Known to its pilots as the 'last of the gunfighters' due to its quartet of Colt-Browning Mk 12 20 mm cannon, the F-8 Crusader was numerically the most populous fighter in the US Navy at the start of America's involvement in the Vietnam conflict in 1964 - some 482 F-8C/D/Es equipped 17 frontline units. It enjoyed great success against North Vietnamese Mig-17s and Mig-21s during the Rolling Thunder campaign of 1965-68, officially downing 18 jets, which represented 53 per cent of all Mig claims lodged by Navy squadrons during this period.
| ISBN: | 9781855327245 |
| Publication date: | 28th August 1998 |
| Author: | Peter B Mersky |
| Publisher: | Osprey Publishing an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 112 pages |
| Series: | Osprey Combat Aircraft |
| Genres: |
History Warfare and defence Air forces and warfare |