F8F questions?

[Nathan]

Why are there so many Bearcats flying compared with other Naval aircraft? I recently saw one with a orange band. Would like some info regarding this one. Thanks.

Geneseo airshow lists a F8f to be at the show. Any guesses as to which one this will be?

[Mike]

Geneseo airshow lists a F8f to be at the show. Any guesses as to which one this will be?

Bearcat on grass? That should be interesting!

[skybolt2003]

Geneseo airshow lists a F8f to be at the show. Any guesses as to which one this will be?

Bearcat on grass? That should be interesting!

Yeah, for both the 'cat and the grass! Can't imagine that hockey puck on the back end would work too well on grass-probably wouldn't have to worry about ground looping though . . .

[Warbird Kid]

Could it be the F8F and F6F at Lone Star?

[Steve T]

Nathan--

IIRC the F8F in Naval Reserve markings (orange fuselage band) belongs to Reno competitor Ron Buccarelli, but I could very well be wrong there. The airplane appeared in one of the early issues of Warbird Digest.

Gennie sounds good...but let's get some Royal Navy iron onto the hallowed turf too...I can think of two Furies and a Firefly that are within fairly close range...

S.

[airnutz]

I recently saw one with a orange band.

Planes of Fame has an orange-banded one, N8TF (fmr. N198F).

[Chad Veich]

I recently saw one with a orange band.

Planes of Fame has an orange-banded one, N8TF (fmr. N198F).

Not PoF, Friedkin. Is it still at Chino or in Texas now?

[Jerry O'Neill]

Why are there so many Bearcats flying compared with other Naval aircraft? ?

Probably because as a surplus item, it was a very desirable aircraft for a civil fast transport.
What would you take if you needed fast transportation back in the day? A Bearcat would fit the bill nicely!
Jerry

[airnutz]

I recently saw one with a orange band.

Planes of Fame has an orange-banded one, N8TF (fmr. N198F).

Not PoF, Friedkin.

Thanks for the correction Chad, and I even looked it up before I posted! Pure brainfart..Chino Warbirds Inc...took a break
from FEMA bs..brain is addled..

[airnutz]

Could it be the F8F and F6F at Lone Star?

Nope, the F6F is a dazzling lt. blue 2-tone over white underside, and the F8F is in the Blue Angels paint scheme.

[Tinker51]

Yeah, for both the 'cat and the grass! Can't imagine that hockey puck on the back end would work too well on grass-probably wouldn't have to worry about ground looping though . . .

You can say that again.
There was a local guy who had a Cat. He flew it fairly regularly for a while and it seemed every time he did I was watching from near the hangars which are a ways away from the runway. On the day I completed my T-28 checkout I had just stepped down from the wing and was standing fairly close to the runway when the Cat came back and landed. As he rolled by I could hear the hockey puck rumbling. I asked the guy who was checking me out in the 28 if that was normal since he flew Cats too. He said it wasn't normal, they usually make more noise and vibrate more than the one that just went by.

[John Dupre]

Why are there so many Bearcats flying compared with other Naval aircraft? I recently saw one with a orange band. Would like some info regarding this one. Thanks.

Geneseo airshow lists a F8f to be at the show. Any guesses as to which one this will be?

I would think there are more Corsairs flying than Bearcats. There are certainly more Bearcats flying now than ever before. I think there are several reasons for their being more Bearcats. They were used operationally later than the F6F or F4F and so didn't get caught up in the great scrap drives just after the war. They were used by France and South Vietnam well into the 1950s and several survivors are ex SVN gate guards. I have never heard of the Bearcat being used as a target drone but very many F6Fs were. By the mid 50s when the original CAF and others were looking to acquire WW2 era aircraft there were still some Bearcats at Davis Monthan or Litchfield Park whichever applies to Navy aircraft.

[mustangdriver]

Doesn't a Bearcat operate during the Duxford Airshow?

[Steve S]

Could it be the F8F and F6F at Lone Star?

Not likely - Usually the single engines don't venture that far away due to cost of fuel and wear and tear.
Also the F8F is actually owned by a private individual and is currently listed for sale on Courtesy - unless it has been recently sold not likely to go anywhere unless another big blow hits Galveston.

[Trey Carroll]

Doesn't a Bearcat operate during the Duxford Airshow?

Yep, but the Bearcat at DUX flys off of the hard surface just South of the grass.