History

The Vought RF-8G was a photographic reconnaissance version of the F-8 fighter. They were rebuilt from RF-8A aeroplanes with improved performance and were the last version of the F-8 to fly with the US Navy.

The RF-8 was created by redesigning the forward fuselage of the standard F-8 to replace the armament with cameras.

RF-8As, began entering service in 1957 and 144 were constructed.

Beginning in 1965, 73 RF-8As were remanufactured into improved RF-8Gs, allowing the US Navy to keep in service some of its aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War that were too small for the larger and heavier McDonnell F-4s.

The RF-8G was finally retired from service in March 1987.

This model represents a RF-8G of VFP-306 of the Naval Air Reserve at Washington DC, c.1980

Hasegawa 1/72 kit with Ventura conversion parts and Tasman, Xtradecal and Microscale decals completed by Leigh Edmonds in May 2011.

Data

MODEL: Vought RF-8G

ROLE: Reconnaissance aircraft

TIME PERIOD: 1965-1987

ENGINES: one Pratt & Whitney J57-P-4A turbojet engine of 72.1kN thrust on afterburner

WING SPAN: 10.87m

LENGTH: 16.53m

GROSS WEIGHT: 15,4640k

MAXIMUM SPEED: 1824km/h

RANGE: 2294km

PAYLOAD: up to six reconnaissance cameras

CREW: 1

SCALE: 1/72

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