F7F-3 Tigercat

It’s no secret that we love historic planes here at Flite Test, so when we had the opportunity to fly the F7F-3 Tigercat by Motion RC, we were quite excited! 

We are impressed by not only the detail and quality of the Tigercat’s design, but we’re also impressed by how their team is passionate about sharing the love of RC with others and they place a big emphases on the importance of putting the customer first.

While testing the Tigercat for the first time, we had the pleasure of having Mark Goetze, one owner of Motion RC, join us!

History

The F7F-3 Tigercat is officially licensed by Northrop Grumman, who are the original makers of the full scale airplane. The Tigercat was developed during WWII toward the end of the war. It was originally supposed to be a carrier-based naval fighter, but it didn’t certify for the carrier service. In the Korean War as a night fighter, ground attack platform and performed reconnaissance.

What we liked 

• Easy to transport and assemble
• Electronics are pre-installed
• Great option for intermediate to experienced flyers
• A myriad of great features (retracts, scale detail, bright LEDs, beautiful paint job)
• Flies like a dream

Tigercat Features 

• PNP (plug-n-play)
• Plastic nose cone, cowls and doors for durability
• Large battery bay with space for a battery, receiver and optional gyro
• Nice scale features (plastic radial engines, guns, antenna, cockpit, etc.)
• Cockpit is held on by magnets and a sliding latch
• LEDs are bright and can be seen in the daylight
• Detailed paint job with four sets of vinyl decals to customize your plane
• Main wing area allows a short takeoff distance of 12-20 meters
• Nose, main wheels and steel struts work well on normal grass airfields
• Optional aluminum compression strut upgrade is available for rougher grass conditions
• Optional sport power system with 3648 880kv motors and 2-blade

Specs 

• Price: $349
• Motors: 3748 600kv brushless
• Props: 3-blade 12x7 (standard and reverse rotation)
• ESCs: Two 60A brushless with XT60 connectors
• Wingspan: 1600mm/63in
• Length: 1400mm/55in
• Weight (w/o battery): 3200g/113oz
• Battery: Two 4S 14.8v 300mAh with XT60 connectors

Get your own F7F-3 Tigercat here!

Have you flown one of these beauties before? Something similar? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments below!