History

The Vought F-8 was a supersonic air superiority fighter developed in the 1950s. A total of 1261 were produced, they began entering service with the French Aeronavale in 1964 and remained in service there until 2000.

The Vought F-8 won a competition in 1953 to become the US Navy’s next air superiority fighter and the prototype first flew on 25 March 1955.

They were manufactured in five major versions but after production ended most airworthy F-8s were refurbished into later versions with improved capabilities and performance.

France ordered 42 F-8Es for its new aircraft carriers in the early 1960s.

They were very similar to US Navy F-8Es but with improved wings to permit landing on their smaller carriers and equipped to carry Marta missiles.

They began entering service in October 1964.

This model represents a F-8E(FN) of 14 Flottille at Landivisiau in 1972.

Heller 1/72 kit with Modeldecal decals completed by Leigh Edmonds in March 2011.

Data

MODEL: Vought F-8E(FN)

ROLE: Fighter

TIME PERIOD: 1964-1991

ENGINES: one Pratt & Whitney J57-P-20A turbojet engine of 80.1kN thrust on afterburner

WING SPAN: 10.87m

LENGTH: 16.53m

GROSS WEIGHT: 13,000kg

MAXIMUM SPEED: 1975km/h

RANGE: 2795km

ARMAMENT: four 20mm Colt-Browing cannons and Matra missiles

SCALE: 1/72

KIT:

Recently added to the Collection