F8U-1 (F-8A)

With the rapid pace of the XF8U-1 flight test program, and the almost non-existent requirement for major modifications to the aircraft as a result of flight test, fabrication of the production

version of the Crusader followed that of the prototypes virtually uninterrupted, beginning at a rate of three per month, and soon accelerating to a rate of eight per month.  As a result, the first production aircraft, F8U-1Bu.No. 140444 made its first flight  on 30 September 1955, six months and five days after the initial flight of XF #1, and the production line continued to roll until 25 November 1963 when the last Crusader , F-8E(FN) Number 42 (Bu.No. 151773) completed final assembly.

F8U-1E (F-8B)

On 3 September 1958, BuNo. 145318 flew from NAS Dallas as the prototype model of the F8U-1E with a modified avionics system.  This modification replaced the AN/APG-30 gun-ranging radar system with the AN/APS-67 radar scanner in the nose section of the aircraft.  The change gave the Crusader a limited all-weather capability, and expanded its mission beyond the pure “day fighter” requirements of the original version.  This version of the Crusader was identifiable externally by the new radome configuration - an all plastic radome in lieu of the combination metal/plastic radome of the F8U-1.  The new radome had a small glass window on the lower aft surface which permitted a gun camera to record the results of gunfire runs.  In all other respects, the F8U-1E was identical to the F8U-1.  One-hundred-thirty of the F8U-1E models were built.

F8U:

XF8U-1 Innovative Systems
XF8U-1 In The Cockpit
A New Aircraft and a New Coporation
F8U-1 and F8U-1E production Aircraft Changes
Life Extension
Loss of F8U-3 and a New Challenge
Last flight of the F8 (1999)