The Grumman F8F Bearcat (nicknamed “Bear”) was a single-engine American fighter aircraft introduced in late World War II.

• Role: Fighter aircraft
• Manufacturer: Grumman
• First flight: 21 August 1944
• Introduction: 1945
• Retired: 1961
• Status: Retired
• Number built: 1,265
• Primary users: United States Navy
  United States Marine Corps
  French Air Force
  Royal Thai Air Force

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 pilot
• Length: 28 ft 3 in (8.61 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 10 in (10.92 m)
• Height: 13 ft 9 in (4.21 m)
• Wing area: 244 ft² (22.67 m²)
• Empty weight: 7,070 lb (3,207 kg)
• Loaded weight: 9,600 lb (4,354 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 12,947 lb (5,873 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W “Double Wasp” two-row radial engine, 2,300 hp (1,715 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 421 mph (366 kn, 678 km/h)
• Range: 1,105 mi (1,778 km)
• Service ceiling: 38,700 ft (11,796 m)
• Rate of climb: 4,570 ft/min (23.2 m/s)
• Wing loading: 39.3 lb/ft² (192.1 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.22 hp/lb (360 W/kg)

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns (Four 20mm M3 cannon F8F-1B)
• Rockets: 4 × 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets
• Bombs: 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs