Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III

The Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III was an aircraft developed by Chance Vought
XF8U-3 Crusader III
as a successor to the successful Vought F-8 Crusader program and as a competitor
to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.[1] Though based in spirit on the F8U-1
and F8U-2, and sharing the older aircraft's designation in the old Navy system, the
two aircraft shared few parts.[1]

Contents
Design and development
Operational history Unlike the F-8 Crusader, the F8U-3 featured
Operators ventral fins, shown here in deployed form.
Specifications Role Fighter aircraft
See also Manufacturer Chance Vought
References First flight 2 June 1958
Notes
Status Canceled
Bibliography
Primary users United States Navy
External links
NASA
Number built 5
Design and development Developed from Vought F-8 Crusader

In parallel with the F8U-1s and -2s, the Crusader design team was also working on
a larger aircraft with even greater performance, internally designated as the V-401. Although externally similar to the Crusader and
sharing with it such design elements as the variable incidence wing, the new fighter was larger and was powered by the Pratt & Whitney
J75-P-5A engine generating 29,500 lbf (131 kN) of afterburning thrust.[2] To deal with Mach 2+ flight conditions it was fitted with large
vertical ventral fins under the tail which rotated to the horizontal position for landing. To ensure sufficient performance, Vought made
provisions for a Rocketdyne XLF-40 liquid-fueled rocket motor with 8,000 lbf (35.6 kN) of thrust in addition to the turbojet. Avionics
included the AN/AWG-7 fire control computer, AN/APG-74 radar, and AN/ASQ-19 datalink. The system was expected to simultaneously
track six and engage two targets.[3]

Due to extensive changes as compared to the F8U-1, the F8U-2 was labeled by some as the "Crusader II", and as a result, the XF8U-3 was
officially labeled "Crusader III."[4]

Operational history
The XF8U-3 first flew on 2 June 1958. Despite claims by many books and articles that, during testing, the aircraft reached Mach 2.6 at
35,000 ft (10,670 m), in fact, the maximum speed reached (only once) was Mach 2.39, while normal operating speed was no more than
Mach 2.32.[5] The first time that the aircraft exceeded Mach 2.0 in level flight was on August 14, during its 38th test flight, well before the
rival F4H-1 did so. Some sources state that Vought projected a top speed of Mach 2.9 with the tail rocket installed, though the windscreen
and most aluminum airframes were not designed to withstand the heat of speeds more than Mach 2.35. Demonstrated zoom ceiling was
well over 76,000 ft (23,170 m). In December 1955, the US Navy declared a competition for a Mach 2+ fleet defense interceptor. Fly-offs
against the Crusader III's main competitor, the future McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, demonstrated that the Vought design had a
definite advantage in maneuverability. John Konrad, Vought's chief test pilot, later stated that the Crusader III could fly circles around the
Phantom II. Combat thrust-to-weight ratio (T/W ratio) was almost unity (0.97), while early F4H had only 0.87. However, the solitary pilot
in the XF8U-3 was easily overwhelmed with the workload required to fly the intercept and fire Sparrows which required constant radar
illumination from the firing aircraft, while the Phantom II had a dedicated radar intercept
officer on board.[1]

In addition, with the perception that the age of the guns was over, the Phantom's considerably
larger payload and the ability to perform air-to-ground as well as air-to-air missions, trumped
Vought's fast but single-purposed fighter. For similar reasons, the Phantom would replace the
Navy's F-8 Crusader as the primary daylight air superiority fighter in the Vietnam War,
although it was originally introduced as a missile-armed interceptor to complement day
fighters like the Crusader.[5]
A view of the XF8U-3’s chin inlet
The F8U-3 program was canceled with five aircraft built. Three aircraft flew during the test shows it to be drastically different
program, and, along with two other airframes, were transferred to NASA for atmospheric from its predecessor, the Vought F-8
testing, as the Crusader III was capable of flying above 95% of the Earth's atmosphere. NASA Crusader
pilots flying at NAS Patuxent River routinely intercepted and defeated U.S. Navy Phantom IIs
in mock dogfights, until complaints from the Navy put an end to the harassment.[6]

All of the Crusader IIIs were later scrapped.

Operators
United States

United States Navy

NASA

Specifications
Data from The Great Book of Fighters,[7]American Fighter Aircraft,[8]
and MiG Master[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 58 ft 8 in (17.88 m)
Wingspan: 39 ft 11 in (12.16 m)
Height: 16 ft 4 in (4.98 m)
Wing area: 450 ft² (41.8 m²)
Empty weight: 21,860 lb (9,915 kg)
Loaded weight: 32,320 lb (14,660 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 38,770 lb (17,590 kg)
Fuel capacity: 2,000 US gal (7,700 l)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney J75-P-5A afterburning turbojet

Dry thrust: 16,500 lbf (73.4 kN)

Thrust with afterburner: 29,500 lbf (131.2 kN)

Performance

Maximum speed: 2.39 Mach (demonstrated) at 50,000 ft (15,000 m)

Cruise speed: 500 kn (575 mph, 925 km/h)
Range: 560 nmi, (645 mi, 1,040 km) combat
Ferry range: 1,777 NM (2,045 mi, 3,290 km) with external fuel
Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,800 m)
Rate of climb: 32,500 ft/min (165 m/s)
Wing loading: 72 lb/ft² (350 kg/m²)
 Thrust/weight: 0.74 at take-off, 0.97 at combat weight

Armament

Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon (planned; never installed)[8]

Missiles:

3 × AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided missiles

4 × AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles

Avionics

Raytheon Aero 1B weapons control system, including:

Autotechnicas AN/AWG-7 missile control system
AN/APQ-50 radar

See also
Related development

Vought F-8 Crusader

LTV A-7 Corsair II
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Grumman XF12F
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
Related lists

List of fighter aircraft

List of military aircraft of the United States

References

Notes
1. Tillman 1990
2. Gunston 1981, p. 243.
3. Gunston 1981, p. 244.
4. Pike, J. "F8U-3 Crusader III." (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/f8u-3.htm) GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved: 11 June
2011.
5. Gunston 1981, p. 245.
6. Tillman 1990, p. 196.
7. Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Great Book of Fighters. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001.
ISBN 0-7603-1194-3.
8. Baugher, Joe. "Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III." (http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f8_19.html) US Navy Fighter Aircraft, 23
January 2000. Retrieved: 11 June 2011.

Bibliography
Gunston, Bill. "Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III." Fighters of the Fifties. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 1981.
ISBN 0-933424-32-9.
Thomason, Tommy. Vought F8U-3 Crusader III Super Crusader (Naval Fighters, 87). Simi Valley, California: Ginter Books, 2010.
ISBN 978-0-9846114-0-9.
Tillman, Barrett. MiG Master: Story of the F-8 Crusader (Second edition). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1990.
 ISBN 0-87021-585-X.

External links
F8U-3 Weapons System (http://www.texasarchive.org/library/index.php?title=F8U-3_Weapons_System), from the Texas Archive of
the Moving Image

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