Grumman F8F Bearcat US Navy Superprop!

Comments · 934

• JO

  @josephmarciano4761 · 2 years ago (edited)

  I had a Flight Instructor in the 90s who flew USN Bearcats in the 1950s. He said, you never pushed the stick over on takeoff because the prop clearance was so tight. "Apply power and just let'er fly off . . .and she climbed like a homesick angel."

  38

• JI

  @jimmahon3417 · 4 years ago

  I recall somebody asking Neil Armstrong what his favorite airplane flown during his career was.  Without hesitation, he grinned and simply said "Bearcat."  The F8F was by no means a perfect airplane, but it was apparently a great winner of young fighter pilot hearts!

  328

• WA

  @WalkaCrookedLine · 2 years ago

  It seems to me the Bearcat was specialized for one mission, fleet defense vs kamikazes.   In late ww2,  this was the Navy's biggest problem, but once the Japanese surrendered the problem evaporated.  Less expensive, less limited, more versatile aircraft simply became more desirable once the kamikazes were removed from the equation.

  7

• IN

  @interman7715 · 4 years ago

  It just makes you realise how superior the Corsair was and what they achieved with basically the same engine .I always thought the Bearcat was the pinnacle of prop airplanes ,but it wasn't.

  15

• JI

  @jimfisher5856 · 4 years ago (edited)

  The accounts I have seen of the Bearcat&apos;s 94 seconds to to 10,000 feet indicate that two flights were conducted by US Navy pilots flying F8F-1&apos;s at the Cleveland air races. &nbsp;The times were something like 96 seconds and 94 seconds. &nbsp;The planes were modified only by defeating some of the interlocks that limited take off power. &nbsp;The planes were further helped by taking off into a 30 mph head wind allowing &nbsp;the gear to be raised quickly.<br>However there was a major difference in the plane&apos;s condition compared to the Navy performance test. &nbsp;The actual Navy test report indicates that the plane was in a &quot;combat&quot; condition for a normal fleet defense mission carrying 1110 pounds of fuel and about 300 pounds of ammunition. The rate of climb in this condition at sea level was 5610 fpm. &nbsp; The planes at Cleveland were probably carrying no ammunition and only a minimum amount of fuel. &nbsp;This would save around 1100 pounds of weight and add tremendously to the rate of climb with no major change to the airplane.

  152

• JE

  @jean-mariejm7404 · 2 years ago

  The Bearcat is the plane that impressed me &nbsp;the most at Duxford air show. So powerful and fast

  9

• MA

  @mannyg9059 · 4 years ago

  Hands down your videos are the most detailed aircraft reference. Viewers do not know how time consuming the research takes to put a video such as this together. Thank you for posting.

  33

• PA

  @paladin0654 · 3 years ago

  Joe Stalin: &nbsp;&quot;Quantity has a quality all it&apos;s own&quot;.

  2

• KS

  @Ksozey · 4 years ago

  Thanks Greg I was hoping you’d do this plane. I would also love to see one on the F7F Tigercat.

  209

• DA

  @davidhansen994 · 4 days ago

  *Qualitative improvements to the Corsair cockpit may actually have had their introduction in the Goodyear F2G and F4U-4. Clearly Vought and Goodyear took cues from the improved ergonomics of the F6F Cockpit. Also, the R-2800-32W made a distinctive sound that not other -2800 had, on account of its laterally arranged Supercharger configuration. You can hear it in a couple of YouTube videos.

  2

• WA

  @WarRaven38 · 3 years ago

  How on earth did i miss this channel. <br>Great content

  33

• RA

  @racekar80 · 4 years ago

  I grew up on Long Island and Grumman was the largest employer, with Fairchild Republic and with all the parts suppliers, almost everyone had someone in the family that worked in the airplane industry. Today there is nothing left, terrible.

  7