The origins of the F8F Bearcat date back to 1943 when extensive evaluation of the Grumman F6F Hellcat which was the standard United States Navy fighter of the period, made it clear that an aircraft with small dimensions, superior maneuverability and high speed capabilities was going to be needed to keep up with the marginal improvements of the aircraft flown by the armed forces of Imperial Japan.  The first prototypes were being flown the following year.  After an extended period of trials and modifications the F8F Bearcat was accepted by the United States Navy which replaced the squadrons flying F6Fs with this newer fighter aircraft.  While the F8F Bearcat arrived too late to see any action in World War II, it did a great job of bridging the gap between the Navy's slower World War II era fighters and the first jet fighters to enter fleet service just prior to the Korean War.  The Bearcat was flown by a number of other countries as well, perhaps most famously with the colonial air forces which operated in French Indo-China during the first half of the 1950s.  This F8F-2 Bearcat (U.S. Navy Fighter) model includes the following features: 1) Authentic markings for the following two aircraft flown by the post World War II United States Navy; A) F8 F-2 Bearcat CAG a/c CVG-15 and B) F8 F-2 Bearcat Naval Air Test Center; 2) Clear plastic canopy; 3) Detailed cockpit; 4) External fuel drop tank; 5) Recessed panel lines; 6) Two different sizes of externally mounted bombs; 7) Paint guide and 8) Illustrated assembly instructions.  The box is in like-new condition.  Never started and factory sealed.