In the last episode we looked at the critical advancements in aerodynamics and operations research, going from subsonic to supersonic flight with the P-51 Mustang and the F-11 Tiger as trailblazers. All of this providing the ground work for the amazing F-8 Crusader soon to follow.
Note to the reader: The F-8 Crusader was known by it’s pilots, maintenance crew, flight deck personnel, and the Air Boss as the Gator. Reason for this remains a bit of a mystery.
Now let us look at going from low supersonic (F-11 Tiger) to high supersonic (F-8 Crusader) in less than 5 years—a stunning achievement in American innovation, creativity and test pilot courage.
The Gator Takes Center Stage
The Gator takes center stage, and the stage is set with the F-8 Crusader occupying the middle and a number of great Americans surrounding this aircraft. They are:
RADM Thomas Combs, U.S.Navy, Naval Air Systems Command
H. M. Horner, Vought Aeronautics
Fred Rentschler, Prat & Whitney
CDR. “Duke” Windsor, Test Pilot
Major John Glenn, USMC, Project Pilot.
Project Beta: Thompson Trophy
Project Beta was a Thompson Trophy speed run. Aircraft is the F-8 Crusader. Manufacturer is LTV. Flight profile is level flight at 40,000 feet, with a closed course of 9 mile legs.
Thompson Trophy official speed run:
Date: 15 August 1956
Aircraft : F-8 Crusader, #141345
Pilot: Duke Windsor
Speed Record: Achieved Mach 1.6 at 40,000 feet.
This is equivalent to 1,056 MPH and established the F-8 Crusader as the fastest aircraft built by an American company. And incredibly, it could operate from an aircraft carrier!
Thompson Trophy
Project Bullet.
The date was 16 July 1957, almost a year after project Beta and the Thompson Trophy Award.
Mission objective: cross the North American continent at a velocity exceeding all other attempts. Flight must be non-stop.
Aircraft: F-8 Crusader ( F-8U-1P version, later known as the RF-8G), #144608
Pilot: Major John Glenn
(This version of the F-8 Crusader, along with it’s amazing pilots, went on to achieve national recognition during the Cuban Missile Crisis. See the movie “13 Days”.)
An international speed record was set: crossed the North American continent in 3 hours, 23 minutes, 8 seconds.
Average Speed: Mach 1.2.
John Glenn, Project Bullet.
The Aircraft Used for Project Bullet - Crossing North America at Supersonic Speeds
Notice the special tail insignia, and its sleek aerodynamic design. Below is a rather grainy picture of a supersonic wind-tunnel test of a scale model of the F-8 Crusader at 1.9 Mach, likely taken in 1956.
Aerodynamically, this is a remarkable achievement. Notice that the supersonic shock wave angle off the nose exactly matches the sweep angle of the wing. This number is 42 degrees. This makes the F-8 Crusader an optimum supersonic performer. Indeed, the F-8 Crusader was the first aircraft capable of super-cruise. This is a term that means it can achieve supersonic flight without the use of afterburner.
And I flew this remarkable aircraft for the U. S. Navy…2,500 Hours of flight time, often in an aircraft carrier environment.