The F-8 Crusader was the last U.S. fighter designed with guns as its primary weapon.
U. S. fighter aircraft are once again being fitted with guns, largely due to the Vietnam airwar experience.
Missile-only aircraft were at a distinct disadvantage in the environment many thought passé --- the dogfight.
The Crusader with its guns, and Crusader drivers well versed in dogfighting, led to a resurgence in gun-equipped aircraft, and a renewed emphasis in
ACM -- Air Combat Maneuvering.
For over 30 years, the F-8 Crusader served the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps as a front-line fighter and photo recon aircraft.
It was the Crusader which went in low and fast to photograph the Cuban missle sites in 1962, and both photo and fighter versions performed admirably in Vietnam.
Its kind having flown some 2,360,000 hours and logged more than 385,000 carrier landings, the last F-8 Crusader was presented to the National Air and Space Museum.
The French Navy continues to fly F8E(FN)'s; these was retired on Dec. 31, 1999.
Go to the site www.cloudnet.com/~djohnson/ for more detailed information |
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| Introduced: |
| Type:Carrier-based fighter |
Manufacturer:
Chance-Vought Aircraft, Inc.
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| Weight: |
Dimensions:
Wingspan 35' 8"
Wing Area 375 sq ft
Length 54' 3"
Height 15 ft 9 in
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| Role: |
| Crew: 1 |
| Engine:Pratt & Whitney J-57-P-4A with afterburner |
Performance:
Max Speed:/
Climb Rate:
Ceiling:
Range:600 miles tactical
1,195-1,295 nautical miles Combat Range
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Armament:
Four 20-mm aircraft guns front fuselage
and 500 rounds.
Thirty-two 2.75-inch rockets carried
internally or in rocket pack, centerline
fuselage or
two AIM-9 missiles externally
on pylon each side of fuselage.
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Camouflage/paintings:
USA
France
Philiines
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| Variants: |
Primary users:
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| Source: |
www.cloudnet.com/~djohnson/
www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems |
| More Information: |
| www.cloudnet.com/~djohnson/ |
| |
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