Seventy years ago today, on March 25, 1955, the Vought F-8 Crusader roared into the skies for the first time, marking the beginning of an illustrious career. Designed in response to the U.S. Navy’s 1952 requirement for a supersonic, single-engine carrier-based fighter, the F-8 would go on to define an era of naval aviation. It earned the nickname “The Last of the Gunfighters” as the final American-built fighter to feature a machine gun as its primary weapon.
The F-8 Crusader saw extensive action during the Cold War, proving its versatility in multiple roles. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, it served as a high-speed photo reconnaissance platform, leveraging its agility and speed for critical intelligence-gathering missions. In the Vietnam War, Crusader pilots found success in dogfights against enemy MiGs, particularly at lower altitudes where U.S. surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) forced MiGs to engage on less favorable terms. Even against the formidable MiG-21, Crusader pilots held their own, using superior tactics and teamwork to maximize the aircraft’s strengths in aerial combat.
Armed with four 20mm Colt Mk 12 cannons mounted in the lower fuselage, the F-8 packed a formidable punch. It also featured hardpoints under the fuselage and wings for Zuni rockets, AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, AGM-12 Bullpup air-to-ground missiles, and a variety of bombs, including the Mark 81, 82, and 83. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney J57-P-20A afterburning turbojet engine, the Crusader could cruise at 308 miles per hour and reach a blistering top speed of Mach 1.8.
Today, dozens of Vought F-8 Crusaders remain preserved in museums around the world. Most recently, the Vietnam War Flight Museum in Houston, Texas, has launched a campaign to acquire one of the last remaining F-8s from France. The museum’s goal is to purchase and restore the aircraft to airworthy status—an extraordinary effort that, if successful, would bring “The Last of the Gunfighters” back to life in the skies once more.
Photo via Aéronavale Airchives
