Grumman "Cats" - F7F Tigercat, F4F Wildcat, F8F Bearcat, And F6F Hellcat

Discussing Grumman's F7F 3P Tigercats, F4F 3 Wildcat, F8F 2 Bearcat and F6F Hellcat.
Grumman's claim to fame in the aerospace field is their iconic Big Cat line of Navy fighters, dating back to the F4F Wildcat in the late 1930s. The carrier-borne fighter designs that began with the Wildcat and ended with the F-14 Tomcat of “Top Gun” fame were chiefly fighters; their names were taken from different feline species or, during the World War II years, a derivative of the “cat” name with an adjective in front of it. Grumman’s first fighters for the U.S. Navy were barrel-chested biplanes, known only as the F2F and F3F; they had no nicknames.
It is striking how few different types of the US Navy operated during World War II, particularly from carriers, and how nearly all of them were either totally brilliant or just awful.
The Grumman Aerospace Corporation now known as Northrop Grumman made history by providing combat-proven carrier fighters to the United States Navy. Each of these incredible fighter aircraft was not only advanced for their day but would have Grumman’s unique style of being named after cats that became near-synonymous with Grumman’s Navy fighters.
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F4F Wildcat General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 28 ft 9 in (8.76 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m)
Height: 11 ft 10 in (3.61 m)
Wing area: 260 sq ft (24 m2)
Airfoil: root: NACA 23015; tip: NACA 23009
Empty weight: 4,907 lb (2,226 kg)
Gross weight: 7,423 lb (3,367 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-76 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,200 hp (890 kW)
Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller
Performance
Maximum speed: 331 mph (533 km/h, 288 kn)
Range: 845 mi (1,360 km, 734 nmi)
Service ceiling: 39,500 ft (12,000 m)
Rate of climb: 2,303 ft/min (11.70 m/s)
Wing loading: 28.5 lb/sq ft (139 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.282 kW/kg (0.172 hp/lb)
Armament
Guns: 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with 450 rounds per gun
Bombs: 2 × 100 lb (45.4 kg) bombs and/or 2 × 58 US gal (48 imp gal; 220 l) drop tanks
F7F Tigercat General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 45 ft 4 in (13.82 m)
Wingspan: 51 ft 6 in (15.70 m)
Height: 16 ft 7 in (5.05 m)
Wing area: 455 sq ft (42.3 m2)
Airfoil: root: NACA 23015; tip: NACA 23012
Empty weight: 16,270 lb (7,380 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 25,720 lb (11,666 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W Double Wasp 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 2,100 hp (1,600 kW) each
Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed fully-feathering propellers
Performance
Maximum speed: 460 mph (740 km/h, 400 kn)
Range: 1,200 mi (1,900 km, 1,000 nmi)
Service ceiling: 40,400 ft (12,300 m)
Rate of climb: 4,530 ft/min (23.0 m/s)
Armament
Guns:
4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) AN/M3 cannon (200 rpg, wing roots)
4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun (400 rpg, in the nose) (normal fighter versions only; replaced by radar unit in the -3N night fighter)
Bombs:
2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs, or
8 x 127mm unguided rockets under wings and
1 x 150-gallon fuel or napalm tank under the fuselage, or
1 × torpedo under the fuselage (day fighter only)
Avionics
AN/APS-19 radar
F6F Hellcat General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 33 ft 7 in (10.24 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.06 m)
Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
Wing area: 334 sq ft (31.0 m2)
Aspect ratio: 5.5
Airfoil: root: NACA 23015.6; tip: NACA 23009
Empty weight: 9,238 lb (4,190 kg)
Gross weight: 12,598 lb (5,714 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 15,415 lb (6,992 kg)
Fuel capacity: 250 US gal (208 imp gal; 946 L) internal; up to 3 × 150 US gal (125 imp gal; 568 L) external drop tanks
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0211
Drag area: 7.05 sq ft (0.655 m2)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) with a two-speed two-stage supercharger and water injection
Propellers: 3-bladed Hamilton Standard, 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m) diameter constant-speed propeller
Performance
Maximum speed: 391 mph (629 km/h, 340 kn)
Stall speed: 84 mph (135 km/h, 73 kn)
Combat range: 945 mi (1,521 km, 821 nmi)
Ferry range: 1,530 mi (2,460 km, 1,330 nmi)
Service ceiling: 37,300 ft (11,400 m)
Rate of climb: 2,600 ft/min (13 m/s)
Time to altitude: 20,000 ft (6,096 m) in 7 minutes 42 seconds
Lift-to-drag: 12.2
Wing loading: 37.7 lb/sq ft (184 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg)
Take-off run: 799 ft (244 m)
The final production version, the F7F-4N, was extensively rebuilt for additional strength and stability, and did pass carrier qualification, but only 12 were built.
#aircraft #airplane #worldwar

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[@kennypool]

I worked for Grumman in the 80s. Mine was the tomcat

[@jtjames79]

Revvin' up your engine Listen to her howlin' roar Metal under tension Beggin' you to touch and go Highway to the Danger Zone Ride into the Danger Zone

[@ronaldmoravec2692]

I was visiting the Air Museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan on a day all the cats were to go up and fly in formation to be photographed by a B25 with guns and rear glass removed so photos were taken. Time was early 1980`s and a short grey haired old man with a crew cut got in the F4F and flew it. Word was he actually flew the type in the war. It was a memorable day 40 years ago.

[@rbilleaud]

There are a few inaccuracies. The Hellcat was not merely an upgrade to the Wildcat as is often asserted. The Hellcat was a completely new design and any cosmetic similarities are strictly coincidental.

[@richbutler7828]

They were also kind of Dickheadish to the fans. the average person has no idea about the terms they were using and the speeds in knots was kind of stupid instead of giving MPH. i guess having money does that to a person.

[@Bobbyboy-i3z]

The Navy needed a faster more powerful version of the Wildcat. Leroy and his staff did come up with a new plane. However it's resemblance to the wildcat was a plus as it baited the Japanese into thinking they were engaging an f4f, only to find to their hotter it wss no Wildcat.

[@rsfaeges5298]

The group flight: AWESOME!! Tigercat: huge engines, skinny fuselage😮

[@generalspitfire01]

We need a new kitty from Grumman

[@rbilleaud]

It's Northrop Grumman now.

[@Bobbyboy-i3z]

​@@rbilleaudGrumman has very little to do with that name. When Northrop took over it was a hostile takeover. My brother and many others lost their jobs here on Long island.

[@rbilleaud]

​@@Bobbyboy-i3zand? I mean I was just commenting that the new name is Northrop Grumman. Sucks for your brother. Never cared for them personally because I worked for General Dynamics and they were the competition.

[@Bobbyboy-i3z]

The cats that no one ever talks about are the F9F panther. The Bridges at Toko Ri, William Holden, Grace Kelly, and Micky Rooney. The swept version the F9F Cougar, and the F11 Tiger. The F11 Tiger was the last fighter Grumman made till the F14. Lets not get into that whole TFX F111 abortion. The F11 was built in 1958. There were only 199 made. The F8 Crusader won out on that project. However the F11 did go on to be flown by the Blue Angels from 1958 to 1968. Despite its retirement tovthe reserves I saw them in 68 af an air show at Grumman. My dad worked there. I think the Cougar is a cool looking plane, also one flew at that air show. Shame there is no longer a Grumman

[@consciousness7899]

37:53 what about Korea? I saw only f86 and mustang and corsair

[@peewee102100]

General McIlhenny, The Hellcat is my favorite A/C, after the F-4D, of course!

[@rafantonto6573]

Ele parece um pouco com com o 4f4 Grumnan Wlidcat

[@johnathanczakel5195]

Grumman to Northrop Grumman