Grumman Bearcat

http://fighter-collection.com/pages/aircraft/bearcat/index.php

The Grumman F8F Bearcat (affectionately called "Bear") was an American single-engine naval fighter aircraft of the 1940s. It went on to serve into the mid-20th century in the United States Navy and other air forces, Powered by a Pratt and Whitney R2800 18 cylinder 2300hp radial engine it would be the company's final piston engined fighter aircraft.

The Bearcat concept was inspired by the early 1943 evaluation of a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190 by Grumman test pilots and engineering staff. After flying the Fw 190, Grumman test pilot Bob Hall wrote a report directed to President Leroy Grumman, who then personally laid out the specifications for Design 58, the successor to the Hellcat. Design 58 closely emulated the design philosophy of the German fighter, although no part of the Fw 190 was copied. The F8F Bearcat stemmed from Design 58 with the primary missions of outperforming highly maneuverable late-model Japanese fighter aircraft such as the A6M5 Zero. A role which later developed was that of defending the fleet against incoming airborne suicide (kamikaze) attacks.

The F8F prototypes were ordered in November 1943 and first flew on 21 August 1944, a mere nine months later. The first production aircraft was delivered in February 1945 and the first squadron was operational by 21 May, but World War II was over before the aircraft saw combat service.

Copyright © 2010 Malcolm Auld

This video and audio material may not be reproduced in any form (except as an embedded video on any other website), without written permission.

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[kolray25]

Absolutely superb video.

What make and model of video camera did you use?

[auldm]

@kolray25 Sony HDR-FX7e with Rode Stereo Video Mic using a polarised filter

[4gkidsplusBabs]

@brettt777 the Bearcat surpasses the Mustang in all coolness factors! Navy Plane, check. Radial engine , Check. very, very, rare, check. can operate off a moving pitching runway, Check And best of all can beat a Mustang in a dogfight. Check. I do not remember all the details but Navy and Air Force pilots Staged a contest between Bear and "stang, from a dead stop, who could get a gun pass on the other first, and the Bearcat did it BEFORE the Mustang could get wheels up.

[SupernalOne]

looks like high wing loading on this brute -

[MrXtremefly]

Very good job, and pilot art !

Super !

[MrXtremefly]

Hi..

Very nice video of a pilot arts, F8F on real power !!!!!!

Flight and landing under the absolute control. In a hands.

Start and heavy landing like a board ship (hook) Ah.... Super amazing............

My model only 250ccm and 15PS power, buth similar flight characteristics have.

[sirkieranis]

ahh the "muscle car" from grumman

[brettt777]

Awesome video! The Bear definitely has a coolness factor right up there with Mustangs.

[kingpinred]

lucky pilot and great vid! thanks......

[Maggifix2]

Wow .... super Video !!!!

[Twostones00]

Wow!

[Sooksawaspakdee961]

Grumman= the god of naval aviation.