What Finland buys if Brewster collapses before the war

If Brewster goes bankrupt before the war, what does Finland buy instead of the F2A-239 Buffalo?

The likeliest American substitute is an early Wildcat, with the exact quality depending on whether Grumman has already improved it after losing the original competition.

The timing of Brewster's hypothetical collapse determines which Wildcat Finland could obtain. An early collapse could leave the original, less successful design, while failure after the Buffalo won the competition could still give Grumman the incentive to improve its fighter. The panel sketches a scenario in which industrial relations, manufacturing, and quality-control problems bankrupt Brewster before the government would be inclined to take it over. Early Wildcats without folding wings could serve Finland well from land, where compact carrier stowage was unnecessary. The later folding mechanism and other changes are described as adding weight, with the improved General Motors FM2 subsequently reversing that trend. The comparison also acknowledges the Buffalo's good Finnish service and the importance of separating aircraft quality from Brewster's manufacturing problems.