On 16 July 1957, Major John H. Glenn Jr, USMC, completed the first supersonic transcontinental flight in a F8U-1P, flying from NAS Los Alamitos, California, to Floyd Bennett Field, New York, in three hours, 23 minutes, and 8.3 seconds.

The F8U-1P photo reconnaissance version of the Crusader was the aircraft in which Major John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record (Mach 1.1 average speed) in 1957. The F8U-1P served in the fleet long after the fighter version was retired.

The Fort Worth Aviation Museum’s Vought F8U-1P – later redesignated a RF8-G — Crusader, Navy Bureau of Aeronautics No. 146898, was built in 1960 in Grand Prairie, Texas. The aircraft was both delivered to and accepted by the Navy on February 26, 1960.

The speed and range of the Photo Crusader was demonstrated in July 1957 when Marine Major John H. Glenn Jr. piloted an F8U-1P (illustration, right) from California to New York in three hours, 28 minutes, 50 seconds, for an average speed of 723.517 mph, a cross-continent record.

Aug 25, 2017 · The public first caught wind of the Crusader on July 16, 1957, when an F8U-1P flew from Los Angeles to New York in three hours, 23 minutes, 8.4 seconds, for an average speed of 726 mph, or Mach 1.1.

The F8U-1P was the unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F8U-1 fighter. The F8U-1P differed from the F8U-1 in having the lower half of the forward fuselage squared off to enable the installation of three CAX-12 trimetrogen cameras and two K-17 vertical cameras.

In 1953 the F8U-1 Crusader won the Navy competition for the new carrier-based day fighter. It flew supersonic on its maiden flight in 1955. A Crusader set a national speed record in 1956 by flying over 1000 mph, for which it won the Thompson Trophy.

The F8U-1P was the unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the F8U-1 fighter. The F8U-1P differed from the F8U-1 in having the lower half of the forward fuselage squared off to enable the installation of three 3-D topographic imaging cameras, and two vertical cameras.

Jun 24, 2014 · In May 1953 the US Navy selected the V-383 by Chance-Vought as the winner. Two prototypes were built and designated XF8U-1. Shortly after the US Navy also ordered the V-392 which would become known as the F8U-1P. On March 25 in 1955 the first prototype took off from Edwards AFB for its maiden flight.

Model Number : F8U-1P(RF-8A) Model Name : Crusader Model Type: Fighter . Specifications