Years In Service: 1957-1999
Initial Flight: March 25, 1957
The F-8 made history almost immediately on August 21, 1956, winning the U. S. Navy’s first Thompson Trophy for setting the first national speed record of more than 1,000 mph (1,015.428 mph) Code-named “Blue Moon”, NAS Key West, Florida-based RF-8As of VFP-62 flew twice daily low-level high-speed sorties over Soviet missile sites on the island of Cuba. These missions provided evidence of their existence, and operational status and were vital in ending the crisis.
Aircraft Specifications
Height: 15′ 9″ Wingspan: 35′ 2″ Length: 54′ 6″ Crew: 1 Armament: Four 20-mm autocannons, four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles Payload: 5,000 lbs. of varied ordnance Thrust: 18,000 lbs. Max Speed: 1,120 mph. Ceiling: 58,000 ft.