FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0847.PDF
20 June 1958 863 Chance Vought F8U-1 Crusader. U.S.A. FIGHTERS AND FIGHTER/BOMBERS Chance Vought F8U Crusader Fastest aeroplane in service with anynavy, the Crusader is unique among combat machines in having a variable-incidence wing. This allows it to land with the fuselage level,thus permitting the main undercarriage to be very short and giving the pilot an excellent forward view. Power is provided by a Pratt andWhitney J57-P-12 rated at about 16,000 lb with afterburner. Within the large fuselage are accommodated a radar gunsight, four20 mm guns, a ventral pack hinged at the rear and accommodating tubes for 32 spin-stabilized rockets, large fuel cells, the powerplant and mainundercarriage. Further fuel is accommodated within the wing, which is of about five per cent thickness, forms an integral tank, folds forcarrier stowage and has complex hinged leading and trailing edges. A single Sidewinder missile can be carried on pylons on the sides of thefuselage and a refuelling probe is housed to port behind the cockpit. The F8U-1 day fighter first flew on March 25, 1955. The first pro-duction machine flew in September of the same year and squadron deliveries began at the end of 1956. About 300 have so far been built.The F8U-1P is a photographic version in which removal of the guns and ammunition allows for a large flat-bottomed camera bay anda flush refuelling probe. It is capable of night reconnaissance and "special mapping and charting." The F8U-2 embodies a new fire-control, improved radar and theuprated P-16 engine, and can be distinguished by having ventral tail fins and afterburner air scoops. Deliveries are to begin in September. Flown for the first time on June 2, the F8U-3 is a completelyredesigned aircraft. Powered by a Pratt and Whitney J75, rated at about 23,500 1b thrust with afterburner and fed from a supersonic chin intake,the -3 is described as a "push-button intercepter," placed in the correct mission profile by selecting the appropriate "mode" and feeding thisinto the flight and fire control system. The guns of earlier Crusaders have been displaced by advanced missiles, such as Sparrow Ills, and Chance Vought F8U-3 Crusader. the radar and fire control are extremely advanced. The F8U-3 isintended for speeds of about Mach 2.2 at a height of up to 90,000ft; under these conditions stability is increased by large folding ventral fins.Sperry supply the advanced all-attitude flight control system. The aircraft is designed to have a rocket boost unit, of about6,000 lb thrust, but this is not fitted to the first machine. A service- test batch of 18 aircraft has been bought, at $9.9m each; these will beevaluated in competition with the McDonnell F4H. F8C7-1: Span, 35/t Sin; length, 54/r 2Jtn; height, 15/r 9m; maximumspeed, about 1,100 m.p.h. Convair F-102 Delta Dagger Originally projected in 1951 as asingle-seat all-weather intercepter, the F-102 was later substantially modified to give it supersonic performance. The first production F-102Aflew in March 1954 and deliveries to U.S.A.F. Air Defense Command started in May 1956. A full description appeared in our issue ofApril 19, 1957. Powered by a Pratt and Whitney J57-P-23, rated at about 17,000 lbthrust with afterburner, the F-102 is one of the largest single-seat machines in the world, having a fuselage almost 70ft in length. Theforemost 12ft houses the Hughes MG-10 first-control system, which governs the entire interception from the moment of lock-on. Armamentcomprises six GAR-1, 2, 3 or 4 Falcon missiles (infra-red and radar, mixed) housed in an internal bay and 24 spin-stabilized rockets housedin the weapon-bay doors. Fuel is contained in the fuselage and the integral-tank wings, and external tanks can be fitted for ferrying; noprovision is made for inflight refuelling. Production at San Diego was scheduled at the highest rate of anyof the U.S.A.F. "Century series" aircraft, and—despite stretchouts— 1,000 had been delivered when the contracts were completed earlierthis year. The F-102A equips about 25 Fighter / Intercepter squadrons throughout the U.S.A. Numerous TF-102A side-by-side two-seat ver-sions are also in service, for combat-proficiency training, type-conversion and various tactical roles. The TF-102 is stubbier and shorter, sincethe MG-10 system is not carried; the forward fuselage and nose of this version was made at Fort Worth and shipped to San Diego by rail. Span, 38/t 1 \in; length, 68ft 3im; height, 21ft 2\in; max. speed, about800 m.p.h. Convair F-106 Delta Dart Originally designated F-102B, the 106 isa completely redesigned F-102, fitted with new fire-control, armament and powerplant, all housed in an airframe designed for much increasedperformance. The engine is the Pratt and Whitney J75, rated at about 23,500 lb with afterburner. Main armament comprises an assortment of GAR-1, 2, 3 or 4 Falcons,MB-1 Genie nuclear-tipped rockets and spin-stabilized rockets. The entire flight is controlled by a Hughes MA-1 guidance and fire-controlsystem, which, via a data-link with the ground, is integrated with the Convair F-106B Delta Dart.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
