USMC F-8 pilot survived a massive storm after parachuting from 47,000 feet
Lieutenant Colonel William H. Rankin fell from 47,000 feet into “one of the most violent storms ever recorded on the East Coast,” parachuted over 65 miles in 40 minutes, and…
Lieutenant Colonel William H. Rankin fell from 47,000 feet into “one of the most violent storms ever recorded on the East Coast,” parachuted over 65 miles in 40 minutes, and…
Lt Cdr Thomas’ F-8 had been hit in the utility hydraulic system, preventing him from raising the fighter’s wing for a proper shipboard landing. He diverted to Da Nang, blowing…
French Aéronavale F-8 Crusader One term for the Vought F-8 Crusader was “fighter pilot’s fighter.” Although flying the jet was difficult, particularly during carrier landings, Crusader pilots had a great…
In contrast to the F-4’s “all-weather interceptor” role, the Phantom made many of its early cruises as paired squadrons with F-8 units, which were considered “day fighter” (or, in the…
In the fall of 1954, Meteor F8 WK935 joined the Institute of Aviation Medicine after being chosen for modification The ‘prone position’ Meteor, which is depicted in the images in…
The fly-by-wire systems currently used in space shuttles and in modern military and civilian aircraft were inspired by the F-8 DFBW system The F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire (DFBW) aircraft’s control system…
“The F-4s got off to a horrid start when running into F-8s. Their reputation was dog-s**t,” Jerry B. “Devil” Houston, former F-8 driver One of the most versatile fighters ever…
Capt. Wilfred K. Abbott pulled the black and yellow handle to launch himself out of the falling F-8 because the controls were non-responsive. Seven years of captivity followed his parachute…