The F8F-1 is a American naval fighter. It was introduced in Update 1.33.

The F8F-1 is an all-purpose light fighter-bomber, and excels as such. Although it may seemed incredibly outgunned with only four M2 Brownings, the Bearcat can be a more than decent fighter in the right hands. The plane was developed to achieve two things: the best possible climb rate and the ability to land on escort carriers.

The in-game F8F-1 retains many advantages of the real-life counterpart. The F8F has very good acceleration and climb rate, thanks to its powerful engine. Because of that, it can quickly gain an altitude advantage over its opponents. Thanks to its high top speed, good wing endurance, and good energy retention capabilities, the F8F is perfectly suited to energy fighting. A Bearcat pilot should avoid low-speed dogfights, instead opt for a diving attack from above.The Bearcat is also a very hardy aircraft able to sustain several hits from enemy cannon and machine gun rounds before being decommissioned. The phrase "Grumman Ironworks" comes into play on the Bearcats just like their previous works; The F3F, The F4F Wild Cat, and the F6F Hellcat. Therefore you shouldn't be too wary of 13-15 mm. 20 mm Hispanos and 30 mm Rhein Borsig series guns are your biggest threats in terms of damage.

The main issue with the F8F-1 is its armament. With only four 12.7 mm M2 machine guns, the F8F-1 is lacking especially when compared to the succeeding F8F-1B that has four 20 mm M3 autocannons. With a relatively low fire rate and low damage, pilots must make their shots count. Unlike most other planes equipped with the M2 Brownings, the Bearcat can utilize M20 API-T rounds. These rounds excel at setting targets aflame. Precise aiming is key, specifically targeting the enemy aircraft's engine or pilot. Aiming for the fuselage is less effective as unlike the P-47D, which has eight M2s which can chew through aircraft fuselages by hurling twice as many bullets down range. Meanwhile the measly 4 x M2s Bearcat will pepper the hull and simply be absorbed. And unlike other Browning armed airplanes, it has mediocre ammo load of only 1250 rounds.

Make use of the secondary payloads as well. The Bearcat can make use of the Tiny Tim rockets as well as a large array of HVAR rockets and bombs. Tiny Tims are especially useful against heavy ground targets and tanks.