Seventy years ago today, the Grumman F8F Bearcat took flight for the first time. The last of the great piston-engine Grummans, the F8F was one of the best piston fighters ever flown. A single-seat carrier-based fighter-bomber, the Bearcat was faster than the F6F Hellcat and the smallest fighter Grumman could design around the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine. Entering service in 1945, the F8F never served in combat with the Navy. The Bearcat saw action with the French Air Force as a fighter-bomber during the First Indochina War. F8Fs also flew with the Royal Thai Air Force. The massive piston engine made the Bearcat a formidable air racer and a F8F won the inaugural Reno Air Race in 1964. A highly-modified Bearcat called “Rare Bear” set several performance records and dominated the air races for years. The F8F was also used by the Blue Angels flight team from August 1946 to July 1949.
Here is a photo of an F8F-2 Bearcat used by the Horsemen Aerobatic Team at the 2010 Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show.
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Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
Good week historically for important aircraft the iconic C-130; iconic B-25 used by Doolittles raiders of course & the legendary Bearcat. Pretty good week of aviation history.