The way it was, Miramar circa 60's F-8/F-4
#31
FWIW, McDonnell planned to call the airplane "Satan" which for some reason didn't impress a lot of people in DOD or Navy.
One site:
Welcome To the Warbirds Resource Group - Vietnam Conflict Aviation Resource Center
#32
I flew all models of the Crusader, except the photo bird. I also have a little time in the Phantom. ...
A better flying machine was the Grumman F11F. It was worthless for a carrier plane . Had the J79 been available as was planned, that would have been a different story. A J65 was substituted, and it was short of fuel.Most were sent to the training command and to the Blue Angels. I flew them as a 22 year old cadet.
A better flying machine was the Grumman F11F. It was worthless for a carrier plane . Had the J79 been available as was planned, that would have been a different story. A J65 was substituted, and it was short of fuel.Most were sent to the training command and to the Blue Angels. I flew them as a 22 year old cadet.
One crashed in tests. The other reportedly is at the Navy Armaments Museum at China Lake.

The Super Tiger flew in 1956, went to M1.44 with the 'small' J79. Later with a uprated J-789, it bumped up to M2.04 and set an altitude record.
It seems everyone was building a "SUPER" something including the BIG SHARK Super Crusader.


