The Aero Experience continues our coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019, sponsored by Elite Aviation, with this look at two U.S. Navy Grumman cats - F-6F Hellcat and F-8F Bearcat. The Hellcat was primarily employed in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II, battling the Imperial Japanese Navy fighters to ultimate victory. The Bearcat emerged at the end of World War II as a shorter, lighter development of the Hellcat with improved performance and firepower. The end of the war and the onset of the jet age resulted in a reduced production of Bearcats, some of which were exported or used as aerial targets.
