F8U-2

F8U-2

F3H-2

F-8E

F8U-2

F3H-2

F-8E

USA

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.7	10.3	10.0

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Naval aircraft

Research:220 000

Purchase:620 000

Show in game

Description

The F8U-2 Crusader II is a rank VI American jet fighter with a battle rating of 9.7 (AB), 10.3 (RB), and 10.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update "Ixwa Strike".

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear

Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Max speed

at 10 668 m2 038 km/h

Turn time28 s

Max altitude16 310 m

EnginePratt & Whitney J57-P-16

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight13 t

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 10,668 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	2,025	2,017	16310	28.4	29.4	113.8	104.6	1,828
Upgraded	___	___		__._	__._	__._	__._

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
✓	X	✓	✓	✓	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1555	428 428	1070	N/A	583	~11	~7

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 1000	< 590	< 500	N/A

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear428 km/h

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 801 → 4 260

RB9 725 → 14 791

SB8 069 → 12 272

Total cost of modifications195 000

307 000

Talisman cost2 700

Crew training175 000

Experts620 000

Aces2 600

Research Aces1 010 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 370 / 600 %

226 / 226 / 226 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 260 New boosters Research: 15 000 Cost: 24 000 490 Wings repair Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 390 Engine Research: 21 000 Cost: 33 000 690	Fuselage repair Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 260 Airframe Research: 15 000 Cost: 24 000 490 G-suit Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 390 Cover Research: 21 000 Cost: 33 000 690	mk_12_mod3_belt_pack Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 260 Flares/Chaff Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 260 AIM-9B Research: 7 800 Cost: 12 000 260 FFAR Mighty Mouse Research: 15 000 Cost: 24 000 490 mk_12_mod3_new_gun Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 390 AIM-9D Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 390 LAU-35A Research: 21 000 Cost: 33 000 690

Armaments

Offensive armament

The F8U-2 is armed with:

• A choice between two presets:
  • 4 x 20 mm Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 cannons, nose-mounted (144 rpg = 576 total)
  • 4 x 20 mm Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 cannons, nose-mounted (144 rpg = 576 total) + 32 x FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets

Suspended armament

The F8U-2 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
• 4 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
• 2 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
• 4 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles
• 4 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
• 8 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
• 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles + 4 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets
• 2 x AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles + 4 x Zuni Mk32 Mod 0 ATAP rockets

Usage in battles

The F8U-2 performs the best when using tactics similar to the Hunter, which involves using your high-speed pointing and handling to break the enemy formation. However, be sure not to engage in a close combat when your speed is 900 km/h or above, since there is a great risk that your wing would break due to the overload.

The most dangerous enemies include:

• Any soviet aircraft that has an R-60: since it would be impossible to dodge the missile at high speed.
• MiG-17s: they can outmanoeuvre you in dogfights.

Radars

The F8U-2 is equipped with an AN/APQ-50 search and tracking radar. The radar is mounted in the nose of the aircraft.

AN/APQ-50 - Target Detection Radar
Maximum Detection Range	Guaranteed Detection Range	Max Azimuth Scan Angle	Max Elevation Scan Angle
370,000 m (theoretical)	40,000 m	±50.0°	-8.15°/+4.15°
AN/APQ-50 - Target Tracking Radar
Maximum Tracking Range	Minimum Tracking Range	Azimuth Tracking Angle	Elevation Tracking Angle
92,500 m	200 m	±58.0°	±58.0°

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Cannons could fire separately to save ammo
• Four AIM-9Ds, good when engaging enemies at about 3 km
• Excellent flight performance
• Excellent pointing at high speed
• Landing flaps provide a lot of lift thanks to the variable wing design
• Extendable rocket pod which fires 16 Mighty Mouses at once

Cons:

• Extremely fragile, can crash under 11G overload
• Cannot break the sound barrier at low altitude
• Incredibly likely to set on fire because of the fuel placement

History

Devblog

In 1952, the American Naval command announced requirements for a new supersonic jet carrier-based fighter to protect carrier groups from enemy aircraft and achieve air superiority. Chance Vought Aircraft Inc., which already had considerable experience working with carrier-based aircraft, became one of the participants in the competition. Their candidate differed from the competition by a variable-incidence wing. The wing tilted upward by 5 degrees, which noticeably improved taking off and landings on short decks of aircraft carriers.

Just 20 months after receiving the contract, the first prototype was built for tests. The fighter successfully passed the initial tests, in the very first flight it easily broke the sound barrier, and in a modified form went to the navy for deck tests. The first prototype series was successfully tested on aircraft carriers in the spring of 1956, after which the F8U-1 Crusader entered service with the US Navy. Work on a promising jet fighter did not stop after the start of mass production. The modified aircraft with a new power plant, advanced navigation system, radar, FCS and improved armament received the designation F8U-2.

The Crusader has become a real legend and a symbol of US carrier-based aviation for its excellent flight characteristics, ease of operation, reliability and significant firepower. The fighter received the baptism of fire almost immediately after entering the service, and since then has been actively used in combat and training missions in many parts of the world, including intensive combat service in Vietnam. Even when more advanced aircraft entered service, the naval pilots were reluctant to say goodbye to the Crusaders. “When you're out of F-8's, you're out of fighters” they said.

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See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.