LTV/Vought RF-8C Crusader (USA)
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Museum Hours:
April 1- September 30
9:00am - 5:00pm
October 1 - March 31
10:00am - 4:00pm
The museum is open
daily year round (weather permitting),
except for the following days:
New Year's Day,
Easter,
Thanksgiving and
Christmas Day.
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The Castle Air Museum is chartered by the Department of Education and operated by the Castle Air Museum Foundation, Inc., a private not-for-profit corporation,
tax-exempt under IRS Code 501 (c)(3). The mission of the Museum is to preserve military aviation history for future generations.
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Specifications
Country of Origin:
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United States
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Manufacturer:
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LTV/Vought Corporation
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Role/Function:
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Photo Reconnaissance
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Serial Number:
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BuNo 145607
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Model Number/Mk #:
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n/a
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Crew:
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1
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Power Plant:
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1 - Pratt & Whitney J75-P-4A turbojet engine with 18,000 lbs. of thrust with afterburner
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Maximum Speed:
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1,133 mph.
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Cruising Speed:
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570 mph.
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Service Ceiling:
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52,350 ft.
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Range:
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1,425 mi.
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Weights:
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Empty: 17,836 lbs. Maximum: 34,100 lbs.
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Wing Span:
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35 ft. 8 in.
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Length:
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54 ft. 3 in.
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Height:
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15 ft. 9 in.
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Wing Area:
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350 ft²
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Armament:
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4 - 20mm Colt Mk. 12 cannons; 2 - LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4 - 5 in. Zuni rockets); 4 - AIM-9 Sidewinder; 2 - AGM-12 Bullpup; 12 - Mk. 81 bombs or 8 - Mk. 82 bombs or 4 - Mk. 83 bombs or 2 - Mk. 82 bombs
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Cost:
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n/a
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Number Built:
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n/a
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# in Current Service:
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None
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Delivered to the Navy ca 1959 as F8U-1P; redesignated as RF-8A in 1962. It was assigned to Light Photographic Squadron 62 (VFP-62), based at NAS Cecil Field, FL. It was one of the RF-8s that flew daily low level, high speed (500 feet -550 mph) daily photo missions monitoring Soviet attempts to build missile launching sites in Cuba - the Cuban Missile Crisis. When VFP-62 was stood down in 1968 it went to VFP-63, the Pacific Fleet RF-8 squadron and flew photo missions during the Vietnam War. It was upgraded to an RF-8G in the mid-1970s and upgraded again in the late 1970s with a more powerful engine the J-57-P420 with 12,400 lbs. thrust, 19,500 lbs. w/afterburner and a new ECM suite.
VFP-63 was disestablished in 1982 and it went to Reserve Squadron VFP-206 at NAS Washington at Andrews AFB where it stayed until 1987, when the squadron was stood down. It then went on bailment to Rockwell International at Palmdale, CA where it was used as a chase plane on the X-31 project. It is believed to have last flown in 1992 and then was parked at Edwards AFB until it was retrieved by the museum recovery crew in 2009.
When conflict erupted in the skies over North Vietnam, it was U.S. Navy Crusaders that first tangled with Vietnam People's Air Force (North Vietnamese Air Force) MiG-17s on 3 April 1965. Although the MiGs claimed the downing of a Crusader,[8] all aircraft returned safely. At the time, the Crusader was the best dogfighter the United States had against the nimble North Vietnamese MiGs. The Navy had evolved its "night fighter" role in the air wing to an all-weather interceptor, the F-4 Phantom II, equipped to engage incoming bombers at long range with missiles such as Sparrow as their sole air-to-air weapons, and maneuverability was not emphasized in their design. Some experts believed that the era of the dogfight was over as air-to-air missiles would knock down adversaries well before they could get close enough to engage in dogfighting. As aerial combat ensued over North Vietnam from 1965 to 1968, it became apparent that the dogfight was not over and the F-8 Crusader and a community trained to prevail in air-to-air combat was a key ingredient to success.
An F-8E of VMF(AW)-235 at Da Nang, in April 1966.Despite the "last gunfighter" moniker, the F-8s achieved only four victories with their cannon; the remainder were accomplished with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, partly due to the propensity of the 20 mm (.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannons' feeding mechanism to jam under G-loading during high-speed dogfighting maneuvers. Between June and July 1966, during 12 engagements over North Vietnam, Crusaders shot down four MiG-17s for two losses. The Crusader would be credited with the best kill ratio of any American type in the Vietnam War, 19:3 Of the 19 aircraft shot down during aerial combat, 16 were MiG-17s and three were MiG-21s. But the NVAF claimed 11 F-8s were shot down. Approximately 170 F-8 Crusaders would be lost to all causes during the war.
The Crusader also became a bomb truck in war, with both ship-based U.S. Navy units and land-based U.S. Marine Corps squadrons attacking communist forces in both North and South Vietnam.
USMC Crusaders flew only in the South, and U.S. Navy Crusaders flew only from the small Essex class carriers; there weren't many F-8s. Marine Crusaders also operated in Close Air Support missions.
The side number - 909 is to honor the 9 VFP-63 pilots lost in Vietnam and will have a memorial plaque listing their names when it goes on display.
On the web at: VAP-61 & VAP-62 Navy Heavy Photo Recon
Click here to see the Crusader's restoration pictures
Other Points of Interest: