Despite its ungainly appearance, the Brewster Buffalo was one of the most significant aircraft in US aviation history and one which would see heavy combat use during the early months of WWII. The winner of a fly-off competition with the Grumman Wildcat to provide the US Navy with a new, modern carrier-based monoplane fighter, the Buffalo incorporated a host of advanced design features, including many to support its operation from the deck of US aircraft carriers. The fighter would also attract strong international sales support, with Britain, Finland and the Netherlands all operating the Buffalo during WWII, particularly with the Commonwealth Air Forces facing the Japanese in South East Asia