HalH

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I have never seen this kit or a finished airplane. Does someone have info/pictures of this airplane?

Thanks for your time.

sperman

Here is a picture of a Top Flite Bearcat that I built about 8 or 9 years ago. This is the only Bearcat that I know of that Top Flite has put out.
It is a .60 size plane with a 60 in. wingspan and 630 sq. in. area. It used 4 preformed fuse panels for sheeting, used built in hardwood rails for engine mounts and had a good solid plastic cowl.

I found a kit of one at a swap shop a year ago and have just started building it, so this will be my second one. I have the fuse and tailfeathers built up and am just starting on the wing.

G.F. Reid

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Nice job on that B'cat sperman....
The kit has been out of production since at least the late 1980s. Explains why you don't see many. I believe it was designed by Hal Parenti and has a good rep.
I've got the Royal F8F which is similar in design and vintage but a little bigger. BTW, the Royal version (Marutaka) is still available from HobbyBarn.

Otto Kudrna

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I talked to Hal Parenti, who designed the kit, about two weeks ago about doing something. He let me make some prints of the original plans he drew up, with all the formers and part templates. If you are interested I have some spear sets. The cowl that came with it is the same one used on the T/F Corsair.

Otto Kudrna

elmshoot

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I remeber talking to Hal many moons ago and he also told me about the cowl. He mentioned that if you wanted to make the cowl more scale like in profile that you take a 1/2 inch slice out of the cowl on each side. this is a pie shaped piece 1/2 at the front and nothing at the rear. make it on both sides at the 9 and 3 positions.
Hal is a nice guy.
Someday I will build my Bearcat as Beetle Bomb.
Sparky

sperman

Hey Elmshoot,

I am also planning on doing up my Bearcat in Beetle Bomb colors.

It really is a different type of cat isn't it?

Good luck on yours.

Darren40-RCU

I've got one of these partially built. A buddy of mine who started in the hobby at the same time as me had been working on one when he lost interest in the hobby. I bought it from him just because I didn't want to see it get tossed. He was an excellent builder, but its been sitting built up (fuselage) but not covered for ~20 years now. Wing is glassed. Hopefully still straight. Has RhomAir retracts. I'll have to rebuild the control surfaces since I don't like the way he did his. I'll be glassing and painting when/if I ever get around to this one. I hadn't heard much on how this one flies, so good to hear its probably a good flier.

Dave G

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The Top Flite Bearcat kit (red box) is available if you are familiar with ebay. This is one of my favorite stand off scale kits ever. No scale articulating retractable gear is available, but Robarts with struts are a good choice if you want 'em. This kit deserves reintroduction as a Gold Edition in giant scale! Anyway, if you're out to find one of these, do a "search" on ebay for F8F or Top Flite, twice a week and one'll show up. I've built up my stock pile of this kit from ebay for some very fair prices. All unstarted and met some fine folks at the same time. I've built 7, sold 4, lost 2 and have 2 on the shelf waiting their turn on the assembly line. Beetle Bomb sounds like a great paint scheme. After seeing Ziroli's BIG F8F, I think my next will be either the Gulfhawk 4th, or a not clipped wing version of #77 Rare Bear. Good Luck.

Remember, you can only tie the low level altitude record.

mdugas

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hi i just happen to have a tf bearcat cowl i dont need
both bowl and ring whith mounting tabs ,is uncut ,ring whith tab
never glued on ,to good and heavy duty so i never pitched
it.in case somone needs one,fig $10 shipped ground
thanks
mike

chewy

I've been looking for a Bearcat kit or plans that I can use my A&M 2.0 gasser on. If anybody knows of a set of plans or a kit I would guess around 120 size please let me know. I know a 2.0 gas engine falls in the not so common size but it's what I have and it's a great little engine. I figured the Bearcat tends to have trouble being tail heavy and the 2.0 might work without adding much dead weight. Any comments?

Hey Otto, what size is the Royal kit?

Thanks, Matt.