The speed and competition of air racing drew test pilot Darryl G. Greenamyer to the National Championship Air Races, held every September near Reno, Nevada, beginning in 1964. Greenamyer and a team of fellow Lockheed Skunk Works employees used their engineering creativity to modify a Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat into a purpose-built air racer. Grumman designed the Bearcat late in World War II as a replacement for the F6F Hellcat Navy fighter. Conquest 1 featured a shorter wingspan than the production Bearcat, a special small bubble canopy, a larger propeller taken from a Douglas A-1 Skyraider, and a propeller spinner from a North American P-51H Mustang. Highlighted in this image are the vertical and horizontal stabilizers of the Bearcat "Conquest I" Grumman F8F-2. Created by Eric Long Date Created 01/02/2020 Source Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Keywords Aircraft; Aviation; Private Rights and Restrictions CC0
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.