F8F Bearcat Armament

[Lightning Guy]

I've been trying to find some details of the F8F-2 Bearcat's armament without any luck. Does anyone know whether it was armed with the M2 cannon or a later model? Also, anyone know how many rpg were carried?

 

[evangilder]

LG, the F8F-2 at our museum has 4 x M3 cannon. I am not sure if all of them did though. I will have to ask if someone down there knows how many rpg's. I will have a look through my docs as well.

 

[Lightning Guy]

Thanks Evan. I was thinking I had seen somewhere that it used M3 cannons but I couldn't find anything to verify that. And I've never seen anything on the ammo loads.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

hey where have you been LG??

 

[Lightning Guy]

Grad school man. Trying to write a thesis is killing me.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

how's it going??

 

[Lightning Guy]

Well, I started with a great and glorious idea of getting my entire thesis done in one semester. I've since given up on that.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

 

[Matt308]

The F8F-3 had six .50 cals

 

[evangilder]

No, the F8F-3 had 4 20mm. I am sure of that.

 

[Lightning Guy]

Are you sure there even was an F8F-3?
I've heard of the F8F-1 (4 x .50cals) and the F8F-1B and F8F-2 (4 x 20mm) but never an F8F-3.

 

[evangilder]

Good catch, LG, you are right. I had a brain cramp when I replied. I was remembering that everything after the 1B had the 20mm cannons. Too many airplane numbers to remember!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

which is why british aircraft are the best, no akward numbers to remember (even though i know most of their numbers anyway)..........

 

[evangilder]

They aren't any easier Lanc. They had a bunch of Mk numbers as well. Would it have been better as the F8F Mk I?

 

[Nonskimmer]

USAAF/USAF designations have always seemed to be pretty straightforward. The ones that were whacked were the old US Navy designations.
A fine example being two totally different aircraft designated as F4F and F4U, respectively.

I guess that's why they eventually switched to the Air Force system.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

USAAF/USAF numbering systems have always seemed to be pretty straightforward. The ones that were whacked were the old US Navy designations.
A fine example being two totally different aircraft designated as F4F and F4U, respectively.

I guess that's why they eventually switched to the Air Force system.

PBF4UY-3A ?!?

 

[cheddar cheese]

I find the American designations fairly simple to understand. 8)

 

[Nonskimmer]

PBF4UY-3A ?!?

Agreed. Pretty nuts.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

dude Mk numbers aint hard to remember, and i have no problem remembering that the horsa Mk.I was in fact the Airspeed A.S.51 Horsa Mk.I, the Mk.II actually being the Airspeed A.S.58 Horsa Mk.II, not .51............

 

[FLYBOYJ]

PBF4UY-3A ?!?

Agreed. Pretty nuts.

I ACTUALLY THINK THEY DID THAT TO PISS OFF THE AAF AND TO CONFUSE THE REST OF THE NAVY - PROBABLY DEVELOPED BY NAVAL INTELLIGENCE