The F8F Bearcat was the last piston engine fighter produced by Grumman and was shorter and lighter than the F6F Hellcat that it was to replace.
Although both the F6F and the F8F were powered by the same engine (R-2800 Double Wasp), the Bearcat could easily out-perform the Hellcat due to its compact design.
It had a bubble canopy, which was the first to be fitted to a U.S. Navy fighter, the fuselage was constructed using flush riveting and spot welding helping to reduce drag.
Even though weight was a major design consideration, armour protection was provided for the pilot, the engine and the oil cooler.
To keep the propeller clear of the deck, the undercarriage was articulated to give extra length when lowered and as the undercarriage retracted it shortened allowing it to fit in the wing.
To minimise the overall weight of the bearcat, a lot of the weight saving came from restricting the internal fuel capacity to 160 US Gal, resulting in limiting its range.
Compared to the F6F Hellcat the Bearcat was 20% lighter, had a 30% better climb rate and was 50 mph (80 km/h) faster.
PRODUCTION
The Grumman F8F Bearcat was produced from 1945 to 1949, with 1,266 built.
