A World War II Grumman Navy F8F-2 Bearcat, is being restored at Peter prince Airport.
F8F Bearcat restoration at Milton
At Peter Prince Airport (Milton, Florida), great progress is being made on the restoration of the Lone Star Flight Museum’s Bearcat. The work is being undertaken by Bluebird Aviation Services under the supervision of Jim Fausz.F8F-2 BuNo 121776 was given to Kaman Aircraft Corporation upon completion of its military service. The F8F had its outer wing panels removed and was utilized as a wind test machine to test the company’s helicopters. Little, if anything, was done to preserve the airframe, but the engine was kept in running condition. After a time, the aircraft was simply left to rot. In 1970, in fairly rough condition, it was given to the USMC Museum. The museum disposed of the aircraft to Lone Star.
Bluebird is rebuilding the plane to Lone Star’s high standards. We should see another powerful Cat back in the air in the near future.
The progress pictures will be updated periodically. Number 4 was taken in May, 2001.
The Bearcat was the final development in the line of Grumman propeller-driven fighters started with the FF-1 in 1933. The first monoplane Grumman fighter was the F4F Wildcat, in service at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Although delivered too late to serve in World War II, the F8F Bearcat served post-war as the last propeller-driven Navy Fighter.
Work on the Bearcat began in 1943 with the object of providing a high performance derivative of the very successful F6F Hellcat that could operate from the smallest aircraft carriers, primarily in the interceptor role. The overall configuration closely followed that of the Hellcat, but the aircraft was built as light as possible, even though it retained the same Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine. The initial prototype first flew on August 24, 1944, powered by an R-2800-22W engine, producing an initial rate of-climb of 4,800 ft/min and a top speed of 424 mph. Production aircraft incorporated the more powerful R-2800-34W engine, rated at 2100 hp.
A general improvement program begun in 1948 produced the F8F-2, with 20-mm cannons replacing the four .50-cal machine guns on the -1 model, taller fin and rudder, and other modifications. Production ended in May, 1949.
Shown below are Jim Fausz and David Anderson with their handiwork.
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