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Aerial drones are rarely destroyed during gunnery training . The missile crew aims the weapon to slightly miss the drone and the missile has no live warhead . The target drone is landed , the test missile is recovered and the missiles computer is analyzed for telemetry data . There are a few instances when missiles are armed with live warheads and the drone is destroyed . I was a US Navy Operations Specialist ( Radarman ) from 1985 to 1995 on a DDG and a CG . During one range test my CG fired a Standard missile at a Learjet flown by a civilian pilot contracted by the navy . Of course we aimed off just a bit . But our weapon passed just a little too close for the pilot's comfort .
In 1969 I was flying a Piper Cherokee about 9 miles from NAS Miramar when a F-8 appeared magically next to me, maybe a hundred feet away , wings raised to max angle of attack and gear down. Just as quickly the pilot then tucked everything away and was gone. I called Miramar tower asked what I had done wrong because I thought maybe I had infringed on Miramar airspace They laughed and said the F-8 pilot was deploying to Vietnam and was feeling frisky.
"When the F-8 is ready to mate, it drops it's landing gears and wing flaps. A lone piper Cherokee sees its advances and rejects the mating call of the larger airplane...." Richard attenborough, probably
I’m learning to fly at Montgomery Field (right next to Miramar) and every day I look on in absolutely jealousy at the F35’s. I waited too long to fall in love with flying, and (mis)spent the years I could have been flying for Uncle Sam, jumping OUT of airplanes rather than flying them.
My dad was a pilot in the marine corps from the late 1950's to the late 1970's. While he flew a variety of planes, including the RF-4B in Viet Nam, he stated on numerous occasions that the F-8 was his favorite plane to fly. For many years, the license plate on his car read F84EVER. Late in his career, he was able to fly in the airshow at Pt. Mugu, CA in an F-8. Along with some formation flying, his main part of the show was to pass by the crowds rather low, pull up, flip upside down, then fire the cannons into the ocean. It was a day I could definitely say my dad had the most awesome job ever.
I am familiar with the F-8. They were deployed on the carrier I was on. (USS Midway-CVA41) I was on board the ship from 1971-1974. I like watching videos of the planes that were onboard. Brings back fond memories. Thanks very much. Keep up the good work!
Fun fact about the Crusader's unreliable 20mm gun. This was one of the last gasps of the US version of the Hispano-Suiza cannon that the US ordnance types had screwed up before and during WWII by cutting the chambers ⅛" too deep. And the US military refused to admit they screwed it up,, even with ammunition manufacturers from multiple nations, and the ordnance establishments of multiple nations (including France, the UK, and Canada), and even several prominent US government ordnance experts telling them *exactly* what was wrong. So US H-S design cannons *never* worked right... unless the foreign military buying them (like the RAF during WWII) demanding they be cut with the original chamber dimensions - in which case they were some of the most reliable H-S pattern guns built.
I'm not 100% on exactly where you mean the depth measurement to be but I imagine we are talking some really f'd head spacing... christ I can't imagine... the obvious issues but also the extreme extra beating it would put on everything and the loss of velocity would be a massive waste.
@digifalc0087 yea the m61 is unarguably better at what it does, but not because the previous gun was bad when built properly. It totally makes sense in an era where aircraft only have one gun, if that, for achieving high rates of fire necessary to hit a fast moving target in the air.
Gramps flew Tomcats, always respected this darn things, they supposedly danced like angels in the sky and you just couldn't catch their tail, extremely agile little bastards. My dad flew a hornet and later on a super hornet, he talked about fighting those things in training, he said that out of everything we had the only thing that actually gave him a real fight where the F-8s, not that I'm insulting the F-4 on the F-14, but it's pretty clear those two were not exactly built with dog fighting in mind, they were excellent Fighters just not dogfighters, at least not compared to their youngest and older brethren.
@@taproom113 I once was a ''Taproom'' too. Back when the assh*le Albertson was skipper. I knew Harley, Skip, Mira etc. I left the Dogs before Harley arrived. A sad thing that deal was, very sad and a complete waste.
You weren't the only one. I was at NAS Dallas '74-75. We had the last 3 squadrons of them. 2- VFs and our VMFA. F-4s came from all over to fly against them. All our pilots were Reserve types, also combat vets that drove airliners for their day job. Our guys did real real well going against the young pilots from the Fleet. Jan. '76, I left for Okinawa, the F-8s were traded in for F-4s a few months after.
Fun fact: The B-52 bomber, because it can't rotate back on its gear to take off, has the same idea for the wing, but fixed in the up position -- so when climbing, the fuselage is level, and when flying level, they have a rather alarming nose-down attitude exaggerated by how long and skinny they are.
My uncle William was involved in the design and testing of the F8U1 - he started working for Chance-Vought aircraft just after ww2- he did designing and wind tunnel testing of all plane developed from 1950 till 1990s- his design of the nose and tail section of the F8 are recognized by the plane manufacturers and the US Government
In 1985 the air group for Carl Vinson had a bit of composite airgroup (there were not entire detachments available for several specialties; like tankers, photo-recon (supposed to be replaced by F-14 with recon pods). They got 'stuck' with an RF-8 detachment. When we got to the Philippines they Crusader guys had T-shirts made that said "8th annual LAST F-8 deployment!" they did make HALF of the deployment (the pods were finally ready (though problematic, they did not love carrier landings)) before they pulled the Crusaders off the Vinson. The Crusader, on fire, coming off a bolter was the result of a blown tire (after the bolter), and a magnesium wheel, it is probably the most famous footage of a Crusader on an USN flight deck.
The Last F8 Crusaders was use from France up to 1999...Interresting detail: the 4x 20mm canons from the Crusader was the Hispano Suiza HS404 who was first use on Morane Saulnier 406 in 1935 (integrated in the Hispano Suiza y12 engine and fire trough the prop shaft), later in the Dewoitine D520 and later in the Yak 1,3 and 9 .The HS404 was modified from the brits in 1941 to be able to be installed in the wings and use belt feed (all british fighters did use the 20mm Hispano ...
This episode really highlights the complexity of designing planes to operate on a carrier. The F8 would've probably served the Air Force pretty well without needing folding wings that tilt or dangerously high stall speeds.
I remember this conversation whenever i see comments about navalizing the A-10 warthog and giving its ground support mission to the Marines instead of the Air Force
@@vic5015 Seriously, it makes me respect planes like the Hornet, Tomcat, and E2 even more. Massive, complex, powerful airplanes that need to perform origami to fit on a carrier but still be airworthy in all kinds of weather AND still complete missions for decades.
Alas USAF doctrine of the time was all about bombers, tactical strike fighter bombers and some interceptors. Air superiority fighters weren't seen as needed in a nuclear war and it took the Vietnam war to prove them wrong by which time the F-8 was pretty old hat. Once the USAF adopted the F-4 in numbers and did want a better air superiority fighter they got the F-15 which kept the 4+4 armament and twin engine design but made into a single seat air superiority fighter and interceptor.
This is one of my favorite jets, and was my first R/C plane. Really simple, no ailerons, rudder and elevator only, nice fan, I had no idea how to fly, but being an over wing, it was very forgiving, fast and slow to turn! After numerous crashes, I gave it to a kid who was watching with his father. After watching many jets and warbirds yard sale, and armed with the proper way to learn...I got a Piper Cub with a prop, ah ha! Now this is flying, AND landing! I say all that because, that little jet was infinitely fun and fast, I started climbing trees again!!
The reason it was abandoned was the invention of the M61 Vulcan. The M61 not only had the rate of fire if 5-6 cannons in one gun, but was electric not gas or recoil operated. This leans any failure to fire doesn’t stop the gun and all your rounds hit the same spot. Even a single barrel chain gun would work much much better than an autocannon.
I haven't watched this article but can't help making a comment. On the Internet there is a list of pilots who once ejected from the F-8, simply because "going in" was a characteristic of the plane. I personally saw two crash, one at Cubi Pt in Subic Bay, when a LtCdr winged over during takeoff, hit the water, and plowed in. (I did see one take off at Cubi immediately go straight up out of sight until it created a contrail, then head east.) The other F-8 crash was sort of planned and was seen from the ammunition ship I was on. Our captain, who was an airedale himself, told us to look on the port side, where a Crusader was approaching a carrier. The plane had been damaged over Vietnam, so was unable to land on the carrier. We saw the pilot eject, parachute, and get picked up by a helo. The F-8 just quietly nosed over and splashed. One I didn't see, but saw the pilot later, happened in Japan, where an F-8 crashed in the hills after being safely aimed away from any towns. Then there's the F-4....
"Ensign Eliminator" was NOT a nickname for the F-8 Crusader, but the F-7 Cutlass. That term was used with the F-7 Cutlass due to the high percentage of crashes during carrier landing, and the "perception" that an all too high number of the crashes were with junior Naval Aviators.
It wasn't just ensigns. The Blue Angels flew a couple as part of their demonstration team. They had several harrowing experiences with the Cutlass and quickly dropped it after several close calls.
The Crusader's light weight and low landing speed allowed the Navy to use it on older Essex class carriers which couldn't handle larger heavier planes like the Phantom. This gave those carriers longer useful service lives into the early 70s, and also allowed foreign users with smaller carriers to keep a supersonic fixed wing naval fighter capability for a longer time. The Phantom and Tomcat are great airplanes, but you need a supercarrier to operate them at sea.
Watching this while flying my favorite plane in game I just thought the crusader was just another in the line of US fighters I guess I never really thought about it’s real place in history and its multitude of accomplishments I just loved it because it’s fast maneuverable and has pretty solid weapon options but knowing its pedigree makes me love it even more
In 1967 I accepted a job at Chance Vought, the manufacturer of the F-8 Crusader. This was my first job after returning from service in Vietnam and I was well aware of the aircraft's service during the war. I worked on the flightline at Vought where I ended up working on the Electronic Counter Measure systems on the aircraft. I was given this role because I worked with ECM equipment aboard ship. The Crusader was an amazing aircraft, incredibly powerful. On take off it could stand on its tail and rocket upward in a seemingly effortless climb. These F-8s were being refurbished after having served in Vietnam earlier.
There's an animated military thriller called Area 88, the main character flies a Crusader as a mercenary for a foreign legion in the fictional middle eastern country of Aslan, highly recommended.
The RF-8G lasted in the US Navy Reserves till 1987. I was in the next to last RF-8G squadron (VFP-306) which shut down in 1984, leaving our sister squadron VFP-206 as the sole RF-8G squadron based at NAF Washington DC. The photo reconnaissance variant continued to serve in the active duty Navy with VFP-63 flying RF-8Gs up to 1982, and with the Naval Reserve flying their RF-8Gs in two squadrons (VFP-206 and VFP-306) at Naval Air Facility Washington / Andrews AFB until the disestablishment of VFP-306 in 1984 and VFP-206 on 29 March 1987 when the last operational Crusader was turned over to the National Air and Space Museum.
Facts. Been playing it for 4 years. Loads of fun though if you aren’t “playing for the next vehicle” in my opinion. I enjoy finding a good wingman in any tier and just slaying fools.
Awesome vid. My grandfather was a Crusader pilot during Vietnam. He was the squadron commander of VF-111 in 1965 before being shot down during a bomber escort mission. He was awarded 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses for Valor in Combat.
I’d love to see you do an in depth video on the F-20 ‘Tigershark’. According to many, an outstanding fighter developed from the F-5 Tiger. It was so good that it gave the F-16 a run for its money.
The purpose of the variable angle of attack wing was to improve visibility on takeoff and landings. In flight the wing did not rise, the nose went down so you could see the carrier deck. The major portion of the newbie crashes were deck strikes on landing, before they internalized the above fact. Cheers
I cannot imagine that pilot's meeting with the CAG and the captain after taking off (and landing) with the wingtips still in the stowed position. He was probably sent home for some remedial training and to get a new callsign ("stumpy" or "half cocked")
@@sadwingsraging3044 How did the ENTIRE DECK crew not catch it? The tips should've been in flight position WELL before the plane even started hooking up to the launch bar.
@@samsignorelli There are two people that know _exactly_ when that plane is going over the edge. The pilot and the shooter and they are looking directly in each others eyes just moments before climax. Everyone else on deck may just think there is a reason the tips are up and not expecting a shoot or unable to stop it before the trigger is pulled but those two guys know exactly what is happening and when it is going to happen so how the _hell_ do they not see the giant billboards sticking straight up on the edge of each wing just screaming for someone to paint _Lower before flight_ _Dummy_ on said billboards. There *has* to be something missing about this story..... Total blackout night launch? Heavy storm?
No shooters ashore. BTW, the F-8 is probably the only aircraft in the world that could get away with flying with its wings folded. There were no ailerons on the outer wing panels which folded upward. If there had been ailerons there, lateral stick movement would have acted more like rudders than ailerons with the wings folded. The only reason the pilots were able to bring the aircraft back safely after a wings-folded takeoff was the fact that the F-8 had no ailerons as such: the flaps, mounted inboard, near the wing root on each side of the fuselage, doubled as ailerons, so roll control was relatively normal even with the wings folded. To read a detailed account of a wings-folded incident, refer to the late Rear Admiral Paul T. Gilchrist's book "Crusader!". @@sadwingsraging3044
Fun fact. The Grumman F11 Tiger was the Navys first supersonic fighter. Very few F11s were made only 199. The better F8 won the contract but was used by the Blue Angels from 1958 to 1969. I saw them in 68.
The Crusader was indeed the last of the gunfighters. Unfortunately the gas-operated 20mm Mk-12 cannons were prone to jamming if fired during high-G maneuvers (like during a dogfight). A very serious, bordering on crippling, defect in an aircraft designed to dogfight in an era when dogfighting missiles were also woefully unreliable.
Looks like a specific US design problem because the original french Hispano Suiza HS404 (first use in 1935 on Morane Saulnier 406) had never such jamming problems. In 1941 did the British Hispano factory made some adaptations to allow to be use in the wings (was originaly integrated IN the Y12 engine and fire through the prop shaft), and use belt feed (originals they use a 60 shots barell magazine).The HS404 was also use from the soviets in the Yak 1 3 and 9 who use a evolution from the Hispano Suiza Y12 engine (engine Klimov M105 and canon 20mm ShWAK because the soviets did buy the license from both before the war...
An A7D II Corsair crashed landed Just south of UofA campus 1978. I was in a dorm room, heard the cockpit blow, knew the sound from being stationed at Udorn a primary recovery base in Northern Thailand, saw it slide past my window, ran outside, the pilot landed in the street, I ran up to him, asked if he was ok, he said yeah while winding up his parachute, left when medics came and went to check crash site. The plane may a very distinct sound and I knew what it was, a Corsair. I believe just about every plane the US has made has taken that last flight to The Boneyard, most don't crash but they all fly right over my house. If you love planes it is cool, thou a little sad.
It's difficult to imagine these things and the average passenger car at the same time. Have you ever worked on an early 60s Chevy II? It's tough to imagine the same civilization that built that was also capable of building the aircraft in this video.
Realistic physics, not necessarily realistic flight models or damage models or historical matchups or logistics or any of that. though some of the flight models seem pretty good to me. point is, gravity and wind resistance and all that is modeled well to make the planes not feel "arcade-y" when you're not in arcade mode.
This plane was really good at flying fast and straight, same for the f4 phantom, it is proof that even a brick can fly if you put a big enough engine in it
@@Goldleader469 I may be wrong... from what I've seen/been told what made the difference was the US's emphasis on training and doctrine that barely "won" the skies. Again I may be wrong.
That brick analogy seems apt given the incident of an F8 taking off with its wings folded up. That it could fly back and land with so little of its wings providing lift means it essentially was a flying brick kept flying by its massive thrust to weight ratio with the wings providing the maneuverability rather than the brunt of its lift.
@@michaelpipkin9942 yup, often noted that U dump enough money into a design, it can go supersonic. The F-4 started way back in '47 w/ the Demon & the Navy kept throwing money @ it.
The Philippine Air Force acquired these during the 70’s upon the recommendation of a politician in Washington when the Philippine officials were visiting to look at the F16. Refurbished and added some for parts. Removed from service after some where damaged by the Mt Pinatubo eruption.
Yes, thank you for this call - out. I always wondered how the Zuni missiles were mounted as I usually find this referenced in text only. Sidewinders were mounted on the fuselage, just behind the guns.
Nice review of the Crusader Simon. What about a little review of the Grumman Intruder if the Navy is getting some love! The Tomcat has enough people getting excited right now with Top Gun sparking people's memories. How is the Collarbone healing going? Keep up the great work!
The pioneers of naval aviation, really were a crazy breed. Imagine taking an F-8 off a narrow essex class carrier, only to have to come and land on a runway that's 450 feet long. Good lord.
In the Battle of Samara, first Gulf war, F-15s and Mig 25s fired about 18 missiles at each other and they all missed. The MIG-25s just out ran the missiles and the F-15s just out maneuvered them. Even in 1991 missiles were not that accurate
I only know of the F-8 as the starting jet in the U.N. Squadron/Area 88 side-scrolling shooter games, where I lovingly called it the "Yum Yum" due to its mouth-like jet inlet.
I hate to post corrections, but it wasn't the 1952 specs the F-8 was built to fill, but actually the 1954ish revision of the contract. What happened, was someone in the US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics was blatantly against swept wing aircraft and wanted everything dirt cheap, and the original 1952 contract was for a small cheap subsonic fighter aircraft. It's a rather interesting story if you ever feel like reading into the history of that program about how Vought ultimately forced the Bureau to change the new fighter program to be something that would put the Navy ahead of the US Air Force.
I think guns on a plane and turrets on a plane are actually less expensive stealth technology in the modern age. They can both be in an angled, carbon black housing, that repels radar, while in action. Missles have to be stored inside the fuselage, or radar can detect them, and then they have to be opened up and exposed to be used, which not only takes time, but also reveals the plane as it isn't stealth anymore with the bomb bay open. I would put a big bertha on a modern plane (420mm) in an aerodynamic housing, it would be a huge plane. As long as the radar deflection works, size shouldn't matter. With that you could launch conventional munitions, missles, drones, EMP... etc... and all without worrying as much about the bomb bay doors needing to be open or closed. It would save cost too, but probably be more heavy. More accurate than a bombsight in the nose also. Modern hydraulics and gyroscopes only made plane turrets effective (post WW1) when they became all motorized, like in the B29. B17 ball gun turrets were extremely terrible, because they had slow motors, poor weapons, cramped Conditions... etc. With a larger turret, more armor, 20mm cannons, and a faster motor and gyroscopic targeting system, like in a naval gun, the tactic works. Like in a naval gun vs a kamikaze. I've been noticing this in ww2 videos. There was a point in the war where the luftwaffe couldn't even get close to the b17, because of all the turrets. But then, the luftwaffe started using the bf110 with the kragmuzic 20mm autoturret. With that, they could be outside the range of the b17, and just snipe them with no opposition. Turret vs Turret, Turret wins. Since the dawn of time..
According to Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum ‘On that day, (legendary Marine aviator) Major Glenn flew an F8U-1P Crusader (BuNo 144608) from NAS Los Alamitos, California nonstop to NAS Floyd Bennett Field, New York at a record speed of 725.55 mph. The flight lasted just three hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds, which beat the previous record holder (an F-100F Super Sabre) by 15 minutes.
In 1969 or 1970 my mothers apartment in Alameda California was destroyed by one of these when it lost it engine just after takeoff. I believe it was New Year's eve. The pilot ejected but several people in the apartments were killed. Thankfully my mother had just left moments before.
The wing tilt generates more lift only when “on deck”. It doesn’t generate more lift in flight. It enables a lower fuselage angle to improve deck visibility when landing on a carrier.
"The wing tilt generates more lift only when 'on deck' " Ummm ... What??? OK, yes, it enables a lower fuselage angle to improve forward visibility for landing ... but if you hold a constant airspeed and altitude, and then lift the wings angle of incidence 7 degrees in flight ... you WILL get an increase in lift ... period. ^v^
I miss driving by the Phantom and Corsair (or was it a Crusader? anyone remember better than I?) mounted on the pylons by the old I-15/I-163 (now Kearny Villa Rd) in front of then NAS Miramar (now MCAS Miramar), what memories. Sneaking a peak while they were landing and taking off as I drove past the east end of the runway. While the F4 was a marvelous plane, menacingly beautiful - my eyes were always drawn back to the A7 or (F8?)... mainly for the gun ports I guess...
I love that War Thunder is sponsoring you now, I’ve been playing for 5 and a half years now, and it’s always nice to see people getting sponsored by them
I was a beta tester for War Thunder, and I loved that game! I haven't done much gaming lately, and I've had thoughts about breaking out the gaming laptop and taking to the air again.
By the end of Vietnam, F-8 pilots claimed the highest kill ratio of any aircraft of the war: 19 MiGs downed to only three F-8 losses. Of course, those statistics also reflected the relatively low numbers of F-8s in the fight. 1,000 mishaps is just bullcrap.
There was only one MiG driver in the Vietnam War who ejected when the most feared fighter in Vietnam approached his six: the F-8 Crusader. Not one shot was fired.
Play War Thunder for FREE on PC, PS®5 and Xbox Series X|S: playwt.link/megaprojectswtbonus. Follow the link to download the game and get your exclusive bonus now. See you in battle!
Aerial drones are rarely destroyed during gunnery training . The missile crew aims the weapon to slightly miss the drone and the missile has no live warhead . The target drone is landed , the test missile is recovered and the missiles computer is analyzed for telemetry data . There are a few instances when missiles are armed with live warheads and the drone is destroyed . I was a US Navy Operations Specialist ( Radarman ) from 1985 to 1995 on a DDG and a CG . During one range test my CG fired a Standard missile at a Learjet flown by a civilian pilot contracted by the navy . Of course we aimed off just a bit . But our weapon passed just a little too close for the pilot's comfort .
If only people know what they are getting into 💀💀💀
T
T5
T
In 1969 I was flying a Piper Cherokee about 9 miles from NAS Miramar when a F-8 appeared magically next to me, maybe a hundred feet away , wings raised to max angle of attack and gear down. Just as quickly the pilot then tucked everything away and was gone. I called Miramar tower asked what I had done wrong because I thought maybe I had infringed on Miramar airspace They laughed and said the F-8 pilot was deploying to Vietnam and was feeling frisky.
"When the F-8 is ready to mate, it drops it's landing gears and wing flaps. A lone piper Cherokee sees its advances and rejects the mating call of the larger airplane...."
Richard attenborough, probably
@@Menaceblue3 hhahahHhahhahahahahha
I’m learning to fly at Montgomery Field (right next to Miramar) and every day I look on in absolutely jealousy at the F35’s.
I waited too long to fall in love with flying, and (mis)spent the years I could have been flying for Uncle Sam, jumping OUT of airplanes rather than flying them.
@digifalc0087 well I was Navy, but am 42 and in school at ATP
@@chucksolutions4579 buy Sheppard air if you’re getting your private or instrument. It was the best thing I bought for either of them!
F-8's had a single stage Afterburner. On, off. hearing them take off was impressive, sounded like an explosion.
So with the 1 stage, was the 1 stage set at like a 5 stage afterburner, like the F14?
@@nexpro6118 was simply wide open.
@@tokyosmash but is the 1 stage, "wide open" the equivalent of a 5 stage afterburner?
@@nexpro6118 one would presume it would be equivalent of the the “max” afterburner of a plane with tiered stages of afterburner.
@@tokyosmash gotcha
Vought started making superheroes after that.
Dammit - came to make this joke and was beaten by 12 minutes. Touché.
😂😂 too good
Yes and they're wonderful role models for our future generations, Homelander, What a guy!!
hahah lol
Bad one
My dad was a pilot in the marine corps from the late 1950's to the late 1970's. While he flew a variety of planes, including the RF-4B in Viet Nam, he stated on numerous occasions that the F-8 was his favorite plane to fly. For many years, the license plate on his car read F84EVER. Late in his career, he was able to fly in the airshow at Pt. Mugu, CA in an F-8. Along with some formation flying, his main part of the show was to pass by the crowds rather low, pull up, flip upside down, then fire the cannons into the ocean. It was a day I could definitely say my dad had the most awesome job ever.
I am familiar with the F-8. They were deployed on the carrier I was on. (USS Midway-CVA41) I was on board the ship from 1971-1974. I like watching videos of the planes that were onboard. Brings back fond memories. Thanks very much. Keep up the good work!
Fun fact about the Crusader's unreliable 20mm gun.
This was one of the last gasps of the US version of the Hispano-Suiza cannon that the US ordnance types had screwed up before and during WWII by cutting the chambers ⅛" too deep. And the US military refused to admit they screwed it up,, even with ammunition manufacturers from multiple nations, and the ordnance establishments of multiple nations (including France, the UK, and Canada), and even several prominent US government ordnance experts telling them *exactly* what was wrong. So US H-S design cannons *never* worked right... unless the foreign military buying them (like the RAF during WWII) demanding they be cut with the original chamber dimensions - in which case they were some of the most reliable H-S pattern guns built.
I'm not 100% on exactly where you mean the depth measurement to be but I imagine we are talking some really f'd head spacing... christ I can't imagine... the obvious issues but also the extreme extra beating it would put on everything and the loss of velocity would be a massive waste.
@digifalc0087 yea the m61 is unarguably better at what it does, but not because the previous gun was bad when built properly. It totally makes sense in an era where aircraft only have one gun, if that, for achieving high rates of fire necessary to hit a fast moving target in the air.
@digifalc0087 there is a lot of nuance behind the M61, but this is one of the reasons
There was Nothing wrong with the Navy 20 mm!
Signed
The us navy WWII torpedo team…
@@josephpadula2283 I see what you did there! 😂🤣 Navy's mk12s and *that* torpedo... Courtesy of the Navy's *incompetence*
I flew Navy F-4s. F-8s were very good dog fighters. I for one, never beat an F-8 in 1 v 1.
BZ for your honesty, Shipmate! Thanx for your service! ^v^
Gramps flew Tomcats, always respected this darn things, they supposedly danced like angels in the sky and you just couldn't catch their tail, extremely agile little bastards.
My dad flew a hornet and later on a super hornet, he talked about fighting those things in training, he said that out of everything we had the only thing that actually gave him a real fight where the F-8s, not that I'm insulting the F-4 on the F-14, but it's pretty clear those two were not exactly built with dog fighting in mind, they were excellent Fighters just not dogfighters, at least not compared to their youngest and older brethren.
Thank you for the story. The Phantom, looked better.
@@taproom113 I once was a ''Taproom'' too. Back when the assh*le Albertson was skipper. I knew Harley, Skip, Mira etc. I left the Dogs before Harley arrived. A sad thing that deal was, very sad and a complete waste.
You weren't the only one. I was at NAS Dallas '74-75. We had the last 3 squadrons of them. 2- VFs and our VMFA.
F-4s came from all over to fly against them. All our pilots were Reserve types, also combat vets that drove airliners for their day job.
Our guys did real real well going against the young pilots from the Fleet.
Jan. '76, I left for Okinawa, the F-8s were traded in for F-4s a few months after.
3:00 - Chapter 1 - Development
6:20 - Chapter 2 - Specifications & armament
7:25 - Chapter 3 - F8 in service
11:30 - Chapter 4 - Notable variants
13:25 - Chapter 5 - Design flaws & "mishaps"
16:15 - Chapter 6 - The last crusade
You're persistent, that's for sure :p
Fun fact: The B-52 bomber, because it can't rotate back on its gear to take off, has the same idea for the wing, but fixed in the up position -- so when climbing, the fuselage is level, and when flying level, they have a rather alarming nose-down attitude exaggerated by how long and skinny they are.
During takeoff, they seem to lift the main gear, before the nose wheels. It's really startling to watch, til you get used to the sight of it.
@@SouperAsH I know, right? I was in Shreveport watching them fly over from/to Barksdale AFB last week.
My uncle William was involved in the design and testing of the F8U1 - he started working for Chance-Vought aircraft just after ww2- he did designing and wind tunnel testing of all plane developed from 1950 till 1990s- his design of the nose and tail section of the F8 are recognized by the plane manufacturers and the US Government
The Movie, “13 Days” from 2000 covers those low-level reconnaissance flights over Cuba and perils the pilots faced.
Those holes in the wings were caused by... uhhh... birds. Dozens of birds. 12.5 mm featherless seagulls' beaks.
In 1985 the air group for Carl Vinson had a bit of composite airgroup (there were not entire detachments available for several specialties; like tankers, photo-recon (supposed to be replaced by F-14 with recon pods). They got 'stuck' with an RF-8 detachment. When we got to the Philippines they Crusader guys had T-shirts made that said "8th annual LAST F-8 deployment!" they did make HALF of the deployment (the pods were finally ready (though problematic, they did not love carrier landings)) before they pulled the Crusaders off the Vinson. The Crusader, on fire, coming off a bolter was the result of a blown tire (after the bolter), and a magnesium wheel, it is probably the most famous footage of a Crusader on an USN flight deck.
The Last F8 Crusaders was use from France up to 1999...Interresting detail: the 4x 20mm canons from the Crusader was the Hispano Suiza HS404 who was first use on Morane Saulnier 406 in 1935 (integrated in the Hispano Suiza y12 engine and fire trough the prop shaft), later in the Dewoitine D520 and later in the Yak 1,3 and 9 .The HS404 was modified from the brits in 1941 to be able to be installed in the wings and use belt feed (all british fighters did use the 20mm Hispano ...
And it was a terrible, underpowered, and jam prone piece of trash. Hence why it was never used after the F-8.
This episode really highlights the complexity of designing planes to operate on a carrier. The F8 would've probably served the Air Force pretty well without needing folding wings that tilt or dangerously high stall speeds.
As it turns out, making a carrier-based fighter is *way* more complicated than just "navalizing" a land-based fighter plane.
I remember this conversation whenever i see comments about navalizing the A-10 warthog and giving its ground support mission to the Marines instead of the Air Force
@@vic5015 Seriously, it makes me respect planes like the Hornet, Tomcat, and E2 even more. Massive, complex, powerful airplanes that need to perform origami to fit on a carrier but still be airworthy in all kinds of weather AND still complete missions for decades.
A local Air national guard unit flew F-8's until they traded them in for F-16's, both of which happened in the previous century...
Alas USAF doctrine of the time was all about bombers, tactical strike fighter bombers and some interceptors. Air superiority fighters weren't seen as needed in a nuclear war and it took the Vietnam war to prove them wrong by which time the F-8 was pretty old hat.
Once the USAF adopted the F-4 in numbers and did want a better air superiority fighter they got the F-15 which kept the 4+4 armament and twin engine design but made into a single seat air superiority fighter and interceptor.
This is one of my favorite jets, and was my first R/C plane. Really simple, no ailerons, rudder and elevator only, nice fan, I had no idea how to fly, but being an over wing, it was very forgiving, fast and slow to turn! After numerous crashes, I gave it to a kid who was watching with his father. After watching many jets and warbirds yard sale, and armed with the proper way to learn...I got a Piper Cub with a prop, ah ha! Now this is flying, AND landing! I say all that because, that little jet was infinitely fun and fast, I started climbing trees again!!
The F-8 was also the starting point for the very excellent subsonic A-7 attack fighter.
Actually better at what it did than the F-8.
The reason it was abandoned was the invention of the M61 Vulcan. The M61 not only had the rate of fire if 5-6 cannons in one gun, but was electric not gas or recoil operated. This leans any failure to fire doesn’t stop the gun and all your rounds hit the same spot.
Even a single barrel chain gun would work much much better than an autocannon.
The History TH-cam channel has the Dogfights episode dedicated to the F-8 Crusader which is subtitled The Last Gunfighter. It's an amazing episode.
I haven't watched this article but can't help making a comment. On the Internet there is a list of pilots who once ejected from the F-8, simply because "going in" was a characteristic of the plane. I personally saw two crash, one at Cubi Pt in Subic Bay, when a LtCdr winged over during takeoff, hit the water, and plowed in. (I did see one take off at Cubi immediately go straight up out of sight until it created a contrail, then head east.) The other F-8 crash was sort of planned and was seen from the ammunition ship I was on. Our captain, who was an airedale himself, told us to look on the port side, where a Crusader was approaching a carrier. The plane had been damaged over Vietnam, so was unable to land on the carrier. We saw the pilot eject, parachute, and get picked up by a helo. The F-8 just quietly nosed over and splashed. One I didn't see, but saw the pilot later, happened in Japan, where an F-8 crashed in the hills after being safely aimed away from any towns.
Then there's the F-4....
I love the look of the F-8, so unique and menacing.
I always thought that if a Great White Shark could fly,it would be an F-8.
@@lyleslaton3086 That was the Me 262
"Ensign Eliminator" was NOT a nickname for the F-8 Crusader, but the F-7 Cutlass. That term was used with the F-7 Cutlass due to the high percentage of crashes during carrier landing, and the "perception" that an all too high number of the crashes were with junior Naval Aviators.
It was a nickname for any naval aircraft that had a high accident rate, going back at least as far as the F4U Corsair and maybe before that.
It wasn't just ensigns. The Blue Angels flew a couple as part of their demonstration team. They had several harrowing experiences with the Cutlass and quickly dropped it after several close calls.
Before that the Corsair.. and so on
From the F-8 to Homelander. Vought has come a long way!
Absolutely love your videos - your channel, your sense of humor. One of my favorite aviation documentary sources.
My uncle flew one of these and died in one in 1967 during the Vietnam War. Thanks for this video on the plane!
My uncle also died in one in ‘67. My Dad also flew F-8s and came home with all the stories.
Wonder if he flew with my grandfather, who flew an F-8 in Vietnam 66-67
I was an aircraft electrician in VM F 235 . Was always proud of these birds & their pilots. Most beautiful paint job of any f-8.
One of the few planes that really look like a shark, together with the P-40 and obviously the Me-262
The Crusader's light weight and low landing speed allowed the Navy to use it on older Essex class carriers which couldn't handle larger heavier planes like the Phantom. This gave those carriers longer useful service lives into the early 70s, and also allowed foreign users with smaller carriers to keep a supersonic fixed wing naval fighter capability for a longer time. The Phantom and Tomcat are great airplanes, but you need a supercarrier to operate them at sea.
Watching this while flying my favorite plane in game I just thought the crusader was just another in the line of US fighters I guess I never really thought about it’s real place in history and its multitude of accomplishments I just loved it because it’s fast maneuverable and has pretty solid weapon options but knowing its pedigree makes me love it even more
In 1967 I accepted a job at Chance Vought, the manufacturer of the F-8 Crusader. This was my first job after returning from service in Vietnam and I was well aware of the aircraft's service during the war.
I worked on the flightline at Vought where I ended up working on the Electronic Counter Measure systems on the aircraft. I was given this role because I worked with ECM equipment aboard ship. The Crusader was an amazing aircraft, incredibly powerful. On take off it could stand on its tail and rocket upward in a seemingly effortless climb.
These F-8s were being refurbished after having served in Vietnam earlier.
A cousin flew them. And loved them. (He called the Phantom a "bomb truck"). That about covers it.
There's an animated military thriller called Area 88, the main character flies a Crusader as a mercenary for a foreign legion in the fictional middle eastern country of Aslan, highly recommended.
I gotta give that a look. Thanks
The RF-8G lasted in the US Navy Reserves till 1987. I was in the next to last RF-8G squadron (VFP-306) which shut down in 1984, leaving our sister squadron VFP-206 as the sole RF-8G squadron based at NAF Washington DC.
The photo reconnaissance variant continued to serve in the active duty Navy with VFP-63 flying RF-8Gs up to 1982, and with the Naval Reserve flying their RF-8Gs in two squadrons (VFP-206 and VFP-306) at Naval Air Facility Washington / Andrews AFB until the disestablishment of VFP-306 in 1984 and VFP-206 on 29 March 1987 when the last operational Crusader was turned over to the National Air and Space Museum.
1:00 whilst it's a decent game, you will experience a grind like no other when you hit rank 4 vehicles.
Facts. Been playing it for 4 years. Loads of fun though if you aren’t “playing for the next vehicle” in my opinion. I enjoy finding a good wingman in any tier and just slaying fools.
Awesome vid. My grandfather was a Crusader pilot during Vietnam. He was the squadron commander of VF-111 in 1965 before being shot down during a bomber escort mission. He was awarded 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses for Valor in Combat.
I’d love to see you do an in depth video on the F-20 ‘Tigershark’.
According to many, an outstanding fighter developed from the F-5 Tiger. It was so good that it gave the F-16 a run for its money.
Isn’t the f20 a prototype and the f5a Tiger 2 the service run?
If what I remember reading is accurate, it performed better but was dismissed for having basically no room to improve beyond what it was.
The purpose of the variable angle of attack wing was to improve visibility on takeoff and landings.
In flight the wing did not rise, the nose went down so you could see the carrier deck.
The major portion of the newbie crashes were deck strikes on landing, before they internalized the above fact.
Cheers
My favorite aircraft. Thank you!
I cannot imagine that pilot's meeting with the CAG and the captain after taking off (and landing) with the wingtips still in the stowed position. He was probably sent home for some remedial training and to get a new callsign ("stumpy" or "half cocked")
How the hell did the _shooter_ not catch it?!!?
@@sadwingsraging3044 How did the ENTIRE DECK crew not catch it? The tips should've been in flight position WELL before the plane even started hooking up to the launch bar.
@@samsignorelli There are two people that know _exactly_ when that plane is going over the edge. The pilot and the shooter and they are looking directly in each others eyes just moments before climax. Everyone else on deck may just think there is a reason the tips are up and not expecting a shoot or unable to stop it before the trigger is pulled but those two guys know exactly what is happening and when it is going to happen so how the _hell_ do they not see the giant billboards sticking straight up on the edge of each wing just screaming for someone to paint
_Lower before flight_
_Dummy_
on said billboards.
There *has* to be something missing about this story..... Total blackout night launch? Heavy storm?
@@sadwingsraging3044 New Year’s Day?
No shooters ashore. BTW, the F-8 is probably the only aircraft in the world that could get away with flying with its wings folded. There were no ailerons on the outer wing panels which folded upward. If there had been ailerons there, lateral stick movement would have acted more like rudders than ailerons with the wings folded. The only reason the pilots were able to bring the aircraft back safely after a wings-folded takeoff was the fact that the F-8 had no ailerons as such: the flaps, mounted inboard, near the wing root on each side of the fuselage, doubled as ailerons, so roll control was relatively normal even with the wings folded. To read a detailed account of a wings-folded incident, refer to the late Rear Admiral Paul T. Gilchrist's book "Crusader!". @@sadwingsraging3044
Fun fact. The Grumman F11 Tiger was the Navys first supersonic fighter. Very few F11s were made only 199. The better F8 won the contract but was used by the Blue Angels from 1958 to 1969. I saw them in 68.
The Crusader was indeed the last of the gunfighters. Unfortunately the gas-operated 20mm Mk-12 cannons were prone to jamming if fired during high-G maneuvers (like during a dogfight). A very serious, bordering on crippling, defect in an aircraft designed to dogfight in an era when dogfighting missiles were also woefully unreliable.
Looks like a specific US design problem because the original french Hispano Suiza HS404 (first use in 1935 on Morane Saulnier 406) had never such jamming problems. In 1941 did the British Hispano factory made some adaptations to allow to be use in the wings (was originaly integrated IN the Y12 engine and fire through the prop shaft), and use belt feed (originals they use a 60 shots barell magazine).The HS404 was also use from the soviets in the Yak 1 3 and 9 who use a evolution from the Hispano Suiza Y12 engine (engine Klimov M105 and canon 20mm ShWAK because the soviets did buy the license from both before the war...
The Vought A7 Corsair II is an attack plane that resembles the F8.
An A7D II Corsair crashed landed Just south of UofA campus 1978. I was in a dorm room, heard the cockpit blow, knew the sound from being stationed at Udorn a primary recovery base in Northern Thailand, saw it slide past my window, ran outside, the pilot landed in the street, I ran up to him, asked if he was ok, he said yeah while winding up his parachute, left when medics came and went to check crash site. The plane may a very distinct sound and I knew what it was, a Corsair. I believe just about every plane the US has made has taken that last flight to The Boneyard, most don't crash but they all fly right over my house. If you love planes it is cool, thou a little sad.
It's difficult to imagine these things and the average passenger car at the same time. Have you ever worked on an early 60s Chevy II? It's tough to imagine the same civilization that built that was also capable of building the aircraft in this video.
As a War Thunder player I have to say "realistic" and "historically accurate" definitely needed finger quotes.
Realistic physics, not necessarily realistic flight models or damage models or historical matchups or logistics or any of that. though some of the flight models seem pretty good to me. point is, gravity and wind resistance and all that is modeled well to make the planes not feel "arcade-y" when you're not in arcade mode.
This plane was really good at flying fast and straight, same for the f4 phantom, it is proof that even a brick can fly if you put a big enough engine in it
The first time I ever heard of the flying brick was associated with the F-4.
The thing was known for being an exceptional dog fighter I don’t know who said it was a brick.
@@Goldleader469 I may be wrong... from what I've seen/been told what made the difference was the US's emphasis on training and doctrine that barely "won" the skies. Again I may be wrong.
That brick analogy seems apt given the incident of an F8 taking off with its wings folded up. That it could fly back and land with so little of its wings providing lift means it essentially was a flying brick kept flying by its massive thrust to weight ratio with the wings providing the maneuverability rather than the brunt of its lift.
@@michaelpipkin9942 yup, often noted that U dump enough money into a design, it can go supersonic. The F-4 started way back in '47 w/ the Demon & the Navy kept throwing money @ it.
The Philippine Air Force acquired these during the 70’s upon the recommendation of a politician in Washington when the Philippine officials were visiting to look at the F16. Refurbished and added some for parts. Removed from service after some where damaged by the Mt Pinatubo eruption.
I've driven by the one displayed at NAD Park in Bremerton WA every day for like 10 years, it definitely been displayed for around 30 tho
F8 is one gorgeous airplane.
Overall, good video.
Only one mistake: 2:07 - Not air-to-air missiles. Unguided 5-in Zuni air-to-surface rockets.
Yes, thank you for this call - out. I always wondered how the Zuni missiles were mounted as I usually find this referenced in text only. Sidewinders were mounted on the fuselage, just behind the guns.
It's also the hero airframe in the anime "Area 88"
My father flew F-8's.... Told me about the end swapping but never crashed one. This was a good vid.
The Gator is one of my favorite aircraft ever
Oh man! The F8 is one of my favorite planes! Ads cant end soon enough
There is one of these sitting in Weirton WV. I think the F8 was an incredible aircraft
Nice review of the Crusader Simon. What about a little review of the Grumman Intruder if the Navy is getting some love! The Tomcat has enough people getting excited right now with Top Gun sparking people's memories. How is the Collarbone healing going? Keep up the great work!
I'm 100% behind Andycharger ! Please do a video on the Grumman A-6 Intruder. She was a great plane ! ❤️
Two of my favourite jets, F-8 Crusader and F-4 Phantom....🥰😍😎
Super vid Simon!
Many thanx 👍👍
The pioneers of naval aviation, really were a crazy breed. Imagine taking an F-8 off a narrow essex class carrier, only to have to come and land on a runway that's 450 feet long. Good lord.
In the Battle of Samara, first Gulf war, F-15s and Mig 25s fired about 18 missiles at each other and they all missed. The MIG-25s just out ran the missiles and the F-15s just out maneuvered them. Even in 1991 missiles were not that accurate
Love this Plane!!🤘
I only know of the F-8 as the starting jet in the U.N. Squadron/Area 88 side-scrolling shooter games, where I lovingly called it the "Yum Yum" due to its mouth-like jet inlet.
The F8 Crusader was an unsung hero for the Marines and Navy!
“WarThunder is a realistic…”
I’m gonna have to stop you right there FactBoy
I hate to post corrections, but it wasn't the 1952 specs the F-8 was built to fill, but actually the 1954ish revision of the contract. What happened, was someone in the US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics was blatantly against swept wing aircraft and wanted everything dirt cheap, and the original 1952 contract was for a small cheap subsonic fighter aircraft. It's a rather interesting story if you ever feel like reading into the history of that program about how Vought ultimately forced the Bureau to change the new fighter program to be something that would put the Navy ahead of the US Air Force.
the hunch backed alligator
I think guns on a plane and turrets on a plane are actually less expensive stealth technology in the modern age.
They can both be in an angled, carbon black housing, that repels radar, while in action.
Missles have to be stored inside the fuselage, or radar can detect them, and then they have to be opened up and exposed to be used, which not only takes time, but also reveals the plane as it isn't stealth anymore with the bomb bay open.
I would put a big bertha on a modern plane (420mm) in an aerodynamic housing, it would be a huge plane. As long as the radar deflection works, size shouldn't matter. With that you could launch conventional munitions, missles, drones, EMP... etc... and all without worrying as much about the bomb bay doors needing to be open or closed. It would save cost too, but probably be more heavy. More accurate than a bombsight in the nose also.
Modern hydraulics and gyroscopes only made plane turrets effective (post WW1) when they became all motorized, like in the B29. B17 ball gun turrets were extremely terrible, because they had slow motors, poor weapons, cramped Conditions... etc. With a larger turret, more armor, 20mm cannons, and a faster motor and gyroscopic targeting system, like in a naval gun, the tactic works. Like in a naval gun vs a kamikaze.
I've been noticing this in ww2 videos. There was a point in the war where the luftwaffe couldn't even get close to the b17, because of all the turrets.
But then, the luftwaffe started using the bf110 with the kragmuzic 20mm autoturret. With that, they could be outside the range of the b17, and just snipe them with no opposition. Turret vs Turret, Turret wins. Since the dawn of time..
The Phantom, despite being a fast flying brick, couldn’t beat the Crusader… #canttouchthis
One of my favorite planes
This plane was the MC in the anime Area 88
Actually, the U.S. Navy, McDonnell, F3H Demon proved to be quite successful with 519 built and serving with the Navy until 1965.
I always thought the F-8 was a gorgeous plane with great lines. The F-4 looks heavy and it overcomes dirty aerodynamics with brute force.
I love the F8's in the movie Thirteen Days - also impressive to see one up close at the USS Hornet in Alameda CA
The Last Gunfighter…
…until it wasn’t.
Love the Crusader
I was in the USAF and if you get in front of any fighter, it's a death trap.
Jesus...
I've never heard of an aircraft taking off from a carrier with its wingtips folded up.
You still haven't because it never happened. All eight known cases of F-8s flying with their wings folded took off from land bases.
Um... Simon? Did you mean John Glenn's record-breaking flight started in Los Alamitos? 6:00 As in Naval Air Station Los Alamitos?
According to Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum ‘On that day, (legendary Marine aviator) Major Glenn flew an F8U-1P Crusader (BuNo 144608) from NAS Los Alamitos, California nonstop to NAS Floyd Bennett Field, New York at a record speed of 725.55 mph. The flight lasted just three hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds, which beat the previous record holder (an F-100F Super Sabre) by 15 minutes.
In 1969 or 1970 my mothers apartment in Alameda California was destroyed by one of these when it lost it engine just after takeoff. I believe it was New Year's eve. The pilot ejected but several people in the apartments were killed. Thankfully my mother had just left moments before.
It was sad that Donnie Darko was killed like that...
The wing tilt generates more lift only when “on deck”. It doesn’t generate more lift in flight. It enables a lower fuselage angle to improve deck visibility when landing on a carrier.
"The wing tilt generates more lift only when 'on deck' " Ummm ... What??? OK, yes, it enables a lower fuselage angle to improve forward visibility for landing ... but if you hold a constant airspeed and altitude, and then lift the wings angle of incidence 7 degrees in flight ... you WILL get an increase in lift ... period. ^v^
Don't forget the Son of Crusader- the A-7 Corsair 2
Simon playing warthunder I realllly want to see this
I miss driving by the Phantom and Corsair (or was it a Crusader? anyone remember better than I?) mounted on the pylons by the old I-15/I-163 (now Kearny Villa Rd) in front of then NAS Miramar (now MCAS Miramar), what memories. Sneaking a peak while they were landing and taking off as I drove past the east end of the runway. While the F4 was a marvelous plane, menacingly beautiful - my eyes were always drawn back to the A7 or (F8?)... mainly for the gun ports I guess...
Good video!!! Can make a video on the a6m hamp, zero , any one of them. Anyway i really like your videos they are awsome!!!
Thanks for the sponsorship, War Thunder! I'll look into that when I upgrade to PS5.
Flying with the wings upright is total veteran mode military. "My shit ain't working right". What'd you do? "Fuckin made it work anyway".
Would love to see a video on the PANAVIA Tornado
That video of the deck crew member getting sucked into a turbine is something else. His helmet saved his life
Man with the amount of channels you have with interesting stuff to watch I’ll never run out 😂
Thanks Simon and co!
I know they are your sponsor, but I don't think anyone could seriously describe WarThunder as "historically accurate"
Nice work, and good selection of the F7U photograph, showing to advantage. I know, it wasn’t good but I love the looks. If only…
Great video man and as always I love the inclusion of anecdotes with the development history, really brings the plane to life.
I love that War Thunder is sponsoring you now, I’ve been playing for 5 and a half years now, and it’s always nice to see people getting sponsored by them
I was a beta tester for War Thunder, and I loved that game! I haven't done much gaming lately, and I've had thoughts about breaking out the gaming laptop and taking to the air again.
@@MayheM_72 Air has changed quite a bit, especially now with the F-14 being introduced
If only Simon would stream a few of his WT matches. I bet they are much more enjoyable.
i love th f8 my 4th favorite plane from us i just unlocked my f8 late last month and now i am ungoing research the second on road to tomcats
By the end of Vietnam, F-8 pilots claimed the highest kill ratio of any aircraft of the war: 19 MiGs downed to only three F-8 losses. Of course, those statistics also reflected the relatively low numbers of F-8s in the fight. 1,000 mishaps is just bullcrap.
Great story of the last gunfighter!
Four 20mm canon's is awesome!
This was the most feared fighter in Vietnam
Think the MiG-21 was.
@@guaporeturns9472 Nope F8 was
@@josephkool8411 nope
Americans feared the F-8? That’s weird.
There was only one MiG driver in the Vietnam War who ejected when the most feared fighter in Vietnam approached his six: the F-8 Crusader. Not one shot was fired.
The photo at 8:55 is an A-7 Corsair
Knew a Vietnam A-4 Skyhawk pilot how’d also flown the F-8 Crusader. He much preferred flying the Skyhawk.
10:17 NOOGIN! NOOGIN!