Vought F-8 Crusader

AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2025

The Vought F-8 Crusader was built as a direct response to a United States Navy requirement for a modern, supersonic, carrier-based fighter, and became the world's first carrier-based aircraft to break the speed of sound. The single-seat Crusader was fitted primarily with four 20mm internal guns and AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range missile. However, the Crusader was soon pressed into service over the skies of Vietnam due to the growing American commitment in Southeast Asia, where it served with distinction with US Navy and US Marine Corps. As a predominantly cannon-armed fighter, the F-8 has been seen by many as the end of the line for all-cannon-armed fighter jets - making the F-8 the ‘last of the gunfighters’.
The Crusader eventually proved its worth through action and resiliency, and found frontline service across four decades, including service with the French Navy (Aeronavale). French Crusaders were a specially-produced export breed designated as F-8E(FN), and these aircraft were given blown flaps to assist the aircraft in landing and taking off from the shorter and smaller French-made carriers. The Philippines Air Force was the third and final operator of the F-8, and these aircraft were retired in 1991. This book is designed for the modeller and enthusiast alike with historic details, walk arounds, colour profiles and how to model the Crusader in popular scales.