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The name Grumman is rightly famous in the world of aviation. For starters, the company developed the iconic Grumman Lunar Module LM-13, one of which, proudly dubbed Eagle, performed the most astonishing duty any machine had ever performed during the first Moon landing. Now known as Northrop Grumman after a 1994 merger, the international powerhouse collaborated on the James Webb Space Telescope, and has a long history in developing aircraft that fly a little closer to home too.
Grumman’s F7F Tigercat is one of their more notable planes. It was a potent example of the sophisticated weapons technology that the ongoing horror of World War II forced from nations worldwide. Unfortunately for the model, though, it was also a victim of the swift progress of that technology, never getting to be unleashed when it was at its most relevant and threatening.
This is the history of the F7F Hellcat, and an introduction to its strengths, weaknesses, and overall place in Grumman’s story.
Development
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In June of 1941, approximately six months before the United States formally joined the Allies in World War II, the nation’s military was branching out and bolstering its defensive and offensive strength. As part of this, the U.S. Navy sought the development of an advanced fighter that could serve with its Midway-class aircraft carriers. It would be a faster, more powerful machine than previous Grumman models like the F4F Wildcat (which boasted a relatively modest ceiling of 34,700 feet and top speed of 332 mph), and would prove to be a unique aircraft in several respects.
That month, Grumman’s prototypes demonstrated the potential and versatility of the Tigercat design. Flight tests and preparations began around five months later, and in April the following year, the completed jet was received by the Navy.
Developed in both single- and two-seat configurations, it distinguished itself as Grumman’s first successful fighter to bear a pair of engines (its twin-engine XF5F Skyrocket proved flawed the previous April and it was rendered surplus to requirements by other models by the time it had been brought up to scratch). Let’s see how the two configuration options differed, and exactly what those twin engines could do.
Specs and equipment
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The Tigercat symbolized just how far aviation had come, only decades after the very first piloted powered flight (the Wright Flyer in December 1903). It was powered by a pair of R-2800-34Ws from Pratt & Whitney, which could output 2,100 hp. These engines not only boosted the service ceiling of the aircraft to 40,700 feet, but allowed it to attain speeds of up to 435 mph.
By the standards of today’s aircraft (particularly military ones), this may still seem quite the modest pace, but in the 1940s, it was all but unrivaled in the speed stakes. This was backed up by an extensive range of 1,200 miles, which meant that the aircraft was better able to serve the roles for which it was intended.
It was created in configurations suited to both daylight and nighttime flight, with the former seating just the pilot and the latter accommodating a second crew member. With nighttime missions of that era being a rather more complex proposition logistically, the Tigercats built for two boasted more sophisticated surveillance and guidance equipment.
Weaponry
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Today, fighter jets are equipped with incredibly sophisticated weapons. With a combination of missiles, bombs, and other hardware, they have two capabilities that are vital for any offensive aircraft: to strike from potentially great distances, and to be able to engage targets other than fellow airborne ones. The likes of the Royal Air Force’s upcoming Tempest fighter are going to be reliant on such qualities.
The propeller-driven fighters of the World War II era, however, didn’t generally allow for such applications. They were of the more traditional dogfighting variety, as befitted the weapons technology of the time. The Tigercat, then, had quite a close-range arsenal: A total of eight machine guns were equipped on it, and it also had a very limited capacity for explosive ordnance (typically a pair of bombs).
By the standards of its day, the Tigercat was a very capable aircraft, and a new step forward for Grumman’s enduring family of cat-based fighters. Some of its true potential, however, will remain theoretical, because it would ultimately go on to see little use in combat.
Service history
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The Tigercat could potentially have been as influential and feared as the mighty Supermarine Spitfire during World War II. It simply wasn’t completed in time to make an impact on the war in the Pacific. A sizable order of 500 of the aircraft were set to arrive there in service of the U.S. Marine Corps, but it was incomplete when the model became rather surplus to requirements as combat on this front came to an end.
First envisaged as a primarily offensive carrier fighter, the Tigercat’s intended role would take on a more multi-faceted flavor in the immediate post-war period and beyond. The F7F-3P was one later variant that took the stealth night mission concept further, designed and equipped for a utility and recon focus.
This would be the duty the aircraft performed in the Korean War, during which it provided invaluable information and backup for Allied forces. This was the extent of its usage in combat, however, arriving as it did at a transitional time in aviation technology. By 1946, 364 Tigercats had been built, and they were outclassed very soon (the F9F Panther also saw use in the Korean War and was capable of speeds of 654 mph as the improved Cougar).
Though the Tigercat’s military career was a very short one, it was a pioneering model that served as a versatile base upon which to build. In some cases, Tigercats were modified to tackle fires, by means of tanks attached to their fuselage containing water and fire-retardant chemicals.
