Revamping the TW F-8 Crusader...

[+dtmdragon 2,703]

F-8E

 

F-8C

 

F-8H

 

F-8J

 

F-8J (Late: IRST removed and additional ECM blisters on intake and tail fin)

 

Around February 1972 four VF-211 F-8J were based out of Udorn Thailand to instruct frustrated USAF F-4 crews in air-combat maneuvering. The Crusaders flew strikes up North with the Phantoms , tanked and then would get some ACM practice in before recovering to Udorn. Even Robin Olds flew against these Navy pilots! The Air Force was embarrassed at their performance and in order to sabotage the program insisted that the F-8 Crusaders had to be temporary camouflaged. however this would have added 1200Ibs to the aircraft and was unacceptable. But what if?...

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by dtmdragon

[RustyKurnass 657]

That's a beauty thing!

Another beauty thing will be the possibilty of the dual rails also for the F-8C...

[+Nyghtfall 2,154]

Why not use the F-8D.lod for the C. Remove the IRST in the data.ini and its very close, I guess.

[+Soulfreak 6,523]

Looks pretty cool!

I'm working in new highrez skins for the F-8E (FN) & F-8P.

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Soulfreak

[Stratos 3,188]

Love this WIP!

[+dtmdragon 2,703]

8 hours ago, RustyKurnass said:

That's a beauty thing!

Another beauty thing will be the possibilty of the dual rails also for the F-8C...

 

8 hours ago, Nyghtfall said:

Why not use the F-8D.lod for the C. Remove the IRST in the data.ini and its very close, I guess.

Great minds think alike! 😄

F-8C (66) Y-Racks

Edited September 3, 2020 by dtmdragon

[+dtmdragon 2,703]

I also have single AIM-9 rail options for all the other F-8 Variants with Y-racks (D/E/J/H):

Edited September 3, 2020 by dtmdragon

[+dtmdragon 2,703]

F-8 pilot in the Navy/ USMC camouflage (WWII 'duck hunter') fatigues a lot of older F-8 pilots wore early on during the Vietnam war:

[Stratos 3,188]

The pilots like this one add a lot to the immersion facotr of this sim.

[+Trotski 936]

Nice , nice, nice ........That is all.

[+dtmdragon 2,703]

1 hour ago, Stratos said:

The pilots like this one add a lot to the immersion facotr of this sim.

Agreed, it is one of the first things I will change even if its just for my own private mod etc. Same with ejection seats.

[RustyKurnass 657]

Great work!!!

The Sader deserve more attention I think,so thanks!

Great job woth the air vents, made similar job in some custom skin foe the A-7B/E

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by RustyKurnass

[+Coupi 4,388]

This project sounds very good !!! 

The last gunfighter... I love it !!! 

[+dtmdragon 2,703]

6 hours ago, Coupi said:

This project sounds very good !!! 

The last gunfighter... I love it !!! 

There's very little information out there about it but did you guys know a F-8 Crusader Fighter Weapons School (aka Topgun) identical to the F-4 Phantom Fighter Weapons School (FWS) was set up and operating a few months first? The Ault report that called for a F-4 Post Graduate FWS equally called for a F-8 Post Graduate FWS 

Edited September 4, 2020 by dtmdragon

[DEVIL11 31]

I like the paint schemes that have the carrier name on where they were stationed on wish there would be more skins like that

[+Nyghtfall 2,154]

Historical accurate TW F-8s with HighRez-skins are always welcome!

Edited September 5, 2020 by Nyghtfall

[RustyKurnass 657]

2 hours ago, Nyghtfall said:

Historical accurate TW F-8s with HighRez-skins are always welcome!

I'll say needed!

remember guys that the Crusader enjoyed a better kill ratio of the beloved F-4 in Rolling Thunder...

Edited September 5, 2020 by RustyKurnass

[+Crusader 2,101]

Appendix 4 is the interesting part of the "Ault report" :)

[charlielima 328]

Well doggies. And TPS paint too !

CL

[+dtmdragon 2,703]

Correcting the Radar screen indicator lights/ lamps. TW has them set up as green range indicators on the left with a yellow radar lock and shoot que light on the right. Each light is actually a lamp with a symbol on it. Unfortunately there are no working lights in the F-8D cockpit so I have just put the un-lit symbols in the correct place.  However for the F-8E/J/H the lights are functional so I have corrected them as follows:

 

On the left from top to bottom is:

- "Extended Range lamp" (as in real life) lights up when the radar is in the 40 mile range on the F-8E/H and the 30 mile range on the F-8J.

- "T (Lock-on) lamp "  (as in real life) lights up when the radar is locked on to a target.

- "In-Envelope lamp" functions as a shoot que in the game, in real life it would light up when the radar was locked on and a missile (IR or SAHM) was within range and its launching parameters. 

 

On the right from top to bottom is:

- "J (Home-on-jamming) lamp" this is not functional in the game but in real life would light up when the radar was locked onto a jamming source.

- "IR (Lock-on)" or IRST (Lock-on) this is not functional in the game but in real life would light up when the aircrafts IRST was locked on to a heat source. However on the F-8J/H_69 It functioned as a SEAM lock on light when a AIM-9G had locked on to a target (with or without a radar lock). As such on the F-8J/H_69 it functions in the game a second shoot que.

 

P.S. all lights/ lamps are now green (no yellow).

Edited November 9, 2020 by dtmdragon

[+guuruu 5,909]

Amazing job!

[+dtmdragon 2,703]

Range rate circle, steering circle, aiming dot, break X and missile max range added to radar tracking display: