SkyMax Flying Heroes SM1001
Grumman F8F Bearcat Diecast Model
USN VF-3, "Felix the Cat", A.M. "Mike" Granat, 1946 |
| 1:72 Scale | | Length | | Width |
|---|
| Grumman F8F Bearcat | | 4.75" | | 6" |
The Grumman F8F Bearcat (affectionately called "Bear") was an American single-engine naval fighter aircraft of the 1940s. It went on to serve into the mid-20th Century in the United States Navy and other air forces, and would be the company's final piston engined fighter aircraft. Designed for the interceptor fighter role, the design team's aim was to create the smallest, lightest fighter that could fit around the Pratt & Whitney R2800 engine (carried over from the F6F Hellcat). Compared to its predecessor, the Bearcat was 20% lighter, had a 30% better rate of climb and was 50 mph (80 km/h) faster. It was also considerably smaller in size, as it was designed to be operated from small escort aircraft carriers, something the big Hellcat rarely did. Thus the F8F Bearcat was intended mainly as a replacement for the obsolete FM2 Wildcat, still the mainstay fighter of the many wartime escort carriers.
Please note: Although SkyMax typically produce models with interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear options, this release only includes the extended landing gear components. While the gear itself can be left off the model, it does not include any closed gear doors and is effectively suited to "gear down" display only.
Designed to emulate a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and to outperform the Japanese A6M5 Zero, the Grumman F8F Bearcat was first flown on August 21, 1944. This single-engine US Navy aircraft was Grumman's last piston-engined fighter, possessing a number of innovative features including uniquely "detachable wingtips," which would snap off if g-forces reached a certain level. Though the Bearcat was considered one of the best-handling piston-engined fighters in history, it didn't become operational after the end of WWII. Still, the Bearcat earned an important place in history through its postwar service with the US Navy and its use by the Blue Angels aerobatic performance team. © Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
SkyMax's 1:72 scale F8F Bearcat is constructed almost entirely from diecast metal, with value pricing and just the right number of features. The fuselage is designed with a near-seamless blend of plastic and diecast metal, featuring a removable bubble-top canopy and a clear view of the pad-printed instruments and control stick. Cooling fins on each of the cylinder heads can be seen inside the engine cowling. The solid metal wing has crisp panel line details, simulated fabric-stretched ailerons and air intakes with internal piping. Other details include a center-mounted fuel tank, rockets, bombs and machine guns with wing clearance blisters (not available in air show releases).
© Copyright 2003-2013 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The SkyMax "Flying Heroes" range presents detailed, ready-made diecast models of military aircraft. SkyMax offer the more price-sensitive collector a cheaper alternative to models from leading manufacturers like Corgi and Century Wings.
SkyMax"Flying Heroes" diecast airplanes feature:
- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
- Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.
© Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
