The F8F Bearcat featured a light airframe and powerful engine. This combination gave the Bearcat incredible speed and climb rate. Bearcats were on carriers entering the Pacific when WWII ended so the airplane did not see combat during the war. Surviving Bearcats have long been a favorite on the racing circuit. As of 2018, a modified Bearcat, "Rare Bear" holds the speed record (528.33 mph) for the fastest piston powered airplane; a record which was set in 1989.