My point remains, and I think a lot of fighter pilots would agree that loading a true fighter up like a garbage truck with bombs is just wrong.

It is my understanding that Vought resisted turning the F8 into a bomber untill the very end. Like always ignorant bean counters, and politicians that know nothing screw up things. Look at the fact that desk bound fools took guns off planes like the F4. How many F4s were shot down because they were not flown clean? How many more MIGS could they have shot down if they would have had a gun?

The biggest fool of all was MacNamara!!! He championed the F111. A great example of a plane that was to be all things to all people. It was a 50,000 turkey as a fighter. Later it did work out as a medium bomber.

Scooter

Yes the F8U-3 was a fantastic plane the Navy never bought. They bought the Phantom instead. Ames at Moffett had one of the 3s that flew once in a while. It was like a 150% 2.

The 3 could fly rings around the Phantom. Just look up the specs on the Crusader 3. It had a rate of climb better than the F4 and a service ceiling higher too. You can find stories about 3s jumping Pax river Phantoms, and waxing them every time. Pax river finally had to insist that the guys flying reseach 3s cut it out. It made the Navy decision to buy the Phantoms look bad.

The reason that the Navy bought the Phantom over the Crusader 3 was it had a radar intercept back seater.

Another thing I remember from Moffett about the F8 is their hot landing speed. Moffett had twin runways, and the fighters almost alway use 32L, while our Connies used 32R. One day we were shooting no flap landings in our Connie. An F8 turned inside of us to land on 32L. As we came over the end of the runway, our Connie was actually slowly out running the F8. The Connies no flap landing speed was actually faster than a normal configuration landing of the F8!!

Besides the f-104 and the F8U-2N, when it comes to later aircraft, the “D” model F14 comes to mind. It was a super offensive fighter with excellent range.

At an air show in Omaha several years ago a D model Tomcat stole the whole show from the AF. With its GE engines whining and and that special moan when it made about a 80 degree baking 360 EVERYONE was amazed. It followed that by comming down the runway with everthing hanging out at a high angle of attack just above stall. It went to full burner sucked everything up and went total vertical to over 10,000 feet. Amazing power!!!