Planes of Fame Air Show Lives On. [17] F8Fs were also supplied to Thailand during the same time period. by Nick » Sun Oct 04, 2020 2:58 am, Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest, Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited. Keeping the prop clear of the deck required long landing gear, which, combined with the shortened fuselage, gave the Bearcat a significant "nose-up" profile on land. Campfire Kahuna. "The Grumman Bearcat". [8][9][a] The initial flight test demonstrated a 4,800 feet (1,500 m) per minute climb rate and a top speed of 424 miles per hour (682 km/h). "Grumman Bearcat part II". F8F BEARCAT Full Power Engine Ground Run | Planes of Fame This one’s for our ENGINE NOISE LOVERS! Note: The Planes of Fame F8F-2 Bearcat sat out the 2002 Chino show with engine problems - it had force-landed the previous October at the last Chino airshow David Atkinson Republic P-47G Thunderbolt The Commemorative Air Force's Bearcat taxiing out to participate in the Planes of Fame Air Museum's airshow. The limited range due to the reduced fuel load would mean it would be useful in the interception role, but meant that the Hellcat would still be needed for longer range patrols. Deliveries from Grumman began on 21 May 1945. 122120 – Tango Squadron, Foundation for the Preservation and Development of Thai Aircraft. Pugs. Chino is the only show where they fly three Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and the only show with two Mitsubishi A6M Zeros. The aircraft was severely damaged in a 1949 landing incident. Posts: 15,984. Planes of Fame Air Museum has maintained a fleet of flyable historic aircraft for over 60 years! Air Enthusiast, No. Planes of Fame, Palm Springs, CA, 1986-2002. A stock Bearcat flown by Mira Slovak and sponsored by Bill Stead won the first Reno Air Race in 1964. This year's Planes of Fame Airshow 2013 featured an incredible gaggle of 6 P-38 Lightnings (5 of which were flyable and flew during the show). N198F. See more ideas about Military aircraft, Warbirds, Aviation. They flew the Peashooter, a Lightning, a Warhawk, a Spitfire, a Thunderbolt, two Mustangs, a Corsair, a Bearcat, two Skyraiders, a Texan, and a Fennec. Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, California. The Planes of Fame Museum acquired the Bearcat thirteen years ago and started a meticulous restoration. The Grumman F7F Tigercat is a heavy fighter aircraft that served with the United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) from late in World War II until 1954. Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat NX14WB is now part of the Planes of Fame Airshow. The Bearcat prop has been hanging on the wall for over a decade and is finally back where it belongs, on the plane! At the meeting, Lieutenant Commander Jimmie Thach emphasized one of his most important requirements in a good fighter plane to Mr. Swirbul, \"climb rate\", which connoted \"power.\" After intensively analyzing carrier warfare in the Pacific Theater of … Climb performance is strongly related to the power-to-weight ratio, and is maximized by wrapping the smallest and lightest possible airframe around the most powerful available engine. The design was completed in November 1943 and an order for two prototypes was placed on 27 November 1943 under the BuAir designation XF8F-1. It was Grumman Aircraft's last piston engined fighter aircraft. Of the 305 F8F-2s built, 12 were night … [3], The design team had set the goal that the G-58 should weigh 8,750 lb/3,969 kg fully loaded. ... Tony Andrews Liang/O'Leary Collection. [b] The first production aircraft was delivered in February 1945 and the first squadron, Fighter Squadron 19 (VF-19), was operational by 21 May 1945, but World War II was over before the aircraft saw combat service. These differed primarily in having the R-2800-34W engine and a small increase in fuel capacity. Rare Bear, a highly modified F8F owned by Lyle Shelton, went on to dominate the event for decades, often competing with Daryl Greenamyer, another famous racer with victories in his own Bearcat (Conquest I, now at the Smithsonian's NASM) and holder of a piston-engined aircraft world speed record in it. by Nick » Sun Oct 04, 2020 2:55 am, Post Designed to support the … An unmodified production F8F-1 set a 1946 time-to-climb record (after a run of 115 ft/35 m) of 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in 94 seconds (6,383 fpm). The XF8F-1 yielded a climb rate of 4,500 ft./min., and a top speed of 424 mph. The Bearcat concept began during a meeting between Battle of Midway veteran F4F Wildcat pilots and Grumman Vice President Jake Swirbul at Pearl Harbor on 23 June 1942. Maryland :(The Bearcat is a fascinating plane to me. c/n D.1081. Testing demonstrated a number of problems, notably a lack of horizontal stability, an underpowered trim system, landing gear that could be extended only at slow speeds, an unreliable airspeed indicator, and a cramped cockpit. F8F Bearcat No. - Photo taken at Chino (CNO) in California, USA on May 17, 2003. A small, lightweight aircraft would make this possible. The Grumman F8F Bearcat is an American single-engine carrier-based fighter aircraft introduced in late World War II.It served during the mid-20th century in the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the air forces of other nations.It was Grumman Aircraft's last piston engined fighter aircraft.. Grumman's project pilot for the Bearcat series was noted test pilot Corwin F. "Corky" Meyer. The Planes of Fame Museum at the Chino Airport commemorated its 50th Anniversary with a flight of warbirds on Saturday, January 6, 2007. The Planes of Fame F8F-2 Bearcat sat out the 2002 Chino show with engine problems - it had force-landed the previous October at the last Chino airshow. Sadly, it crashed at Oshkosh in 1993 and the wreck was then stored until 2010 when a second rebuild began. Updated January 23, 2012. It was the fastest carrier-based plane of WWII, the fastest naval piston-powered fighter of the war, and one of the fastest propeller-driven planes … The vertical stabilizer was the same height as the Hellcat's, but increased aspect ratio, giving it a thinner look. The Navy placed a production contract for 2,023 aircraft based on the second prototype on 6 October 1944. The F8F-2 was built in 1948. F8F BEARCAT First Engine Start w/ Steve Hinton - Planes of Fame. Rare Bear also set many performance records, including the 3 km World Speed Record for piston-driven aircraft (528.33 mph/850.26 km/h), set in 1989, and a new time-to-climb record (3,000 m in 91.9 seconds (6,425.9 fpm), set in 1972, breaking the 1946 record cited above). Jun 10, 2018 - Explore Kcmarshall's board "F8F Bearcat" on Pinterest. Post A later role was defending the fleet against airborne kamikaze attacks. [6], Another weight-saving concept the designers came up with was detachable wingtips. Planes of Fame F8F Bearcat Restoration. Share this page on: IT'S ALIVE! It was two days of sensory overload and unduplicatable warbird experiences. Below are few photos describing of what my statement clarifies. The Planes of Fame Bearcat makes a presentation pass at the warbirds air show 2003. Maryland :(Pugs OP. Grumman F8F Bearcat. Had an extraordinary opportunity to see the sight of POF newly restored F8F 'Bearcat'. Armed with four .50-caliber guns in the wings, the fighter could also carry two 1,000 lb. The annual event is still in limbo, but Chino’s aviation museum is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a special show. It was the first twin-engine fighter to be deployed by the USN. Joined: May 2005. Meyer, "Corky". Welcome to the AirshowStuff Forums! In the end, the wings were reinforced and the aircraft limited to 7.5 g. Postwar, the F8F became a major U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps fighter, equipping 24 fighter squadrons in the Navy and a smaller number in the Marines. [13] This was replaced with an explosives system to blow the wingtips off together, which also worked well, but this ended when a ground technician died due to an accidental triggering. [15] The Blue Angels flew the Bearcat until the team was temporarily disbanded in 1950 during the Korean War and pressed into operational combat service. "French Bearcats in Indo-China 1951–1954". 70, July–August 1997, pp. The Grumman F8F Bearcat is an American single-engine carrier-based fighter aircraft introduced in late World War II. The Planes of Fame Museum has flown their newly restored Grumman F8F Bearcat for the first time this past Friday, May 8. Jan 5, 2017 - Explore Paul N Adams's board "WWII Grumman F8F Bearcat", followed by 111 people on Pinterest. 3F8 from the Planes of fame Air Show, Chino, California. The last Bearcats were withdrawn in 1952. This page was last edited on 2 November 2020, at 17:21. This saved 230 pounds (100 kg) of weight.[7]. This allowed the use of a bubble canopy, the first to be fitted to a US Navy fighter. After intensively analyzing carrier warfare in the Pacific Theater of Operations for a year and a half, Grumman began development of the G-58 Bearcat in late 1943. On 5 February 1945 they awarded another contract for 1,876 slightly modified aircraft from General Motors, given the designation F3M-1. List of military aircraft of the United States (naval), List of military aircraft of the United States, "AVIA Camouflage Profiles: Grumman F8F Bearcat. Among the changes were a modified cowling design, taller vertical fin, and the slightly more powerful R-2800-30W engine producing 2,240 horsepower (1,670 kW). It is known that test pilots from Grumman examined and flew a captured Fw 190 in England in early 1943, and the G-58 has a number of design notes in common with the Fw 190 that the Hellcat did not, especially in the cowling and landing gear arrangements. I t was the speediest prop-driven fighter that Grumman ever produced, but it arrived too late to see combat in World War Two. "Indo-Chinese fighting: 'Cats: Grumman's superb Bearcat in Vietnam.". The hydraulically operated undercarriage used an articulated trunnion which extended the length of the oleo legs when lowered; as the undercarriage retracted the legs were shortened, enabling them to fit into a wheel well which was entirely in the wing. The F8F was designed to replace the F6F Hellcat. US Navy Bureau No 121707. The end of the war led to the Grumman order being reduced to 770 examples, and the GM contract being cancelled outright. Morgan, Eric B. Returning members can log in below. Bearcat. [5] Compared to the Hellcat, the Bearcat was 20% lighter, had a 30% better rate of climb and was 50 mph (80 km/h) faster. [c] Its capability for aerobatic performance is illustrated by its selection as the second demonstration aircraft for the navy's elite Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron in 1946, replacing the Grumman F6F Hellcat. Planes of Fame is really cool and they throw a nice airshow every year. Too late to see combat in WWII, the Bearcat was never used in combat by the U.S. It was more powerful and an improvement over F8F-1. SPECIFICATIONS On another note, an acquaintance of mine was the original owner of a heavily modified F8 called the Rare Bear. The Planes of Fame F4U-1 is the oldest Corsair still flying. A total of 293 F8F-2s were produced, along with 12 F8F-2N night fighters and 60 F8F-2P reconnaissance versions. An additional benefit of the inward retracting units was a wide track, which helped counter propeller torque on takeoff and gave the F8F good ground and carrier deck handling. Very … Commemorative Air Force Announces The 12 Planes of Christmas for 2020 **DALLAS, TX (November 10, 2020) **– This December the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) will host its annual “12 Planes of Christmas” online giving campaign. The F8F Bearcat was the last of a WWII family tree of Grumman carrier-based fighters which started with the Wildcat and led to the Hellcat. See more ideas about Vintage aircraft, Warbirds, Military aircraft. The first engine run since the crash was in late April and the test flight on 14/15 of June at Chino, California was performed by legendary Steve Hinton. To meet this goal, the Bearcat's fuselage was about 5 feet (1.5 m) shorter than the Hellcat, and was cut down vertically behind the cockpit area. The Bearcat held this record for 10 years until it was broken by a jet fighter (which still could not match the Bearcat's short takeoff distance). Paint job was excellent, and the overall the pilot flew her like a beauty in the skies, just hearing that CB engine purr during the pre-flight checks was unique sound personally for me to hear. You do not appear to be logged in. Source(s): Chapman, John & Goodall, Geoff, Edited by Paul Coggan - Warbirds Directory,Warbirds Worldwide Ltd., Mansfield, England, 1989. If you are a guest, please consider registering a free account and joining the discussion! 3 posts • Page 1 of 1. awal2049 Posts: 391 Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 12:00 am "Clipping the Bearcat's Wing". Today, the Bearcat is popular among warbird owners and air racers. Fifteen of these were later modified as F8F-1N night fighters with an APS-19 radar mounted under the starboard wing. As development continued it became clear this was impossible to achieve as the structure of the new fighter had to be made strong enough for aircraft carrier landings. The first combat for the F8F Bearcat was during the French Indochina War (1946–1954) when nearly 200 Bearcats were delivered to the French forces in 1951. Production ended in 1949, and the first units began to convert off the type that year. Planes of Fame Air Museum truly is where aviation history lives. Note that Shelton's claim to be the "fastest propeller-driven aircraft in the world" does not acknowledge faster, Grandolini, A. One of the biggest vintage military aircraft airshows in the world, the Chino Airport Planes of Fame Airshow brings together ones of the largest gaggles of warbird aircraft in the airshow world. It served during the mid-20th century in the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the air forces of other nations. - Displayed as Bob's Bear. Photos of the airworthy Planes Of Fame (POF) F8F 'Bearcat', ↳   2021 Airshows/Fly-Ins/Exercises/Events - Discussion and Photos, ↳   2021 Airshow Performer Info and Schedules, ↳   2020 Airshows/Fly-Ins/Exercises/Events - Discussion and Photos, ↳   2020 Airshow Performer Info And Schedules, ↳   2019 Airshows/Fly-Ins/Exercises/Events - Discussion and Photos, ↳   2019 Airshow Performer Info And Schedules, ↳   Archived Airshows/Events and Performer Info, ↳   2018 Airshows/Fly-Ins/Exercises/Events - Discussion and Photos, ↳   2018 Airshow Performer Info And Schedules, ↳   2017 Airshows/Fly-Ins/Exercises/Events - Discussion and Photos, ↳   2017 Airshow Performer Info And Schedules, ↳   2016 Airshows/Fly-Ins/Exercises/Events - Discussion and Photos, Re: Planes of Fame F8F Bearcat Restoration. The wingspan was 7 feet less than the Hellcat's. Post your airshow-related threads here! By Stephen Sherman, May, 2004. Its construction number is D.1148 and it served the US Navy as BuNo 122619. The shots of the Corsair with the museum’s F8F Bearcat were a year later in November, also from the T-6 – a hazier day with the very last of the Santa Annas bringing a minor temperature inversion. For specific airshows, please use the year-specific forum. While they worked well under carefully controlled conditions in flight and on the ground, in the field, where aircraft were repetitively stressed by landing on carriers and since the wings were slightly less carefully made in the factories, there was a possibility that only one wingtip would break away with the possibility of the aircraft crashing. Bearcat parts are hard to find and where parts could not be sourced copies were made. The Hellcat used a 13 ft 1 in three-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller. In the 1970’s, this Bearcat was on display in the Marine Corp museum at Quantico. Planes of Fame Air Museum acquired the fuselage from this aircraft, and by combining parts from a number of other F8F Bearcats, was able to create this prime example of an F8F-2. An additional order was placed for 126 F8F-1B's replacing the .50 cal machine guns with the 20 mm M2 cannon, the US version of the widely used Hispano-Suiza HS.404. The F9F Panther and McDonnell F2H Banshee largely replaced the Bearcat as their performance and other advantages eclipsed piston-engine fighters. Ultimately much of the weight-saving measures included restricting the internal fuel capacity to 160 gal (606 l) [3](later 183)[4] and limiting the fixed armament to four .50 cal Browning M2/AN machine guns, two in each wing. When the war ended in 1954, 28 surviving Bearcats were supplied to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force and entered service in 1956. One account states the first flight on 13 August. 12–21. However, no definitive evidence has been presented that these tests had a direct input to the G-58 design. The extra guns could not be incorporated due to weight and balance considerations. The Bearcat concept began during a meeting between Battle of Midway veteran F4F Wildcat pilots and Grumman Vice President Jake Swirbul at Pearl Harbor on 23 June 1942. There is also a good greasy spoon diner in front of the place. In 1943, Grumman was in the process of introducing the F6F Hellcat, powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine which provided 2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW). Planes of Fame first Bearcat flight #14972139 06/16/20: Joined: May 2005. For specific airshows, please use the year-specific forum. "Indo-Chinese fighting: 'Cats: Grumman's superb Bearcat in Vietnam." 121752 – based at Historic Flight Foundation in, 90446 – to airworthiness by private owner in, 95356 – to airworthiness by private owner in, 121679 – to airworthiness by private owner in. Grandolini, A. ", Grumman F8F Bearcat articles and publications, Warbird Alley: Bearcat page – Information about Bearcats still flying today, AN 01-85FD-1 Pilot's Handbook for Navy Models F8F-1, F8F-1B, F8F-1N, F8F-2, F8F-2N, F8F-2P Aircraft (1949), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grumman_F8F_Bearcat&oldid=986728610, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from May 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from June 2018, Articles with dead external links from March 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, An F8F Bearcat war bird over Fly Navy Day 2016. 155K likes. A great flying demonstration by the Commemorative Air Force Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat was conducted at the Planes of Fame Airshow 2015.The story of the Bearcat, a former US Navy fighter is an interesting one in aviation history.. Commemorative Air Force Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat The Bearcat is one fine looking machine Fast with heavy firepower the Bearcat just arrived at the wrong … by awal2049 » Sun May 10, 2020 8:59 pm, Post When one of our planes flies, for most it is a rare and wonderful thing to witness. as to whether or not the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 influenced the design of the G-58. Over seventy vintage airplanes were displayed at the Planes of Fame Airshow at Chino over the weekend of May 19, 20. Posts: 15,984. Where Warbirds Fly and Aviation History Lives! Often mentioned as one of the best-handling piston-engine fighters ever built, its performance was sufficient to outperform many early jets. Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat. XF8F-1 Prototype aircraft, two built. [21][d][22][23], Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era, American single-engine carrier-based fighter aircraft. One problem that became evident in service was the snap-off wingtips not working as expected. Planes of Fame Airshow 2013 Image Gallery - Featuring photos taken by Aviation Photographer Britt Dietz. [3] Armor protection was provided for the pilot, engine and oil cooler. The first prototype flew on 21 August 1944, only nine months after the design effort started. Normally the hinge system would have to be built very strong in order to transmit loads from the outer portions of the wing to the main spar in the inner section, which adds considerable weight. Another goal was that the G-58 (Grumman's design designation for the aircraft) should be able to operate from escort carriers, which were then limited to the obsolescent F4F Wildcat as the Grumman F6F Hellcat was too large and heavy. In 1948 Grumman introduced a number of improvements to produce the F8F-2. Instead of building the entire wing to be able to withstand high-g loads, only the inner portion of the wing was able to do this. Now in its sixth year, the annual online giving campaign runs from December 1-31, The first was owned by the Gulf Oil Company for the use of Major Alford Williams, the second one was used by Grumman as a demonstrator aircraft. G-58A/B Two civil aircraft. Planes of Fame Airshow 2009 Image Gallery - Featuring photos taken by Aviation Photographer Britt Dietz. Lloyd Nolen, Lefty Gardner and Bearcat & Company of Mercedes, Texas purchased it for $805 at Naval Air Station Litchfield Park, Arizona in 1958 and registered it as N97 Compared to the Vought F4U Corsair, the Bearcat was marginally slower but more maneuverable and climbed more quickly. At the meeting, Lieutenant Commander Jimmie Thach emphasized one of the most important requirements in a good fighter plane was "climb rate".[2]. F8F-1 specs: top speed 421 MPH, four .50 caliber machine guns. Sold privately, it was restored to fly and took to the air again in 1992, painted Orange to represent the famous demonstrator aircraft ‘Gulfhawk 4th’. A slight reduction in size was made by moving to a 12 ft 7 in Aeroproducts four-bladed propeller. The R-2800 was the most powerful American engine available at that time, so it would be retained for the G-58. Structurally the fuselage used flush riveting as well as spot welding, with a heavy gauge 302W aluminum alloy skin suitable for carrier landings. The test pilots also requested that six guns be installed. Though to confront this, during the live demonstration, unexpectedly, the pilot had to stay above 2,000 feet and prohibited to descend any further than that designated altitude which resulted a substantial amount of my shots taken during the flight demonstration, quite off of focus on the flying object, didn't come prepared for this type of performance, I was fortunate enough to have seconds worth to capture the prop blur while stationed on the ground after taxing back to the designated area. Grumman F8F-2 “Bearcat” (N7825C, BuNo 122674, 1948) at the 2007 Camarillo Air Show, Camarillo, California (Photos by John Shupek) Grumman F8F-2 “Bearcat” (N8TF, BuNo 122637, 1948) circa 2003 at the Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, California (Photos by John Shupek) (Photos by John Shupek) This meant that improved performance would have to come from a lighter airframe. World-famous aviation museum based in Chino, California and Valle, Arizona. Bridgman, Leonard. The stability problem was addressed on the second prototype by adding a triangular fillet to the front of the vertical stabilizer. OP. ", "Speed records from archives of the Society of Air Racing Historians. Campfire Kahuna. Post your airshow-related threads here! [16] The Vietnamese Bearcats were retired in 1960, replaced with Douglas A-1 Skyraiders and North American T-28 Trojans as the Vietnam War (1957–1975) continued. The Museum has operated these types of aircraft longer than the Army Air Corps or Air Force did. There is considerable debate among sources[by whom?] The F8F prototypes were ordered in November 1943 and first flew on 21 August 1944, a mere nine months later. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 4 million screened photos online! I took this picture two months ago, just before it went in … While the Tigercat was delivered too late to see combat in World War II, it saw action as a night fighter and attack aircraft during the Korean War. Modified versions of the Bearcat have broken speed records for piston-engined aircraft. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) today announced the launch of its “12 Planes of Christmas” campaign which helps restore vintage World War II aircraft to flying condition. The outer portions were more lightly constructed, and designed to snap off at the hinge line if the g-force exceeded 7.5 g. In this case the aircraft would still be flyable and could be repaired after returning to the carrier. Grumman F8F Bearcat 1266 planes produced, entered service August, 1945. Watch its first engine start and taxi test. [18][19][20], Bearcats have long been popular in air racing. The wings were designed to fold at a point about ​2⁄3 out along the span, reducing the space taken up on the carrier. Initially ordered by the Navy in November 1943, the XF8F-1 first flew in August 1944. 35 minutes ago. Manevy, Jean Christophe.