Grumman F8F Bearcat - Aero Series 20

Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, Inc.. Good. 1969. Paperback. B&W and Color Illustrations; This book is in Good condition and was issued without a dust jacket. The book and its contents are in generally clean condition. The text pages are clean and bright. There is a tear to the bottom spine end of the book cover. The spine ends and corners of the book covers have some bumping, rubbing and wear. The top spine end of the book cover has the remnants of a piece of tape a former owner used to repair. The book covers have several spots of ground-in dirt / discoloration. The text pages are clean and bright. "The Bearcat concept began during a meeting between Battle of Midway veteran F4F Wildcat pilots and Grumman vice president Jake Swirbul at Pearl Harbor on 23 June 1942. At the meeting, Lieutenant Commander Jimmie Thach emphasized one of the most important requirements in a good fighter plane was "climb rate". Climb performance is strongly related to the power-to-weight ratio, and is maximized by wrapping the smallest and lightest possible airframe around the most powerful available engine. Another goal was that the G-58 (Grumman's design designation for the aircraft) should be able to operate from escort carriers, which were then limited to the obsolescent F4F Wildcat, as the Grumman F6F Hellcat was too large and heavy. A small, lightweight aircraft would make this possible. After intensively analyzing carrier warfare in the Pacific Theater of Operations for a year and a half, Grumman began development of the G-58 Bearcat in late 1943. " (from Wikipedia) .