LTV F-8K Crusader
Drawing on the experience of the Korean War, in 1952 the US Navy issued a requirement for an all-weather fighter. The requirement was stringent: the aircraft would have to be supersonic, and yet still be able to have a landing speed no greater than 100 mph for carrier operations. The Vought aircraft company (formerly Chance-Vought and later Ling-Temco-Vought), smarting from the utter failure of the F6U Pirate and F7U Cutlass, needed something to save the company, and so staked everything on the V-383 design. It was certainly ahead of its time, using area rule for supersonic performance, a dogtoothed wing for stability, an all-moving tail, and titanium to lower weight.
The most important innovation, however, was the variable-incidence wing: when taking off or approaching a carrier, the wing could be angled upwards, allowing the V-383 to retain plenty of lift while keeping the cockpit level—an important consideration coming aboard a carrier. For weapons, the V-383 would use a standard 1950s-era mix of 20mm cannon and an underfuselage tray of rockets. With the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile beginning to enter service, Vought added two fuselage-mounted hardpoints for those as well. Though it faced stiff competition, the V-383 won the contract in 1953 as the XF8U-1 Crusader, which first flew in March 1955. Development was smooth and uneventful, and F8U-1s began reaching the fleet in 1957.
Fighter pilots fell in love with the Crusader for its nimble handling, high speed, and sleek appearance, but they also found it was a handful to fly. Even with the variable wing, it landed hard and fast on carriers, leading to enough accidents that it initially earned the nickname “Ensign Eliminator.” Deploying the variable wing at high speeds would cause the Crusader to go instantly out of control and disintegrate. Because of its length and low-mounted intake, carrier deck crews referred to it as the “Alligator,” and it was difficult to move around, especially on the smaller World War II-era Essex-class carriers it was often assigned to. Though faster and far more manueverable than its contemporaries--the F3H Demon, F4D Skyray, and F11F Tiger—it was also less forgiving. Problems with stability led Vought to add ventral fins in the F8U-3 variant, which also deleted the rocket tray, as it was seldom used. Despite all the problems, its performance was phenomenal: Crusaders were used to set a number of flight records in the early 1960s.
The Crusader would get its combat baptism in the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Key West and Guantanamo Bay-based RF-8As made low-level runs into Cuban airspace to confirm the existence of Soviet nuclear missiles. It would be Vietnam, however, where the F-8 would make its reputation. Though the F-4 Phantom II was supposed to be the last word in fleet air defense design, the eventual replacement of the Crusader, the F-4’s lack of internal cannon and relatively poor dogfight manueverability put it at a disadvantage against less advanced, yet smaller and more nimble North Vietnamese MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters.
The F-8, on the other hand, was equal to the MiG-21 in all respects and, if it couldn’t turn with the MiG-17, it had better performance in the vertical and could stay with the MiG in long fights. F-8s would claim 19 MiGs during the Vietnam War for the loss of only three in air combat, a kill ratio unmatched by any other American aircraft. Though the majority of kills were actually made with Sidewinders, the fact that the F-8 still had four cannon as a backup gave pilots the confidence to stay in combat and engage in close-range dogfighting, although the cannon had a tendency to jam in high-speed turns. It was no wonder that Crusader pilots proudly proclaimed, “When you’re out of F-8s, you’re out of fighters.” In South Vietnam, Navy and Marine Corps pilots used the F-8 for attack missions, which, despite not really being designed for it, it proved to be superb in the close air support role, dropping bombs or firing rockets, and making gun passes at increasingly close proximity to friendly troops. 170 F-8s would be lost to all causes during Vietnam.
The F-4’s shortcomings and the F-8’s ability kept the Crusader in the fleet, longer than anticipated—the F-8 would become the first aircraft in US Navy history to remain in service over 20 years. Subsequent F-8H and F-8J variants would remain in service until the end of the Vietnam conflict, and in fleet service until 1976, and in Reserve units for a little longer; reconnaissance RF-8Gs were the last American Crusaders in service, not being retired until 1987. Even then, the type persisted in service: though ex-Navy F-8H Crusaders supplied to the Philippine Air Force were grounded about the same time due to a lack of spares, French Aeronavale F-8(FN) Crusaders would remain in service until 2000 after almost forty years of service, including participation in the Bosnian and Kosovo conflicts of the 1990s; these aircraft were replaced by Dassault Rafales, two generations ahead of the venerable F-8. Of 1219 Crusaders built, today 17 are known to survive, none flyable.
Bureau Number 146931 was built as a F-8C, and served the first five years of existence (1960-1965) with VF-124 ("Gunfighters"), the Fleet Replacement Squadron for the F-8 at NAS Miramar, California. It was then transferred to VC-7 ("Tallyhoers"), also at Miramar; VC-7 did what limited dogfight training was allowed prior to the Top Gun program. 146931 got its chance to go to sea when it deployed to Vietnam aboard the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) with VF-111 ("Sundowners"). After returning home, 146931 went back to VF-124, got upgraded to a F-8K, and finished its career with VMF-321 ("Hell's Angels") at Andrews AFB/NAF Washington, Maryland. 146931 called it a career in 1974.
After retirement, 146931 was donated to a playground in Oakland, California, with the cockpit filled in with concrete. Two decades of children playing on the F-8 wrecked it more than naval aviators or the North Vietnamese could, and by the time the USS Hornet Association acquired the aircraft, it was little more than a hulk. The Hornet Association planned to restore 146931, but a lack of funding led to it being donated to the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles in 2002.
Estrella's restorations are always great, but 146931 really turned out wonderfully. VMF-321 had some of the coolest markings ever worn by F-8s, with a blue, star-spangled fuselage spine, tail and ventral fins. (My dad built one of their F-8s for a friend when I was a kid.) It is displayed with the refueling probe deployed. Considering what terrible shape it was in when Estrella, it's one of the best aircraft on display in a great museum.
LTV F-8K Crusader
Drawing on the experience of the Korean War, in 1952 the US Navy issued a requirement for an all-weather fighter. The requirement was stringent: the aircraft would have to be supersonic, and yet still be able to have a landing speed no greater than 100 mph for carrier operations. The Vought aircraft company (formerly Chance-Vought and later Ling-Temco-Vought), smarting from the utter failure of the F6U Pirate and F7U Cutlass, needed something to save the company, and so staked everything on the V-383 design. It was certainly ahead of its time, using area rule for supersonic performance, a dogtoothed wing for stability, an all-moving tail, and titanium to lower weight.
The most important innovation, however, was the variable-incidence wing: when taking off or approaching a carrier, the wing could be angled upwards, allowing the V-383 to retain plenty of lift while keeping the cockpit level—an important consideration coming aboard a carrier. For weapons, the V-383 would use a standard 1950s-era mix of 20mm cannon and an underfuselage tray of rockets. With the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile beginning to enter service, Vought added two fuselage-mounted hardpoints for those as well. Though it faced stiff competition, the V-383 won the contract in 1953 as the XF8U-1 Crusader, which first flew in March 1955. Development was smooth and uneventful, and F8U-1s began reaching the fleet in 1957.
Fighter pilots fell in love with the Crusader for its nimble handling, high speed, and sleek appearance, but they also found it was a handful to fly. Even with the variable wing, it landed hard and fast on carriers, leading to enough accidents that it initially earned the nickname “Ensign Eliminator.” Deploying the variable wing at high speeds would cause the Crusader to go instantly out of control and disintegrate. Because of its length and low-mounted intake, carrier deck crews referred to it as the “Alligator,” and it was difficult to move around, especially on the smaller World War II-era Essex-class carriers it was often assigned to. Though faster and far more manueverable than its contemporaries--the F3H Demon, F4D Skyray, and F11F Tiger—it was also less forgiving. Problems with stability led Vought to add ventral fins in the F8U-3 variant, which also deleted the rocket tray, as it was seldom used. Despite all the problems, its performance was phenomenal: Crusaders were used to set a number of flight records in the early 1960s.
The Crusader would get its combat baptism in the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Key West and Guantanamo Bay-based RF-8As made low-level runs into Cuban airspace to confirm the existence of Soviet nuclear missiles. It would be Vietnam, however, where the F-8 would make its reputation. Though the F-4 Phantom II was supposed to be the last word in fleet air defense design, the eventual replacement of the Crusader, the F-4’s lack of internal cannon and relatively poor dogfight manueverability put it at a disadvantage against less advanced, yet smaller and more nimble North Vietnamese MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters.
The F-8, on the other hand, was equal to the MiG-21 in all respects and, if it couldn’t turn with the MiG-17, it had better performance in the vertical and could stay with the MiG in long fights. F-8s would claim 19 MiGs during the Vietnam War for the loss of only three in air combat, a kill ratio unmatched by any other American aircraft. Though the majority of kills were actually made with Sidewinders, the fact that the F-8 still had four cannon as a backup gave pilots the confidence to stay in combat and engage in close-range dogfighting, although the cannon had a tendency to jam in high-speed turns. It was no wonder that Crusader pilots proudly proclaimed, “When you’re out of F-8s, you’re out of fighters.” In South Vietnam, Navy and Marine Corps pilots used the F-8 for attack missions, which, despite not really being designed for it, it proved to be superb in the close air support role, dropping bombs or firing rockets, and making gun passes at increasingly close proximity to friendly troops. 170 F-8s would be lost to all causes during Vietnam.
The F-4’s shortcomings and the F-8’s ability kept the Crusader in the fleet, longer than anticipated—the F-8 would become the first aircraft in US Navy history to remain in service over 20 years. Subsequent F-8H and F-8J variants would remain in service until the end of the Vietnam conflict, and in fleet service until 1976, and in Reserve units for a little longer; reconnaissance RF-8Gs were the last American Crusaders in service, not being retired until 1987. Even then, the type persisted in service: though ex-Navy F-8H Crusaders supplied to the Philippine Air Force were grounded about the same time due to a lack of spares, French Aeronavale F-8(FN) Crusaders would remain in service until 2000 after almost forty years of service, including participation in the Bosnian and Kosovo conflicts of the 1990s; these aircraft were replaced by Dassault Rafales, two generations ahead of the venerable F-8. Of 1219 Crusaders built, today 17 are known to survive, none flyable.
Bureau Number 146931 was built as a F-8C, and served the first five years of existence (1960-1965) with VF-124 ("Gunfighters"), the Fleet Replacement Squadron for the F-8 at NAS Miramar, California. It was then transferred to VC-7 ("Tallyhoers"), also at Miramar; VC-7 did what limited dogfight training was allowed prior to the Top Gun program. 146931 got its chance to go to sea when it deployed to Vietnam aboard the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) with VF-111 ("Sundowners"). After returning home, 146931 went back to VF-124, got upgraded to a F-8K, and finished its career with VMF-321 ("Hell's Angels") at Andrews AFB/NAF Washington, Maryland. 146931 called it a career in 1974.
After retirement, 146931 was donated to a playground in Oakland, California, with the cockpit filled in with concrete. Two decades of children playing on the F-8 wrecked it more than naval aviators or the North Vietnamese could, and by the time the USS Hornet Association acquired the aircraft, it was little more than a hulk. The Hornet Association planned to restore 146931, but a lack of funding led to it being donated to the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles in 2002.
Estrella's restorations are always great, but 146931 really turned out wonderfully. VMF-321 had some of the coolest markings ever worn by F-8s, with a blue, star-spangled fuselage spine, tail and ventral fins. (My dad built one of their F-8s for a friend when I was a kid.) It is displayed with the refueling probe deployed. Considering what terrible shape it was in when Estrella, it's one of the best aircraft on display in a great museum.