History

The Grumman F8F was one of the most potent of the last generation of piston engined fighters. It was too late to see US service during World War II but flew with the French, Thai and South Vietnamese air forces in South East Asia.

The F8F was the smallest airframe that could designed around the most powerful engine to create a high performance fighter.

Design started in November 1943 and the first prototype flew in August 1944 but they were about to enter US Navy service when World War II ended.

After the war the F8F was rearmed with four 20mm cannon to give it greater hitting power.

Two hundred and seven F8Fs were delivered to the Royal Thai Air Force beginning in 1951

This model represents a F8F-1B in service with the Royal Thai Air Force 1st Fighter Bomber Wing in the mid 1950s.

Hobby Boss 1:72 kit with Print Scale decals completed by Leigh Edmonds in October 2021.

Data

MODEL: Grumman F8F-1B (1st Fighter Bomber Wing, Royal Thai Air Force, mid 1950s)

ROLE: Fighter

TIME PERIOD: 1943-1963

ENGINES: one Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial piston engine of 1,566kW

WING SPAN: 10.92m

LENGTH: 8.61m

MAXIMUM TAKE OFF WEIGHT: 5,873kg

MAXIMUM SPEED: 678km/h

RANGE: 1778km

CREW: 1

ARMAMENT: four 20mm cannon, two 500lb bombs and eight 5inch rockets

SCALE: 1/72

KIT:

GALLERIES: , ,

Download details (PDF)

Recently added to the Collection

All Galleries
V Messerschmitt Bf109G 14 A Hasegawa 32 The Little Aviation Museum

Messerschmitt Bf109G-14 (Karl-Heinz Erler)

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Renard R.38

KODAK Digital Still Camera

CAC CA-25 Winjeel

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Lockheed SP-2H

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Boeing BBJ (RAAF)

H Messerschmitt Bf109G 14AS Hasegawa 32

Messerschmitt Bf109G-14/AS

H Messerschmitt Bf109F 4 JG 5 Hasegawa 32

Messerschmitt Bf109F-4

X Dassault Falcon 50 Amodel 72 The Little Aviation Museum

Dassault Falcon 50