The F8F Bearcat was the last of Grumman's piston-engine carrier-based fighters. Two F8F-1 prototypes were ordered in November 1943, and the first of these was flown in August 1944. Grumman decided once again to utilize the most powerful engine available at the time, the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp -- the same engine that had powered both their Hellcat and Tigercat designs. This time the engine was fitted to the smallest, lightest airframe that could be built. This resulted in a highly maneuverable, fast airplane with a rate of climb 30% greater than the Hellcat.
Please see the paint guide below for the manufacturer’s suggested colors.
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Product Details:
Scale: 1/48
Skill Level: 2
Parts: 75+
- Assembly required
- 8 sprues
- Molded in grey plastic
- One decal sheet
- Clear parts
- Accurately detailed panel lines and rivets
- Build as F8F-1 or F8F-2
- Detailed cockpit interior and landing gear
- Includes decals and paint guides for the following versions:
- F8F-1, VF-15A (later VF-151/192), USS Tarawa (CV-40), US Navy, 1948 & F8F-2, same unit, USS Boxer (CV-21), US Navy, 1950
- F8F-2, USS Valley Forge (CV-45), US Navy, 1949
- F8F-2, VF-111 ‘Sundowners’, USS Valley Forge (CV-45), US Navy, 1949
- F8F-2, VF-61 ‘Jolly Rogers’, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42), US Navy, 1949
- F8F-1, VF-3 ‘Felix Cat Squadron’ (later VF-31), US Navy, 1946
- Illustrated instructions and paint guides
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Paint Guide:
White
Flat Black
Yellow
Silver
Zinc Chromate Green
Zinc Chromate Yellow
Steel
Navy Blue
Red (for options A &B above only)
Olive Drab
Clear Red
Clear Blue
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