The Grumman F7F Tigercat is a heavy fighter aircraft that served with the United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) from late in World War II until 1954. It was the first twin-engined fighter to be deployed by the USN. While the Tigercat was delivered too late to see combat in World War II, it did serve in reconnaissance roles. The Tigercat primarily saw action as a night fighter and attack aircraft during the Korean War.

Designed initially for service on Midway-class aircraft carriers, early production F7Fs were land-based variants. The type was too large to operate from older and smaller carriers, and only a late variant (F7F-4N) was certified for carrier service.

Design and development

Based on the earlier Grumman XP-50 that was eventually canceled, the company developed the XP-65 (Model 51) further for a future "convoy fighter" concept. In 1943, work on the XP-65 was terminated in favor of the design that would eventually become the F7F. The contract for the prototype XF7F-1 was signed on 30 June 1941. Grumman's aim was to produce a fighter that outperformed and outgunned all existing fighter aircraft and that had an auxiliary ground-attack capability.

thumb|An F7F-3N of VMF(N)-513 at Wonsan, Korea, in 1952

Performance of the prototype and initial production aircraft met expectations; the F7F was one of the fastest piston-engined fighters, with a top speed significantly greater than single-engined USN aircraft — 71 mph faster than a Grumman F6F Hellcat at sea level. Captain Fred Trapnell, one of the premier USN test pilots of the era, stated: "It's the best damn fighter I've ever flown." The F7F was to be heavily armed — four 20 mm cannon and four .50 caliber (0.50 in; 12.7 mm) machine guns, as well as underwing and underfuselage hardpoints for bombs and torpedoes. This speed and firepower were bought at the cost of heavy weight and a high landing speed, but what caused the aircraft to fail carrier suitability trials was poor directional stability with only one engine operational, as well as problems with the tailhook design. The initial production series was, therefore, used only from land bases by the USMC, as night fighters with APS-6 radar.

While the F7F was initially also known as the Grumman Tomcat, this name was abandoned, because it was considered at the time to have excessively sexual overtones; (from the 1970s, the name Tomcat became commonly associated with, and officially used by the Navy for, another Grumman design, the F-14 twin-jet carrier-based interceptor).

The first production variant was the single-seat F7F-1N aircraft; after the 34th production aircraft, a second seat for a radar operator was added and these aircraft were designated F7F-2N.

A second production version, the F7F-3, was modified to correct the issues that caused the aircraft to fail carrier acceptance, and this version was again trialled on the . A wing failure on a heavy landing caused the failure of this carrier qualification, as well. F7F-3 aircraft were produced in day-fighter, night-fighter, and photo-reconnaissance versions.

The final production version, the F7F-4N, was extensively rebuilt for additional strength and stability, and did pass carrier qualification, but only 12 were built. In July and August 1945, VMP-354 used the F7F to photograph potential invasion beaches for Operation Downfall in Southern Kyushu. This was the only combat use of the aircraft.

Most F7F-2Ns were modified to control drones for combat training, and these gained bubble canopies over the rear cockpit for the drone controller. An F7F-2D used for pilot transitioning also had a rear-sliding, bubble canopy.

In 1945, two Tigercats, serial numbers TT346 and TT349, were evaluated, but rejected by the British Royal Navy in favor<!-- article seems to be AE --> of a naval version of the de Havilland Hornet.

Variants

thumb|The second XF7F-1 in 1946

thumb|An F7F-2D drone controller with an additional F8F windshield

thumb|An F7F-3N night fighter of VMF(N)-513 in April 1950

;XP-65

:Proposed United States Army Air Forces pursuit fighter

;XF7F-1

:Prototype aircraft, two built

;F7F-1 Tigercat

:Twin-engined fighter-bomber aircraft, powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-22W radial piston engines, first production version, 34 built

;F7F-1N Tigercat

:Single-seat night fighter aircraft, fitted with an APS-6 radar

;XF7F-2N

:Night-fighter prototype, one built

;F7F-2N Tigercat

:Two-seat night fighter, 65 built

;F7F-2D

:Small numbers of F7F-2Ns were converted into drone control aircraft; they were fitted with a Grumman F8F Bearcat windshield behind the cockpit.

;F7F-3 Tigercat

:Single-seat fighter-bomber aircraft, powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W radial piston engines and featuring an enlarged tailfin for improved stability at high altitudes, 189 built

;F7F-3N Tigercat

:Two-seat night fighter aircraft, 60 built

;F7F-3E Tigercat

:Small numbers of F7F-3s were converted into electronic-warfare aircraft.

;F7F-3P Tigercat

:Small numbers of F7F-3s were converted into photo-reconnaissance aircraft.

;F7F-4N Tigercat

:Two-seat night-fighter aircraft, fitted with a tailhook and other naval equipment, 12 built

Operators

;

  • United States Marine Corps
  • United States Navy

Surviving aircraft

thumb|The Tigercat was designed to have a very small frontal area.

thumb|F7F-3N Tigercat in use with belly tank in the fire-fighting role in 1988

thumb|F7F Tigercat N747MX La Patrona at 2014 Reno Air Races

Beginning in 1949, F7Fs were flown to the then-USN storage facility at Naval Air Station Litchfield Park, Arizona. Although the vast majority of the airframes were eventually scrapped, a number of examples were purchased as surplus. The surviving Tigercats were primarily used as water bombers to fight wildfires in the 1960s and 1970s, and Sis-Q Flying Services of Santa Rosa, California, operated an F7F-3N tanker in this role until retirement in the late 1980s.

; Airworthy

;; F7F-3

  • 80374 is based at the National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
  • 80375 is based at the National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs.
  • 80411 is based at Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California.
  • 80425 is privately owned in Seattle, Washington.
  • 80483 is privately owned in Houston, Texas.
  • 80503 is based at Lewis Air Legends in San Antonio, Texas.
  • 80532 is privately owned in Bentonville, Arkansas.

;F7F-3P

  • 80390 is based at Lewis Air Legends in San Antonio, Texas.

; On display

;; F7F-3

  • 80373: National Naval Aviation Museum in Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
  • 80410: Pima Air & Space Museum, adjacent to Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, in Tucson, Arizona.

; F7F-3N

  • 80382: Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California

; Under restoration or in storage

;; F7F-3

  • 80404 is in storage at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.

Specifications (F7F-4N Tigercat)

thumb|3-view drawing of a Grumman F7F-3N Tigercat

See also

References

Further reading

  • Bridgman, Leonard (ed.). "The Grumman Tigercat." Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. .
  • Carlson, Ted. "Semper Fi Tigercat". Flight Journal, Volume 13, Issue 2, April 2008.
  • Carr, Orrin I. "Fire 'Cat!" Air Classics, Vol. 12, No. 9, Sept. 1976. Canoga Park, CA: Challenge Publications, pp.&nbsp;38–47.
  • Dorr, Robert F. and David Donald. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Temple, 1990. .
  • Gault, Owen. "Grumman's Tiger Twins: The Skyrocket & Tigercat". Air Classics, Vol. 9, No. 8, Aug. 1973. Canoga Park, CA: Challenge Publications, pp.&nbsp;22–27.
  • Green, William. "Grumman F7F-1 – F7F-3 Tigercat". War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Four: Fighters London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 1961, pp.&nbsp;106–108. .
  • Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "Grumman F7F Tigercat". WW2 Fact Files: US Navy and Marine Corps Fighters. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1976, pp.&nbsp;57–61. .
  • Grossnick, Roy A. and William J. Armstrong. United States Naval Aviation: 1910–1995. Annapolis, MA: Naval Historical Center, 1997. .
  • Legg, David. "Tigercat on camera". Aircraft Illustrated, Volume 24, no. 1, January 1991.
  • Meyer, Corwin ("Corky") H. "F7F Tigercat: The Untold Story". Flight Journal, August 2002. Ridgefield, CT: AirAge Publications. pp.&nbsp;48–56, 58.
  • Morgan, Eric B. "Grumman F7F Tigercat F.7/30". Twentyfirst Profile, Volume 1, No. 11. New Milton, Hants, UK: 21st Profile Ltd. ISSN 0961-8120.
  • Morgan, Eric B. "The Grumman Twins". Twentyfirst Profile, Volume 2, No. 15. New Milton, Hants, UK: 21st Profile Ltd. ISSN 0961-8120.
  • O'Leary, Michael. "Tigercat Restoration". Air Classics, Vol. 38, No. 11, Nov. 2002. Canoga Park, CA: Challenge Publications.
  • O'Leary, Michael. United States Naval Fighters of World War II in Action. Poole, Dorset, UK: Blandford Press, 1980. .
  • Taylor, John W.R. "Grumman F7F Tigercat". Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the Present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. .
  • Thruelsen, Richard. The Grumman Story. New York: Praeger Publishers, Inc., 1976. .
  • Zuk, Bill. Janusz Zurakowski: Legends in the Sky. St. Catharine's, Ontario: Vanwell, 2004. .
  • Manual: (1949) AN 01-85FA-1 Pilot's Handbook for Navy Model F7F-1N, F7F-2N, F7F-3, F7F-3N, F7F-4N Airplanes
  • Naval Aviation Museum: F7F History & Pictures
  • F7F Tigercat "Big Bossman" air Racer
  • F7F Tigercat Flight Demonstration by Clay Lacy