F-8 Crusader time!

I've never liked the jet. As a kid I thought it looked ugly. As a teen (who am I kidding, I was an adult) who played Battlefield Vietnam it was the worst vehicle you could get, and as a learn-ed man of science and reason (why are you laughing?) I don't like the design of the wing. I get it: higher AOA and all. But there are literally zillions of other examples of aircraft design where that wasn't necessary (read: the engineers found a different way to achieve it).
 
The Last of the Gunfighters! Yes it doesn't win any beauty contests but it was the pinnacle of ACM (out fly the enemy and get on his six) capability of the day, as seen by the kill ratio quoted above.

Had I been a fighter jock in Vietnam that's the plane I would want to fly.
 
9outof10mms said:
I've never liked the jet. As a kid I thought it looked ugly. As a teen (who am I kidding, I was an adult) who played Battlefield Vietnam it was the worst vehicle you could get, and as a learn-ed man of science and reason (why are you laughing?) I don't like the design of the wing. I get it: higher AOA and all. But there are literally zillions of other examples of aircraft design where that wasn't necessary (read: the engineers found a different way to achieve it).
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I kinda agree, I always thought it jus looked wonky, but it flew like a scalded cat.
 
Flashpoint said:
The Last of the Gunfighters! Yes it doesn't win any beauty contests but it was the pinnacle of ACM (out fly the enemy and get on his six) capability of the day, as seen by the kill ratio quoted above.

Had I been a fighter jock in Vietnam that's the plane I would want to fly.
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I just learned this, all of the air-to-air kills it had were by missiles and the cannon was notoriously unreliable. I had no idea. The pilots loved it though.
 
The review said that it had the highest operational loss rate of a tactical aircraft. Higher than the F105? The Thud was just about depleted out of the inventory due to losses in Vietnam.

F-8....The Great Santini!
 
rufrdr said:
The review said that it had the highest operational loss rate of a tactical aircraft. Higher than the F105? The Thud was just about depleted out of the inventory due to losses in Vietnam.

F-8....The Great Santini!
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Well done, good sir. The book had him in the F-8, and the movie had him in the F-4.
 
You two are gonna need to clue in us uncultured swine.
 
Chuckman said:
The amazing Pat Conroy novel The Great Santini, later turned into a movie with Robert Duvall, a Marine Corps pilot in the 60s in Beaufort, SC. In the book he flies F-8s, in the movie it's F-14s.
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My head hurts.

An F-8, but a MARINE pilot flying an F-14?!
 
I watched The Great Santini with my son not too long ago. It was a favorite of mine when I was younger and was hoping he could appreciate it - he loved it.

I also was never a fan of the F-8. I thought it an uglier version of the A-7, which was pretty ugly in itself. But I am comparing them to their contemporary, the F-4 Phantom - which, to me, is the most beautiful military aircraft ever designed.
 
when I got to the USS Independance (I was in VA 176) they still had F-8s from VFP63 (Iranian crisis) I was on cat 1 with one of my intruders a F8 was on Cat 2 when he lit off his after burner for the cat shot, It scared me to death. With that single stage burner I though something had exploded. it had 2 real faults as a carrier based Aircraft 1 hard to land because it had to come in very nose high (tilt wing helped with this ) and 2 single engine aircraft and blue water ops do not mix. coming back home after the Iranian crisis they lost one on the flyoff. he lost his engine on the way to the beach SAR helo picked him up and returned him to the carrier He was not a happy camper!!!!!!!
 
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as far as movies check out "Bat 21" and the book "Fire on the flight deck " take it from someone who has lived that life it a fairly accurate book

Fire on the Flight Deck​


Darren Sapp​

4.23
79 ratings14 reviews
“Fire on the flight deck!” Ominous words when living on an aircraft carrier hundreds of miles at sea. An American supercarrier flight deck is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous places on earth. Multi-million dollar aircraft launching, landing, and taxiing in the space of a few football fields, all orchestrated by a control tower and flight deck crew whose average age is nineteen. During the Cold War of the 1980s, this massive ship provided the largest, mobile weapon in the United States arsenal, instilling fear and respect among opposing forces.

While the supercarrier can deliver an awesome display of firepower, it carries an inherent danger for those who fly and work among the aircraft. Brian Donley survived boot camp and completed aircraft firefighter school to serve as a yellow shirt on the flight deck of the USS William Halsey. Would his training, will, and courage equip him for the most challenging day of his life?

Darren Sapp’s breakout novel delivers the sights, sounds, and action of a supercarrier. He served in the inaugural flight deck crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt as a crash crew member and yellow shirt aircraft director.
 
vaskeet said:
as far as movies check out "Bat 21" and the book "Fire on the flight deck " take it from someone who has lived that life it a fairly accurate book

Fire on the Flight Deck​


Darren Sapp​

4.23
79 ratings14 reviews
“Fire on the flight deck!” Ominous words when living on an aircraft carrier hundreds of miles at sea. An American supercarrier flight deck is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous places on earth. Multi-million dollar aircraft launching, landing, and taxiing in the space of a few football fields, all orchestrated by a control tower and flight deck crew whose average age is nineteen. During the Cold War of the 1980s, this massive ship provided the largest, mobile weapon in the United States arsenal, instilling fear and respect among opposing forces.

While the supercarrier can deliver an awesome display of firepower, it carries an inherent danger for those who fly and work among the aircraft. Brian Donley survived boot camp and completed aircraft firefighter school to serve as a yellow shirt on the flight deck of the USS William Halsey. Would his training, will, and courage equip him for the most challenging day of his life?

Darren Sapp’s breakout novel delivers the sights, sounds, and action of a supercarrier. He served in the inaugural flight deck crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt as a crash crew member and yellow shirt aircraft director.
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I enjoyed Bat 21, and have the book The Rescue of Bat-21 and Saving Bravo. Great books.
 
Never saw an F-8, but did get to see A-7s (along with A-10s & F-16s) doing gunnery runs at Ft Chafee, AR way back when. I've seen any number of F-4s, including one very up close & personal as it flew LOW over our tank & deep into the throttle. Got to watch a couple Kenyan AF F-5s playing once, as well. Always cool to see the old iron in action.
 
Crazy Carl said:
Never saw an F-8, but did get to see A-7s (along with A-10s & F-16s) doing gunnery runs at Ft Chafee, AR way back when. I've seen any number of F-4s, including one very up close & personal as it flew LOW over our tank & deep into the throttle. Got to watch a couple Kenyan AF F-5s playing once, as well. Always cool to see the old iron in action.
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Last active duty role as a fighter was in 1976, retired from the reconnaissance role in 1987, from a reserve squadron.

Of interest, of the 1,261 built, 1,106 had had mishaps. It was finnicky and hard to fly.
 
Chuckman said:
Last active duty role as a fighter was in 1976, retired from the reconnaissance role in 1987, from a reserve squadron.

Of interest, of the 1,261 built, 1,106 had had mishaps. It was finnicky and hard to fly.
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after the F8 and A7 the navy said that they never wanted another single engine carrier aircraft that held true until the F35 Which the navy hates
 
vaskeet said:
after the F8 and A7 the navy said that they never wanted another single engine carrier aircraft that held true until the F35 Which the navy hates
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Lol, I think almost everyone hates them. That said, they're undeniably one the best aircraft ever made.
 
Crazy Carl said:
Never saw an F-8, but did get to see A-7s (along with A-10s & F-16s) doing gunnery runs at Ft Chafee, AR way back when. I've seen any number of F-4s, including one very up close & personal as it flew LOW over our tank & deep into the throttle. Got to watch a couple Kenyan AF F-5s playing once, as well. Always cool to see the old iron in action.
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The PANG wing that my FiL served with flew A7s from the Greater Pittsburgh Air Port until they converted to KC135s. They had several two seat A7s and would sometimes give a back seat ride to those with a military ID. I was never able to put the time together to get a ride but I was told that the pilot didn't consider the ride a success unless the passenger lost their lunch.
 
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