Vought F8U-1E (F-8B) Crusader — The Last of the USN Gunfighters (II)

[Nostalgistic]

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🇺🇸 Vought F8U-1E (F-8B) Crusader 🇺🇸

History

After 318 F8U-1 (F-8A) Crusader day fighters had been produced, the F8U-1E was introduced with the addition of the Magnavox AN/APS-67 search radar on the assembly line to replace the F8U-1. Only 130 F8U-1Es would be delivered to the U.S. Navy, so the F8U-1E was built in fewer numbers than any other American variant of the Crusader. It retained the F8U-1’s J57-P-4 engine. Armament remained unchanged.

The AN/APS-67 search radar replaced the F8U-1’s AN/APG-30 fire-control system and resulted in a physical change to the nose of the aircraft.

F8U-1, BuNo. 145318, served as the YF8U-1E prototype, and its first flight was made on September 3, 1958. F8U-1Es were operational for a relatively short period of time with several Navy and Marine squadrons, but they served primarily as advanced trainers during most of their operational life. In September 1962, they were redesignated F-8Bs.

Because the F-8Bs were very limited in their capabilities even with the new radar, they did not see any combat, as all had been withdrawn from active Navy fleet squadrons by the time the war in Vietnam began.

Beginning in 1968, sixty-one F-8Bs were rebuilt as F-8Ls, which was the smallest number for any remanufactured version. This program extended the service life of the Crusader.

Specifications

🇺🇸 Vought F8U-1E (F-8B) Crusader 🇺🇸

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1 (Pilot)
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 54 ft 3 in (16.5 m)
  • Height: 15 ft 9 in (4.8 m)
  • Wingspan: 35 ft 8 in (10.9 m)
  • Wing Area: 375 sq ft (34.8 sq m)
• Powerplant:
  • Type: 1 x Pratt & Whitney J57-P-4 afterburning turbojet
  • Power Output: 16,000 lbf (71.2 kN)
• Fuel/Oil:
  • Fuel Capacity: 1,273 US gal (4,819 L)
  • Oil Capacity: 5.5 US gal (20.8 L)
• Weight:
  • Empty: 15,513 lb (7,037 kg)
  • Gross: 20,995 lb (9,523 kg)
  • Max. Takeoff: 27,500 lb (12,474 kg)

Engine Ratings

• Afterburner
  → 16,000 lbf (71.2 kN) @ S.S.L
• Military
  → 10,200 lbf (45.4 kN) @ S.S.L
• Normal
  → 8,700 lbf (38.7 kN) @ S.S.L

Flight Performance

• Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.76
• Wing Loading: 56 lb/sq ft (273.6 kg/sq m)
• Max Speed:
  • Sea Level: 637 kts (733 mph / 1,180 km/h)
  • At Altitude: 880 kts @ 35,000 ft (1,013 mph / 1,630 km/h @ 10,668 m)
• Rate of Climb: 20,000 fpm (101.6 m/s)
• Service Ceiling: 51,500 ft (15,697 m)

Armament

• Avionics:
  • 1 x AN/APS-67 search radar
• Guns:
  • 4 x 20 mm Colt Mk.12 cannons (125 rpg; 500 rds)
• Missiles:
  • 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinders
• Rockets:
  • 32 x 2.75-in FFARs in fuselage

Images

Related Suggestions

• F-8A
• F-8D
• F-8K
• F-8L

Sources

• Jim Sullivan, F-8 Crusader in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications Aircraft Number 70 (1985)
• Bert Kinzey, F-8 & RF-8 Crusader in Detail & Scale, Detail & Scale Series Volume 8 (2019)
• sf8u2
• https://web.archive.org/web/20090225082114/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f8_4.html

Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃

[CharAznable3]

+1 for the way carrier ops got to be!

[BasherBenDawg8]

A great folder option for a future F8U-1/F-8A. +1