Eickson Aircraft Collection F8F Bearcat

Considered the best performing piston fighter, the Grumman F8F Bearcat replaced the F6F Hellcat.Weighing almost 2,000 lbs. less than the Hellcat. The Bearcat could reach top speeds of 732 kmh and was the second featured aircraft of the Blue Angels.

It served during the mid-20th century in the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the air forces of other nations. It was Grumman Aircraft’s last piston engine fighter aircraft.

The museum’s Bearcat served with the Navy from 1948 to 1957. It became a photo recon aircraft in 1959. As a civilian plane it had a successful race career. In 1964 it won fourth place in Gold Unlimited in Reno. After its race career, it performed in airshows in Europe. In 1997 it came to the Heritage Flight Museum in Spokane, Washington and was restored to Navy combat specs. In September 2021, the Bearcat was acquired by the Erickson Aircraft Collection.