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    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:16278 USN
    Construction Number:1477
    Compressed ID:General Motors Eastern Aircraft Div...
    Latest Owner or Location:Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory Regional Airport, Hickory, North Carolina

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    Dates

    Event

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

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 16278.

    26 June 1945

    Crashed.
    Ditched in Lake Michigan while on flight from training carrier.

    1991

    Recovered.
    From Lake Michigan.

    1991

    In the inventory of National Naval Aviation Museum-Loan Program, NAS Pensacola, Pensacola, FL.
    View the Location Dossier

    Restored.

    Markings Applied: 7

    Loaned to MCAS El Toro, CA, USA.

    1996


    Photographer: Tom Tessier
    Notes: At MCAS El Toro Command Museum, CA

    Based at Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum (Annex), Miramar MCAS (North Side), San Diego, CA.
    View the Location Dossier

    Markings Applied: 53, MARINES 16278, FM-2
    53 painted on the fuselage, rest on vertical stabilizer.

    1999

    Placed on display with Flying Leatherneck Aviation Musem, Miramar MCAS, San Diego, CA.
    View the Location Dossier

    31 May 2013


    Photographer: Terry Fletcher
    Notes: Exhibited at Flying Leatherneck Aviation Musem, Miramar MCAS, San Diego, California

    4 October 2014


    Photographer: Frank Dieterich
    Notes: Delivered to USN as FM-2 General Motors. Ditched into Lake Michigan June 26, 1945. Recovered and restored 1997. Seen here at MCAS Miramar Air Show 2014

    To Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory Regional Airport, Hickory, NC.
    View the Location Dossier

    21 March 2023


    Photographer: Hickory Aviation Museum
    Notes: FM-2 Wildcat BuNo 16278 was relocated to Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory NC in 2021 and is currently in storage awaiting construction of new museum hangar. For further information, email museum at info@hickoryaviationmuseum.com.
    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...
    Print Sources
     U.S. Military Out of Service 2010 by Andy Marden
    Internet Sources
     National Naval Aviation Museum
    Warbirds Directory, 6th Edition (2013) by Geoff Goodall
    Individual Contributors
     Patrick Carry
    Terry Fletcher
    Marcin Rogowski
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    Direct Link: https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=30095
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