Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Crusader FAW F-8K

rickshaw · May 11, 2014, 07:38:50 PM

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Crusader FAW F-8K

By 1960, it was obvious to the Admiralty that it needed to update it's Fleet Air Arm's fighters. The UK air industry was seriously lagging behind in many areas and naval aircraft was one which mattered to their Lordships at the admiralty. The US Navy had leapt ahead in the 1950s and become the world's most advanced naval air force, bringing into service a succession of advanced aircraft and the carriers to operate them. The FAA therefore decided that it should engage in some technology transfer, as it is now termed and have an American aircraft license produced in the UK to operate from the existing and future classes of RN carriers.

What was wanted was a powerful, supersonic fighter which had a long range and could incorporate many British pieces of kit as possible in order to keep the cost down. While the F-4 Phantom II was the preferred aircraft, there were doubts it could operate off the smaller British carriers without substantial and expensive modifications of both the aircraft and the carriers. It was also, at this point still very much an unknown quantity, early in it's development and service life. The F-8 Crusader was already operational with the US Fleet and was proving to be an excellent fighter. It also had the advantage that it utilised only one engine which the reasoning went obviously must make it cheaper to purchase and operate!

Negotiations were opened with the Crusader's manufacturer, Chance-Vought. Short Brothers of Belfast had unused manufacturing capacity and was therefore selected as the license manufacture. Based on the two-seat TF-8 trainer, with pilot and radar observer/navigator. Rear fuselage manufacture was to be done in the United States while the front fuselage production and final assembly was to be done in Belfast. The decision was made to substitute a British Engine and the RB.168-25R Spey turbofan, 12,000lb dry thrust, 20,000lb reheat. was chosen, offering superior performance and fuel consumption over the US J-57 turbojet engine normally utilised. It also lifted the maximum speed slightly to nearly Mach 2. The US radar, the AN/APQ-84 was replaced with a version of the Ferranti Airpass I system utilised on the RAF's Lightning fighter which allowed the aircraft to utilise Firestreak and later Red Top IR guided and Blue Top radar guided air-to-air missiles. The four M139 20mm revolver cannon were replaced by two 30mm ADEN revolver cannons in cheek pods, which if necessary could be easily removed to reduce weight and drag. With the variable incidence wing and BLC (Boundary Layer Control) blown ailerons and flaps, it was able to be flown on and off the smaller British carriers with relative ease and only minimal modification.

The aircraft depicted is one from HMS Eagle, 899 NAS, in 1972, carrying a full load of two Red Top IR guided missiles, two Blue Top Radar guided missiles and two 30mm cannons.

The Model

Inspired by several threads we've had on the F-8K here, it is the Academy F-8E kit, mated to the Airmodel TF-8 conversion (and Kit, it seems to match it fine) with some Pavela Harrier 30mm cannon pods and the Red/Blue tops came from Capt'n Canada and Buzzbomb. The Blue tops were constructed with Sparrow radomes after cutting the IR nose off of a standard Red Top. The bang seats are Neomega (fantastically detailed and it was a shame to stick them in 'cause none of it can really be seen).

kerick · May 11, 2014, 08:08:12 PM

It sure looks good in that scheme. Great conversion too.

Thorvic · May 12, 2014, 01:08:59 AM

Nice build Brian

, i been thinking about doing one of these Short Crusaders ever since i found the article in Air Pictorial many moon ago, however i would prefer a resin conversion (if i can find one that is !!!) as i found the Airmodel vacform conversion a little dated.

BTW the winged fist is 899 squadron FAA, 801 is the winged trident as seen on Buccaneers and Sea Harriers

Devilfish · May 12, 2014, 01:17:27 AM

Very nice!! I love an RN whif, and the Crusader/Corsair are definately on my list.

I do hope the Airpass radar fitted is greatly greatly improved over that fitted to Lightning tho, as the pilots mk1 eyball often had a greater range than the radar....

Dizzyfugu · May 12, 2014, 01:31:22 AM

Nice!

dekybomber · May 12, 2014, 01:35:46 AM

good one

rickshaw · May 12, 2014, 04:30:10 AM

Quote from: Thorvic on May 12, 2014, 01:08:59 AM
Nice build Brian , i been thinking about doing one of these Short Crusaders ever since i found the article in Air Pictorial many moon ago, however i would prefer a resin conversion (if i can find one that is !!!) as i found the Airmodel vacform conversion a little dated.

BTW the winged fist is 899 squadron FAA, 801 is the winged trident as seen on Buccaneers and Sea Harriers

As we say downunder, "Bugger!" I'll correct it.

Not sure what's wrong with the Airmodel vacuform nose. Apart from having to construct the cockpit from scratch...

rickshaw · May 12, 2014, 04:36:22 AM

Quote from: Devilfish on May 12, 2014, 01:17:27 AM
Very nice!! I love an RN whif, and the Crusader/Corsair are definately on my list.

I do hope the Airpass radar fitted is greatly greatly improved over that fitted to Lightning tho, as the pilots mk1 eyball often had a greater range than the radar....

Well, it would have been an improved Airpass. Airpass was actually quite an advanced radar for it's day, being the first Monopulse radar (which meant it could determine bearing and range from a single radar pulse, which was pretty hot stuff when it was developed) and in turn was developed into the Blue Parrot carried on the Buccaneer and thence into the FLR (Forward Looking Radar) used in the TSR.2. It also led eventually to the Blue Fox system used on the Sea Harrier FRS.1. So it had a pretty long development career. What would be required in this case to allow the Blue Top SARH missile to work would be an Illuminator mode, where the radar locks on and continues to paint the target while the missile homes in on the reflections. Something I believe the Airpass could be developed to have. The real determinant of range for a radar though, is the size of the dish, which the bigger it is, the better it's reception. The F-8's nose is rather limited and that means the radar's range would be limited.

Weaver · May 12, 2014, 04:57:44 AM

Excellent job - always liked this aircraft.

TallEng · May 12, 2014, 06:47:06 AM

Looks good like that

I must admit I had my doubts about having ye olde redde Topp on the shoulder pylon,
But after a quick check I see a Red Top weighs 154KGS and a Sidewinder 85KGS and it
Carried two on the shoulder pylon on a 'Y' mount. So no worries there.
Must dig my crusader out and get it finished

Regards
Keith

NARSES2 · May 12, 2014, 08:00:22 AM

That is nice mate. Certainly suits the livery

PR19_Kit · May 12, 2014, 02:06:27 PM

That's so logical it's not true, dunno why no-one's done it before.

Nice one Brian.

Thorvic · May 12, 2014, 04:01:37 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on May 12, 2014, 02:06:27 PM
That's so logical it's not true, dunno why no-one's done it before.

Nice one Brian.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1406.msg24955.html#msg24955

Thats the actual story behind the Shorts Crusader, it was a short lived attempt to offer a cheaper alternative to the Phantom as a Sea Vixen replacement when the Navy managed to reject the joint P1154.

I think it was mooted again in the late 60s as a possible solution for Hermes to carry on as a conventional carrier when it became apparent that the Spey Phantom would just unsuitable for the other RN fleet carriers after Ark & Eagle

Devilfish · May 12, 2014, 11:16:05 PM

Quote from: rickshaw on May 12, 2014, 04:36:22 AM

Well, it would have been an improved Airpass. Airpass was actually quite an advanced radar for it's day, being the first Monopulse radar (which meant it could determine bearing and range from a single radar pulse, which was pretty hot stuff when it was developed) and in turn was developed into the Blue Parrot carried on the Buccaneer and thence into the FLR (Forward Looking Radar) used in the TSR.2. It also led eventually to the Blue Fox system used on the Sea Harrier FRS.1. So it had a pretty long development career. What would be required in this case to allow the Blue Top SARH missile to work would be an Illuminator mode, where the radar locks on and continues to paint the target while the missile homes in on the reflections. Something I believe the Airpass could be developed to have. The real determinant of range for a radar though, is the size of the dish, which the bigger it is, the better it's reception. The F-8's nose is rather limited and that means the radar's range would be limited.

I spent 4 years analysing radars for the RAF. Airpass may have been advanced for its day, but its day was some time in the 1950s. By the time this aircraft would have come along, it's technology (valves, clockwork, waveguide emitting to a bi-concave dish) were way way out touch. It may have been the spiritual predecessor to Blue Parrot/Fox etc, but there were no common components.
I don't mean to sound like I'm having a go, I was just pointing out that Airpass, as it stood, wouldn't have been acceptable and a vastly updated version would have been needed to cut thru all the clutter.

Mossie · May 13, 2014, 02:16:45 AM

Very nice Brian! Yet another that I've always fancied doing but never got around to.

Quote from: Devilfish on May 12, 2014, 11:16:05 PM

I spent 4 years analysing radars for the RAF. Airpass may have been advanced for its day, but its day was some time in the 1950s. By the time this aircraft would have come along, it's technology (valves, clockwork, waveguide emitting to a bi-concave dish) were way way out touch. It may have been the spiritual predecessor to Blue Parrot/Fox etc, but there were no common components.
I don't mean to sound like I'm having a go, I was just pointing out that Airpass, as it stood, wouldn't have been acceptable and a vastly updated version would have been needed to cut thru all the clutter.

IIRC, this is one of the reasons why the USAF passed over a further order of F-106's in favour of F-4's. The two were only a few years apart in development but the F-106's fire control system was deemed inadequate compared to the F-4's, such was the pace of progress then.