleminflight,pushineachonefirmly.)The Start
Themasterswitchison.Thepre-oilerisonfor
30 to 45 secondsforthefirstflightoftheday.
(Gottaoilthosebearings.)Boostpumpisonat
16 to18psi,andsteady.Oilandfuelquantity
ischecked,andtheenginewaspulledthrough
twofullrevolutionsonwalkaround.Clear
prop!Thestarterandprimerspring-loaded
togglesarelocatedsidebysideontheelectrical
panel,andareoperated
byyourrightindexfinger
simultaneously.Moveyour
lefthandtothemagswitch
andrightindexfingerunder
thestarttoggle,withthetip
ofthefingeralsoreachingthe
primer.Ithelpsifyouhavesixfingers.
Startertoggleup,engineturning,countsix
blades,magstoboth,primertoggleup(on),
holduntiltheengineisrunningsmoothly.
Whentheenginefires,you’llbetreatedto
thedelicioussoundofaWrightradialwaking
up.Releasethestartertoggle,andcheckfor
oilpressure.Withtheenginerunningonthe
primer,movethemixtureto“AutoLean”
and,atthesametime,stoptheprimer;ifthe
enginestumbles,theprimermaybetickled
asneeded.Keeptheenginerunningatthe
lowestpossiblerpm(900to1,000),andtryto
keeptheoilpressureunder110psiwhilecold.
Turntheboostpumpoff,andturntheradios
on.Idonottaxiuntiltheoiltempis40°C
andtheengineacceleratessmoothly.Taxi and Prep for the Run-Up
Withthechockspulled,tailwheelunlocked,
andstickfullaft,allowtheaircrafttomoveFLYING THIS FIGHTER IS A FATIGUING PROCESS DUE TO THE HEAT
AND VIBRATION PRODUCED BY THE RELIABLE WRIGHT 1820. I
ALSO FIND THE NOISE LEVEL TO BE HIGHER THAN A MUSTANG.