I saw one fly back in 1995. My father and I visited the Lone Star Air Museum in Galveston TX. Almost every plane was kept in flying condition. The day we visited, the museum owner decided to take their Tigercat for a few passes and fly-bys. It was an amazing sounding plane and beautiful to watch.

@stuartpeacock8257

11 ай бұрын

You are indeed so fortunate

@tannerdowney2802

11 ай бұрын

Neat.

@bessie1854

11 ай бұрын

Fortunately there is usually at least one example of the Tigercat at the annual EAA Show in Oshkosh, Wi. I've been fortunate to see them in flight several times.

@stephenallen4374

11 ай бұрын

My grandfather was able to fly one in the UK he said it was a bullet

@dollin9515

11 ай бұрын

That's insane! Incase you didnt know, they relocated a few years ago to ellington field. it's a much nicer place. only downside is that i dont get to see some planes and go to the beach within 10 minutes of each other.

I think Grumman has the most amazing heritage in naval aviation.

@RobertMRyder

11 ай бұрын

My mom was pretty popular, too.

@gamingwithflight6179

11 ай бұрын

I miss the f 14

@craigkdillon

11 ай бұрын

@@gamingwithflight6179 Yeah. It was amazing.

@katherineberger6329

11 ай бұрын

If Northrop Grumman gets the Naval NGAD contract, I hope they give it a Grumman name.

@craigkdillon

11 ай бұрын

@@katherineberger6329 Yeah. How about Alleycat?

I've always tgought the F7F was one of the most beautiful propellor driven aircraft ever created. The sound of the twin engines is also amazing!

@aaaht3810

11 ай бұрын

Would have to agree. Certainly the best looking Grumman propeller aircraft. Love the head on view with that narrow fuselage and those twin radials. Beautiful.

The title and the script below it miss the point. The Tigercat was at the peak of piston-engine fighter design, but also at its end. If you mean it presaged a line of twin-engine naval fighters, that's a bit specious. As for being 'too powerful', no fighter pilot ever complained about having too much power. The reasons it failed as a carrier fighter were lack of yaw authority under asymmetric power and high landing speed due to its weight; neither of those relate to being too powerful. It was also too fragile for the rigours of carrier ops and by the time that was fixed it was obsolete. The Tigercat was certainly impressive and it found its niche in Korea, but I'd find it hard to argue that it showed the way even just in the naval sphere, let alone aviation generally.

@gt1man931

11 ай бұрын

Thank you for saying the real truth of the matter. Most of this video was just plain wrong.

@smgdfcmfah

11 ай бұрын

Well put. Some good info here but when the file footage is constantly showing different aircraft than those being described I tend to shake my head. My favorite is at 2:20 when the Bearcat turns into a Skyraider mid takeoff. Also, all this talk about twin engine aircraft fighter being unique completely ignores not on the P-38 Lightning buy many other twin engine fighters from a host of nations. The only thing truly unique and new about the Tigercat is that the US navy was interested in it.

@jackcooper4936

11 ай бұрын

Good paragraph, these video always have so much potential, but miss a lot of critical data.

@nucleargandhi3759

11 ай бұрын

I'd say if anything it maybe more predicted the eventual shift by the navy to Multirole aircraft, with this being able to do well in both strike and air missions. But it being such an influence wasn't really covered in the video at all

@Jon-bd4rf

11 ай бұрын

Yes. Good points. In order to make the f22 a carrier capable fighter it would need restructuring to make its frame durable enough for thr abuse of carrier landings. Yet no one calls the raptor "too powerful." Its about the right tool in thr right place and time. Context matters

During the end of WWII, my father flew an F7F when he was stationed at the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) in Inyokern California. He was doing test work of the Tiny Tim and Holy Moses rockets before deploying them to the Pacific fleet. Prior to that, he flew an SBD dive bomber in combat from the decks of the USS Hornet (CV-8) and the USS Lexington (CV-16) He also had flown the F4F Wildcat, the F6F Hellcat and the F4U Corsair. After the war he also flew the F2H Banshee. He said that the F7F was his favorite all-time Navy plane to fly.

@Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu

11 ай бұрын

What was his #2 favorite? Did he mention it?

@SnotRocket6515

11 ай бұрын

Zamn, he flew everythin!

@BP-1988

11 ай бұрын

​@@Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu I would have to guess the SBD because he had the most hours in it and it probably saved his life a number of times. He flew mission in an SBD at Midway, Battle of Santa Cruz, Battle of the Philippine Sea as well as raids on Truk Lagoon and other islands with Japanese installations. But he always said he enjoyed flying fighters because of their raw power and ability to climb.

@stuartwald2395

11 ай бұрын

@@BP-1988 Gotta love Slow But Deadly!

@BP-1988

11 ай бұрын

@@stuartwald2395 I think he only few an SB2C a few times and never in combat. He and many other pilots hated them. He called them Son-of-a Bitch Second Class.

F7F Tigercat has been my favorite warbird since the mid-1970s and I found a Monogram 1/72 model of one.

Absolutely one badass prop-driven fighter!!!! Shame it didn't get to shine in WW2.

@HighSideHustler81

11 ай бұрын

Agreed 110% brother.

In 1968-71 I went to college in Santa Barbara, CA and the SB Airport had a forest fire squadron there made up of F-7s and TBMs converted to carry fire retardant. Amazing to see

Here in Colorado Springs, we're fortunate enough to have two privately owned and flying F7F's.

@ATBatmanMALS31

11 ай бұрын

I think I may have seen those around Peachtree City, Georgia (there is a shop there that works on classic military aircraft). Do they take them to airshows?

I got to see one of these fly at the Reno Nevada air races back in 2004 when I was 11 years old. I had no idea what it was at the time but it was my favorite sounding plane at the event.

Glad to see the F7F get some recognition, it’s one of my favorite prop-driven aircraft of all time when I first saw one at the National Aviation Museum in Florida. I just watched the video on the Bearcat that released over a year ago, I wondered if you had a video on the Tigercat and was disappointed when I saw you didn’t. who knew less than a week later, I’d get my wish.

@ALL_OUT_OF_BUBBLEGUM

11 ай бұрын

I felt the same way. (Except I've never seen one in real life) I had no idea it was so powerful, heavily armed and that it was repurposed into a water bomber.

There are not just one, but two of these in the National WWII Aviation Museum in Colorado Springs, saw both last month in this remarkable museum.

The first time I saw one I was amazed and how thin the fuselage is!

Seeing 3 of them fly at the Chino air show was such a special treat and I hope they do it again someday soon.

The Museum of WWII Aviation in Colorado Springs, CO has TWO flyable examples. Very impressive and awesome sounding in flight!

Grumman had some of the most amazing plains of that period. Love the Vought F4U, but the Tigercat is my all time favorite propeller driven AC.

I live the F7F!! The Chino airshow usually has two of them, one being a modified Reno Air racer, and you can literally feel the power they have at even low speeds when they fly by. It’s big. Loud. Powerful. And definitely a sight to be seen. I hope everyone gets the chance to see one of these fly before it’s too late.

Awesome to hear Frederick "Trap" Trapnell being mentioned. His contribution to the F4U was massive.

No, the P-38 was the first twin engine fighter ordered in large numbers. There was also the P-61 Black Widow night fighter.

@somercet1

8 ай бұрын

Those were both Army Air Force, this was the Navy.

@sidgar1

8 ай бұрын

@johnthomas2485 0:12 12 seconds in and you're already misquoting the video. He clearly states "As the first twin-engine fighter deployed by the U.S. Navy"

The best Grumman cat, and my favorite aircraft of all time. Love the Tigercat.

It was also one of the most beautiful plane ever made. A true Grummann!

I saw the Tigercat at the EAA airshow (circa '91 or '92), and was amazed that such a "small" plane had such powerful sound (Those big engines thundering!!), climbed effortlessly, and sort of left me with the impression that this was one plane you wouldn't want to mess with. Too bad it didn't make it into the WW2 campaigns!

Saw one of these flying at in 1989 at the Red Arrows 25th Anniversary Air Show at RAF Scampton, and again at RAF Finningley the same year. Truly spectacular.

I've gotten the privilege to work on two of them and they are amazing aircraft and they go like hell!

I do Love your voice, your research, and your narration text--well put! Thanks for all you do !

The Tigercat is one of the best looking twin-engine fighters of WWII in my opinion.

@intotheblackbeyond

11 ай бұрын

Personally id say it’s there with the P-38

@sim.frischh9781

11 ай бұрын

@@intotheblackbeyond I wrote "one of"; and yes, the P-38 would definitely be among them as well.

@ekspatriat

8 ай бұрын

Mosquito anyone?

@sim.frischh9781

8 ай бұрын

@@ekspatriatDefinitely a Beauty as well, just a little bit chubbier.

2:40 These two engineers looking at design plans and touching hand to face are the "Wilhelm scream" of Dark Skies channel. They appear in every video, and work for about 37 US Navy and Airforce procurement companies if the footage is given correct credit for association.

"way ahead of its time...albeit for a brief period" lol

The Tigercat is my favorite Cat of all time. I saw a Tigercat in person for the first time as a high school student at Porterville, CA airport in 1976. The Tiger had been retasked to the county fire services. It did a high-speed pass over the runway and leapt skyward in a barrel roll, those monster radials thundering. No other warbird comes close IMO...

I love how that same dude at 2:46 is in all of these videos. He must have worked at every American aircraft company that ever existed!

@Falcon7001

11 ай бұрын

He was probably a test pilot for the government. Back then, the armed forces did their own testing on top of the manufacturer tests. The planes were too important to just trust that the maker gave it a full shake down.

@AugustusLarch

11 ай бұрын

That clip is from a wartime film about flying the P-47. If I find it again, I will link it.

Dude, I love these videos. The voice, the music, the stories, the narration, the production are all awesome and fun and inspiring. Better than any other history videos. Even on cable. The only thing I would recommend is to make your chapter names a little more enigmatic or foreshadowing. Maybe get someone more cheeky or less serious to help out with that? I haven't made any videos, but what you have going here is so excellent.

In the '70's I worked for the U.S. Forest Service on Hot Shot crews fighting wildfires. The Forest Service contracted for aerial fire retardant dropping aircraft. The F7F was one of the aircraft modified to drop the retardant. It was awesome to watch this aircraft in action. At one fire in Ice House Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains in L.A. County, they were actually dropping retardant below where we were cutting fire line.

I like that it became a firefighter plane. A fitting end to a good aircraft.

I never heard of this ''cat''... what a magnificent design!... thank you for the update!

As always, great video!

Gorgeous aircraft!! Thanks--great video!

The absolute zenith of prop driven fighters, in every catagory...

Ive got 5 RC ones made by FMS model and im lucky enough to have 3 of the Silver "La patrona" reno racer variant. The dark blue is cool but a nightmare on a foam plane in the sun, the undercarriage is an absolute work of art and the scale detail as beautiful. The thing I love about it most is the screaming whistle it makes when flying full power in a gentle dive. I can only imagine how the real one must've sounded. Such a shame it was a few years too late to show it's true potential.

I've always been awestruck by the lines of that plane and how sleek and slender it is. An absolute beauty.

I had never heard of these until I saw one fly at an airshow. Extremely elegant and sleek in the sky, it became an instant favorite of mine.

Great scoring on the vids as of late (alongside the excellent-as-usual content) 👍

What a beautiful plane. It must have been awesome to fly.

Easily one of my all-time favorites

I saw two of them fly at the same time at the Chino Airshow in 2009. It is a beautiful aircraft.

In the mid 1980’s two businessmen in Knoxville, TN owned and regularly flew a Tigercat and 2 Bearcats (along with a Spanish built BF-109).

Have seen an example of this wonderful plane at Camarillo, CA air show many times. Beautiful thing.

I love all of your channels! My go-to for all dark and eerie history

"Too much power, making the aircraft too fast for general carrier operations"" One must then wonder how they ever got the F9F aboard.

Good video!!!

Good video. Beautiful aircraft.

I saw one fly at an air show in the 90's, part of the "cat" family kept by the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. It was extremely elegant in the air and just emanated power and performance. I will long remember that day.

'Way ahead of its time - for a brief period.' Absolutely hilarious. How on earth do you come up with these lines

Excellent video

Well done!

Tjaml upi for covering this beautiful fighter.

I didn't know anything about this airplane. Thank you for this video.

I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about aircraft, especially the WWII planes, but I’d never heard of this remarkable fighter. Thanks for the education.

You imagine an Essex class or 3 CV(s) in 1944 with 24 F7F Tigercats, 40 F8F Bearcats, and 24 AD1 Skyraiders?

We could've had the tom cat 30 years before

@flickingbollocks5542

11 ай бұрын

Or the Lockheed Fvckwit...

@Nlangkirby135

11 ай бұрын

Tomcat was rejected due to the sexual nature at the time.

@ianberry5879

11 ай бұрын

Not THE Tomcat, A Tomcat.

Can you imagine how cool it would be to modernize it with stronger wings and two turboprops that thing would be awesome it definitely is one of my favorite twin engine aircraft of that era

At 2:19, the video shows an F8F Bearcat taking off, but at 2:21, the aircraft is an A-1D Douglas Skyraider climbing out.

That is one good-looking airplane.

One of my favorite WWII/Korea era aircraft; a real thoroughbreed beauty - the F7F. Had it not been for the advent of jet aircraft (ironically - like the F9F Panther), it would have had a more gloroius history.

Visually beautiful.

Such a gorgous Aircraft its a pity it never got its Chance in WW2 , it would have been a total Terror..Great vid.

I love this channel

It was/is a beautifully elegant design...

Tiger Cats were employed from at least on Essex Class carrier after the angled deck was installed. I met a Navy veteran who served on that boat in the Korean mess.

This is a great video. In the early 90’s a Tigercat displayed in the UK. I saw it at Stoughton, Leicester where it was put through the most memorable display I remember in perfect bluesky conditions. It was a two seat version. I think the pilot was Steve Hinton -if anyone can confirm or correct me on that, I’d be grateful! Folks here revere the Mossie but for shere ‘grunt’ and presence ,the F7-f won me over! What an aircraft!

@paulbantick8266

Ай бұрын

Do you know anything about the DH Hornet? A better all-round performance fighter than the Tigercat. It also actually did see service on land and at sea.

@paulgregg722

Ай бұрын

@@paulbantick8266 The DeH Hornet was everything you say. Unfortunately in UK we haven’t allowed enough of our out of service designs to survive complete. For thatbreason until now the Hornet hasn’t enjoyed the public attention it deserves.

Tiger cat. Never seen this aircraft. Learn something new everyday. 👍👾

4:39 - Merry Christmas, LOL! Classic!!

They have one at the WWII aviation history museum in Colorado Springs. Along with a ton of other aircraft worth the visit if you’re ever close

I love the looks of the F7F.

Such a beautiful aircraft !

I saw the Tigercat fly at Chino, California air show and these planes are so big and so fast.

The most beautiful aircraft ever built, at least to my eyes. My ears concur- 2 X R2800 = most gorgeous sounding aircraft as well.

It was an aerial firefighting aircraft in the 60's into the 80s Well liked by its pilots and crews.

I strongly recommend anyone to look up high speed flybys of F7Fs. Their twin engines sound so beefy and cool

I like your documentaries... really cool music near the end... what was that???

I did not know that this aircraft was actually ready and deployed during WWII. Thank You.

Thank you.

I love the Bearcat, but damn! The Tigercat is gorgeous!

A VERY EXCELLENT AIRCRAFT!

Tigercat...one of my faves!

I watched one of these beauties compete in the classic warbird heats at the Reno Air Races in 2006. It was so fast that it had it had to start the the race with a time handicap to make the race interesting, as it was competing against a couple of F6F's and even a venerable F4F which had to have a major head start. It was great fun watching the three fighters race against each other and other aircraft such as the P-51, F4U, and a Russian La-5.

Met one of the granddaughters a while back, she has a bunch of great photos, cool experience

What a beautiful aircraft.

Seen one race several times in Reno - my favorite

To this one guy's eyes, this is about the most BEAUTIFUL aircraft of all heavier-than-air designs.

you all are the Best Air craft Documentary ✈

was not a waste, it did its part

Love this airplane

Numbers! What did it weigh? Top speed? Rate of climb? Weight? Wong span? Height? Length? Fuel and range capacities???

Incredibly impressive design.

one of my favorite planes!

One of my favourite ❤❤

You produce better content, with far higher accuracy and attention to detail than anyone else that comes to mind. Excellent work.

The Tigercat like the Beaufighter were two of the best aircraft ever built, two engines followed by a pilot.

Easily one of the most beautiful aircraft ever, and the sexiest naval aircraft right next to the F14

We've had 2 based in England as warbirds. To say I'm surprised is a total understatement!