F8F Bearcat
The F8F Bearcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft used by the US Navy until 1955. Designed and manufactured by Grumman, the F8F performed its first flight on August 21, 1944, entering service with the US Navy in 1945. Grumman built 1,266 units of this aircraft. The Bearcat was also used by the French Air Force during the First Indochina War to strike Viet Minh targets.
The Grumman F8F was a one-engined, one-seat aircraft with straight low wings. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W piston engine, the first F8F-1 was marginally slower than the F4U Corsair, but it was more maneuverable and climbed faster. The Bearcat had a hydraulically operated landing gear. Armor protection had been provided for the pilot, engine and oil cooler. Structurally the fuselage of the F8F used flush riveting as well as spot welding, with a heavy gauge 302W aluminum alloy skin.
Specifications of the F8F Bearcat
Engine: one Pratt & Whitney R-2800-30W two-row radial engine with 2,250 hp
Maximum speed: 455 mph
Range: 1,105 miles
Length: 28 ft 3 in (8.61 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft 10 in (10.92 m)
Rate of climb: 6,300 ft/min (32.0 m/s)
Weapons: four 20mm M3 cannons; four 5 inch unguided rockets; up to 100 lb of bombs
