Ugly Airplanes, pt 9 - Vought F8U-3 Crusader-III.jpg (1/1)

[Mitchell Holman]

[chuck]

Sure it was ugly, but it was one hell'uva good bird. Probably
the best aircraft that was never built.
"Mitchell Holman" > wrote in message
...

[Wayne Paul]

Chuck,

I think the F8U was a beautiful aircraft; however, it lost it's looks when
the wing was in the landing/takeoff position.

I am surprised that my old A-6A (or the EA-6B) hasn't made the ugly list!
It may have been ugly; however, it was a great bird!!!

What make an aircraft ugly and what is considered beauty? Is this a
generational issue?

Wayne
http://www.soaridaho.com/


"Chuck" > wrote in message
...
> Sure it was ugly, but it was one hell'uva good bird. Probably
> the best aircraft that was never built.

[Hans Holbein]

Chuck schrieb:
> Sure it was ugly, but it was one hell'uva good bird. Probably
> the best aircraft that was never built.

How do we know?
Any informations? (I like that shark-like shape)

[[email protected]]

On Wed, 05 Mar 2008 07:14:59 -0600, Mitchell Holman
> wrote:

Doubtless the regulars in this NG are aware of a weekly television
show titled "Dogfights" on the History Channel (that's what its called
in Canada, probably the same in the USA, not sure if its available
overseas) but here's a heads-up to anybody that hasn't watched it.
Each show features a different airplane; the pix of the Crusader
variant caused me to recall a "Dogfights" episode about the Crusader-
it was titled "The Last of the Gunfighters" or something similar.

The program features some technically excellent computer-generated
graphics of the airplane under discussion along with photo footage,
and interviews with the brave men who piloted these planes (and in the
case of an aircraft with more than a single pilot, interviews with the
guy in the right-hand seat, bombardiers, navigators, WSO's).

This might have already been covered before; if so my apologies.

Paul

[Peter Twydell]

In message >, Hans Holbein
> writes
>Chuck schrieb:
>> Sure it was ugly, but it was one hell'uva good bird. Probably
>> the best aircraft that was never built.
>
>How do we know?
>Any informations? (I like that shark-like shape)

The F8U-3 was competing with the F4H-1, and lost. You'll have to Google
for further info.
--
Peter

Ying tong iddle-i po!

[Lynn in StLou[_4_]]

Peter Twydell wrote:
> In message >, Hans Holbein
> > writes
>> Chuck schrieb:
>>> Sure it was ugly, but it was one hell'uva good bird. Probably
>>> the best aircraft that was never built.
>>
>> How do we know?
>> Any informations? (I like that shark-like shape)
>
> The F8U-3 was competing with the F4H-1, and lost. You'll have to Google
> for further info.

Short and simple...the F8U-3 could out climb, out
accelerate, and out manuever the F4H-1. But the
pilot was overloaded with all the extra cockpit
work and because the Phantom II had a RIO, it won
the fly-off. It is reported that NASA pilots
flying F8U-3s would routinely engage Navy F-4s in
dogfights and win until they were told to stop
embarassing the Navy.

Lynn in StLou...home of the Phabulous Phantom

[Pensacola Beachcomber]

Is this the aircraft you are writing about? This one sits just inside the
hangar door of the Vought Aircraft Hertitage Foundation Museum in Prarie
View, Texas. I took the photo a week ago, Tom in Pensacola


"Lynn in StLou" > wrote in message
et...
> Peter Twydell wrote:
>> In message >, Hans Holbein
>> > writes
>>> Chuck schrieb:
>>>> Sure it was ugly, but it was one hell'uva good bird. Probably
>>>> the best aircraft that was never built.
>>>
>>> How do we know?
>>> Any informations? (I like that shark-like shape)
>>
>> The F8U-3 was competing with the F4H-1, and lost. You'll have to Google
>> for further info.
>
> Short and simple...the F8U-3 could out climb, out
> accelerate, and out manuever the F4H-1. But the
> pilot was overloaded with all the extra cockpit
> work and because the Phantom II had a RIO, it won
> the fly-off. It is reported that NASA pilots
> flying F8U-3s would routinely engage Navy F-4s in
> dogfights and win until they were told to stop
> embarassing the Navy.
>
> Lynn in StLou...home of the Phabulous Phantom

[Lynn in StLou[_4_]]

Pensacola Beachcomber wrote:
> Is this the aircraft you are writing about? This one sits just inside the
> hangar door of the Vought Aircraft Hertitage Foundation Museum in Prarie
> View, Texas. I took the photo a week ago, Tom in Pensacola
>
>
> "Lynn in StLou" > wrote in message
> et...
>> Peter Twydell wrote:
>>> In message >, Hans Holbein
>>> > writes
>>>> Chuck schrieb:
>>>>> Sure it was ugly, but it was one hell'uva good bird. Probably
>>>>> the best aircraft that was never built.
>>>> How do we know?
>>>> Any informations? (I like that shark-like shape)
>>> The F8U-3 was competing with the F4H-1, and lost. You'll have to Google
>>> for further info.
>> Short and simple...the F8U-3 could out climb, out
>> accelerate, and out manuever the F4H-1. But the
>> pilot was overloaded with all the extra cockpit
>> work and because the Phantom II had a RIO, it won
>> the fly-off. It is reported that NASA pilots
>> flying F8U-3s would routinely engage Navy F-4s in
>> dogfights and win until they were told to stop
>> embarassing the Navy.
>>
>> Lynn in StLou...home of the Phabulous Phantom
>
>

No. That is an F-8. In itself one of the great
Navy fighters, but not the same bird. Wish there
was an F8U-3 still around to see. All three were
destroyed.


Lynn in StLou

[fannum]

>>>> In message >, Hans Holbein
>>>> > writes
>>>>> Chuck schrieb:
>>>>>> Sure it was ugly, but it was one hell'uva good bird. Probably
>>>>>> the best aircraft that was never built.
>>>>> How do we know?
>>>>> Any informations? (I like that shark-like shape)
>>>> The F8U-3 was competing with the F4H-1, and lost. You'll have to Google
>>>> for further info.
>>> Short and simple...the F8U-3 could out climb, out
>>> accelerate, and out manuever the F4H-1. But the
>>> pilot was overloaded with all the extra cockpit
>>> work and because the Phantom II had a RIO, it won
>>> the fly-off. It is reported that NASA pilots
>>> flying F8U-3s would routinely engage Navy F-4s in
>>> dogfights and win until they were told to stop
>>> embarassing the Navy.
>>>
>>> Lynn in StLou...home of the Phabulous Phantom

I flew F4B and Js, and used to hassle against F8s. Yeah, in a rockin'
and rollin' dogfight, the Vought was the better bird, but it carried
only a fraction of the missiles, had no range, and only carried bombs
with difficulty. As it turned out, dog fighting was only a small
segment of the VN conflict, blown out of propartion by stories and
drekumentaries.

We would have been in real trouble in Nam if the F8U-3 had been
purchased, especially since the Fleet Defense fighter role had never
come to pass. The great strength of the Phantom was its versatility
.... almost every mission had another bird that could do it better, but
the F4 could do them all ... and with few shortcomings.

More than anything, I was real glad to have an extra brain and pair of
eyes!

Cheers, Bob