Bearcat as the Wildcat's carrier-fighter successor

The Bearcat belongs closer to the Wildcat line than to the idea of a smaller Hellcat. The Hellcat was a large fleet-carrier fighter, while the Wildcat remained better suited to escort-carrier operations. The US Navy and Royal Navy therefore had reason to want a compact replacement that preserved the Wildcat's small-deck advantages. The Bearcat became the fullest expression of Grumman's compact piston-fighter idea. This carrier requirement explains the aircraft's proportions before the discussion turns to its engineering.