Vought F-8U Crusader Pilot's Flight Operating Manual

When U.S. Navy pilots entered the
Vietnam conflict in 1966, the F-8
Crusader saw action against North
Vietnamese MiGs. By war's end in
1972, Crusader pilots had accounted for
19 downed enemy aircraft. While
missiles accounted for most of the
victories, four enemy planes were
downed in dogfights by the Crusader's
formidable Colt Mark 12 cannons. It
was an achievement that earned
the pilots a place in history and the
moniker "last of the gunfighters".

Originally printed by Chance Vought
Aircraft and the U.S. Navy in the 1960s,
this F-8 Flight Operating Handbook
taught pilots everything they needed to
know before entering the cockpit.
Classified "Restricted", the manual
was recently declassified and is here
reprinted in book form. This affordable
facsimile has been reformatted and color
images appear in black and white. Care
has been taken however to preserve the
integrity of the text.