Editing Grumman F8F Bearcat (section)

===Design===
[[File:Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat of VF-1 in flight over California (USA), in 1943 (80-G-K-605).jpg|thumb|The Bearcat was influenced by the larger [[F6F Hellcat]].]]

In 1943, Grumman was introducing the [[F6F Hellcat]], powered by the [[Pratt & Whitney R-2800]] engine, which provided {{convert|2000|hp}}. The R-2800 was the most powerful American engine, so it would be retained for the G-58. This meant that improved performance would have to come from a lighter airframe.

To meet this goal, the Bearcat's fuselage was about {{convert|5|ft|abbr=on}} shorter than the Hellcat, and was cut down vertically behind the cockpit. This allowed the use of a [[bubble canopy]], the first to be fitted to a US Navy fighter. The vertical stabilizer was the same height as the Hellcat's, but had an increased aspect ratio, giving it a thinner look. The wingspan was {{convert|7|ft|abbr=on}} less than the Hellcat's. Structurally, the fuselage used flush riveting and spot welding, with a heavy-gauge 302W aluminum alloy skin suitable for carrier landings.<ref name="Scrivner 1990, p.4."/> Armor protection was provided for the pilot, engine, and oil cooler.

The Hellcat used a {{convert|13|ft|1|in|abbr=on|adj=on}}, three-bladed [[Hamilton Standard]] propeller. A slight reduction in size was made by moving to a {{convert|12|ft|7|in|abbr=on|adj=on}} Aeroproducts four-bladed propeller. Keeping the prop clear of the deck required long landing gear, which, combined with the shortened fuselage, gave the Bearcat a significant "nose-up" profile on land. The hydraulically operated undercarriage used an articulated [[trunnion]] that extended the length of the [[Oleo strut|oleo]] legs when lowered; as the undercarriage retracted, the legs were shortened, enabling them to fit into a wheel well, which was entirely in the wing. An additional benefit of the inward-retracting units was a wide track, which helped counter propeller torque on takeoff and gave the F8F good ground and carrier deck handling.<ref name="Scrivner 1990, p.4.">Scrivner 1990, p. 4.</ref>

The design team had set the goal that the G-58 should weigh {{convert|8750|lb|-1|abbr=on}} fully loaded. As development continued,  this was found to be impossible to achieve, as the structure of the new fighter had to be made strong enough for aircraft carrier landings. Weight-saving measures included restricting the internal fuel capacity to {{convert|160|usgal|L}} and limiting the fixed armament to four [[.50 cal]] [[M2 Browning machine gun|Browning M2/AN]] machine guns, two in each wing.<ref name="Scrivner 1990, p.4."/>(later {{convert|183|usgal|L|disp=sqbr}})<ref>Scrivner 1990, p. 7.</ref> The limited range due to the reduced fuel load meant it would be useful in the [[interceptor aircraft|interception role]], but the Hellcat would still be needed for longer range patrols. A later role was defending the fleet against ''[[kamikaze]]'' attacks.<ref>[http://broadcast.illuminatedtech.com/display/story.cfm?bp=92&sid=7974 "F8F Bearcat."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007060602/http://broadcast.illuminatedtech.com/display/story.cfm?bp=92&sid=7974 |date=2006-10-07 }} ''U.S. Naval Air Museum''. Retrieved: 18 August 2010.</ref> Compared to the Hellcat, the Bearcat was 20% lighter, had a 30% better rate of climb, and was {{convert|50|mph|-1|abbr=on}} faster.<ref>Swanborough and Bowers 1991, p. 241.</ref>

Another weight-saving concept the designers found was detachable wingtips. The wings were designed to fold at a point about {{frac|2|3}} out along the span, reducing the space taken up on the carrier. Normally, the hinge system would have to be built very strong to transmit loads from the outer portions of the wing to the main spar in the inner section, which adds considerable weight. Instead of building the entire wing to be able to withstand high-g loads, only the inner portion of the wing was able to do this. The outer portions were more lightly constructed, and designed to snap off at the hinge line if the force exceeded 7.5&nbsp;g. In this case, the aircraft would still be flyable and could be repaired after returning to the carrier. This saved {{convert|230|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>Meyer, Corwin W. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3897/is_199808/ai_n8826530/pg_1 "Clipping the Bearcat's wing."] ''Flight Journal'', August 1998, p. 1. Retrieved: 18 August 2010.</ref>

[[File:Grumman XF8F-1 Bearcat 1945.jpg|thumb|An XF8F-1 prototype at the [[National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics|NACA]] Langley Research Facility in 1945]]