The F7F Tigercat’s design specification was to have double the firepower of the F4F Wildcat and produce more than 4,000 hp to operate on aircraft carriers.
The XF7F-1 prototype was produced with the aim of manufacturing a fighter superior to all existing fighter aircraft that had an auxiliary ground attack capability.
The XF7F-1 was an all metal design with cantilever shoulder mounted wings and was some 70 mph faster than the Grumman F6F Hellcat at sea level.
After being flown by test pilot Captain Fred Trapnell, he stated “It’s the best damn fighter I have ever flown”.
However, it was not suitable for carrier use due to its size, high landing speed and instability especially with only one engine operational.
All early F7F’s were only certified as land-based variants but eventually the late variant F7F-4N was certified for carrier service.
PRODUCTION
The Grumman F7F Tigercat was produced from 1943 to 1946, with 364 built.
ARMAMENT
4 x Browning 0.5” machine guns
4 x M-2 20mm cannon
2,000 lb (907 kg) Rocket/Bomb load.
It was the first twin-engine fighter to be deployed by the U.S. Navy but was delivered too late to see combat in WWII.
The F7F-3N Tigercat based with Night Fighter Squadron VMF(N)-513, saw action in the Korean war and shot down two Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes which proved to be the only combat of the aircraft.
