Mount Pleasant in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

F-8K Crusader

"The Last Gunfighter"

— BuNo. 146939 —

F-8K Crusader Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 12, 2009

1. F-8K Crusader Marker

Inscription. Distinctive in appearance, the F-8 Crusader was one of the US Navy's first supersonic carrier-based fighters. During testing (1956), the Crusader set a national speed record of 1000mph (1609 km/m). Entering service in 1957, the Crusader was the last US fighter designed with guns as a primary weapon. This earned the Crusader the nickname "The Last Gunfighter." Later equipped with Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, the Crusader had the best kill ratio of any US Navy aircraft during the Vietnam War, earning another nickname , "The Mig Master." The last US Navy version retired in 1976, and the photo-reconnaissance version (RF-8) retired in 1987.

Manufacturer : Vought (later LTV)
Type: carrier-based fighter
Crew : pilot
Powerplant: one 18,016 lb (8,172 kg) static thrust Pratt & Whitney J57-P-20 afterburning turbojet
Wingspan: 35 ft 8 in (10.87 m)
Length: 54 ft 3 in (16.5 m)
Height: 15 ft 9 in (4.8 m)
Weight: 17,836 lbs (8,090.3 kg) empty; 34,100 lbs (15,468 kg) maximum
Armament: four 20mm cannons; up to four Sidewinder (short range) air-to-air missiles; or 5,000 lbs ( 2,268 kg) of external ) ordnance
Maximum speed: 1,133 mph (1,823 km/h)
Combat radius: 500+ miles (805+ kilometers)
Service ceiling: 52,350 ft (15,956 m)

This aircraft on loan from the

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National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola, Florida

Erected by Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Vietnam. A significant historical year for this entry is 1957.

Location. 32° 47.41′ N, 79° 54.504′ W. Marker is in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in Charleston County. Marker is on Patriots Point Road. Aboard the USS Yorktown. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 40 Patriots Point Rd, Mount Pleasant SC 29464, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A-6E Intruder (a few steps from this marker); Carrier-Based A-6 Intruder (a few steps from this marker); The A-7E Corsair II (a few steps from this marker); SH-3G Sea King (a few steps from this marker); S-3B Viking (within shouting distance of this marker); E-1B Tracer (within shouting distance of this marker); Clamagore (SS-343) (within shouting distance of this marker); S-2 Tracker (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mount Pleasant.

F-8K Crusader and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 12, 2009

2. F-8K Crusader and Marker

Armament: four 20-mm Mk 12 cannon with 144 rounds per gun; up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs; or eight 113-kg (250-lb) Mk 81 or 227-kg (500lb) Mk 82 bombs; or eight Zuni rockets; or two AGM-12A or AGM-12B Bullpup attack missles

F-8K Crusader , single-seat, carrier-capable fighter and fighter-bomber image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum

3. F-8K Crusader , single-seat, carrier-capable fighter and fighter-bomber

Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 18, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 941 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 21, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.