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The original Wildcat, XF4F-1, was an inter-war designed bi-plane much like the F3F. The XF4F-1 was considered only marginally better then the F3F; however, at the time, new emerging technology in aircraft design prompted Brewster to come up with a mono-plane design during the same period. The US Navy, unsure with the new technology, approved both the XF4F-1 and the XF2A Buffalo for development. On March 21, 1936 the US Navy contracted Grumman for the XF4F-1, followed by a contract for a XF2A Buffalo in June. Because of this direct competition with Brewster's mono-plane Grumman began to develop their own mono-plane the XF4F-2. The Navy, now seeing that the mono-plane would be far superior to any bi-plane, canceled the XF4F-1 in July of 1936 and awarded Grumman a new contract at the end of July, 1936 for their mono-plane: XF4F-2. The XF4F-1 was never more then a "paper" airplane, but it would have looked simular to the F3F pictured above.
On September 2, 1937 Robert L. Hall took the XF4F-2 up for its maiden voyage. The Brewster XF2A did not fly until December, 1937 in spite of getting its contract a month earlier then Grumman.
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