An FP35 R/C might be nice for a sport carrier plane. One of our guys has that combo and its an excellent flyer. Also a Thunder Tigre 36 R/C with an OS carb.
Wayne

If you have a 35 FP, go ahead and use it.  If performance is what you are after, Thunder Tiger or Magnum 36.  Other options are the ST34 or OS 32.  Performance is pretty good on either of these also. 

As far as your choice of aircraft, if the F8F hasn't been purchased, might want to consider the Brodak Guardian.  It's a better designed kit and will hold up better with its fuselage mounted gear.  Also fully competitive in profile.  If you want to put an internal line slider in it, the hardware is available from Brodak (and well worth the price).  If you want to stay with Sportsman Carrier, (at least in SoCal) no line slider is necessary.

The Bearcat is a re-make of the old Robert/Smurthwaith design.  Nothing wrong with that except not enough wing area for the modern profile event and they did have some "quirks" regarding to building that I believe were carried forward in the Brodak version.  It will also not fly as good as the Guardian. Good choice for nostalgia carrier or profile scale though.

Just a couple of extra notes on the Guardian (it was my first carrier plane and works very well).

If you build the Guardian there are some things that you shold change from the original plans (these suggestions came from Bill Calkins who designed the plane).

Narrow the fuselage by 3/8" in height for the full length front to back. Just cut 3/8 out of the middle.

Cut off the tips one rib short. In other words move the tips in one rib.

Put the belcrank outside the wing. Preferred in under the wing. Its much easier to do and you can adjust things much easier. It also allows you to put a slider on now or later that can go further back. If you so desire.

My own suggestion is to thin the airfoil a bit too. It will help with high speed.

Other than that the plane is good as it is. It hangs easily and is very stable.

Good luck on what ever plane you choose.