F-8K Crusader
"The Last Gunfighter"
Distinctive in appearence, the F-8 Crusader
was one of the US Navy's first supersonic
carrier-based fighters. During testing (1956),
the Crusader set a national speed record of
1000mph (1609 km/m). Entering service in
1957, the Crusader was the last US fighter
designed with guns as a primary weapon.
This earned the Crusader the nickname
"The Last Gunfighter." Later equipped with
Sidewinder air-to-air missles, the Crusader
had the best kill ratio of any US Navy
aircraft during the Vietnam War, earning
another nickname , "The Mig Master." The
last US Navy version retired in 1976, and
the photo-reconnaissance version (RF-8)
retired in 1987.
Manufacturer : Vought (later LTV)
Type: carrier-based fighter
Crew : pilot
Powerplant: one 18,016 lb (8,172 kg) static thrust
Pratt & Whitney J57-P-20 afterburning turbofjet
Wingspan: 35 ft 8 in (10.87 m)
Length: 54 ft 3 in (16.5 m)
Height: 15 ft 9 in (4.8 m)
Weight: 17,836 lbs (8,090.3 kg) empty; 34,100 lbs
(15,468 kg) maximum
Armament: four 20mm cannons; up to four
Sidewinder (short range) air-to-air missles; or
5,000 lbs ( 2,268 kg) of external ) ordnance
Maximum speed: 1,133 mph (1,823 km/h)
Combat radius: 500+ miles (805+ kilometers)
Service ceiling: 52,350 ft (15,956 m)
This aircraft on loan from the National Museum
of Naval Aviation at Pensacola, Florida
Marker is on Patriots Point Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
