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The Chance Vought F-8 Crusader was a carrier-based fighter aircraft designed
to meet the United States Navy 1952 requirement for a new carrier jet fighter to address the shortcomings of it's existing
aircraft revealed in the Korean War. The F-8 Crusader first flew in February 1955 and entered USN service in 1957.
The
F-8 Crusader proved itself an exceptional dogfighter when in combat with MiGs in the Vietnam War but like all good dogfighters,
it was a hard aircraft to fly in combat and required a very good pilot to get the best out of the aircraft. It was also
very difficult to land aboard the aircraft carrier.
The Chance Vought F-8 Crusader remained in operational service as a fighter with the USN
until 1976 and the photo reconnaissance version, the RF-8G, until 1987. In 1964 the French Navy (Aéronavale) replaced it's
aging Chance Vought F4U Corsair fighters with forty-two F-8E Crusader's, they remained operational until their eventual replacement with the
French built Dassault Rafale M in 2000. The Philippine Air Force operated 35 ex-USN F-8H Crusader's from 1977 to 1991, the aircraft had to
be prematurely withdrawn from service following severe damage received from the unexpected eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
F-8E Specifications:
- Crew: Pilot Only
- Length: 54 ft 3 in
- Wingspan: 35 ft 8 in
- Height: 15 ft 9 in
- Empty weight: 17,541 lb
- Loaded weight: 29,000 lb
- Engine: Single 18,000 lb thrust-Pratt & Whitney J57-P-20A afterburning turbojet
- Fuel capacity: 1,325 US gal
- Maximum speed: Mach 1.86 (1,225 mph) at 36,000
- Combat radius: 450 mi
- Service ceiling 58,000 ft
- Rate of climb: 31,950 ft/min
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