Thankfully the war was over before it got to fly any missions, but it's a beautiful aircraft for sure. Not a raised rivet in sight. VERY smooth airframe.
So much respect for all the "Cats" the F4F, F6F the terror of the Pacific...The Tiger and Bear never saw the war but they would have been devastating...
The afterburner-equipped 1954 F-100 Super Sabre was the first production plane that could beat this 1945 baby's 90 seconds from brake release to 10,000 feet !
Climb rate was a primary goal in this design. Off the deck and climb rapidly to protect the fleet. Range/fuel was a primary trade off. A true interceptor.
Saw one on hard stands with French Roundels near Saigon in 1967. Looked fabulous. Some Bozo called me in the 80's said "I hear that you saw a Bearcat in VN?" Yes, "Well you are full of shit" I knew my airplanes, my father built P38s, no mistake, a genuine Grumman Bearcat.
What a beauty! The only thing I'd have changed about that startup would have been to turn the tailwheel in line with the fuselage, instead of 90 degrees off.
I'd much have preferred catching it at a more head on angle, but the way these events are setup at that museum there is limited choice on your angles to capture from the crowd area
@@ptdphotos Your angle was fine. The pilot or the ground crew left the tailwheel turned 90 degrees off the centerline, so with first movement, the tail swung out. Not a big deal, but I prefer to start off aligned.
Like watching a Tiger strut by. Menacing, even in it's swagger. History didn't allow this to show what it's potential could turn into. A real pleasure to see (hear) it roar.
The Vietnamese Air Force was given A-1 Skyraiders but being small men they just could not feel comfortable flying such a monster. The US took them all back and gave them Bearcats which they loved and did not relinquish until 1963.
Could you imagine if they did have them in time? The Hellcat was no slouch, but imagine of our boys took delivery of these instead?? Beautiful plane. I have always been partial to Grumman fighters!😍
I always wondered , why don’t the Bearcats have a spinner cone over the propeller hub like every other WW2 plane ? Only thing that detracts from the esthetics in my opinion.
Actually, lots of enhanced features. This was the last warbird made before the introduction of jet fighters. The prop was hollow, the body had no rivets and the prop was also powered by its own hydraulic source... very enhanced for its time.
I grew up next door to a former US Marine aviator who flew these in the Korean War (and was an airline captain when I knew him). He had a photo in his home of the one he had to put down on a beach after the engine got shot out. He said they were very temperamental and twitchy - like a hot woman you date but have to learn how to handle in the right moves or she will slap you. I'll never forget that!
You have to. The footstep is right there aft of the flap. The hand hold is above it. You step into the footstep with your left foot, grab the handhold and pull yourself up onto the wing swinging your right foot up onto the flap.
But they never saw combat…..P -51s saw combat in Europe….lots of it….P-51s could fly 1000 mi with drop tanks…at 41,000 ft….good thing Germany didn’t have fuel for ME 262…we all know how that turned out….all the prop planes in WW2 were awesome….again…sexy as hell..😊
@Ford_Raptor_R_720hp_V8 Bombed strafed, multiple targets and the Hard Won Air Supremacy before breakfast? You're always good for a laugh. P51 was an escort fighter in the Pacific exclusively. You knew that already.
The bearcat never really saw combat but I’m sure if it did it would have been one of the best fighters in the air for its time in late 1945, just by its climb rate alone…
Nothing else as awesome , as the sound of that cam lope at idle !
Not cam lope….firing order…
4:28 Hearing that melancholic howling from the supercharger along with the Engine's gurgling might just be ASMR material...
It's POWER and BEAUTY
Why does it do that gurgling?
@@thatrandomtrainguy1604It's a radial engine, they have this powerful gurgling sound...
Very awesome to see that warbird fire up! I'm glad that Zeros weren't rolling in on strafing runs during that startup procedure!😉
Thankfully the war was over before it got to fly any missions, but it's a beautiful aircraft for sure. Not a raised rivet in sight. VERY smooth airframe.
Truly a beautifully built Aircraft. It is definitely a hot rod of the sky. Also known as ' The Jellybean ' by pilots of the time.✌️👍🐻😼
Beauty Plane. I saw it being prepped the day before, just immaculate. Great museum at POF
what an absolute beauty
So much respect for all the "Cats" the F4F, F6F the terror of the Pacific...The Tiger and Bear never saw the war but they would have been devastating...
I think the Tiger cat flew in Korea
Yes it did
Terror of the Pacific? Did you just come up with that?
The afterburner-equipped 1954 F-100 Super Sabre was the first production plane that could beat this 1945 baby's 90 seconds from brake release to 10,000 feet !
how about the F7...
In 1957, Canada built a super sonic intercepter. The CF 105
Climb rate was a primary goal in this design. Off the deck and climb rapidly to protect the fleet. Range/fuel was a primary trade off. A true interceptor.
I am totally in love with this plane! Outstanding bird.
Gorgeous.
Lovely machine
Now that is not ‘pretty beauty’ , that is BRUTE beauty.
A fighter plane with a bomber engine.
An idea. Big a__ engine in small airframe. Works for me.
Saw one on hard stands with French Roundels near Saigon in 1967. Looked fabulous. Some Bozo called me in the 80's said "I hear that you saw a Bearcat in VN?" Yes, "Well you are full of shit" I knew my airplanes, my father built P38s, no mistake, a genuine Grumman Bearcat.
The French used then in the war, lost several over are Dien Bien Phu to ground fire.
I was there and saw them too…
What a beauty! The only thing I'd have changed about that startup would have been to turn the tailwheel in line with the fuselage, instead of 90 degrees off.
I'd much have preferred catching it at a more head on angle, but the way these events are setup at that museum there is limited choice on your angles to capture from the crowd area
@@ptdphotos Your angle was fine. The pilot or the ground crew left the tailwheel turned 90 degrees off the centerline, so with first movement, the tail swung out. Not a big deal, but I prefer to start off aligned.
Nice model cool sounding like real thing, excellent flying sad to see the gear collapse, 😎
@brucevennell810 I have no clue what you are talking about.
Not a model, real plane, and came back unscathed
Commenting on wing video?
Like watching a Tiger strut by. Menacing, even in it's swagger.
History didn't allow this to show what it's potential could turn into.
A real pleasure to see (hear) it roar.
The Vietnamese Air Force was given A-1 Skyraiders but being small men they just could not feel comfortable flying such a monster. The US took them all back and gave them Bearcats which they loved and did not relinquish until 1963.
Could you imagine if they did have them in time? The Hellcat was no slouch, but imagine of our boys took delivery of these instead?? Beautiful plane. I have always been partial to Grumman fighters!😍
@@yourdrummer2034 uiiuy
What a machine. The cobra Shelby of the sky ! 😖
What a monster
DO THE MONSTER MASH ! ! !
Why does it do that Gurgling sound?
It’s almost like a ‘chugging’ at the end of the video.
wow, so much power...
Aw man!!!!!! I miss all the good planes at planes of fame. I missed the mig15, I missed this. I did get to see the corsair a while ago though
The Mig is flying in February, so you have an opportunity on that one in a month.
@@ptdphotos aw sweet, thank you for the heads up
Gorgeous but deadly!
I flew these in Nam…Ground support….Flaming napalm!
I always wondered , why don’t the Bearcats have a spinner cone over the propeller hub like every other WW2 plane ? Only thing that detracts from the esthetics in my opinion.
You know exactly what I mean...jeezuz
3 eargasms with no cigarette breaks. Awesome sound. Nothing like round sound !!!
This thing would have been holy terror for the Japanese if the war had gone on longer!
Raw, savage power. Literally, they took a bomber engine and fitted it on a fighter plane !
Same engine as the Hellcat, Corsair and P-47.
No computers, no enhanced anything. One human one bird.
Actually, lots of enhanced features. This was the last warbird made before the introduction of jet fighters. The prop was hollow, the body had no rivets and the prop was also powered by its own hydraulic source... very enhanced for its time.
What a monster. ...that's a lot of smoke for a 2800 in good condition....
I grew up next door to a former US Marine aviator who flew these in the Korean War (and was an airline captain when I knew him). He had a photo in his home of the one he had to put down on a beach after the engine got shot out. He said they were very temperamental and twitchy - like a hot woman you date but have to learn how to handle in the right moves or she will slap you. I'll never forget that!
The Marines did not fly Bearcats in the Korean War. No Bearcats saw combat with the U.S. Navy or Marines.
Anyone know why it has that unique prop without a nosecone? Its quite unusual and im curious the reason
Not sure of the reason, but there are 2 Bearcats in my area from different flying museums, and neither have a nose cone
@ptdphotos yeah, I'm pretty sure all Bearcats are like that but not sure why
*This is a Brand New Restoration, based in Chino, California*
Our answer to the FW-190.
It was only built to protect carrier from in coming kamikaze or any planes attacking the carrier. And it could do it but we ran out of war.
As far as I understand, the tail fin is angled slightly to counteract the propeller torque. Is that correct?
I have also heard this.
Fastest prop plane ever!
Hey! Who strapped wings tail guns and a pilot on a DC-6 engine nacelle ???
Did any Bearcats ever face off against Japanese planes or were they too late for the show?
It was a bit late to the Game - it didn't see any action in WW2
A beauty, but no bite
He stepped a little on wing flap trying to get inside the cockpit. I thought you’re not supposed to step on it. Anyways, beautiful aircraft!
That was a very astute observation, thank you for your input!
@@TiffMcGiff no problem! 👍🏻
You have to. The footstep is right there aft of the flap. The hand hold is above it. You step into the footstep with your left foot, grab the handhold and pull yourself up onto the wing swinging your right foot up onto the flap.
That cam.
The French used that plane during the war in Viet Nam in the 1950s.
Someone pull prop through?
@mikearakelian6368 that was the whole presentation. They ran it up earlier in the day
My dream plane would be a TYPE ZERO Fitted with an R 2800......I wonder if anyone has thought about this?
How much this plane
Probably around $2 million at least.
5 millions D
@@alexandredeurresti9898 very expensive
I'm no pilot yet but that start-up looks like trouble.
Pretty standard for their event actually - they sometimes sound s bit rough, but they take it up and back
Bearcat could eat mustangs for lunch and dinner.
But they never saw combat…..P -51s saw combat in Europe….lots of it….P-51s could fly 1000 mi with drop tanks…at 41,000 ft….good thing Germany didn’t have fuel for ME 262…we all know how that turned out….all the prop planes in WW2 were awesome….again…sexy as hell..😊
@paulciprus9582 They raced and save the p51 propaganda for someone who might Have believed actually never did. Thanks
*Mustangs did what no other WWII plane could do*
*Destroy the German Air Force*
@Ford_Raptor_R_720hp_V8 Bombed strafed, multiple targets and the Hard Won Air Supremacy before breakfast? You're always good for a laugh. P51 was an escort fighter in the Pacific exclusively. You knew that already.
@@Ford_Raptor_R_720hp_V8 Deh Deh Deh! ! !
...that's a lot of smoke for a 2800 in good condition...
4:27 and you're welcome!
That was literally painfull
@braddarville1138 well thanks for taking the extra time and step to voice that....
Was said to be better than the hellcat.
Too bad it never got to show what it could do in the Pacific
it may not have been the best in the air but we could make 10fold what the enemy could
May not have been the best in the air? You've got to be kidding. One of the best prop driven fighters ever built.
The bearcat never really saw combat but I’m sure if it did it would have been one of the best fighters in the air for its time in late 1945, just by its climb rate alone…
I think you’re mistaking this for the wildcat
To bad it didn't fight
Fought for the french in indochina after ww2 very effectively
ALLmost. Like he doesn't know what he's doing. 😮
Well, that is a vague and useless comment without context. Not sure at all what you are referring to
当時のジェットエンジン機には勝てただろうね!w
Hot rod ! 😎
Al Gore gives this video a thumbs down...then hops into his private jet to go to a climate change meeting.
Ok boomer
Ok…
@@SpartacusErectusJR OK, Clarabel.