tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post8708848121831422113..comments2024-03-08T16:42:41.614-08:00Comments on Tailhook Topics: F8U Crusader VariationsTailspinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17837863895661437038noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-85269332766837333752024-03-02T22:39:56.257-08:002024-03-02T22:39:56.257-08:00Well that's rather scarey!Well that's rather scarey!Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09294577743166339195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-71006573284537010662023-01-27T09:04:00.262-08:002023-01-27T09:04:00.262-08:00I was on the tiny engineering team supporting the ...I was on the tiny engineering team supporting the last few dozen RF-8Gs in the mid-1970s, and the reason I was told for changing the wheels was because too many F-8s were being damaged or lost when the original magnesium wheels hit the carrier decks or land runways at high speed due to burst tires. There are lots of photos of the resulting fireballs, so the wheels were changed to steel, even though the new ones were substantially heavier. Magnesium in other areas of the aircraft caused problems due to corrosion, but that was a whole other story.OldGeezerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00635762932320101571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-27995444789643899822023-01-27T08:54:46.081-08:002023-01-27T08:54:46.081-08:00I'm very late to this, but having been one of ...I'm very late to this, but having been one of the engineers responsible for supporting the last RF-8Gs in the mid-1970s I can offer one insight here. The wheels were in fact changed because the original ones had been made of magnesium in order to save weight. But too many times (as photos vividly show) a hard landing would burst a tire and bring the magnesium wheel in contact with the deck at high speed, and the wheel would ignite. Switching to steel was a safety measure. There was a lot of magnesium in the F-8, and it all caused problems eventually. While I was at NARF Norfolk we did something called ARP (Analytical Rework Program) which basically involved un-manufacturing a sample aircraft, starting with removing the outer skin panels and working inward from there. We saw a lot of things that hadn't been visible since the aircraft was originally built, and the scariest involved flight control components. There were places where control wires had chafed through until only a couple of strands were left to carry the applied loads. But the bellcranks - wow! They were magnesium, and what I used to hear was "magnesium comes from the sea, and it always wants to return to the sea." Years and years of salty air had reduced the bellcranks to sponges. There were holes, large and small, all through everything except the steel bushings that were pressed into the ends of the arms. I don't know if anybody took any photos of them, I've never seen any, but they sent a clear message: Don't use magnesium anywhere that you can't inspect the parts frequently, and have access to replace them when they go bad!OldGeezerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00635762932320101571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-88315677841382696972022-10-15T16:16:50.085-07:002022-10-15T16:16:50.085-07:00Do you have any information or photos of the cockp...Do you have any information or photos of the cockpit layout for the DF-8A and DF-8F Drone Controllers and target tugs? Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-2993585464906613302020-10-10T17:36:48.715-07:002020-10-10T17:36:48.715-07:00Very likely and if not then, at some point in the ...Very likely and if not then, at some point in the future. According to Bill Spidle, who wrote a book on the F8U, the AN/AAS-15 was removed by AFC 525. It was probably in effect during the D to H conversions since it was released prior to May 1967 and the first delivery of an H was 29 August 1967. It's possible that the first few were missed and the AFC accomplished subsequently.Tailspinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17837863895661437038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-83986175083270539932020-10-10T17:22:28.077-07:002020-10-10T17:22:28.077-07:00I went to my F8U subject matter expert, Bill Spidl...I went to my F8U subject matter expert, Bill Spidle, to be sure about this: there was no plumbing in the D/E/H/J pylons for fuelTailspinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17837863895661437038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-33453211625065257312020-09-29T20:52:29.529-07:002020-09-29T20:52:29.529-07:00Were any F-8 variants ever equipped with pylons wi...Were any F-8 variants ever equipped with pylons with plumbing for fuel tanks?bigredlancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12055108004978953911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-4541828918257752902020-09-23T18:35:25.708-07:002020-09-23T18:35:25.708-07:00Did F-8Ds have the IRST dome removed when they wer...Did F-8Ds have the IRST dome removed when they were converted to F-8Hs?bigredlancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12055108004978953911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-890503421647540002017-01-30T07:34:19.551-08:002017-01-30T07:34:19.551-08:00The Academy 1:72 F-8J kit seems to have the Sidewi...The Academy 1:72 F-8J kit seems to have the Sidewinder mounting correct. Here is my build of it:<br /><br />http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee406/wrgilman/Vought%20F-8J%20Crusader/100_5708.jpg<br /><br />I don't know about the other Academy 1:72 kits, but the F-8J Sidewinder pylons and missiles assemble to look like your drawing. What's unfortunate is that Academy doesn't include a sketch showing you how to do this. As a result, I think a lot of modellers get it wrong. I wondered why the model's mounting pylons weren't symmetrical, which led me to do some research on the net and I found this page. Once I saw that, it was easy to get things in the right position. Great work, Tommy! Bill Gilmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14841836446743499664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-17487041722631535352015-10-21T16:46:57.792-07:002015-10-21T16:46:57.792-07:00Well, here's an excellent website that I did n...Well, here's an excellent website that I did not know about ... Thank you!Circle-5https://www.blogger.com/profile/10891975171369490032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-57429066216075409402014-06-28T21:19:00.657-07:002014-06-28T21:19:00.657-07:00Any photos, comments about F8U-1 rocket pack lower...Any photos, comments about F8U-1 rocket pack lowering in flight, or launching rockets?bigredlancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12055108004978953911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-76000097355300482582012-08-02T10:03:12.089-07:002012-08-02T10:03:12.089-07:00Nice, dense, information. A fellow fan and model b...Nice, dense, information. A fellow fan and model builder thanks you! I remember eating hamburgers and watching F-8 take off at dusk in the San Diego area, summer of 1963.Bill Abbotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09326051863085904465noreply@blogger.com