The Grumman F4F Wildcat was a carrier-based fighter used by the American, British, and Canadian armed forces during World War 2. The single-seat fighter boasted a powerful 14-cylinder Pratt and Whitney radial engine that pushes an impressive 1,200 horsepower. 

The Wildcat has seen many renditions across multiple different simulators over the years with a personal favorite being the one found in Maddox Games' IL-2 Sturmovik expansion Pacific Fighters. While that old release has left its mark as a fond memory, the product that Got Friends has put together would leave 10-year-old me in shock and awe. 

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Upon first loading the Wildcat, I was met with a stunning 3D model that features an incredible amount of detail and full PBR textures. Inside the cockpit, I was treated to more stunning texturing which seems to be a hallmark of Got Friends aircraft. Throughout the cockpit, I was able to read all the different labels and instruments. My next surprise was that I couldn't find a single inop switch! 

Upon startup, I was met with an absolute symphony of engine noise! There's nothing better in the world of aviation than the sound of a radial engine kicking over and boy the Wildcat does not disappoint in that department. I dare say this may be my favorite-sounding aircraft for Microsoft Flight Simulator to date.

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For my initial look at the Wildcat, I figured what better backdrop than Oahu's Ford Island. My main goal with this flight was to get a feel for the overall performance of the aircraft and to put the flight model through its paces and see what the limits of it were. 

Got Friends has done a fantastic job of making the plane very intuitive when it comes to options. In the cockpit, users will find a wooden desk that pops out of the firewall and acts very much in a similar fashion to most EFBs that come with some other aircraft. I felt this was a very clever way to add in the functionality of an EFB while also making it feel period-correct. 

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One of my favorite parts of the start-up experience is not only seeing the wings unfold but all the sounds that go with it. 

After getting the wings unfolded and the engine started I began checking out all the lighting within the cockpit. I did this flight with my sim time set to mid-afternoon and even though it was light out the cockpit lighting looked fantastic. The highlight of this though is the gunsight that sits in front of the pilot's view. Got Friends has done an amazing job of making the sight look as holographic as it was in the actual plane.

Now that the plane was started it was time to tackle what I thought would be the most difficult part of this review…taxiing with no differential brakes. Normally this isn't an issue, however, the Wildcat has a free castoring tailwheel which usually makes this somewhat of an issue, however, Got Friends thought of this and included an option for simplified ground handling, something I'm sure a lot of users will appreciate when first getting their hands on the wildcat. The simplified ground handling made taxiing no more difficult than the default C-152. Once on the runway I locked the tail wheel, put the throttle to the wall, and took off to finally test this thing in the air. Got Friends spent an extensive amount of time crafting the flight model for this aircraft. The primary control surfaces are quite responsive as you’d expect to find in a nimble fighter like the F4F. 

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The one major feature that the Got Friends F4F has is the completely custom weapons system. The plane, if purchased from Got Friends’ website, comes complete with drop tanks, bombs, and machine guns. These guns are slated to be multiplayer compatible, however, I was unable to test if this is the case or not. It should also be noted that if you purchase the Wildcat from the MSFS Marketplace it will not include any weapon systems.

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Since receiving the Wildcat to do this review I've taken it on a few more flights and each time tried to see if there was truly anything I'd want changed or anything I wish it had in the features list but I've not been able to come up with anything. Overall the plane handles exactly as you'd expect or want it to and the modeling is absolutely next to none. If you're considering grabbing a vintage warbird for MSFS the Wildcat definitely needs to be on your shortlist.

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The Got Friends F4F Wildcat can be purchased from the Got Friends website here for $19.99 or in the MSFS Marketplace. 

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