On this day in aviation history, 81 years ago (December 31, 1944), the Grumman F8F Bearcat officially entered service with the United States Navy. The Bearcat was a single-engine carrier-based fighter ...
The Grumman F8F Bearcat was one of the fastest piston-engine fighters ever built, hitting 421 mph. But arriving at the war’s end meant it never faced the Japanese. Instead, it found its combat role ...