Warbird Information Exchange

Interesting discussion. I wonder what an F6F Hellcat with a bubble canopy would have looked like. The razerback P-47 transitioned nicely to a bubble canopy, I would think a Hellcat would have been the same. I would also think that the USN or Royal Navy Hellcats would have at least tried some sort of malcolm type hood as well.

http://warbirdsforum.com/archive/index.php/t-3650.html

With a 19 to 1 kill ratio, I wouldn't change a thing
on the Hellcat.

Wasn't the bearcat essentially a F6F with a Bubble Canopy?

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I saw this topic and threw this together real quick. The Hellcat's rear fuse cuts way deep below the cockpit, so you'd need that famous bubble canopy tail fairing. Looking at he profile, I think it would probably need a taller tail like the Bearcat has. Some say the Bearcat was made to replace the Hellcat. I believe it was made to replace the Wildcat on the smaller carriers, the Tigercat was built to replace the Hellcat on the full size carriers. Anyhow, here's an MS paint pic of a Bubblecat.

Grumman probably didn't see the need to change a good design.
Remember the basic Wildcat fuselage decended from the F3F/F2F/FF series.

I wonder if they considered the improved roll over protection afforded by the high back (or is that just us in our post-nader, risk-adverse world)?

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I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

If the Bearcat was influenced by any aircraft it was the Focke Wulf FW 190. Designer Bob Hall got to fly a captured 190 and was impressed by the overall performance of the German fighter and determined to design an aircraft that was even lighter with more power.

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"I can't understand it, I cut it twice and it's still too short!" Robert F. Dupre' 1923-2010 Go With God.