F8F-1

F8F-1

F4U-4

F6F-5N

F8F-1

F4U-4

F6F-5N

USA

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.3	4.7	6.0

Class:

Fighter

Naval aircraft

Research:26 000

Purchase:76 000

Description

The F8F-1 Bearcat is a Rank III American naval fighter with a battle rating of 4.3 (AB), 4.7 (RB), and 6.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.33.

The F8F-1 is an all-purpose light fighter-bomber, and excels as such. Although it may seemed incredibly outgunned with its quad M2 Brownings (even more compared to its 1B counterpart), the Bearcat can be a more than decent fighter in the right hands.

In War Thunder, the F8F Bearcat is an Era IV US Naval Fighter. In game there are two versions of this particular model available – the F8F-1, armed with 4 .50 caliber M2 machine guns and the F8F-1B, armed with 4 AN/M3 20 mm cannons. The difference in armament is reflected in the Battle Ratings – the MG armed Bearcat has Battle Ratings about 1.0 lower than the version equipped with cannons has a Battle Rating above 6.0-6.3 in all game modes. The in-game Bearcat retains many advantages of the real-life counterpart. The F8F has very good acceleration and climb rate, thanks to its powerful engine. Because of that, it can quickly gain an altitude advantage over its opponents. Thanks to its high top speed, good wing endurance, and good energy retention capabilities, the F8F is perfectly suited to energy fighting using Boom & Zoom tactics. A Bearcat pilot should avoid low-speed dogfights, instead opt for a diving attack from above.The Bearcat is also a very hardy aircraft able to sustain several hits from enemy cannon and machine gun rounds before being decommissioned. The phrase "Grumman Ironworks" comes into play on the Bearcats just like their previous works; The F3F, The F4F Wild Cat, and the F6F Hellcat. Therefore you shouldn't be too wary of 13-15 mm. 20 mm Hispanos and 30 mm Rhein Borsig series guns are your biggest threats in terms of damage.

The elephant in the room when it comes to the Bearcat is its 4 x M2 Brownings. With a relatively low fire rate and low damage, pilots must make their shots count. Unlike most other planes equipped with the M2 Brownings, the Bearcat can utilize M20 APIT rounds. These rounds excel at setting targets aflame. Precise aiming is key, specifically targeting the enemy aircraft's engine or pilot. Aiming for the fuselage is less effective as unlike the P-47D, which has 8 x M2s which can chew through aircraft hulls by hurling twice as many bullets down range. Meanwhile the measly 4 x M2s Bearcat will pepper the hull and simply be absorbed.

Make use of the secondary payloads as well. The Bearcat can make use of the Tiny Tim rockets as well as a large array of rockets and bombs. Tiny Tims are especially useful against heavy ground targets and tanks.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 6,098 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
666	646	10,900	20.8	21.4	19.4	19.3	220
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 6,098 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
?	?	10,900	??.?	??.?	?.?	?.?	220

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
830	300	910	~12	~6

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 540	< 540	< 500	> 250

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
995 m	2,120 hp	?,??? hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
5,090 m	1,700 hp	?,??? hp

Survivability and armour

• 8.5 mm Steel - Under cowling engine armor plate
• 8.5 mm Steel - Fore cockpit protection plate
• 9.5 mm Steel - Pilots seat and headrest
• 60 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield

Armaments

Offensive armament

The F8F-1 is armed with:

• 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning, wing-mounted (300 + 325 rpg each wing = 1,250 total)

Suspended armament

The F8F-1 can be outfitted with the following ordinance options:

• Without load
• 2 x 297 mm Tiny Tim rockets
• 4 x 127 mm HVAR rockets
• 4 x 127 mm HVAR rockets + 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb (1,000 lb total)
• 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb (2,000 lb total)
• 3 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)
• 4 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns (gun pods) (340 rpg = 1,360 total)

Usage in battles

A Bearcat dives towards a formation of Kikka fighter-bombers.

Unlike its big brother, the F8F-1B, the 1 has a far lower climb rate. However, it still possesses its light airframe, which makes turn-fighting and dog-fighting a breeze. Unfortunately, the F8F-1 is a rather weak Boom & Zoomer due to its less than effective armament. A high speed swooping attack has to be completed with utmost precision; otherwise, you will do no damage and will attract the attention of planes with far stronger weaponry.

Once at high altitude, one can Boom & Zoom weaker planes. The fantastic acceleration, dive speed, and energy retention make the Bearcat one of the best energy fighters in War Thunder. Compared to its brother, the 1B, the 1 is a far more challenging fighter to fly.

Keep in mind the good roll rate of the Bearcat, as well. Use this when evading opponents.

Low speed, low altitude fighting is not a strength of the Bearcat. It is best used within altitude ranges of 4-5 km.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not ontrollable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm	DPG-1
II		Compressor	Airframe		FRC mk.2
III	Wings Repair	Engine		New 12 mm MGs	LFRC mk.12
IV	G-Suit	Engine Injection	Cover		FLBC mk.1

• The "holy trinity" of flight performance upgrades: Compressor, Engine, and Engine injection. All three combined increase climb rate by 10 m/s (~2000 feet/min).

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good rate of climb
• Great turn rate
• Good roll rate at higher speeds
• G-suit modification
• Fast weapon reload and high ammo capacity
• Great energy retention in the vertical
• Can utilize M20 API-T belts, which can double or triple the effectiveness of the guns

Cons:

• Extremely sluggish low speed handling and turning
• Poor turn time compared to most other contemporary fighters (Ki-84, Bf-109 G-10, etc.)
• Loses a lot of energy when turning
• Bad high altitude performance > 6,000m
• Engine overheats
• Limited supply of ADI ('anti-detonant injection' mixture of alcohol and water to boost performance)
• Extremely poor weapons when compared to FW-190, BF-109, Ki-84, Spitfire, and Yak variants, among others

History

The first idea for the creation of the Grumman F8F Bearcat was pitched after the Battle of Midway. Many pilots who took part in it remarked that one of the most important parts of naval air warfare was an aircraft’s rate of climb. This of course meant that an increase in power was necessary. In 1943 the design work on the new aircraft began. The outline called for a fighter-interceptor, capable of operating even from small escort carriers. While the engine – the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial – was the same model used on the earlier F6F Hellcat, the new fighter would be lighter which also meant an increase in speed and climb rate. The concession was limiting the range of the new aircraft. The F8F would also feature a bubble canopy for better all around visibility. The first prototype, the XF8F-1, first took to the skies on the 21st August 1944. Further tests proved the aircraft's reliability and ruggedness, and the F8F was accepted into mass production. The first serial models rolled off the assembly line in February 1945 and were delivered to VF-19 fighter squadron, which began operating flights with the Bearcats in May 1945.

The new fighter, was, however, too late for any combat in World War II. After the war the situation of this propeller aircraft got even more complicated thanks to the introduction of naval jet aircraft. Even though the F8F was one of the fastest propeller-driven aircraft of its time, it was clear that the jet age was dawning. The F8F was replaced in US Navy and USMC service by the F9F Panther and the F2H Banshee jet aircraft. Some Bearcats saw combat service with the French in French Indochina in 1951, when they were used in the CAS role against the Viet Minh troops. Thailand also received a shipment of Bearcats which were then operated by the Thai Air Force. The F8F found a new life – thanks to its speed and acceleration - it was and still is widely used as a racing aircraft. One of the most famous racing Bearcats is the Rare Bear – a specially modified F8F, which holds many propeller aircraft speed and climb records.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the F8F from live.warthunder. All F8F skins are interchangable and can be used on all versions via the following steps:

  1) Duplicate the folder template_f8f1 in your UserSkins folder and rename to template_f8f1b

  2) Rename each file in the template_f8f1b folder from f8f1*.* to f8f1b*.*

  3) edit f8f1b.blk and replace all instances of f8f1 with f8f1b

  • "F8F-1B Vietnam Air Force 1964, historical skin" by _TerremotO_
  • 'The Jolly Rogers' Based/influenced by the 1980 movie ' The Final countdown'. by H3LLRA1Z3R3
  • "F8F 1B Bearcat VF-61" by gudkarma
  • "F8F-1 'Pussy Cat'" by Starbuck44

Pictures & paintings

"Hunting made two cards": F8F vs. He 162 "Never fly alone" "big brother"

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on aircraft;
• other literature.