Vought RF-8 Crusader

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. US Naval Reserve units continued to operate the RF-8 until 1987.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• F-8
• RF-8
• Crusader
• Vought
• US
• Navy
• fighter
• aircraft
• naval
• aviation
• photo
• reconnaissance
• Vietnam
• War

[dkkght46]

@darylk79 Was this plane from VFP 306 or 206?



[papabugs71]

"When you're out of F-8's, you're out of fighters".

[darylk79]

THIS WAS MY DADS PLANE ON ANDREWS.THIS PLANE WAS HE LAST TO LEAVE AND I WATCH AS A 7 YAER OLD KID THIS PLANE LEAVE.THIS IS NUMBER 702.701 WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE ASM IN DULLAS IN 87.WHICH ACTUALY WAS LOADED ON A LOW BOY AND HAULED DOWN 495.HE WAS CPO IN THE F-8 SQAUDRON.I REMEBER AS A KID MY DAD SHOWING ME THIS ACTUAL PLANE UP CLOSE AND SITTING IN THE COCKPIT WHEN I WAS 7.GREAT PLANE,GREAT MAN.THANKS DAD!

[peacelovers23cafe]

i like this! Thanks

[benetti250s]

I dont know much, but the crusader has a very low landing= poor landing, and not fixed wings= poor g's. Apart of this, f-8 wins every jet until came the f-14, f-15 f-16( i think f-5 wins f-8, i dont know). The f-4 phanton is a brick with engines, not a fighter jet.

[HalcyonSkies]

What they mean is that the F-8 was the last fighter designed with a gun as it's primary weapon. The F-15 while designed for air to air combat, was designed to use its air to air missles as it's main offensive weaponry.

[thumper248]

F-8 i miss you

[NeverforgetElvis]

Check out the poor ground slob at :25. No way I'd stick my head in between the wing and fuselage of an F-8.

[dat581]

Fair enough!

[CVKent317]

dat581,

No, actually the F-15 all the way up to the stage where the basic design for the plane was already chosen it still featured provision for Air-to-Ground capability.

The aircraft was however quite expensive and to reduce it's cost politicians ordered the air-to-ground capability removed from the airplane.

The fighter-mafia agreed with it and supported it because they didn't want an overly-complex and expensive design, and there was probably a slight weight-savings to come from this.