F6F naming

[GrauGeist]

There was also the F4F-3S "Wildcatfish" prototype.

 

[Colin L]

Don't forget Grumman's 'Sea Bird' series ... Duck, Widgeon, Gosling, Goose, Mallard, Albatross.
It's good to have a theme, look at Hawker's 'Storm' series.

 

[fannum]

Grumman employees supporting VF-31's F-14s spoke of keeping the scrappy "Alley Cat" name in abeyance for the future.
"Tomcat" had been proposed earlier, in consideration for the F8F at least, but was considered a bit racy with scurrilous connotations in those rather censored times, when Desi and Lucy slept in separate beds.
Remember that the largely experimental Grumman F10F was the "Jaguar," and Leopard, Puma, and Lynx were considered ... and Tiger, Cheetah, etc. applied to their light plane line, based on Jim Bede's clever BD-1.
The F5F "Skyrocket" was the notable non-feline exception.

 

[GrauGeist]

Grumman's FF, F2F and F3F were un-named.

It was the F4F that started the feline naming tradition for their fighters.

 

[SaparotRob]

Grumman employees supporting VF-31's F-14s spoke of keeping the scrappy "Alley Cat" name in abeyance for the future.
"Tomcat" had been proposed earlier, in consideration for the F8F at least, but was considered a bit racy with scurrilous connotations in those rather censored times, when Desi and Lucy slept in separate beds.
Remember that the largely experimental Grumman F10F was the "Jaguar," and Leopard, Puma, and Lynx were considered ... and Tiger, Cheetah, etc. applied to their light plane line, based on Jim Bede's clever BD-1.
The F5F "Skyrocket" was the notable non-feline exception.
View attachment 888519

View attachment 888520

Like + informative + Skyrocket = winner.

 

[Bartleby]

Grumman employees supporting VF-31's F-14s spoke of keeping the scrappy "Alley Cat" name in abeyance for the future.
"Tomcat" had been proposed earlier, in consideration for the F8F at least, but was considered a bit racy with scurrilous connotations in those rather censored times, when Desi and Lucy slept in separate beds.
Remember that the largely experimental Grumman F10F was the "Jaguar," and Leopard, Puma, and Lynx were considered ... and Tiger, Cheetah, etc. applied to their light plane line, based on Jim Bede's clever BD-1.
The F5F "Skyrocket" was the notable non-feline exception.
View attachment 888519

View attachment 888520

Forgive me, but is there any evidence that Leopard, Puma an Lynx were considered for the XF10F ?

 

[yosimitesam]

Bearcat
The bearcat (Arctictis binturong), also known as the binturong, is a large, arboreal mammal that is native to the dense tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Despite its name, the bearcat is not a bear nor a cat, but is instead a member of the Viverridae family, which also includes civets and genets.

From: Animals Named Cat That Aren't Actually Cats

 

[Sabrejet]

Bearcat
The bearcat (Arctictis binturong), also known as the binturong, is a large, arboreal mammal that is native to the dense tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Despite its name, the bearcat is not a bear nor a cat, but is instead a member of the Viverridae family, which also includes civets and genets.

From: Animals Named Cat That Aren't Actually Cats

See post #9; they also smell of popcorn, hence the nickname "popcorn bear".