Estrella WarBirds Museum

USN 00000

Entered on the Museum roster Dec 18, 2002, our source for the Crusader was the carrier, USS Hornet, at Alameda. Prior to reacquisition by the Navy, the plane languished at a city park for many years where, not being "childproof," it suffered considerable physical abuse, so we have our work cut out for us to restore this wonderful old fighting machine to how it looked back in its heyday.

Designed by Vought engineers as a supersonic shipboard fighter, of eight designs submitted to the Navy it was the plane that was selected, and the prototype XF8U-1 first flew on March 25, 1955. Its high-mounted variable-incidence wing (its lateral angle could be adjusted from the cockpit) was unique in not requiring an exaggerated nose-high landing attitude, offering pilots a much better view of a carrier deck.

The Crusader earned the coveted Collier Trophy for Vought and the Thompson Trophy in setting a new coast-to-coast record on July 16, 1957 — its pilot, USMC Major John Glenn, became even better known later as the first astronaut to orbit the Earth. Production for the F8U/F-8 line ended in 1965 after 1,261 planes had been built.

The RF-8G (first known as F8U-1P, then RF-8A) was the two-seat reconnaissance fighter version modified from the F-8As in 1965-66 by LTV with strengthened fuselage and wings, ventral fins, and a new navigation system and five cameras. Armament consisted of four Colt 20mm cannon, four Sidewinder missiles, and up to 5,000 lbs of bombs, rockets, and missles under its wings.

Manufactured by Chance Vought, Stratford CT, until it was acquired in 1963 by Ling-Temco Electronics, Dallas TX, to become Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV Aerospace).