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Click on the photo to hear the wav sound.
NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
Grumman F8F Bearcat aircraft were the last piston engine fighters produced by Grumman.
The small Grumman F8F Bearcat was built around the largest, most power per weight, and most reliable aircraft engine of the time, the P & W R2800.
The first US Navy Grumman F8F Bearcat squadron became operational on May 21,1945, just before WW II was over. They never saw combat. Eventually 24 fighter squadrons would be equipped with the aircraft.
Many pilots regarded them as the most maneuverable and fastest accelerating U. S. piston engine fighters ever built.
Grumman F8F Bearcat aircraft were originally fitted with "Safety Wing Tips", the outer 40 inches of which were designed to break off cleanly in case of the wing being over stressed in a dive or other maneuver. After several incidents where one or both wing tips unintentionally tore off, this feature was eliminated from later production aircraft.
The Grumman F8F Bearcat features a low single wing design, all metal construction, a bubble canopy, folding wings for carrier operations, self-sealing fuel tanks, four 50 caliber machine guns, pilot armor, a retractable tail wheel, and an eighteen cylinder Pratt & Whitney engine that the fuselage was designed around.
After World War II, the aircraft were the primary U.S. Navy carrier fighters. A total of 24 squadrons of the Navy flew them into the early 1950's.
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels started flying the Grumman F8F Bearcat for their demonstrations in 1946.
In the 1950's both the Thai and French employed the fighter. They were used primarily as fighter bombers against the Viet Minh.
A unmodified production Grumman F8F Bearcat set a 1946 time to climb record to 10,000 feet in 94 seconds, after a run of 115 ft. The record stood for
10 years until a jet fighter broke it. However the jet could not take off in only 115 ft.
The Rare Bear, a modified Grumman F8F Bearcat racer owned by Lyle Shelton, holds the record for the fastest
single engine propeller driven aircraft in the world with an average speed of 528.33 mph over a 3 km (1.864 mile) course.
The only faster propeller driven aircraft is the four engine Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear.
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Specifications
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Primary Function:
Crew:
Engine:
Horsepower:
Weight Empty:
Max. Weight:
Ordnance:
Machine Guns:
Length:
Wingspan:
Cruise Speed:
Max. Speed:
Climb Rate:
Ceiling:
Range:
First flight:
Date Deployed:
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fighter/bomber
one
P & W R2800
2,100 hp
7,070 lbs.
12,947 lbs.
2,000 lbs.
4- .50 caliber
28' 3"
35' 10"
185 mph
421 mph
4,600 fpm
38,700 feet
1,435 miles
8/21/44
1945 |
Not a Radio Control Airplane
Grumman F8F Bearcat Rare Bear racer.
Radio Control Airplanes
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RC Universe shows a rc F8F Bearcat from Dymond Modelsports Ltd. However, we are unable to find the rc airplane on the Dymond site.
We have seen a .90 size F8F Bearcat RC from Frontier Models.
Nitro Planes has a rc F8F Bearcat for sale for motor or engine power shown in the first picture below.
Nick Ziroli Plans has a 86" wing span rc F8F Bearcat for sale pictured second below, for 3.7 c.i.d. or larger engines.
Jim Ryan Aircraft has a 30" wing span F8F Bearcat rc airplane kit for speed 400 size motors.
American Eagle Models has an 86" wing span rc F8F Bearcat for 4.2 c.i.d. and up engines.
Easy Tiger Models has a rc F8F Bearcat for sale. It has a 71" wingspan and comes with a glass fuselage and balsa and plywood wings. Engines are from .90 to 1.50.
You will find a RC F8F Bearcat Rare Bear radio control airplanes from Thunder Tiger. The EP RC airplane ARF has a 34" wing span. The rc airplane is powered by a 370 geared motor.
For those who like a larger, gas powered F8F Bearcat RC, Thunder Tiger has a 63" w/s ARF radio control airplane for .61 - .91 engines.
Marutaka Model Co. (Heljan) has a F8F Bearcat rc airplane for sale. The ARF has a 62" wing span and can be flown with .60 - .80 engines.
The third picture below is of the rc F8F Bearcat available from KMP.
We received the following email:
"Kondor Model products makes a F8F Bearcat rc. It's length: 57.6", wing span: 73.2", wing area: 5.95 sq.ft, flying weight: 14.3 lbs. You can get the radio control airplane with a
fiberglass fuse and built up wings or all composite. The rc airplane comes with standard fixed gear or you
can get air retracts for it. As far as an engine goes, you can use a 1.08 2-cycle, 1.20 4-cycle. I'm
going to use a SPE 43 cc gas engine. Maybe you can add this to your list of RC aircraft.
Thanks. Rick P."
Thank you Rick. We look forward to seeing a picture of your RC F8F Bearcat soon.
Please email us if you know of any other rc F8F Bearcat radio control airplanes. We value your experiences.
Tommy Parmaglia of Norco, CA writes:
I have been flying my RC Ziroli F8F Bearcat radio control airplane for a little over a year. The RC Airplane has a 86" wing span, weighs 28 lbs. ready to fly, and is powered by a Zenoah 62.
Ground handling of the Ziroli rc F8F Bearcat is excellent. Advancing the throttle of the RC Airplane slowly on take off brings up the tail in a very short distance. More power and slight back pressure gets the F8F Bearcat airborne. Only a little right rudder trim is added to achieve straight and level flight.
The F8F Bearcat RC Airplane is well behaved, and immediately comfortable to fly. Loops for the rc airplane should be done at about 3/4 throttle from level flight, with full power applied upon entry.
Stall turns and inverted flight are easier than expected. The radio control airplane can even perform a decent knife edge, although a moderate amount of elevator compensation is required to keep it from pitching up. Low speed rolls are more barrel type, but at higher speeds the radio control airplane rolls more axially.
Landings are easy. With full flaps deployed it slows remarkably. There is a mild pitching up as the flaps are lowered, which is to be expected. Setting up the approach, reducing throttle, the rc F8F Bearcat comes in smooth and slow, with no tendencies to fall off.
Radio Control Airplane
The rc F8F Bearcat for sale by Nitro Planes.
Radio Control Airplane |
A rc F8F Bearcat by Wilfred Steinhorst.
Radio Control Airplane |
A rc F8F Bearcat from Nick Ziroli Plans.
Radio Control Airplane
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Grumman F8F Bearcat
