Description
The F-8 Crusader was the U.S. Navy's first fully operational supersonic fighter.
In September 1951, the U.S. Navy submitted a request for proposals for a supersonic carrier-based fighter to aircraft manufacturers.
At that time, breaking the speed of sound was still technically in the research stage, but on
June 29, 1952, the U.S. Navy approved Chance Boat's proposal.
The first aircraft was given the name XF8U-1 and successfully made its first flight on March 25, 1955.
This flight broke the speed of sound and created the first sonic carrier-based fighter in history.
Subsequent development progressed smoothly, and on March 25, 1957, the
first combat unit VF-32 equipped with the mass-produced F8U-1 was formed at an unusually rapid pace.
The F-8 is a single-engine, single-seat supersonic fighter jet with a slender fuselage, a shoulder-type main wing with a swept angle of 42 degrees, and a fully floating horizontal stabilizer placed in a low position.
The air intake uses a pitot system with an opening on the underside of the nose.
The F-8 is broadly divided into fighter and reconnaissance aircraft types, but the
F-8E type has all-weather capabilities, has new pylons installed on the underside of the main wing, and
can carry up to 4,000 pounds of external equipment,
making it suitable for ground attacks. Its power has now been demonstrated.
In the Vietnam War, it
was used not only as a fighter, but also for anti-aircraft fire suppression and the Marine Corps, and
served as the main model of the US aircraft carrier task force.
[Data]
Crew: 1 person
Overall width: 10.87m
Overall length: 16.61m
Overall height: 4.80m
Maximum takeoff weight: 15,422kg
Engine: P&W / J57-P-20 × 1
Thrust: 4,854kg (When using A / B: 8,165kg)
Maximum speed: 1,823km/h / 10,640m
Fixed armament: 20mm cannon x 4
First flight: March 25, 1955
