- American
postwar
- aircraft
Vought F-8 Crusader

- The Vought F-8 Crusader was one of the first truly supersonic
carrier-based fighter aircraft. It was built in large quantity and had a
significant operational history - in service as a dogfighter, strike aircraft,
and reconnaissance platform - that is only now coming to a close.
- The Crusader began life as a US Navy requirement issued in September,
1952, for a carrier-based fighter capable of a top speed greater than Mach 1.
Eight aircraft manufacturers participated in the competition, among them
Chance-Vought.
- The Chance-Vought design was revolutionary, a great step forward in the
state of the art; the Navy was quick to see its promise, and announced it the
winner of the competition in May, 1953. This was followed on 29 June by a Navy
contract requiring Chance-Vought to build two prototypes of an aircraft with
the designation XF8U-1.
- The first prototype was rolled out in February, 1955, and took to the air
on 25 March, breaking Mach 1 during this initial flight - making it the first
fighter designed for shipboard operation to fly faster than sound.
- The F8U-1 was followed by an improved variant, the F8U-1E, which had an
improved radar system (and so a bigger plastic nose-cone), giving it limited
all-weather capability. The first F8U-1E - a modified production F8U-1 - flew
in early September, 1958; 130 would be built in all.
- American aircraft had been quietly operating in the festering war in
Southeast Asia since 1962; in June, 1964, an RF-8A had been shot down over
Laos.
- The Crusader was used by both US Marine and Navy detachments during the
war. The Marines used the aircraft largely in the attack role, for support of
their ground forces in South Vietnam. In Navy hands, the Crusader was operated
more as a dogfighter -- wing pylons were rarely fitted to Navy Crusaders --
and racked up scores against North Vietnamese MiGs -- though enemy fighter
opposition was never more than a serious nuisance, with most American air
losses due to an impressive system of ground defenses.
- The success of the F-8 Crusader in air combat led to an intense rivalry
with pilots of the F-4 Phantom.
In the early part of the war, Crusaders won the contest hands down, though
their victories all occurred in the period 1966 through 1968. They shot down
at least 18 MiGs. But the Vietnam War was the high tide of the Crusader;
increasingly replaced by its rival, the F-4, by 1972
the fighter versions of the F-8 were being phased out of service.
- In service is still F-8F (FN) in French army.
General
characteristics F-8F |
Primary function |
Carrier-based fighter and attack aircraft |
Power plant |
One Pratt&Whitney J57-P-20A turbofan |
Thrust with afterburner |
18,000 lb |
80 kN |
Speed |
maximum |
1,135 mph |
1,827 km/h |
cruising |
560 mph |
901 km/h |
Initial climb rate |
351 ft/s |
107 m/s |
Ceiling |
58,000 ft |
17,680 m |
Combat radius |
600 miles |
966 km |
Weight |
empty |
19,925 lb |
9,038 kg |
max. takeoff |
34,000 lb |
15,420 kg |
Wingspan |
35.6 ft |
10.87 m |
Length |
54.5 ft |
16.61 m |
Height |
15.75 ft |
4.8 m |
Wingarea |
350 sq ft |
32.51 sq m |
Armament |
Four 20mm cannons M39 and up to 2,268 kg weapons
incl. two AIM Matra R530 missiles or eight 5 in (127 mm) rockets. |
Crew |
One |
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Jirka Wagner
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Last updated 17.04.2002