Many aircraft enthusiasts and ex-pilots consider the F-8 Crusader to have been the last real navy fighter. It wasn't designed as a fighter-bomber and it was a one person aircraft, unlike its replacements the F-4 Phantom and its replacement the F-14 Tomcat. Often called 'the last of the gunfighters' the Crusader was able to rack up quite a few Mig kills during Vietnam using the four 20mm guns that it was designed with.

All of those Crusader Mig kills were credited to the US Navy. The Marines had the Crusader as well, but the primary mission of Marine air is to protect Marine ground troops and that is what they did in Vietnam. Able to carry weapons on two wing pylons as well as air to ground rockets on the fuselage racks, the F-8, with its four 20mms as well, was able to inflict a lot of damage on Viet-Cong positions and supply routes.

When the F-4 came into the inventory, remaining USMC Crusaders was turned over to the Reserves while active duty Crusader squadrons transitioned to the newer Phantom.

This Microscale sheet offers three different different F-8s, one of which is very colorful, though the others aren't exactly boring either! There is enough stencil data for two aircraft and insignia will have to come from other sources. The recommended kit for this is the Heller F-8. All the aircraft are in the gloss gull grey and white paint scheme. The gun F-8 was gone from service before the introduction of low viz paint schmes.

The first aircraft on the sheet is from VMF-451 and coded VM. It has a motif of blue with white stars on the ventral fins, tail band, forward fuselage band and wing tip bands.

Next is an even more flamboyant scheme from VMF-321. While the stars are smaller, they are on the ventral fin an the entire tail as well as the upper fuselage. I have seen a model done in this scheme and it is quite impressive!

Finally, a VMF-312 Crusader, coded DR. this one has a black with yellow trim ventral fins with a black and white checkerboard design on the tail and intake warning area.

All three will make into very nice models.

Review copy courtesy of me and my wallet!!!

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