Iconic Grumman Warplanes to Prowl Oshkosh

Four of Grumman’s most iconic WWII fighter aircraft will make a rare—and no-doubt spectacular—appearance at EAA’s AirVenture 2022.  

The Flight of the Cats will roar across Oshkosh skies as part of the afternoon airshows on 27 and 29 July. Spectators will be treated to the unforgettable sight and awe-inspiring sound of Grumman’s F-4 Wildcat, F-6F Hellcat, F-7F Tigercat, and F-8F Bearcat—all of which were developed within a remarkable, eight-year period between 1937 and 1944.

The aircraft served throughout the Second World War’s operational theaters and contributed immeasurably to the Allied war effort.

Early in the war, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F-4 pilots struggled against the Japanese Empire’s more maneuverable, longer-ranged, Mitsubishi A6M Zeros. Lessons learned in the skies above the Pacific were applied to the design of the more powerful, faster, nimbler, F6F Hellcat—which made short work of Zeroes—and a great many additional enemy aircraft types. By war’s end, Navy and Marine Hellcats had destroyed 5,223 enemy aircraft—more than any other Allied naval aircraft.

The F-7F Tigercat was the first twin-engined fighter aircraft to be fielded by the U.S. Navy. Though formidable, the Tigercat came too late in the Second World War to see significant action. The Korean war, however, saw the F-7F serve as an effective night-fighter and attack aircraft.

Another latecomer to WWII, the F8F Bearcat also saw limited action. The model was Grumman’s last piston-engined fighter aircraft and marked the absolute pinnacle of the reciprocating-engine’s contributions to wartime aviation. Counted among the best-handling piston-engine fighters ever built, the F-8 outperformed many early jets. The Bearcat’s aerobatic prowess is underscored by its selection as the Blue Angels’s second demonstration aircraft—replacing its F6F Hellcat ancestor.

The Flight of the Cats—which is made possible in part by the largess of Rod Lewis and the Lewis Air Legends collection—affords AirVenture 2022 attendees opportunity to look upon precious vestiges of a breathtaking and brutal epoch of humankind’s history. Mark your calendars and be sure to check with ANN for extensive Oshkosh coverage!

FMI: https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure