Anthony W. 0 Posted March 7, 2009 Does anyone here know anything about this bird? I think it's sexy. Probably would make a great mod project if anyone wanted to take it up as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nesher 628 Posted March 7, 2009 looks like a fish LOL thanks for the extra knowlege :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony W. 0 Posted March 7, 2009 looks like a fish LOLthanks for the extra knowlege :) Yes is does look like a fish. A very sexy fish that breaks <B>mach 2</B>. If that bird had gone into service who knows what it could have done. I'd like to see that thing with a full load of weapons on the cat ready to launch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gbnavy61 1 Posted March 7, 2009 I know it carried 3 Sparrows for armament. Don't even know if it has a gun. It could probably leave an F-4 in the dust, or at least keep up with it. It's fugly compared to the vanilla Crusaders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeremiah Weed 0 Posted March 7, 2009 If that bird had gone into service who knows what it could have done. Probably nowhere near what the F-4 did... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony W. 0 Posted March 7, 2009 Probably nowhere near what the F-4 did... Well thats a given. I still think the F8U-3 would have done great though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gbnavy61 1 Posted March 7, 2009 Probably nowhere near what the F-4 did... Probably in most things, but in photo-recce? I doubt it. (And I bet a Crusader pilot could still take this ugly thing and whoop and F-4 in a dogfight.) :yes: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony W. 0 Posted March 7, 2009 I know it carried 3 Sparrows for armament. Don't even know if it has a gun. It could probably leave an F-4 in the dust, or at least keep up with it. It's fugly compared to the vanilla Crusaders. According to Wikipedia Armament Guns: 4× 20 mm (0.787 in) Colt Mk 12 cannon (planned; never installed)[4] Missiles: 3× AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided missiles 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles (planned for production) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeremiah Weed 0 Posted March 7, 2009 Probably in most things, but in photo-recce? I doubt it. (And I bet a Crusader pilot could still take this ugly thing and whoop and F-4 in a dogfight.) :yes: More than likely... but it takes more than dog fighting to win a war.... I'm not trying to turn this into some lame "this airframe is better than this airframe" debate, but if you look at what became of the F-4 program, and the possible capabilities of this airframe, going with the F-4 was no doubt the better choice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony W. 0 Posted March 7, 2009 More than likely... but it takes more than dog fighting to win a war.... I'm not trying to turn this into some lame "this airframe is better than this airframe" debate, but if you look at what became of the F-4 program, and the possible capabilities of this airframe, going with the F-4 was no doubt the better choice. It was better. Just because it was so adaptable Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony W. 0 Posted March 7, 2009 According to Wikipedia the thing had 4x 20mils, 4 winders,and 3 sparrows. I call that a nice weapons compliment for such a high preforming aircraft. There were also plans to put an 8000lbs thrust booster rocket on it. That would have been a sight to see. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony W. 0 Posted March 7, 2009 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys...craft/f8u-3.htm Wow... That is amazing... The only reason it couldn't fly faster is because the heat was about to melt the wind screen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+76.IAP-Blackbird 3,557 Posted March 9, 2009 wasn`t FC working on such a bird.. maybe I mix here something... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony W. 0 Posted March 9, 2009 I could easily imagine this getting up to Mach 3 with the booster had they bought it and gotten a glass instead of plexiglass wind screen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+NGHENGO 14 Posted March 10, 2009 A slow Wip is in working by ID(io)T Team......i know Mau. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kct 5 Posted March 10, 2009 That thing would eat eels alive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anthony W. 0 Posted March 10, 2009 That thing would eat eels alive. Even though I don't know an what an eel is... It wouldn't just eat it. It'd swallow it whole. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+76.IAP-Blackbird 3,557 Posted March 20, 2009 Nice model Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Southernap 1 Posted March 22, 2009 The XF8U-3 Crusader III was designed to compete for the same contract that lead to the development of the F4H-1 Phantom. It was larger when compared to the F8U-2, it mounted the P&W J-75 Engine (same engine that was in the F-106, F-105, U-2, B707, DC-8), it was supposed to be one of the first aircraft to mount "digital" flight control capabilities (though at the time it was basically cruise control for the jet and not a true digital flight controls like we see in the F-16 or F-18), and like is predacessor the F8U-1 had tremondous speed and climb compared to other aircaft of the era. It was supposed to mount three Sparrow missiles; one each the port and starboard side just forward of the main landing gear doors, the third was on a centerline station. All of the Sparrows were supposed to be recessed and the placement of the Sparrows wings were supposed to act as additional stability. The nose landing gear was off set by about two degrees from aicraft centerline to premit the carriage of the third sparrow. Additionally up to four Sidewinders were going to be carried in a similar fashion to the original Crusader. Vought desgined in a pair of gun bays to accomidate up to four 20mm cannons, however at the time (of 1958) leading wisdom seem to say that the gun was going out of service. So there was also plans to accomdiate additional avonics in those bays if the government didn't want cannons installed. During flight testing the airplane was able to go to Mach 2.2 and sustain that with only minimual control inputs from the pilot, it also seem to show that it would be capable of a zoom climb up to 90k ft. However in during the actual fly off it would only routinely go to 65k for altituted. The airplane also showed promise of being able to hit Mach 2.95 as well, the only limiting factor was that the wind screen was made of acrylic and would be unable to stand up to anything faster then Mach 2.2 or altitudes above 68k ft due to heat stress from those speeds and pressure stress from the higher altitutes. According to all the sources that I have read the F8U-3 Crusader was a better flying jet overall compared to F4H. However there were some issues that just to complicated to be clear up. The first being was that due to the unusal "sugar scoop" of the intake of the aircraft a series of "rumbles" (think of a semi-truck using the J-brake) would be heard by the aircrew starting around Mach 1.3 and would increase in frequency and volume until the force of the compression wave unloaded. This unload typically sounded like the engine blowing up to most of the test pilots. This routinely unnerved the aircrew and it was until the end of flight testing that Vought was able to solve the problem with a redesign of the engine ducting. The other issue with aircraft was that it really wasn't as mult-roled capable as the Phantom. This was truely going to be a Fighter/Interceptor aircraft. Fifteen portoypes were ordered and only five were delivered before McDonnell F4H-1 was declared the winner. The five F8U-3's were bought instead by NASA and used at Edwards, Langely, and Ames research centers testing high speeds and high altitute flight before being scrapped in the early 60's. To date none of the airframes survived scrapping. Two that were assigned to Langely ended their days as fire-fighter trainers, and the rest were taked out to bombing ranges. If this aircraft would of been accepted it would of been the world fastest jet in active service at the time with redesign of the wind screen, there is a very good chance it would have routinely been able to hit speeds approaching Mach 3. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icarus999 70 Posted March 22, 2009 That jet was a brute, as much as i love the f-4 it would have been nice to see what it could do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
infernus 0 Posted May 30, 2010 I don't think its ugly it looks like it would whip anything in a fight. Is anyone working on an add on? I was thinking about taking the bottom fin off a mig-23 and putting it on a f8-e but the f8u-3 actually had the two bottom fins Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DWCAce 19 Posted May 31, 2010 There is a WIP for this, check above It would of been neat to see this plane do it's thing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
