Jump to content

Scratchbuilt 1/24 Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat


Jim Barry

Recommended Posts

16 hours ago, JayW said:

Hey Jim - I never could figure out why the bearcat (and the Skyraider) didn't have domes on their prop hubs.  Got any idea? 

I think both the Skyraider and Bearcat used Aeromatic props versus Ham Standards or some other make.  The small dome over the prop hub we are so used to seeing covers the gears and gizmos necessary to change blade pitch.  Apparently, Aeromatic props had a different mechanism.  The larger spinners some airplanes sport are simple aerodynamic fairings that reduce drag and improve airflow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for weighing in OBG, yes, further reading on this does show the Hamilton has all kinds of prop control gubbins in the spinner part of the hub, while Aeroproduct’s Aeroprop has basically no spinner. I think that’s a consequence of the P-39 which had its 37mm cannon shoot through the Aeroprop hub. Bearcats and Skyraiders never had this requirement but got the Aeroprop regardless. You do see big spinners on racing Bearcats. Aero effects, like OBG says

Edited by Jim Barry
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jim Barry said:

Thanks for weighing in OBG, yes, further reading on this does show the Hamilton has all kinds of prop control gubbins in the spinner part of the hub, while Aeroproduct’s Aeroprop has basically no spinner.

 

Yeah - all that stuff in the dome is for prop pitch mechanism.  So the next question would be how does the Aeroproducts prop system control prop pitch. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

THzEKY.png

 

Like this! Hydraulic pressure 

 

P-51Ks and P-63's had Aeroprop propellers too. 

 

 

A little more on the Aeroprop here:

 

https://www.avweb.com/features/pelicans-perch-39bearcat/

 

I love the author/pilot's impression of the Bearcat during takeoff:

 

"once it’s about half throttle, it feels like more than enough, more power than anyone would ever want."

 

 

 

 

Edited by Jim Barry
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, its vision is really like the merger of the Wildcat (small, maneuverable and adaptable to escort carriers) and the Hellcat (powerful, well armored). When interviewing Pilots for what they wanted, they wanted a higher climb rate. They got it. 
 

 I’m stumped why the Hellcat really was not an exceptional climber compared to the Corsair. Thoughts on that? 

Edited by Jim Barry
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went to see Devotion yesterday. What an Airshow! Very well done.   The Bearcat chase scene was amazing!   Part of the plot/theme (without giving it away) is the Bearcat vs Corsair, but it's perhaps not that well laid out. Somehow the Corsair is portrayed as the killer "widowmaker"  and  so powerful, it's something the Bearcat pilots are not used to. What? "("NO"). It's just the nose is too long and you can't see the carrier deck (and yes, they would not be familiar with a new plane).  How the Corsair got the nod to be a carrier-based plane in Korea after failing to make that mark in its first go is something I need to look into. It's not like the Bearcat had no ground attack capability.  Another plus... Skyraider in blue. So pretty!  

 

I'm sure we'll see Korea US Navy builds coming down the pike here in 2023. It even has me thinking........

 

Anyone doing this era interested in that Navy Dark Blue. I'm using Mr. Hobby Aqueous line called Midnight Blue. It's so perfect. Deep Deep blue and naturally glossy in just the right way. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jim Barry said:

I went to see Devotion yesterday. What an Airshow! Very well done.   The Bearcat chase scene was amazing!   Part of the plot/theme (without giving it away) is the Bearcat vs Corsair, but it's perhaps not that well laid out. Somehow the Corsair is portrayed as the killer "widowmaker"  and  so powerful, it's something the Bearcat pilots are not used to. What? 

You can always trust Hollywood to do what Hollywood does.  Have yet to see the movie, but I get the idea from the trailers that they portray Brown as another Maverick when I believe he was more of a Brubaker.  Corsair vs Bearcat:  Bearcat was an interceptor, fast but with short legs and limited payload like a Mig-21.  The Corsair had already proven that it was pretty good at everything, sort of an early F-4, and there were plenty of them still around whereas the Navy had already passed on Bearcat production in favor of jets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/5/2022 at 9:41 AM, Jim Barry said:

I’m stumped why the Hellcat really was not an exceptional climber compared to the Corsair. Thoughts on that? 

 

I could not find anywhere where that was claimed.  Horizontal velocity, Corsair wins but not by very much.  Roll rate, Corsair wins hands down (Hellcat ailerons had to fight a deep wing dihedral, due to ground clearance for its aft and down sweeping wing fold - I have been told).  Outside of that, the two aircraft had virtually identical performance in every way.  Not surprising - gross weight nearly identical, engine and props virtually identical, wing span, loading nearly identical.  

 

There are notable differences, but climb rate doesn't appear to one of them.  Suitability for carrier deck operations - Hellcat wins every time.  The long nose of the Corsair due to its large fuselage fuel tank between the engine and cockpit (the Hellcat's internal tank was further aft, although I am not very familiar with its configuration) did not do it well when it came to forward visibility. 

 

Both aircraft, and their well trained pilots, and shear numbers, were very bad news for the Japanese Navy and Air forces.  I am not sure what the need was for the Bearcat at that time.  Perhaps our intell knew of Japanese aircraft on the drawing board that would leapfrog the Hellcats' and Corsairs' performance....  I guess same could be said for the P-51H, which was to the P-51D in many ways what the Bearcat was to the Hellcat.  Neither came on soon enough to participate meaningfully in WW2, but were both slimmed down faster and more maneuverable versions of their excellent predecessors.   

 

Then came the jets! 

Edited by JayW
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for weighing in here, guys.  Reading more about the Corsair post WW2, one can see it really does develop the Fighter/Bomber role that the Bearcat was never really going to take.  The French had Bearcats and Corsairs in the French-Indochina war, but definately preferred the heavier bomb load of the Corsair to the maneuverability of the Bearcat. 

 

I'm terribly biased in all this (until I build a Corsair one day!) 

 

ReL Hellcat vs Corsair climbing. I trust you are probably right Jay, and that my source (Wikipedia) has it wrong. It never really made sense. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope you do get a chance to see it. It’s really a treat for aviation fans. 
 

Tonight, the boys came over to build, but Geoff was not building much, instead preferring to watch Battlefield 360 Santa Cruz. Greg came too claiming he had an extra 1/72 Dauntless and would I like it.  I said sure, remembering it as childhood build. I asked if it had dive flaps extended position option and he said no, but that he did see on modeling madness, someone did drill them out and fashioned them open. It sounded like a good challenge and off I went into my new kit with dremel blazing. A few hours later I was well on my way to being done. Ahhh…..an Airfix fix. 
Gew7QG.jpg

 


 

KqFZVD.jpg

 

 

 

sedlTE.jpg

 

Edited by Jim Barry
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...