https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_F-8_Crusader
The Vought F-8 Crusader (originally F8U) was a single-engine, supersonic,
carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States
Navy and Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass, and for the French
Navy. The first F-8 prototype was ready for flight in February 1955. The F-8
served principally in the Vietnam War. The Crusader was the last American
fighter with guns as the primary weapon, earning it the title "The Last of the
Gunfighters".
The RF-8 Crusader was a photo-reconnaissance development and operated longer in
U.S. service than any of the fighter versions. RF-8s played a crucial role in
the Cuban Missile Crisis, providing essential low-level photographs impossible
to acquire by other means. U.S. Naval Reserve units continued to operate the
RF-8 until 1987.
In September 1952, the United States Navy announced a requirement for a new
fighter. It was to have a top speed of Mach 1.2 at 30,000 ft (9,144.0 m) with a
climb rate of 25,000 ft/min (127.0 m/s), and a landing speed of no more than 100
mph (160 km/h). Korean War experience had demonstrated that 0.50 inch (12.7 mm)
machine guns were no longer sufficient and as the result the new fighter was to
carry a 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon. In response, the Vought team led by John Russell
Clark, created the V-383. Unusual for a fighter, the aircraft had a high-mounted
wing which necessitated the use of a fuselage-mounted short and light landing
gear.
The most innovative aspect of the design was the variable-incidence wing which
with variable-sweep wing). This allowed a greater angle of attack, increasing
lift without compromising forward visibility. This innovation helped the F-8's
development team win the Collier Trophy in 1956. Simultaneously, the lift was
innovations with area-ruled fuselage, all-moving stabilators, dog-tooth notching
at the wing folds for improved yaw stability, and liberal use of titanium in the
airframe. The armament, as specified by the Navy, consisted primarily of four 20
mm (.79 in) autocannon; the Crusader happened to be the last U.S. fighter
designed with guns as its primary weapon. They were supplemented with a
retractable tray with 32 unguided Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (Mighty
Mouse FFARs), and cheek pylons for two guided AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air
missiles. Vought also presented a tactical reconnaissance version of the
aircraft called the V-392.
In parallel with the F8U-1s and -2s, the Crusader design team was also working
on a larger aircraft with ever greater performance, internally designated as the
V-401. Although the Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III was externally similar to the
Crusader and sharing with it such design elements as the variable incidence
wing, the new fighter was larger and shared few components.
Role
Fighter aircraft
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Vought
First flight
25 March 1955
Introduction
March 1957
Retired
1976 (fighter, U.S. Navy)
29 March 1987 (photo reconnaissance, U.S. Naval Reserve)
1991 (Philippines)
19 December 1999 (fighter, France)
Status
Retired completely in 2000
Primary users
United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
French Navy
Philippine Air Force
Number built
1,219
Developed into
Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III
LTV A-7 Corsair II
The Crusader became a "day fighter" operating off the aircraft carriers. At the
time, U.S. Navy carrier air wings had gone through a series of day and night
fighter aircraft due to rapid advances in engines and avionics. Some squadrons
operated aircraft for very short periods before being equipped with a newer
higher performance aircraft. The Crusader was the first post-Korean War aircraft
to have a relatively long tenure with the fleet and like the USAF Republic F-105
Thunderchief, a contemporary design, might have stayed in service longer if not
for the Vietnam War and corresponding attrition from combat and operational
losses.
The Crusader was not an easy aircraft to fly, and was often unforgiving in
carrier landings, where it suffered from yaw instability, and the poorly
designed, castoring nose undercarriage made it hard to steer on the deck. Safe
landings required the carriers to steam at full speed to lower the relative
landing speed for Crusader pilots. The stacks of the oil-burning carriers on
which the Crusader served belched thick black smoke, sometimes obscuring the
flight deck, forcing the Crusader's pilot to rely on the landing signal
officer's radioed instructions. It earned a reputation as an "ensign killer"
during its early service introduction. The nozzle and air intake were so low
when the aircraft was on the ground or the flight deck that the crews called the
aircraft "the Gator". Not surprisingly, the Crusader's mishap rate was
relatively high compared to its contemporaries, the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and the
F-4 Phantom II. However, the aircraft did possess some amazing capabilities, as
proved when several Crusader pilots took off with the wings folded.
Specifications (F-8E)
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Payload: 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) of weapons
Length: 54 ft 3 in (16.53 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft 8 in (10.87 m)
Height: 15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
Airfoil: NACA 65A006 mod root, NACA 65A005 mod tip
Aspect ratio: 3.4
Empty weight: 17,541 lb (7,956 kg)
Loaded weight: 29,000 lb (13,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 34,000 lb (15,000 kg)
10,700 lbf (47.6 kN)
Thrust with afterburner: 18,000 lbf (80.1 kN)
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0133
Fuel capacity: 1,325 US gal (5,020 L)
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 1.86 (1,225 mph, 1,975 km/h) at 36,000 ft (11,000 m)
Cruise speed: 495 kn (570 mph, 917 km/h)
Combat radius: 450 mi (730 km)
Ferry range: 1,735 mi () with external fuel
Service ceiling: 58,000 ft (17,700 m)
Rate of climb: 19,000 ft min (96.52 m/s)
Thrust/weight: 0.62
Lift-to-drag ratio: 12.8
Armament
Missiles:
Bombs:
*
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