F-8E - Revision history

U15020331: /* General info */ Updated Flight performance: removing any indication on wing rip and advised newer pilots to not use landing flaps in combat.

2024-11-03T18:14:20Z

‎General info: Updated Flight performance: removing any indication on wing rip and advised newer pilots to not use landing flaps in combat.

U15020331: Overhaul of the Pros and Cons page with updated information, as the latest updates have negated the F-8E's wing rip issue + cleanup of information

2024-11-03T17:53:51Z

Overhaul of the Pros and Cons page with updated information, as the latest updates have negated the F-8E's wing rip issue + cleanup of information

U81008133: /* Pros and cons */

2024-02-01T00:25:28Z

‎Pros and cons

U44629479: Added About template

2023-12-29T17:36:53Z

Added About template

U44629479: /* Media */ Edits

2023-12-29T17:34:41Z

‎Media: Edits

U65220193: /* Media */

2023-12-26T13:50:18Z

‎Media

U65220193: /* Media */

2023-12-26T13:49:39Z

‎Media

U65220193: /* Media */

2023-12-26T13:49:16Z

‎Media

U65220193: /* Media */

2023-12-26T13:46:37Z

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U65220193: /* Media */

2023-12-26T13:40:05Z

‎Media

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 <!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
-The F-8E, as a development of the previous [[F8U-2]], will feel very similar to the pilot in command. The Crusader is a highly agile aircraft, capable of dogfighting most enemy aircraft at its rank, blending initial pull with surprising energy retention. This allows the F-8E to pull inside enemy aircraft without bleeding massive amounts of speed like the delta wing aircraft at this rank are prone to doing. The wings have been strengthened to allow for this, so pilots should feel free to perform harsher manoeuvres than while flying the previous F8U-2, albeit the F-8E will still rip in some extreme turns. The engine has been upgraded as well, the extra 560 kgf making up for the slight additional weight of the wings and increasing the climb rate and speed of the aircraft. The F-8E is particularly strong at lower speeds, where the extra engine thrust allows it to sustain turns and accelerate quicker, and it also inherits the unique landing flaps of the Crusader: the wing detaching from the fuselage and angling upwards. This gives large amounts of extra lift, giving the F-8E a sharp advantage at very low speeds, although the plane will "wallow" in the air from the extra lift, and has a difficult time dropping the nose in this flap configuration.
+The F-8E, as a development of the previous [[F8U-2]], will feel very similar to the pilot in command. The Crusader is a highly agile aircraft, capable of dogfighting most enemy aircraft at its rank, blending initial pull with surprising energy retention. This allows the F-8E to pull inside enemy aircraft without bleeding massive amounts of speed like the delta wing aircraft at this rank are prone to doing. The engine has been upgraded, the extra 560 kgf making up for the slight additional weight of the wings and increasing the climb rate and speed of the aircraft. The F-8E is particularly strong at lower speeds, where the extra engine thrust allows it to sustain turns and accelerate quicker, and it also inherits the unique landing flaps of the Crusader: the wing detaching from the fuselage and angling upwards. This gives large amounts of extra lift, at the expense of becoming very sluggish. It is not advised to use landing flaps during combat.
 That manoeuvrability and energy retention comes at a cost though, and that is speed. The F-8E is slow for its rank, and struggles to break past mach 1 at sea level. With missiles loaded, it will top out at exactly mach 1, and with any other ordnance loaded it is unable at sea level. At higher altitudes the F-8E is able of exceeding the speed of sound, though not by much and once past mach 1 the acceleration drops dramatically. The plane also compresses around mach .98, so pilots should be wary when diving on targets, as the aircraft may compress and be unable to pull as hard as the pilot may be accustomed to. The rudder on this aircraft is also something to be aware of. The rudder on this aircraft does not work like those on other aircraft, meaning that during a roll or pulling with mouse aim can cause the nose to swing wildly. This is especially a problem at sea level at high speeds, where the rudder will shake the nose around to a great extent. Also, the rudder during rolls throws the nose around unlike other aircraft, meaning it can be hard to get close shots with the gun but can be used for high speed snapshots.

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 '''Pros:'''
-* Can carry four useful air-to-air missiles
+* Can carry four useful air-to-air missiles :
-** AIM-9C air-to-air missiles are radar guided and can be launched in head-ons to surprise opponents
+** Radar-guided AIM-9Cs, which can be used in surprise head-ons aswell as in BVR combat
-** AIM-9D air-to-air missiles have above average range (around 3 km)
+** Heat-seeking AIM-9Ds, which have above average range (around 3 km)
-* Equipped with a RWR (AN/APR-27)
+* Equipped with a RWR, with E, G and I band identification
-** Provides E, G, I band identification
+* Excellent guns with easy ballistics and high damage
 * Very good sustained turn rate
 * Good acceleration and climb rate
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 '''Cons:'''
-* Fragile wings which can easily rip at high speeds and in high-G turns
+* Below average low level top speed compared to other supersonic competitors; can barely break Mach 1 at low altitude
 * Very likely to set on fire because of the fuel tank placement
 * Lacks a ballistic computer, which greatly limits its ground attack potential
-* Carries less ammo compared to F8U-2
+* Carries less gun ammo compared to F8U-2
 == History ==

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 If you judge the enemy team to likely have jets equipped with CW signal missiles, then going to high altitude is very risky; in this case it is better to fly at a lower altitude, probably no more than 2,000 m. This gives you a little bit of altitude to play with and puts you in a position where you can potentially use your AIM-9C missiles against targets above you, while being somewhat protected against enemy CW missiles (aircraft with pulse-Doppler radars will still be able to hit you though, so stay vigilant and be prepared to dive or notch). At low altitude you can use the F-8Es great manoeuvrability and powerful armament to win out against many enemies in a dogfight, though you must always keep an eye out for enemy missiles.
-The flight performance of the {{PAGENAME}} is similar enough to the preceding [[F8U-2]] that similar tactics should apply in a dogfight. The F-8E's instantaneous turn isn't the best, but it has great energy retention and sustained turn rate. Avoid scissors or any turn radius fight as the {{PAGENAME}}'s energy retention ability in this case will put the plane at a disadvantage because in a scissors, you will bleed less speed than the enemy and will end up in front of their guns. The plane's low-speed maneouvrability also isn't a strong point, so avoid using the air brakes to bleed speed. Rate fighting makes the most of the {{PAGENAME}}'s ability as in these extended, longer-lasting dogfights, the F-8E's superior energy retention will see that it has kept more speed than an enemy aircraft. In this case, even if the enemy has a better initial turn rate, they will lose significantly more speed until they won't be able to keep up in a sustained turn. The {{PAGENAME}} will start gaining on them, and they will either be forced to pitch down to gain speed and try to gain on you, or they will run away. In these cases, you can simply pitch down too and stay on their tail. Eventually, the dogfight will move to a very low altitude, where there is no longer anywhere for the enemy to pitch down, and you will outrate them and get guns on them. If you haven't noticed yet, a rate dogfight like this will last a while depending on your position, so it is recommended not to engage in one when there are other enemies in the area.
+The flight performance of the {{PAGENAME}} is similar enough to the preceding [[F8U-2]] that similar tactics should apply in a dogfight. The F-8E's instantaneous turn isn't the best, but it has great energy retention and sustained turn rate. Avoid scissors or any turn radius fight as the {{PAGENAME}}'s energy retention ability in this case will put the plane at a disadvantage because in a scissors, you will bleed less speed than the enemy and will end up in front of their guns. The plane's low-speed maneuverability also isn't a strong point, so avoid using the air brakes to bleed speed. Rate fighting makes the most of the {{PAGENAME}}'s ability as in these extended, longer-lasting dogfights, the F-8E's superior energy retention will see that it has kept more speed than an enemy aircraft. In this case, even if the enemy has a better initial turn rate, they will lose significantly more speed until they won't be able to keep up in a sustained turn. The {{PAGENAME}} will start gaining on them, and they will either be forced to pitch down to gain speed and try to gain on you, or they will run away. In these cases, you can simply pitch down too and stay on their tail. Eventually, the dogfight will move to a very low altitude, where there is no longer anywhere for the enemy to pitch down, and you will outrate them and get guns on them. If you haven't noticed yet, a rate dogfight like this will last a while depending on your position, so it is recommended not to engage in one when there are other enemies in the area.
 === Pros and cons ===
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 * Has an Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor which assists in locating targets by finding their heat signatures
 * Has a variety of suspended air-to-ground ordnance
 '''Cons:'''
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 * Below average low level top speed compared to other supersonic competitors; can barely break Mach 1 at low altitude
 * Lacks a ballistic computer, which greatly limits its ground attack potential
 == History ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:36, 29 December 2023
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		+	{{About
		+	\| about = US jet fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
		+	\| usage = the other version
		+	\| link = F-8E(FN) (France)
		+	}}
	{{Specs-Card		{{Specs-Card
	\|code=f-8e		\|code=f-8e

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 ;Videos
-{{Youtube-gallery|tQhEl042QE8|'''The Shooting Range #275''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|9SmcQee4_Vw|'''F-8E In War Thunder : A Basic Review''' - ''Tim's Variety War Thunder''}}
+{{Youtube-gallery|9SmcQee4_Vw|'''F-8E: A Basic Review''' - ''Tim's Variety War Thunder''|tQhEl042QE8|'''The Shooting Range #275''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:28 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}
 == See also ==