In the 50s of the last century, many interesting samples of aviation technology were created in the United States, which left a noticeable mark on the history of world aviation. One of these aircraft was the F-8 Crusader (Russian Crusader) jet carrier-based fighter, created by Vought. The creation and adoption of the "Crusader" was preceded by an epic, during which American admirals in the 50s sorted out several types of carrier-based fighters, many of which did not serve even 10 years. In the first post-war decades, military aviation developed at a very fast pace, and the jet fighters adopted for service often became outdated even before the massive arrival of the troops.
During the Korean War, the US Navy needed a naval fighter capable of countering the Soviet MiG-15 on an equal footing. As an emergency measure, North American created a carrier-based version of the Saber fighter, the FJ2 Fury. It differed from the F-86E Saber in a folding wing, an attachment for landing with a cable aircraft finisher, an attachment for launching from a catapult and a more durable structure, which was due to large overloads during takeoff and landing on deck. Instead of six large-caliber machine guns, as in the early Saber variants, four 20-mm cannons were immediately installed on the naval model. Compared to the F-86F, intended for the Air Force, the "dry" weight of the deck modification was almost 200 kg more. The FJ-2 fighter with a maximum takeoff weight of 8520 kg was equipped with a 1 × General Electric J47-GE-2 turbojet engine with a thrust of 26.7 kN. The maximum speed at low altitude is 1080 km / h. The combat radius is about 500 km.
The carrier-based Sabers did not have time for the war in Korea, the first fighters were accepted by the representatives of the Navy only in January 1954. In 1955, improved FJ3s appeared on the decks of American aircraft carriers, which differed from the FJ2 with the Wright J65 32.2 kN engine (licensed version of the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire). Although more than 700 fighters were delivered to the fleet and they were equipped with AIM-9 Sidewinder guided missiles, by the mid-50s the Furies were no longer fully suited to the role of carrier-based interceptors and the aircraft were reclassified as fighter-bombers. The operation of the aircraft was complicated by the unreliable operation of the engines at modes close to the limiting ones. Due to the destruction of engines in flight, several FJ3s crashed. In this connection, they introduced restrictions on the maximum permissible engine speed limits and the FJ3 actually had no advantages over the earlier modification.
The Fury was the first combat aircraft lost in combat in Southeast Asia. In 1962, two squadrons from the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) attacked targets in Laos. Knocked down by anti-aircraft fire, the fighter-bomber hit the deck during landing and caught fire. Although the plane could not be restored, the pilot survived. Deck "Fury" externally, in addition to the color adopted by the Navy, practically did not differ from the "Sabers", but they were built many times less. The US Navy and ILC received 740 aircraft. Their service with the aircraft carrier wings continued until 1962. But for several more years the aircraft were actively operated at coastal airfields.
Simultaneously with FJ3, the IUD and KMP received FJ4. This modification featured a thinner wing profile and increased fuel capacity. The maximum take-off weight increased to 10,750 kg, and the flight range with a PTB and two Sidewinder missiles reached 3,200 km. The armament remained the same as on the early Fury models, and the maximum speed at altitude reached 1090 km / h. Just like the previous models of the carrier-based Saber, the FJ4 began service as a fighter-interceptor, but was later reoriented to deal with strike missions. In total, 374 FJ4 aircraft were delivered to the fleet. Their operation in the aviation of the Marine Corps continued until the end of the 60s.
To counter the Soviet jet torpedo bombers Tu-14 and Il-28, which arrived in significant numbers in the aviation regiments of the USSR Navy, the Americans needed faster carrier-based fighters. In this regard, the F9F Cougar from Grumman became the main deck interceptor in the second half of the 50s. "Coguar" was created on the basis of the F9F Panther carrier-based jet fighter. The main difference from the "Panther" was the arrow-shaped wing. Fleet Command classified the Coguar as a new model of the Panther and therefore had the same alphanumeric index.
The carrier-based fighter with a maximum take-off weight of 9520 kg was accelerated by the Pratt & Whitney J48-P-8A turbojet engine with a thrust of 38 kN to 1135 km / h. Practical flight range - 1500 km. To replenish the supply of fuel in the air, the aircraft had a refueling probe. Although the maximum flight speed of the Coguar was not much higher than that of the Fury, the upgraded deck-based Coguars had a long flight range, equipped with an APG-30A radar, an Aero 5D fire control system and air combat missiles. Built-in armament included four 20mm cannons.
The first squadron of "Koguar" VF-24 was deployed on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) in August 1953, but did not participate in the hostilities in Korea. In 1958, the pilots of carrier-based fighters moved to more modern machines, but the Coguars continued to be used in reconnaissance and training squadrons. During the initial period of the Vietnam War, the F9F-8T two-seat training variant was used by the US ILC as a reconnaissance and guidance aircraft. In total, about 1900 single and double "Coguars" were built, the last two-seater aircraft was decommissioned in 1974.
It was assumed that the F9F Cougar fighter in the American carrier-based fighter squadrons will be replaced by the supersonic F11F Tiger. This aircraft was designed by Grumman specialists with the "area rule" in mind. The fighter, which first flew in 1954, had good flight data. The aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 10,660 kg was equipped with a Wright J65-W-18 engine with an afterburner thrust of 47.6 kN and could accelerate in level flight to 1210 km / h. Combat radius of action with two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and two outboard fuel tanks was 480 km. There was no radar on the "Tiger", aiming at the target had to be carried out by the commands of the ship's radar or the deck-based AWACS aircraft. The armament of serial fighters consisted of four 20-mm cannons, located in pairs under the air intakes, and four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles with an infrared homing head.
The entry of "Tigers" into the combat squadrons began in 1956. From the very beginning, the fighter proved itself positively and was popular with flight and technical personnel. Pilots appreciated it for its excellent maneuverability and good controllability at low speeds, which was especially important when landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The Tiger has earned a reputation among the technicians as a simple, easy-to-maintain and almost trouble-free aircraft.
However, for all its merits, the F11F did not satisfy the admirals as a deck interceptor. Due to its maneuverable characteristics, the "Tiger" was almost ideally suited for the role of an air superiority fighter, but in the late 50s, information appeared about the creation in the USSR of a long-range jet bomber-missile carrier Tu-16. The US Navy needed a radar-equipped fighter with long range and speed. Serial production of "Tigers" ceased in 1959, in total, the deck squadrons received about 180 F11F. Already in 1961, the aircraft were withdrawn from the units of the first line, and in 1969 they were finally dismissed.
Along with the relatively light "Fury", "Coguar" and "Tiger", the American admirals considered it expedient to have a heavy deck interceptor equipped with a powerful radar and capable of autonomously operating at a considerable distance from the aircraft carrier. McDonnell began to create such an aircraft in 1949, and in 1951 the first flight of the prototype took place. The aircraft seemed very promising and the Navy placed an order for 528 carrier-based interceptors. However, the tests were very difficult, due to the unreliable operation of the Westinghouse XJ40 engine and failures in the control system, 12 experimental aircraft were crashed during test flights, after which the order was reduced to 250 machines.
The first serial modification, which entered service in March 1956, was designated F3H-1N Demon. The all-weather deck "Demon" was equipped with a Westinghouse J40-WE-22 turbojet engine with 48 kN afterburner thrust. The cars of the first modification, due to too capricious engines, were not popular, and only 58 copies of them were built. The F3H-2N, built in the amount of 239 units, became more massive. This model was equipped with a more powerful Allison J71 - A2 engine, which produced 63.4 kN in afterburner mode. But simultaneously with the increase in power, fuel consumption increased, and in order to maintain the same flight range, the volume of fuel tanks had to be increased, which in turn led to an increase in the maximum take-off weight. The pilots really did not like to take off with tanks filled with traffic jams and with a maximum combat load. The thrust-to-weight ratio of the "Demon" was low and the slightest "sneeze" of a single engine on takeoff could lead to a disaster.
The Demon turned out to be the heaviest American carrier-based fighter of the mid-50s. The maximum take-off weight of the F3H-2N modification was 15 380 kg, that is, almost twice as much as that of the Fury. The single-seat interceptor F3H-2N at high altitude accelerated to 1152 km / h and had a combat range of 920 km.
The aircraft carried the AN / APG-51В / С radar, which was very perfect for its time, with a detection range of up to 40 km. Prior to this, an early model of the AN / APG-51A radar was tested on the F2H-4 Banshee deck interceptor. Due to the presence on board of this station "Demon" modification F3H-2M became the first naval fighter capable of using the AIM-7 Sparrow missile launcher with a semi-active radar homing head. The AIM-9 Sidewinder missile launcher and 70-mm NAR Mk 4 FFAR blocks could also be suspended on four external nodes. The built-in armament included four 20mm cannons placed under the cockpit in a kind of chin. After the introduction of long-range missiles into the armament to reduce the mass of the aircraft, two guns were dismantled. After the Demons were able to carry long-range missiles, the order for them was increased. In total, the US Navy received 519 F3H interceptors of all modifications.
In the appearance of the "Demon" you can see the features of the famous F-4 Phantom II, which appeared as a result of the development of the Super Demon project. Although "Demon" in the mid-50s played one of the main roles in providing air defense of aircraft carrier formations, like his other peers, he quickly left the scene in the early 60s. After the adoption of the supersonic "Crusaders" and "Phantoms", they completely supplanted all "Demons" by 1964.
The Douglas F4D Skyray was considered for the role of a loitering carrier-based interceptor in the second half of the 50s in the US Navy and the ILC. The F4D fighter lived up to its name and was built according to the "flying wing" scheme. In serial modification, the aircraft was equipped with a Pratt Whitney J57-P-2 turbojet engine with an afterburner thrust of 64.5 kN. The deck interceptor with a maximum takeoff weight of 10,200 kg had a combat radius of just over 350 km and could reach speeds of up to 1,200 km / h at high altitudes. When flying without afterburner, at a speed of 780 km / h, the combat radius could exceed 500 km. The armament was the same as on other carrier-based fighters - four 20-mm cannons and an AIM-9 missile launcher. However, at the time of development, the main weapon of the F4D was considered to be the 70-mm unguided air-to-air missiles Mk 4 FFAR, better known as the Mighty Mouse. American strategists, impressed by the German experience in the use of unguided missiles, believed that a massive NAR salvo would destroy the bomber without entering the range of its defensive artillery installations. The devastating effect of a single 70mm missile hit was comparable to that of a 75mm fragmentation projectile. At a distance of 700 m, about a third of a volley of 42 NAR hit a 3x15 m target. In total, up to 76 unguided missiles in four blocks could be on board the interceptor. The APQ-50A airborne radar could detect bombers at a distance of up to 25 km. The avionics included the Aero 13F fire control system, coupled via a radio relay line with the ship's combat control system.
A serial copy of the "sky stingray" took off in July 1954, and in the spring of 1956 the first combat squadron VF-74 was relocated to the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42). For its time, the "Sky Stingray" was a good interceptor and had a good rate of climb (90 m / s), but in close air combat it was hopelessly inferior to other American carrier-based fighters. Serial production of the F4D Skyray was carried out until 1958, with a total of 422 aircraft received by the Navy and Marine Corps. "Heavenly Stingray" not much longer than "Tiger" was in active service. In 1964, all deck interceptors were decommissioned ashore, and for several more years they provided air defense for naval bases.
In the mid-to-late 50-ies in the American Navy aviation in service at the same time consisted of five different types of carrier-based fighters, among which there were also very different modifications. This, of course, complicated the logistics of supplying spare parts and operation, and required separate training for pilots and technical personnel. After analyzing the state of affairs, the command of the Navy came to the conclusion that it was necessary to reduce the number of types of new-generation fighters being adopted. This was partly realized, but at the same time, in the 60-70s, the variety of American carrier-based attack aircraft increased.
In the early 50s, American military analysts predicted the imminent appearance of anti-ship cruise missiles and supersonic bombers in the USSR. Existing carrier-based fighters, as expected, could not adequately fend off these threats. To effectively intercept such air targets, a supersonic fighter was required with a flight speed of more than 1, 2M and a combat radius of at least 500 km. For an independent search for targets on a promising carrier-based fighter, there should have been a powerful radar, and the armament should include homing air combat missiles.
In early 1953, the US Navy announced a competition for the creation of a carrier-based fighter-interceptor, which, in addition to fighting high-altitude high-speed targets, was supposed to surpass the Soviet MiG-15 in maneuverable air combat. The four competitors admitted to the final, along with the Vought V-383, included the Grumman XF11F-2, the McDonnell and North American twin-engine F3H-G with the F-100 deck variant. In May 1953, following a review of projects, V-383 was declared the winner. The project was given the designation F8U-1, and Vought was ordered to provide a wooden model for blowing in a wind tunnel as soon as possible. Based on the results of blowing the models in a wind tunnel and after the positive conclusion of the mock-up commission, in June 1953, the fleet ordered three prototypes. Already on March 25, 1955, the head XF8U-1, taking off from Edwards airbase, exceeded the speed of sound in its first flight. Without waiting for the end of the tests, the admirals placed an order for a serial batch of fighters. As a result, the first production F8U-1 took off in September 1955, simultaneously with the second prototype XF8U-1. The aircraft, branded the F8U-1 Crusader (Russian Crusader), was tested in April 1956 on the USS Forrestal (CV-59) aircraft carrier. August 21, 1956 "Crusader" over the China Lake training ground in California accelerated to a speed of 1,634 km / h. In December, new fighters began to enter service with combat squadrons. By the end of 1957, the Crusaders were already in service with 11 deck squadrons of the Navy and the ILC.
When creating the aircraft, a number of technical innovations were implemented. The high wing swept 42 ° was equipped with a system for changing the angle of installation. During takeoff and landing, the wing angle was increased by 7 °, which increased the angle of attack, but the fuselage remained in a horizontal position. At the same time, the ailerons and slats located along the entire wingspan of the leading edge of the wing were automatically deflected by 25 °. Flaps were located between the ailerons and the fuselage, deflected by 30 °. After takeoff, the wing was lowered and all deflected surfaces took the flight position.
Thanks to the variable angle of installation and high-lift devices of the wing, it was possible to facilitate the landing and reduce the load on the chassis. Landing was also possible with the wing down, and this happened more than once. However, such a regime, due to the worst controllability, was considered dangerous. The high wing greatly simplified the maintenance of the aircraft and the work of the gunsmiths. The wing ends were folded upward to reduce the area occupied on the deck and in the internal hangar of the aircraft carrier. In accordance with the "area rule", the fuselage was narrowed in the area of conjunction with the wing. In the forward part of the fuselage there was an oval-shaped frontal air intake, above which an APG-30 radio-transparent radar fairing was located. When creating the aircraft, titanium alloys were widely used, which made it possible to increase the weight perfection of the design. Along with advanced technical solutions, the promising carrier-based fighter inherited from its predecessors a battery of 20-mm Colt Mk.12 cannons with ammunition for 144 rounds per barrel and a 70-mm NAR Mk 4 FFAR.
The ventral container held 32 70-mm missiles. Although the F8U-1 was supposed to be the fastest naval fighter, it was envisaged at the design stage that it would retain the ability to conduct close maneuverable air combat. The Crusader was the last American carrier-based fighter to use cannons as the primary armament. Due to the fact that the wing changed the angle of inclination during takeoff and landing, additional weapon suspension units had to be placed on the fuselage.
Soon after entering service, the aircraft began to be equipped with an air refueling system. This made it possible to significantly increase the combat radius and ferry range. For the fuel receiver, they found a place under the convex fairing on the left side behind the cockpit canopy. Aircraft of the first series were equipped with a Pratt Whitney J57-P-12A or J57-P-4A engine with 72.06 kN afterburner thrust.
In September 1958, the second serial modification of the F8U-1E appeared. The fighter converted from the F8U-1 featured a new AN / APS-67 radar with a smaller antenna. On this model, the ventral container with the NAR was sewn up tightly. Thanks to the more advanced radar, the F8U-1E was able to operate at night and in bad weather. But for the launch of the aircraft to the target, the commands of the operator of the ship surveillance radar or the AWACS aircraft were required. In February 1960, the F8U-2N fighter with improved onboard avionics, making it easier to fly at night, was handed over for testing. The main innovation was the automatic landing system, which allows using the on-board computer to maintain the landing speed with an accuracy of ± 7.5 km / h, regardless of wind speed and direction. Thanks to the introduction of this system, it was possible to significantly reduce the accident rate. New J57-P-20 engines with a nominal thrust of 47.6 kN (afterburner 80.1 kN) were installed on the fighters. Due to this, the maximum flight speed at an altitude of 10 675 m could reach a value of 1 975 km / h. At the ground, "Crusader" accelerated to 1226 km / h. In place of the useless compartment with the NAR, an additional fuel tank was installed, which made it possible to bring the fuel supply to 5,102 liters. The maximum takeoff weight reached 15540 kg. Normal, with two AIM-9 missiles - 13 645 kg. Combat radius with two air combat missiles - 660 km.
Already in June 1961, tests of the next modification F8U-2NE began with an AN / APQ-94 radar, which could detect a Tu-16 bomber at a distance of up to 45 km. To accommodate a larger radar antenna, it was necessary to slightly increase the size of the radio transparent fairing. An infrared sensor appeared above the radar fairing.
After capturing the target of the IR seeker of the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, the pilot continuously monitored the range to the attack object using radar. Information about the range was displayed using light indicators and, after reaching the permitted launch distance, was duplicated by a sound signal. In addition, in the "hump" above the center section, the equipment for radio command guidance of the air-to-surface missile system AGM-12 Bullpup was placed. For strikes against ground targets, blocks with 70-127-mm NAR and bombs weighing 113-907 kg could be used. Typically, the typical load in the shock configuration was four 454-kg bombs and eight 127-mm Zuni NAR on the fuselage assemblies.
Serial "Crusaders" "all-weather" and "all-day" modification F8U-2NE began to be mastered by combat pilots at the end of 1961. The following year, the naval aircraft designation system was changed according to the type adopted by the Air Force, within which F8U-1 received the designation F-8A, F8U-1E - F-8B, F8U-2 - F-8C, F8U-2N - F-8D, F8U-2NE - F-8E. Production of the F-8E modification continued until 1965. In ten years, 1261 aircraft were built.
At the beginning of its life, the "Crusader" turned out to be a very emergency vehicle. Landing on it has always been difficult, compared to the previous generation F-8 fighters fought much more often. The F-8 had 50 accidents per 100,000 flight hours, while the A-4 Skyhawk had 36. However, after the introduction of the automatic landing speed control system and the accumulation of experience by the flight crew, the accident rate was reduced. Nevertheless, the Crusader had a reputation for being tough in handling the machine. At the same time, the F-8 kept quite well "on the tail" even in the rather maneuverable FJ3 Fury fighter, which was largely due to the relatively low stall speed of only 249 km / h. To train pilots, a number of decommissioned F-8A aircraft were converted into two-seat TF-8A trainer aircraft with duplicated controls.
Two guns were dismantled from the trainer aircraft. The maximum speed was limited to 1590 km / h. The instructor pilot sat in the rear cockpit with an elevation above the cadet.
Quite unusual episodes happened at times with "Crusader". In August 1960, due to the carelessness of the pilot and flight director, the Crusader took off from the runway of an airbase near Naples with folded wing consoles. At an altitude of 1.5 km, after transferring the engine to the nominal operating mode, the pilot found that the plane was poorly in the air and reacted sluggishly to the commands of the controls. However, instead of ejecting, the pilot drained the fuel and safely landed the fighter 20 minutes later. According to American data, there were eight such cases in the F-8 biography.
Another story happened to a young pilot in the late 60s while practicing a landing at Leckhurst airbase. Twice unable to hook on the landing ropes, during the third approach he panicked, lost control of the aircraft and ejected. After that, the unmanned F-8H went down and independently made a "landing", catching a hook on the cable. At the same time, the aircraft received minor damage and was quickly repaired.
Talking about the deck "Crusader", it is impossible not to mention the unarmed reconnaissance modification. Deliveries of the F8U-1P reconnaissance fleet based on the F8U-1 began in 1957. Cameras were placed in place of the dismantled 20-mm cannons. According to some reports, the scouts could carry AIM-9 missiles for self-defense, but it is not known whether they used this opportunity during real combat missions. The key to the invulnerability of reconnaissance aircraft was to be high speed and maneuverability. After changing the aircraft designation system in 1962, they became known as RF-8A. Subsequently, the upgraded version with new reconnaissance, communications and navigation equipment was designated RF-8G.
The RF-8A scouts played a prominent role in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Since October 23, 1962, they have carried out reconnaissance missions over Freedom Island almost daily as part of Operation Blue Moon. Aircraft from the VFP-62 and VFP-63 naval reconnaissance squadrons and the VMCJ-2 squadron of the Marine Corps performed risky low-altitude flights. At the same time, they were fired upon by Cuban anti-aircraft artillery. Although the reconnaissance "Crusaders" repeatedly returned with holes, losses were avoided. The scouts took off from Key West Air Force Base in Florida and returned to Jacksonville. The flights continued for a month and a half, with about 160,000 photographs taken. At the initial stage of the Vietnam War, reconnaissance "Crusaders" played an important role in the planning of sorties of American carrier-based strike aircraft.
Although the Crusader by the mid-60s was a fairly advanced and well-mastered machine in combat squadrons, it fell victim to the desire of the US Navy command to have in the deck air wings, albeit more expensive and heavy, but versatile fighters. The Crusader was inferior to the F-4 Phantom II in terms of bomb load in the strike configuration. In addition, due to the different location of the air intakes, the heavier twin-engine Phantom had the ability to accommodate a more powerful and, therefore, long-range radar, which in turn ensured the use of medium-range missiles with a radar seeker, regardless of visual visibility conditions. The presence in the crew of a two-seat "Phantom" navigator-operator facilitated the task of targeting missiles that required continuous illumination of the target by the radar, and since this operation was carried out in a semi-automatic mode, it was difficult for the pilot to simultaneously pilot the fighter and direct the missile to the target on the single-seat, lighter "Crusader" …
In the 60s, both in the USA and in the USSR, the opinion prevailed that air combat in the future would be reduced to missile duels. The winner on an equal footing will be the one with more powerful airborne radars and long-range missiles. This led to the erroneous conclusion that cannon fighters are anachronistic. The experience of military operations in Southeast Asia, where American fighters collided with Soviet MiGs, demonstrated the fallacy of such views, and the Crusader proved its relevance. The early Phantom pilots pointed to the lack of cannons in the arsenal of this multifunctional fighter as one of the most serious shortcomings. In addition, the lighter and more maneuverable "Crusader" was easier to stay on the tail of the MiG-17 or MiG-21, performing a turn or combat turn, than the heavier "Phantom", but this will be discussed in more detail in the second part of the review.
