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The F7F was pure fighter. All other uses were afterthoughts. The performance was amazing and it still flies a great aerobatic sequence at airshows. The Two seaters were night fighters and all other uses were well after being designed as a fighter. Many people feel it was easily one of the best of the pistons to fly. Especially former fighter pilots who flew it.
There never was an F7F fitted as a torpedo carrier unless it just isn't well documented. There were 34 F7F-1's as single-seat fighters, 1 F7F-1N fitted with radar as a prototype night fighter, 1 XF7F-2N prototype, 65 F7FN 2-seat night fighters, a small number of F7F-2D drone conversions, 189 single-seat F7F-3 fighter-bombers, 60 F7F-2N 2-seat night fighters, a small number of F7F-3E electronics warfare conversions, a small number of F7F-3P photo recon conversions, and 13 F7F-4N night fighters. Total 364. None were torpedo planes.
We are in the process of restoring one now at Fighter Rebuilders. It is looking very good.
The F7F Tigercat COULD carry one torpedo, but the US Navy didn't operate them as torpedo bombers. They were operated as fighters, fighter/bombers, interdiction, and night fighters. In Korea, they performed fighter and night interdiction missions in their only combat use ... no torpedo attacks.
The F7F-3 was produced in day fighter, nigh fighter, and photo-recon versions. All retained the ability to carry a torpedo but rarely if ever did.
Since they were not operated as torpedo bombers, they are fighters that had the capability ... but it wasn't ever used. In my book, that removes them from the torpedo plane category altogether. To be classified as torpedo plane, the type should at LEAST have been operated as such by somebody. You can use an F-22 Raptor as a ground attack plane, but nobody does, so it isn't one. I think we all know that planes can be adapted for special uses in times of need. The Mosquito and Ju-88 come immediately to mind.
The F7F Tigercat COULD carry one torpedo, but the US Navy didn't operate them as torpedo bombers. They were operated as fighters, fighter/bombers, interdiction, and night fighters. In Korea, they performed fighter and night interdiction missions in their only combat use ... no torpedo attacks.
The F7F-3 was produced in day fighter, nigh fighter, and photo-recon versions. All retained the ability to carry a torpedo but rarely if ever did.
Since they were not operated as torpedo bombers, they are fighters that had the capability ... but it wasn't ever used. In my book, that removes them from the torpedo plane category altogether. To be classified as torpedo plane, the type should at LEAST have been operated as such by somebody. You can use an F-22 Raptor as a ground attack plane, but nobody does, so it isn't one. I think we all know that planes can be adapted for special uses in times of need. The Mosquito and Ju-88 come immediately to mind.
All of the F7F's still flying beat book numbers for speed and climb. Many still have all the military equipment in them, including inert rounds and gun muzzles and gun ports, so they are essentially in stock aerodynamic form.
This is perhaps a silly question, but who is flying a modern F7F at war emergency power at 25,000 feet to test maximum level speed?
- Ivan.
Sorry to hear about your loss.
War knows no mercy. Many innocents are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.