"Thomas Schoene" wrote in message
k.net...
Jack Doub wrote:

I believe the F-8 had the best air-to-air gun kill ratio in the SEA
war?

Probably, in the sense that there were no gun kills against the Crusader.
The F-8 overall kill ratio was 18-3, better than any type in the war. Make
that 19-3 if you count the Mig-17 that Jerry Tucker and Frank Bachman got
with no ordnance expended (awarded to the Hancock vice the fighters). A
great sea story, all the more golden because it was true.

The F-4 and F-105 both had more kills. Of course, they lost more to Migs as
well. In the case of the Thuds, the ratio was pretty much 1-1 ... not bad
considering their mission was not air-to-air and most of the engagements
were off target when they weren't enjoying something you'd call an
advantage.

OTOH, air superiority (as is more generally defined) easily went to the
Crusader air wings. The Migs stayed away. CAG-19 (VF-191 and VF-194) saw
fewer Migs (far fewer) during the entire conflict than CAG-9 (VF-192 and
VF-196) saw in one day. While multiple missions unopposed is hardly the
aggressive fighter pilot's dream, it's getting the bombers to the target
that counts. NTL, this frustration led to the Crusader motto, "A Mig at 6
is better than no Mig at all."

R / John

Not sure what this means, exactly. I'm sure it didn't have the best
guns-to-missiles kill ratio, since there were several aircraft that got
nothing but gun kills (having no AAMs). Take the F-105, for example.

The actual record for the "Last of the Gunfighters" is somewhat different
from the legend. If Barrett Tillman's _MiG Master_ is correct, only 4 of
the type's 19 MiG kills involved guns, and 3 of those were split credits
with Sidewinder or, in one case, Zuni rockets. Another 14 kills were
Sidewinder-only affairs, and one was preemptive kill (pilot bailed when he
found he was under attack).

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Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when
wrong to be put right." - Senator Carl Schurz, 1872