Vought F-8 Crusader facts for kids

The F-8 Crusader was a powerful fighter plane. It was built in America by a company called Vought. Its first flight was in 1955. It started serving in the Navy and Marine Corps in 1957. During the Vietnam War, it was special. It was the only fighter that carried both guns and missiles. Later, a new plane called the F-4 Phantom II began to replace it. The F-8 Crusader stopped flying for the military in 1999.

There was also a different type of this plane called the RF-8 Crusader. This version was used for spying. It even took important pictures of Soviet missiles during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

United States Navy F-8.

Images for kids

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  F8U-1 Crusader BuNo 141435 and Commander "Duke" Windsor depart China Lake for a successful speed record attempt, 21 August 1956.

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  Ejection from a VFP-62 RF-8A in 1963.

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  An F-8E of VMF(AW)-235 at Da Nang, in April 1966 showing the IRST sensor in front of the canopy.

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  A section of VFP-206 RF-8G Crusaders in late 1986 when they were last F-8s in U.S. Naval service.

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  NASA TF-8A supercritical wing testbed

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  F-8H Crusader of the Philippine Air Force. c. 1978

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  A VF-32 F8U-1 in 1958.

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  NASA's F-8C digital fly-by-wire testbed

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  DF-8F missile and drone director of USN China Lake in 1971.

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  A French F-8P on display at Toulouse

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  XF8U-1 Crusader prototype on display at the Museum of Flight

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  F-8J Crusader on display at the Air Zoo

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  Weapons loadout of an F-8 Crusader

Related pages

• A-7 Corsair II

See also

In Spanish: Vought F-8 Crusader para niños