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View Full Version : This weird cat took to the air for the first time on April Fools day, 1940.


dominique
February 28th, 2009, 09:52
http://home.att.net/%7EC.C.Jordan/XF5F-1.jpg


(thanking Marlin for the HU to an interesting site !)
Helldiver
February 28th, 2009, 10:47
What's so weird about that? It was commonplace in the 1940s. It was eventually evolved into the F7F Tigercat. The next version had a longer nose. You were just born too late.
djscoo
February 28th, 2009, 11:21
According to my research, there was only one Skyrocket made...it was built in 1938, and crashed in 1944.
Cazzie
February 28th, 2009, 11:32
There was only one F5F, but Grumman also built its USAAC cousin, the XP-50, which started with a long nose.

It served quite an illustrious career spanning 6 years of tests that, as Helldiver said, led to the F7F.

After the defeat at Midway and from then on, the US Navy simply did not need a twin-engine carrier-borne fighter and with the Hellcat already sweeping up the Japanese army and navy aircraft, why should they.

Caz
Navy Chief
February 28th, 2009, 11:58
What's so weird about that? It was commonplace in the 1940s. It was eventually evolved into the F7F Tigercat. The next version had a longer nose. You were just born too late.

I wish I had been a part of that generation. Nothing but respect for what they (you) went through.

NC
brad kaste
February 28th, 2009, 14:15
The aircraft actually became a test bed. During one particular dive test the Grumman Skyrocket reached the speed of 485 mph. It's fun to conjecture how well it would have handled itself against the Zero. I think it'd hold it's own and then some.
Helldiver
February 28th, 2009, 14:36
Look here, both Smilin' Jack and Terry and the Pirates flew the Grumman Skyrocket.
It don't get much better than that.
Smilin' Jack used to ride around in the Bell Aircuda though. Terry got to fly P-40's against the Japs even before Chennault.

:ernae:
Jagdflieger
February 28th, 2009, 18:18
It was one of Aeroplane Heaven's first releases and it's still a good one. I think that you can still get it as freeware at their site.

Paul Clawson also made one. It should be available at the larger sim sites.
TARPSBird
March 1st, 2009, 01:14
Smilin' Jack was one of my favorite comic strips when I was a kid. It ran for 40 years in the Chicago Tribune.
wombat666
March 1st, 2009, 01:18
Look here, both Smilin' Jack and Terry and the Pirates flew the Grumman Skyrocket.
It don't get much better than that.
Smilin' Jack used to ride around in the Bell Aircuda though. Terry got to fly P-40's against the Japs even before Chennault.
:ernae:

And at one stage there was an entire 'Comic Strip' squadron of Skyrockets IIRC.
Pretty mediocre aircraft just the same.
:kilroy: