Summary and Key Points: The F-8 Crusader was uniquely known as the “Last of the Gunfighters” yet also became the first jet fighter to break 1,000 mph.
-This legendary carrier-based aircraft was highly successful in Vietnam, outperforming MiG-17 fighters due to superior agility and missile capabilities, achieving the highest kill-to-loss ratio of any U.S. fighter in that conflict.
-However, it had limited missile-carrying ability, typically only two to four AIM-9 Sidewinders.
-Its lethal combination of speed, low-altitude maneuverability, and cannon firepower defined its effectiveness. Although retired as a fighter in 1976, the F-8 remained active in reconnaissance roles into the late 1980s.
Why the F-8 Crusader Was Vietnam’s Most Lethal Fighter Jet
The legendary carrier-launched F-8 Crusader aircraft had the unique distinction of being both a “last” and a “first” in several key aspects.
While the aircraft became known as the “Last of the Gunfighters,” it was also the first jet fighter to reach 1,000 miles per hour in the air.
The combination of guns and breakthrough speed must have made the F-8 a particular source of difficulty for enemies, and sure enough, it was the US Navy Crusaders that first attacked the Vietnam People’s Air Force in 1965.
Perhaps due to the airframe’s speed in its time, the F-8 proved successful against Russian-built MiG-17s. Significantly, the F-8 did not make first contact with radar in many engagements over Vietnam but instead relied upon ground controllers to guide them toward targets.
Despite combat losses, the famous F-8 did experience success against MiGs because they were more maneuverable at the lower altitudes at which air defenses forced MiGs to fly. According to Naval History and Heritage Command, F-8s were responsible for destroying as many as 18 MiGs.
The F-8 Crusader had the best kill-to-loss ratio of any fighter in Vietnam, yet the aircraft could not be heavily armed with missiles, a fact described by an aviation magazine called Hush Kit.
“The F-8 could carry a maximum of four air-to-air missiles, half that of the F-4 Phantom II. Even carrying four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, proved draggy and made it harder for the Crusader to reach minimum landing weight if the weapons were not expended.
Because of this, the F-8 most often went to war with only two missiles,” the essay said.
The F-4, by contrast, has two to four times the missile load of the F-8, yet the F-8 nonetheless proved effective in many instances.
The F-8 Crusader combined speed with low-altitude maneuverability and air-to-air and air-to-ground gunfire attack. This combination likely proved quite lethal in Vietnam. There were few, if any, shoulder-fired anti-aircraft guns in the Vietnam era, which meant the F-8 could attack based on line-of-sight targeting.
The ability to maneuver at speeds yet retain line-of-sight connectivity with the ground likely brought significant survivability and lethality to the platform, as it could conduct rapid strikes on enemy ground fortifications with agility and speed such that it could not be targeted effectively from the ground.
However, the Crusader’s ability to destroy MiGs was primarily due to its ability to fire AIM-9 heat-seeking missiles, according to an essay on the aircraft published by Historynet.
“Although the Crusader did pack four Colt-Browning Mark 12 20mm cannons at a time when other American fighters were relying on air-to-air missiles, its cannons were unreliable and virtually all Crusader victories over its Mikoyan-Gurevich-designed opposition were achieved using AIM-9 heat-seeking missiles,” the essay states
Agile Gunfighter
The ability to be agile and maneuverable at lower altitudes makes sense for an aircraft armed with 20mm guns, as it would need to operate within reachable attack proximity of enemy ground forces. The 20mm cannon was adopted following lessons learned in the Korean War, indicating that a .50-cal machine gun was effective enough as an air-attack weapon.
The F-8 could be seen as the last of an era, as it was not long after its departure that GPS-guided air-dropped bombs blasted onto the scene.
Just over a decade after the combat retirement of the F-8 fighter in 1976, Joint Direct Attack Munitions blasted onto the global stage during the Persian Gulf War. Although retired as a fighter in the mid-1970s, the F-8 remained in the Naval Reserve as a reconnaissance airplane until the mid-to-late 1980s.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the Military Technology Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University
