Finding visuals...
  • The Locator
  • Airframes Database

    Social media...
    Follow AV on facebook
    Follow AV on Twitter @aerial_visuals
    Follow the AV YouTube Channel

    Site navigation...
  • Home
  • Desktop Calendar
  • The Racers
  • FAQs
  • About Aerial Visuals
  • Comment on this Dossier
    • Search For Airframes Now
    Search - Index - Gallery - Reports - Lists - AV Needs You!

    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Grumman F4F/FM Wildcat
    Latest Model:FM-2 Wildcat
    Last Military Serial:86711 USN
    Construction Number:5765
    Last Civil Registration:G-RUMW
    Compressed ID:General Motors Eastern Aircraft Div...
    Latest Owner or Location:Patina Ltd, Jersey

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

    UPLOAD A PHOTO    		 If you have a photo of this airframe to share then use the photo upload tool.
    The Airframes Database depends on user contributions to stay current.
    If you have any news about this airframe or photos which you would like to share please do so
    by using the links above.
    The more you and others share the better the database becomes!

    Dates

    Event

    1945

    Constructed as a FM-2 by General Motors Eastern Aircraft Division at Baltimore, MD, USA.

    24 July 1945

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 86711.

    24 July 1945

    Transferred to NAS Tillamook, OR.
    Straight into storage.

    28 February 1946

    Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Navy.

    From 1946 to 1975

    To unknown owner.
    Various Owners.

    24 September 1975

    To Eric G. Mingledorff, Monroe, LO with new c/r N4845V.

    Restoration started.
    Eric Mingledorff comments (23 January 2023): I began restoration of N4845V in Monroe, Louisiana.

    1975

    Placed on display with Chennault Air Museum, CA.

    1992

    Restoration continued.
    To Chino, Ca for restoration to flying condition by Fighter Rebuilders.

    January 1993

    First post-restoration Flight.

    By March 1993

    To Patina Ltd, Jersey (The Fighter Collection) keeping c/r N4845V.

    March 1993

    Transported to Duxford, UK.

    March 1993

    To The Fighter Collection, Duxford Airport, Duxford, Cambridgeshire/Cambs, England.
    View the Location Dossier

    16 July 1994


    Photographer: Ken Videan
    Notes: At Flying Legends Duxford (EGSU).

    15 April 1998

    Civil registration, N4845V, cancelled.

    15 April 1998

    To Patina Ltd, Jersey (The Fighter Collection) with new c/r G-RUMW.

    15 April 1998

    To Patina Ltd, Jersey keeping c/r G-RUMW.

    Markings Applied: F, JV579
    In markings of a Wildcat serving on HMS Tracker in 1944.

    13 August 2008


    Photographer: Joop de Groot
    Notes: 2008 photo taken at Duxford. UK. Photo displayed with written permission from Joop de Groot

    27 May 2012


    Photographer: Robert Nichols
    Notes: at Duxford

    13 July 2013


    Photographer: Andrew Shaw

    13 October 2013


    Photographer: Arjun Sarup
    Notes: That Old Thing taxiing out to display at Duxford Autumn Airshow 2013.

    23 September 2017


    Photographer: Chris Beresford
    Notes: After a solo display at IWM Duxford That Old Thing taxies in.


    Photographer: Unknown


    Photographer: Unknown
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Internet Sources
     Aerial Visuals - The Locator by Mike Henniger, Senior Editor
    AMCAR
    Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom
    Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America
    Individual Contributors
     Mike Henniger
    Eric Mingledorff
    Robert Nichols
    Tell Others About this Airframe Dossier
    Forum Link: [URL=https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=17423][IMG]/home/users/web/b1393/nf.aerialvisuals/public_html/AV/Support/Logo_20x20.jpg[/IMG]Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Grumman-General Motors Eastern Aircraft Division FM-2 Wildcat, s/n 86711 USN, c/n 5765, c/r G-RUMW[/URL]
    Direct Link: https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=17423
    Copyright 1993-2025 m.AerialVisuals.ca
    The Aerial Visuals pages are best viewed with a screen at least 800 pixels wide.
    In case you are wondering Aerial Visuals is a huge fan Google Chrome. If you do not have Chrome installed why not?
    Aerial Visuals requires cookies and Javascript to function correctly. Please ensure these features are enabled in your browser.
    Aerial Visuals is powered by Netfirms.