As L?t?s’ ???n???, C?lin Ch??m?n, ?nc? s?i?, th? ??st w?? t? m?k? ? v?hicl? ??st?? is t? “sim?li?? ?n? ??? li?htn?ss.” As t??? ?s this w?s ??? s???ts c??s ?n? ??c? c??s, it mi?ht ?? ?v?n m??? ?ittin? t? ???l? this l??ic t? ?i??l?n?s.
With th??? ?im?nsi?ns ?? s??c? t? n?vi??t? inst??? ?? ?l?t t??m?c, ?v??? ??nc? c??nts ?v?n m??? s? th?n with c??s ?n? t??cks. W?nt ?????-??sitiv?? L??k n? ???th?? th?n wh?t mi?ht ?? th? ?in?st ?ist?n ?i?ht?? ?v?? ??ilt. This is th? st??? ?? th? G??mm?n F8F B???c?t, W??l? W?? II’s ????t?st c???i?? ?i?ht?? m??? li?ht??, ??st??, ?n? ??tt??.
T? ?n???st?n? th? ??ll st??? ?? th? B???c?t, ?n? m?st kn?w th? ??t?ils ??hin? its m?n???ct????, G??mm?n A???s??c?. F??n??? in 1929 ?? L???? G??mm?n ??t ?? th? t?wn ?? B?l?win ?n L?n? Isl?n?, N?w Y??k, th? c?m??n? ?v?nt??ll? m?v?? t? its ???m?n?nt h?m? in th? N?ss?? C??nt? H?ml?t ?? B?th????, N?w Y??k, in 1937. F??m th???, G??mm?n A???s??c? ???ic?t?? its?l? ??im??il? t? ??l?illin? th? U.S. N?v?’s ?v??-?x??n?in? n??? ??? ?ist?n ?i?ht??s ??? th?i? ?v??-?x??n?in? ?l??t ?? ?i?c???t c???i??s. St??tin? with th? FF ?i??l?n?, nickn?m?? th? Fi?i, th? ?l?n? w?s th? ?i?st ?? its kin? with ??t??ct??l? l?n?in? ???? ??ilt in th? Unit?? St?t?s.
Th? ?inn?cl? ?? this lin???? ?? ?i?l?n?s c?lmin?t?? with th? F3F, th? l?st ?i?l?n? ?v?? int????c?? int? U.S. N?v? c???i?? s??vic?. F??m th? ???v???i?l ?i? ?? th? F3F s??wn?? th? ???innin? ?? G??mm?n’s hist??ic “?i? c?t” lin? ?? c???i?? ?i?ht??s, ???innin? with th? t??l? l???n???? F4F Wil?c?t. With t??-n?tch ???i?m?nt ?n ?????, lik? s?l?-s??lin? ???l t?nks ?n? ? ????n???l? P??tt & Whitn?? R-1830 ???i?l ?n?in?, th? Wil?c?t h?l? ??wn th? ???t ??mi???l? ???inst th? ??l?ntl?ss ?nsl???ht ?? Im???i?l J???n ?n? its Mits??ishi A6M Z???. B?t ??? ?ll th? Wil?c?t’s ??sitiv?s, its ????t w?i?ht ?n? n?t ?x?ctl? ?v????w???? ?n?in? m??? ????i?hts with Z????s ? h?n???l.
M?n? Wil?c?ts ??ll victim t? J???n?s? Z???s, c??xin? th? Am??ic?ns int? st??? clim?s th?t th? ch?nk?, sh??t-st?ck ?? ?n ?i??l?n? sim?l? c??l?n’t k??? ?? with. Onl? ??? th? Wil?c?t t? st?ll ??t ?t th? ???x ?? its clim? ?n? t?m?l? ??ck t? ???th lik? ? sittin? ??ck. S?m?thin? ???stic h?? t? ?? ??n?, ???stic ?n???h t? ??il? ?n ?nti??l? n?w ?i??l?n? ???m sc??tch t? c??nt?? th? th???t. In 1943, this c?m? in th? ???m ?? th? F6F H?llc?t. L????? ?n? ??? m??? ??w????l th?n th? Wil?c?t, th? H?llc?t’s P??tt & Whitn?? R-2800 D???l? W?s? ?n?in? m??? Z??? ?il?ts h?m?l? ?? ????kin? th????h th? s?m? t???s ?n? sh??tc?min?s th?t m??? Wil?c?ts ??s? ????.
Th???h n?wh??? n??? ?s ????ti??l ?s ? P-51 M?st?n? ?? ? S?it?i??, th? H?llc?t’s kill-t?-l?ss ??ti? t???nc?s ?v?n th? ???v???i?l ???tt? ???s ?? S?c?n? W??l? W?? ???? ?i?ht??s. As m?n? ?s 5,000-?l?s ?n?m? ?i?c???t ??ll t? th? H?llc?t’s six M2 B??wnin? m?chin? ??ns ???in? th? w??, ?? ? sc??c?l?-??li?v??l? 75 ???c?nt ?? th? U.S. N?v?’s ???i?l sh??t??wns ?v?? th? P?ci?ic Th??t??. B? th? t?il ?n? ?? th? w??, G??mm?n ?n?in???s kn?w th? ??? ?? ?ist?n-?n?in? s????m?c? in ???i?l w?????? w?s ?t its ?n?. B?t th?t ?i?n’t m??n th? t??m c??l?n’t s????z? m??? ??????m?nc? ??t ?? th? H?llc?t’s ??chit?ct???.
Y???s ?????? th? kin? ?? li?htn?ss, C?lin Ch??m?n, ??ilt his ?i?st ??c? c?? ??t ?? ?n ?l? A?stin 7; G??mm?n w?s ??in? t? t?k? th? ?hil?s??h? h? m??? ??m??s ?n? ???l? it t? th?i? ic?nic H?llc?t. L???n? h?s it th?t ??t?? th? B?ttl? ?? Mi?w?? in 1942, ? ????? ?? Wil?c?t ?il?ts m?t with G??mm?n’s Vic? P??si??nt, J?k? Swi???l, ?t P???l H????? in J?n? ?? th?t ????. At this m??tin?, th? ???ssin? n??? ??? ? sm?ll, ??w????l ?i?ht?? c????l? ?? t?kin? ??? ???m ?sc??t c???i??s w?s t?? m?ch ??? th? H?llc?t. As s?m?thin? ?? ? s?c?n???? ????i??m?nt ??? ? n?w ?i?ht?? ???j?ct, th? vi?t??s ?? ? hi?h h??s???w??-t?-w?i?ht ??ti? w??? s??n ?s ? v??? hi?h ??i??it?.
D????? th? G-58 int??n?ll?, G??mm?n ??t??min?? th? sim?l?st ?n? m?st c?st-????ctiv? s?l?ti?n ??? this n?w ?i?ht?? w?s t? t?k? th? ??sic ??chit?ct??? ?? th? H?llc?t ?n? slim it ??wn c?nsi?????l?. B? ??in? c?nsi?????l? sm?ll?? th?n ?n F6F, ?s m?ch ?s 5 ???t (1.5 m?t??s) sh??t?? l?n?th-wis? ?n? 7 ???t (2.1 m?t??s) in th? win?s??n, th? G-58, s??n t? ?? l???l?? th? B???c?t, w?s v??? n???l? ? ??ll U.S. t?n li?ht?? th?n th? H?llc?t. Sli?ht m??i?ic?ti?ns t? th? ?i????m? ??hin? th? ?il?t’s s??t ?ll?w?? ??? ? hi?h-visi?ilit? ????l? c?n??? t? ?? inst?ll?? ?nt? ??ch B???c?t.
Oth?? w?i?ht-s?vin? m??s???s incl???? inst?llin? ???? .50 c?li??? M2 B??wnin? m?chin? ??ns in th? B???c?t’s win?s inst??? ?? th? H?llc?t’s six ??ns, ?s w?ll ?s c????in? ? li?ht?? ???l l??? ?? ????n? 183 US ??ll?ns (690 lit??s). All in ?ll, th? B???c?t w?s ? ??ll 20 ???c?nt li?ht?? th?n th? H?llc?t ?n? ????hl? 50 m?h (80 k?h) li?ht?? th?n its ??????nn??. On A???st 21st, 1944, th? ?i?st ???t?t??? XF8F-1 B???c?t t??k t? th? ski?s ?v?? L?n? Isl?n? ??? th? ?i?st tim?. In n???l? ?ll ?s??cts ?? ?li?ht, th? XF8F-1 w?s ?n ??s?l?t? j??. With clim?in? ??iliti?s th?t’? m?k? G??m?n B?-109Ks ?n? l?t?-m???l A6M Z??? ?il?ts ?l?sh, l?t ?l?n? Am??ic?n ?l?n?s lik? H?llc?ts ?n? C??s?i?s.
As ??? ?s m?n??v????ilit? w?s c?nc??n??, th? B???c?t w?s lik? ? s???ts c?? in th? sk?. With ? ??ll ??t? th?t c??l? m?k? ? s??s?n?? ?il?t ????s? ?n? n?t ?nti??l? ?s?l?ss c?m??t ?l??s, th? B???c?t w?s sim?l? in ? l????? ?? its ?wn ?s ??? ?s c???i??-??s?? ???? ?i?ht??s w??? c?nc??n??. In ??n???l, N?v? ?i?ht??s w???n’t ??it? ?s h???-hittin? ?s l?n?-??s?? ?i?ht??s ???in? th? w??, citin? th? ????i?? ?i????m?s n????? t? withst?n? c???i?? l?n?in?s ?t s??. B?t th? B???c?t t??k th? n?ti?n th?t c???i?? ?i?ht??s w??? in???i?? ?n? ???m?tl? th??w th?m in th? l?n??ill. This w?s s?t in st?n? wh?n ? B???c?t s?t ? tim?-t?-clim? ??c??? ???m t?k???? t? 10,000 ???t in ? st?????in? 94 s?c?n?s.
On ?????, it s??m?? lik? G??mm?n h?? ? ?i?ht?? ?n its h?n?s th?t c??l? t?k? ?n th? Ai? F??c?s ?? J???n ?n? G??m?n? sim?lt?n???sl?, ???vi??? ?n???h ?? th?m w??? ??ilt. In t??ms ?? ??w ??????m?nc?, th? ?nl? Alli?? n?v?l ???? ?i?ht?? th?t ?v?n c?m? cl?s? t? th? B???c?t w?s th? B?itish H?wk?? S?? F???. O? c???s?, th?s? tw? ?l?n?s ???tin?l? sh??? th? n?m??? ?n? sl?t ?n t?? t?n lists ?? th? ??st ?ist?n-?n?in? ?i?ht??s ?v?? t? ?l?.
B?t th??? w?s ? sm?ll ????l?m with ?ll ?? th?t. B? th? tim? th? B???c?t w?s ????? ??? ???l??m?nt ?n M?? 21st, 1945, G??m?n? h?? ?l????? s????n????? t? th? Alli?s tw? w??ks ???li??, with J???n s??n t? ??ll?w in S??t?m??? ?? th?t ????. O? c???s?, this m??ns th? B???c?t miss?? W??l? W?? II ?nti??l?.
In ??in? s?, th? B???c?t h?? miss?? its ?????t?nit? t? s?? h??v? c?m??t ?????? th? ??? ?? th? t????j?t ?n?in? ?????ht ?n ?n? t? th? ??l??n ??? ?? ?ist?n ?i?ht??s. A U.S. N?v? ????? ??? ?v?? 2,000 B???c?ts ?nl? ?licit?? ? ?????cti?n ??n ?? 770 ?i????m?s. Ev?n ???l?cin? th? B???c?t’s B??wnin? m?chin? ??ns with U.S. c??i?s ?? His??n? S?iz? HS.404 ??t?c?nn?ns in th? F8F-1B w?sn’t ?n???h t? ?i??? int???st.
Ultim?t?l?, th? B???c?t’s shinin? m?m?nt whil? s??vin? in th? Unit?? St?t?s N?v? w?s n?t in c?m??t ??t with th? Bl?? An??ls ??????tic s??????n. U? t? 200 B???c?ts w??? ??liv???? t? th? F??nch Ai? F??c? in 1951 ?s ? m??ns ?? ?i?htin? ???inst ?n?m? ???c?s ???in? th? F??nch In??chin? W??, wh??? th?s? ?i?c???t s?w ?nl? limit?? c?m??t ???tici??ti?n, ?n? s?m? An?th?? w?s ?iv?n t? Th?il?n? in 1949.
T????, th? B???c?t is ??st kn?wn ??? ??in? ? st?lw??t ?? ?i? ??c?s ?c??ss th? ?l???. M?st n?t??l?, ? B???c?t ?i????m? m??i?i?? with ? m?ssiv? W?i?ht R-3350 D??l?x C?cl?n? ?n?in? n?m?? R??? B??? is ??t?n c???it?? ?s th? m?st ??m??s ?i? ??c?? in th? w??l?. Th???h it n?v?? sh?t ??wn ? sin?l? J???n?s? ?? G??m?n ?i??l?n?, th?s? ?x?l?its in ?i? ??cin? m?k? it h??? t? c?ll th? B???c?t ? w?st? ?? tim?. In ??ct, it’s ?n? ?? th? m?st im???t?nt ?ist?n ?i?ht??s ?? th? 20th c?nt???.