Nov. 2, 2021

Bearcat in the Chesapeake: Navy’s underwater investigation of a prototype fighter aircraft

Grumman’s F8F Bearcat was lightweight fighter designed to operate from smaller naval aircraft carriers and had a higher rate of climb than its predecessor, the F6F Hellcat. Prototypes were tested starting in 1944, but they were not ready in time to see action in World War II. Noted for their speed and agility, postwar Bearcats became a significant