F8F (Family)

Vehicles

Rank IV

• F8F-1 Bearcat
• F8F-1B Bearcat
• F8F-1B (France)

Development and Design

Development

The concept of the G-58 (the Grumman designation for what would become the F8F Bearcat) began on 23 June, 1942. The Vice President of Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation Jake Swirbul met with F4F Wildcat pilots that had fought in the Battle of Midway. Jimmie Thatch - one of the pilots - emphasized the fact that climb rate is one of the most important characteristics of a good plane.

Climb rate is linked to power-to-weight ratio, so to increase climb rate a powerful engine and small, lightweight airframe are necessary. Not only would the G-58 have to have a good climb rate, but it also needed to be able to operate from escort carriers, which the F6F Hellcat was too large to operate from, and as such only the obsolete F4F Wildcat could operate from the escort carriers. A small, light aircraft could accomplish both goals; it could operate from the escort carriers and it could have a good climb rate. Grumman began developing the G-58 Bearcat in late 1943, after studying carrier warfare in the Pacific for a year and a half.

It is thought by some that the FW-190 influenced the design of the G-58, but it has never been confirmed, and it's still up for debate. The Grumman test pilots flew and examined a captured FW-190 in 1943 in England, and the G-58 also has a number of features very similar to the FW-190 such as the landing gear and cowling arrangements, but there is no hard evidence that the data from the testing of the FW-190 was used to develop the G-58.

Design

Powerplant

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was introduced in 1943, and it was based on the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, producing 2,000 horsepower. The R-2800 was the most powerful American engine available then, and so the R-2800 would also be used on the G-58 Bearcat. This meant that improved performance over the F6F Hellcat would mean a lighter and smaller airframe.

Airframe

The fuselage of the Bearcat was 5 feet (1.5 meters) shorter than the Hellcat, and the area behind the cockpit was reduced vertically. As such, a bubble canopy could be fitted, and the Bearcat was the first US Navy fighter to have one. The vertical stabilizer used was the exact same as on the Hellcat, but it looked thinner because of an increased aspect ratio. The Bearcat had a 7 foot shorter wingspan than the Hellcat. The fuselage used flush riveting and spot welding to maintain structural integrity, and was made with a heavy gauge 302W aluminum alloy skin in order to allow for rough carrier landings. Armor was used to protect the pilot, engine, and oil cooler.

Propeller and Landing Gear

Weight Reduction Efforts

Service

American Service

After the end of World War 2, the F8F Bearcat became the mainstay fighter aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps, equipping a total of 24 Navy squadrons and several Marine Corps squadrons. The performance of the Bearcat was greater than that of many early jets, and it could outperform most other propeller-driven fighters of its day. In 1946 it was chosen as the second aircraft to be used by the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron; it replaced the F6F Hellcat in the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels flew the Bearcat until 1950, when the squadron was called to combat service in the Korean War. In service, the F8F Bearcat was replaced by the F2H Banshee and F9F Panther/Cougar which had a higher performance than any propeller-driven aircraft of the time.

First Indochina War

The First Indochina War of 1946-1954 was the conflict which would first test the Bearcat in combat. In 1951, 200 Bearcats were delivered to France, and in 1954 (when the war ended) 28 of the Bearcats were given to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force - they entered service in 1956. The Vietnamese Bearcats were retired in 1960; they were replaced with Douglas A-1 Skyraiders and North American T28 Trojans as the Vietnam War (1957-1975) continued. At the same time, F8F Bearcats were being delivered to the Royal Thai Air Force.

Variants

• XF8F-1
• F8F-1 Bearcat
• F8F-1B
• F8F-1C
• F8F-1D
• F8F-1D(B)
• F8F-1E
• XF8F-1N
• F8F-1N
• F8F-1P
• F3M-1
• F4W-1
• XF8F-2
• F8F-2 Bearcat
• F8F-2D
• F8F-2N
• F8F-2P
• G-58A/B

Operators

• France
  • French Air Force - Armée de L'air
• Thailand
  • Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF)
• United States
  • United States Navy (USN)
  • United States Marine Corps (USMC)
• South Vietnam
  • Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF)