~~~~~~~ OPERATIONAL AT HIGHEST SETTINGS ~~~~~~~

For Hunter77
https://www.simpleplanes.com/u/Hunter77

The Vought F-8 Crusader (originally F8U) was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass, and for the French Navy. The first F-8 prototype was ready for flight in February 1955, and served principally in the Vietnam War. The Crusader was the last American fighter with guns as the primary weapon, earning it the title "The Last Gunslinger".

The Crusader was not an easy aircraft to fly, and was often unforgiving in carrier landings, where it suffered from yaw instability, and the poorly designed, castoring nose undercarriage made steering on the deck problematic. It earned a reputation as an "ensign killer" during its early service introduction. Not surprisingly, the Crusader's mishap rate was relatively high compared to its contemporaries, the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and the F-4 Phantom II. In all, 1,261 Crusaders were built. By the time it was withdrawn from the fleet, 1,106 had been involved in mishaps. Only a handful of them were lost to enemy fire in Vietnam.

This was one of the more challenging builds I've done, with intersecting pieces and establishing balance. At cruising speed this beauty flies level, but is slightly nose tippy until then and/or above 10,000ft ASL.

She is sporting the colors of the VF-111 naval squadron which operated on the USS Intrepid. In this replica, I outfitted the plane with a pair of laterally mounted AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and internal 20mm cannons located below the cockpit on each side.

Enjoy, and as always I am open to any recommendations!