The Aircraft that Predicted the Future of Aviation
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- The Grumman F7F Tigercat was a remarkable heavy fighter with an intriguing lineage tracing back to the highly-successful series of the so-called Grumman "cats."
As the first twin-engine fighter deployed by the US Navy, the F7F represented a remarkable innovation, specifically designed to serve aboard the Midway-class aircraft carriers. Although it never had the opportunity to demonstrate its prowess in World War 2, the Tigercat still managed to leave an indelible mark on the aviation world.
The heavy fighter made its debut during the Korean War, where it saw action in numerous roles and solidified the reputation of the “cats.” Boasting an array of impressive design features, the Tigercat was a true marvel of aviation engineering, and it was way ahead of its time - albeit for a brief period.
In an ironic twist, the Tigercat never operated as a carrier-based fighter as initially intended, and for one simple reason: it was too powerful…
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I saw one fly back in 1995. My father and I visited the Lone Star Air Museum in Galveston TX. Almost every plane was kept in flying condition. The day we visited, the museum owner decided to take their Tigercat for a few passes and fly-bys. It was an amazing sounding plane and beautiful to watch.
You are indeed so fortunate
Neat.
Fortunately there is usually at least one example of the Tigercat at the annual EAA Show in Oshkosh, Wi. I've been fortunate to see them in flight several times.
My grandfather was able to fly one in the UK he said it was a bullet
That's insane! Incase you didnt know, they relocated a few years ago to ellington field. it's a much nicer place. only downside is that i dont get to see some planes and go to the beach within 10 minutes of each other.
I think Grumman has the most amazing heritage in naval aviation.
My mom was pretty popular, too.
I miss the f 14
@@gamingwithflight6179 Yeah. It was amazing.
If Northrop Grumman gets the Naval NGAD contract, I hope they give it a Grumman name.
@@katherineberger6329 Yeah.
How about Alleycat?
During the end of WWII, my father flew an F7F when he was stationed at the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) in Inyokern California. He was doing test work of the Tiny Tim and Holy Moses rockets before deploying them to the Pacific fleet. Prior to that, he flew an SBD dive bomber in combat from the decks of the USS Hornet (CV-8) and the USS Lexington (CV-16) He also had flown the F4F Wildcat, the F6F Hellcat and the F4U Corsair. After the war he also flew the F2H Banshee. He said that the F7F was his favorite all-time Navy plane to fly.
What was his #2 favorite? Did he mention it?
Zamn, he flew everythin!
@@Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu I would have to guess the SBD because he had the most hours in it and it probably saved his life a number of times. He flew mission in an SBD at Midway, Battle of Santa Cruz, Battle of the Philippine Sea as well as raids on Truk Lagoon and other islands with Japanese installations. But he always said he enjoyed flying fighters because of their raw power and ability to climb.
@@BP-1988 Gotta love Slow But Deadly!
@@stuartwald2395 I think he only few an SB2C a few times and never in combat. He and many other pilots hated them. He called them Son-of-a Bitch Second Class.
I've always tgought the F7F was one of the most beautiful propellor driven aircraft ever created. The sound of the twin engines is also amazing!
Would have to agree. Certainly the best looking Grumman propeller aircraft. Love the head on view with that narrow fuselage and those twin radials. Beautiful.
Absolutely one badass prop-driven fighter!!!! Shame it didn't get to shine in WW2.
Agreed 110% brother.
F7F Tigercat has been my favorite warbird since the mid-1970s and I found a Monogram 1/72 model of one.
The title and the script below it miss the point. The Tigercat was at the peak of piston-engine fighter design, but also at its end. If you mean it presaged a line of twin-engine naval fighters, that's a bit specious. As for being 'too powerful', no fighter pilot ever complained about having too much power. The reasons it failed as a carrier fighter were lack of yaw authority under asymmetric power and high landing speed due to its weight; neither of those relate to being too powerful. It was also too fragile for the rigours of carrier ops and by the time that was fixed it was obsolete. The Tigercat was certainly impressive and it found its niche in Korea, but I'd find it hard to argue that it showed the way even just in the naval sphere, let alone aviation generally.
Thank you for saying the real truth of the matter.
Most of this video was just plain wrong.
Well put. Some good info here but when the file footage is constantly showing different aircraft than those being described I tend to shake my head. My favorite is at 2:20 when the Bearcat turns into a Skyraider mid takeoff. Also, all this talk about twin engine aircraft fighter being unique completely ignores not on the P-38 Lightning buy many other twin engine fighters from a host of nations. The only thing truly unique and new about the Tigercat is that the US navy was interested in it.
Good paragraph, these video always have so much potential, but miss a lot of critical data.
I'd say if anything it maybe more predicted the eventual shift by the navy to Multirole aircraft, with this being able to do well in both strike and air missions. But it being such an influence wasn't really covered in the video at all
Yes. Good points. In order to make the f22 a carrier capable fighter it would need restructuring to make its frame durable enough for thr abuse of carrier landings. Yet no one calls the raptor "too powerful." Its about the right tool in thr right place and time. Context matters
In 1968-71 I went to college in Santa Barbara, CA and the SB Airport had a forest fire squadron there made up of F-7s and TBMs converted to carry fire retardant. Amazing to see
Glad to see the F7F get some recognition, it’s one of my favorite prop-driven aircraft of all time when I first saw one at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Florida. I just watched the video on the Bearcat that released over a year ago, I wondered if you had a video on the Tigercat and was disappointed when I saw you didn’t. who knew less than a week later, I’d get my wish.
I felt the same way.
(Except I've never seen one in real life)
I had no idea it was so powerful, heavily armed and that it was repurposed into a water bomber.
Here in Colorado Springs, we're fortunate enough to have two privately owned and flying F7F's.
I think I may have seen those around Peachtree City, Georgia (there is a shop there that works on classic military aircraft). Do they take them to airshows?
I got to see one of these fly at the Reno Nevada air races back in 2004 when I was 11 years old. I had no idea what it was at the time but it was my favorite sounding plane at the event.
There are not just one, but two of these in the National WWII Aviation Museum in Colorado Springs, saw both last month in this remarkable museum.
The first time I saw one I was amazed and how thin the fuselage is!
The Museum of WWII Aviation in Colorado Springs, CO has TWO flyable examples. Very impressive and awesome sounding in flight!
Seeing 3 of them fly at the Chino air show was such a special treat and I hope they do it again someday soon.
We lost all 3 boraid bomber crews in little over a week of crashes in the summer of 1969.They replaced the PBY Catalina & 2 TBF’s with a pair of F7F Tigercats. Loved watching all 5 operate out of Columbia California air attack base in the late 60’s. I was always amazed at how different the cats were compared to the other ( TBF ) Grumman designs.
I live the F7F!! The Chino airshow usually has two of them, one being a modified Reno Air racer, and you can literally feel the power they have at even low speeds when they fly by. It’s big. Loud. Powerful. And definitely a sight to be seen. I hope everyone gets the chance to see one of these fly before it’s too late.
Grumman had some of the most amazing plains of that period. Love the Vought F4U, but the Tigercat is my all time favorite propeller driven AC.
Awesome to hear Frederick "Trap" Trapnell being mentioned. His contribution to the F4U was massive.
No, the P-38 was the first twin engine fighter ordered in large numbers. There was also the P-61 Black Widow night fighter.
Those were both Army Air Force, this was the Navy.
@johnthomas2485 0:12 12 seconds in and you're already misquoting the video. He clearly states "As the first twin-engine fighter deployed by the U.S. Navy"
Also the u.s.a.a.f used english "mosquito's" in the European theatre as a fast recon bird, interestingly the mozzie was designed to be a tactical bomber and fighter/bomber airplane!🇺🇲🇬🇧🫡
The Tigercat is one of the best looking twin-engine fighters of WWII in my opinion.
Personally id say it’s there with the P-38
@@intotheblackbeyond I wrote "one of";
and yes, the P-38 would definitely be among them as well.
Mosquito anyone?
@@ekspatriatDefinitely a Beauty as well, just a little bit chubbier.
Sure.....one of the best looking fighters......together with Bearcat of the same factory🫡👍🙂
I do Love your voice, your research, and your narration text--well put! Thanks for all you do !
I saw the Tigercat at the EAA airshow (circa '91 or '92), and was amazed that such a "small" plane had such powerful sound (Those big engines thundering!!), climbed effortlessly, and sort of left me with the impression that this was one plane you wouldn't want to mess with. Too bad it didn't make it into the WW2 campaigns!
It was also one of the most beautiful plane ever made. A true Grummann!
I love how that same dude at 2:46 is in all of these videos. He must have worked at every American aircraft company that ever existed!
He was probably a test pilot for the government. Back then, the armed forces did their own testing on top of the manufacturer tests. The planes were too important to just trust that the maker gave it a full shake down.
That clip is from a wartime film about flying the P-47. If I find it again, I will link it.
I've gotten the privilege to work on two of them and they are amazing aircraft and they go like hell!
Saw one of these flying at in 1989 at the Red Arrows 25th Anniversary Air Show at RAF Scampton, and again at RAF Finningley the same year. Truly spectacular.
2:40 These two engineers looking at design plans and touching hand to face are the "Wilhelm scream" of Dark Skies channel. They appear in every video, and work for about 37 US Navy and Airforce procurement companies if the footage is given correct credit for association.
The best Grumman cat, and my favorite aircraft of all time. Love the Tigercat.
The Tigercat is my favorite Cat of all time. I saw a Tigercat in person for the first time as a high school student at Porterville, CA airport in 1976. The Tiger had been retasked to the county fire services. It did a high-speed pass over the runway and leapt skyward in a barrel roll, those monster radials thundering. No other warbird comes close IMO...
Ive got 5 RC ones made by FMS model and im lucky enough to have 3 of the Silver "La patrona" reno racer variant. The dark blue is cool but a nightmare on a foam plane in the sun, the undercarriage is an absolute work of art and the scale detail as beautiful. The thing I love about it most is the screaming whistle it makes when flying full power in a gentle dive. I can only imagine how the real one must've sounded. Such a shame it was a few years too late to show it's true potential.
In the '70's I worked for the U.S. Forest Service on Hot Shot crews fighting wildfires. The Forest Service contracted for aerial fire retardant dropping aircraft. The F7F was one of the aircraft modified to drop the retardant. It was awesome to watch this aircraft in action. At one fire in Ice House Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains in L.A. County, they were actually dropping retardant below where we were cutting fire line.
I saw two of them fly at the same time at the Chino Airshow in 2009. It is a beautiful aircraft.
I had never heard of these until I saw one fly at an airshow. Extremely elegant and sleek in the sky, it became an instant favorite of mine.
I've always been awestruck by the lines of that plane and how sleek and slender it is. An absolute beauty.
"Too much power, making the aircraft too fast for general carrier operations""
One must then wonder how they ever got the F9F aboard.
The absolute zenith of prop driven fighters, in every catagory...
Have seen an example of this wonderful plane at Camarillo, CA air show many times. Beautiful thing.
I like that it became a firefighter plane. A fitting end to a good aircraft.
In the mid 1980’s two businessmen in Knoxville, TN owned and regularly flew a Tigercat and 2 Bearcats (along with a Spanish built BF-109).
I never heard of this ''cat''... what a magnificent design!... thank you for the update!
What a beautiful plane. It must have been awesome to fly.
Dude, I love these videos. The voice, the music, the stories, the narration, the production are all awesome and fun and inspiring. Better than any other history videos. Even on cable. The only thing I would recommend is to make your chapter names a little more enigmatic or foreshadowing. Maybe get someone more cheeky or less serious to help out with that? I haven't made any videos, but what you have going here is so excellent.
Easily one of my all-time favorites
I saw one fly at an air show in the 90's, part of the "cat" family kept by the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. It was extremely elegant in the air and just emanated power and performance. I will long remember that day.
"way ahead of its time...albeit for a brief period" lol
'Way ahead of its time - for a brief period.' Absolutely hilarious. How on earth do you come up with these lines
This is a great video. In the early 90’s a Tigercat displayed in the UK. I saw it at Stoughton, Leicester where it was put through the most memorable display I remember in perfect bluesky conditions.
It was a two seat version. I think the pilot was Steve Hinton -if anyone can confirm or correct me on that, I’d be grateful!
Folks here revere the Mossie but for shere ‘grunt’ and presence ,the F7-f won me over!
What an aircraft!
Do you know anything about the DH Hornet? A better all-round performance fighter than the Tigercat. It also actually did see service on land and at sea.
@@paulbantick8266 The DeH Hornet was everything you say. Unfortunately in UK we haven’t allowed enough of our out of service designs to survive complete.
For thatbreason until now the Hornet hasn’t enjoyed the public attention it deserves.
We could've had the tom cat 30 years before
Or the Lockheed Fvckwit...
Tomcat was rejected due to the sexual nature at the time.
Not THE Tomcat, A Tomcat.
I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about aircraft, especially the WWII planes, but I’d never heard of this remarkable fighter.
Thanks for the education.
One of my favorite WWII/Korea era aircraft; a real thoroughbreed beauty - the F7F. Had it not been for the advent of jet aircraft (ironically - like the F9F Panther), it would have had a more gloroius history.
Can you imagine how cool it would be to modernize it with stronger wings and two turboprops that thing would be awesome it definitely is one of my favorite twin engine aircraft of that era
Tiger Cats were employed from at least on Essex Class carrier after the angled deck was installed. I met a Navy veteran who served on that boat in the Korean mess.
You imagine an Essex class or 3 CV(s) in 1944 with 24 F7F Tigercats, 40 F8F Bearcats, and 24 AD1 Skyraiders?
I strongly recommend anyone to look up high speed flybys of F7Fs. Their twin engines sound so beefy and cool
It was an aerial firefighting aircraft in the 60's into the 80s
Well liked by its pilots and crews.
Surely the DH Mosquito was the aircraft that predicted the future of aviation, being a multi role combat aircraft, operating as bomber, PR, ground attack and heavy fighter, and capable of speeds in excess of the opposing fighters on introduction.
You've got that right. The way I see it, the Tigercat was a fairly mediocre imitation. And those horrible twin rotary engines with their excessive profile drag were always going to be a hinderance. It had a tricycle undercarriage which was quite modern, but there's nothing else that stands out.
@@Togidubnus for having "excessive profile drag with those horrible twin rotary engines" It boasted a top speed of 460 mph and could out run pretty much every prop plane ever with its acceleration. Infact, I've heard a few different pilots say the hardest part about flying the Tigercat, is slowing it down to land.
@@adamkramer3259 The contemporary DH Hornet was faster at all altitudes, climbed faster, had longer range and higher ceiling. Better by far. Oh! It was used on carriers too with no problem.
At 2:19, the video shows an F8F Bearcat taking off, but at 2:21, the aircraft is an A-1D Douglas Skyraider climbing out.
That is one good-looking airplane.
I watched one of these beauties compete in the classic warbird heats at the Reno Air Races in 2006. It was so fast that it had it had to start the the race with a time handicap to make the race interesting, as it was competing against a couple of F6F's and even a venerable F4F which had to have a major head start. It was great fun watching the three fighters race against each other and other aircraft such as the P-51, F4U, and a Russian La-5.
Met one of the granddaughters a while back, she has a bunch of great photos, cool experience
Gorgeous aircraft!! Thanks--great video!
The most beautiful aircraft ever built, at least to my eyes. My ears concur- 2 X R2800 = most gorgeous sounding aircraft as well.
One of the slickest birds to ever come out of the Grumman iron works.
Numbers! What did it weigh? Top speed? Rate of climb? Weight? Wong span? Height? Length? Fuel and range capacities???
Great scoring on the vids as of late (alongside the excellent-as-usual content) 👍
It was/is a beautifully elegant design...
The f6f is one of my all time favorite prop planes
I love all of your channels! My go-to for all dark and eerie history
I did not know that this aircraft was actually ready and deployed during WWII. Thank You.
I love the Bearcat, but damn! The Tigercat is gorgeous!
I saw the Tigercat fly at Chino, California air show and these planes are so big and so fast.
To this one guy's eyes, this is about the most BEAUTIFUL aircraft of all heavier-than-air designs.
Tiger cat. Never seen this aircraft. Learn something new everyday. 👍👾
The British DID successfully field a carrier based twin, the DH Hornet. As the Hellcat, it was too late for service in WW2 but took part in various "small" wars after. Again, as the 'Cat, it was overshadowed by the new jets and was very much "the end of the era". Damn pretty airplane, tho.
They have one at the WWII aviation history museum in Colorado Springs. Along with a ton of other aircraft worth the visit if you’re ever close
There has been considerable change in the Navy naming policy. Many of us are looking forward to the introduction into service of the "Half Rabid 3 Balled Alley Cat".
I didn't know anything about this airplane. Thank you for this video.
Easily one of the most beautiful aircraft ever, and the sexiest naval aircraft right next to the F14
The Tigercat like the Beaufighter were two of the best aircraft ever built, two engines followed by a pilot.
I remember seeing an F7 at air show in Salem Oregon when I was 10 yrs old I thought it was the coolest aircraft I've ever seen
I like your documentaries...
really cool music near the end... what was that???
I'm old as dirt, and I've never seen one of these. Saw some P38 planes up in Canada in the 70s.
Seeing this pre-jet warbird for the first time, this morning 8/8/2023, I see where the B57, RB-57F and even the U2 designs came from.
She was a wonderful bird. Those that flew her loved her. Grumman Iron Works. Ya cant beat em.
Good video. Beautiful aircraft.
Tjaml upi for covering this beautiful fighter.
It is amazing to see how many powerful post - WW2 prop plane designs were made, with some even reaching 500mph. All this ended overnight as the advent of the jet engine eclipsed them all. Republic Aviation even built one bomber which was going to be turned into an airliner since ww2 had ended, which had a cruising speed of over 400mph. We can even see in pics how streamlined these designs had become, as aerodynamics had an effect on the speed and performance of these post ww2 designs. An impressive short period of time before the jet, that gave us impressive prop performance.
I think you might be thinking of the Republic R-12 Rainbow, a photo-reconnaissance plane. Beautifully streamlined, and very fast with 4xR-4360s. Unfortunately for Republic, the airlines brought very cheap surplus C-47/C-54s. The Lockheed Constellation also had a head start for the longer range roles.
Love this airplane
You forgot to mention the NORTHROP P-61 BLACK WIDOW. The Tiger plane evolved to the NORTHROP P-61 BLACK WINDOW and in 1944, the BLACK WIDOW FLEW DEEP INTO GERMAN airspace.
The F7 and P61 are two distinct aircraft
2 companies
Different development timelines
One did not “morph” into the other
@@MikeBoling1 Oh, my bad😁
We've had 2 based in England as warbirds. To say I'm surprised is a total understatement!
Can you do one on the CL-215??
Would have been interesting to see this VS a Mitsubishi Ki 83.
Thanks....I have never heard of this aircraft. When I saw the photo, I thought it might be a Black Widow.
was not a waste, it did its part
I’m pretty sure that the Grumman ultra-lite aluminum canoe that I love so much was produced by this same company. From what it’s endured packing out moose quarters from the bush of Ontario it is one very well built canoe and it follows in the company’s tradition of quality.
I saw one at the Goodwood revival here in the UK around the year 2000.
Id never seen anything quite like it with a fuselage that looked like a razorblade from head on, stunning.
Having seen the p38 the mosquito and the heinkle in museums , the Tigercat at PIMMA on static display looks its going 450mph STANDING STILL. .
My favorite of the "Cats" aircraft. Sleek, fast and deadly.
I love how everyone knows more than the OP, Critiques every word, every snippet of video or photo. Yet not a one has a channel or 1 single video to show us all how it's done. Easy to sit and berate someone else's work. When you do nothing. Amazing.
Seen one race several times in Reno - my favorite