Sixty-five years ago today April 4, 1956 as USS FORRESTAL CVA-59 steamed in the Virginia Capes Operating area in company with USS WREN DD-568. Captain Roy L. Johnson, USN, Commanding Officer.
First Catapult Launch of F8U Crusader, Aboard USS FORRESTAL CVA-59.
During the next two days, CDR Windsor made 12 landings and launches. The fifth catapult shot nearly resulted in the destruction of the Crusader when, during the cat stroke, the Crusader suddenly skidded down the deck at an awkward angle. Reacting immediately, CDR Windsor retarded the throttle to idle and stood on the brakes. The Crusader stopped only four feet from FORRESTAL’s bow. Since no apparent damage was done, the launches continued.
Initial carrier qualification tests took place aboard the USS FORRESTAL CVA-59 with F8U-1 BuNo 140446 (the fourth pre-production F8U-1) in April of 1956. Patuxent test pilot CDR R. W. "Duke" Windsor carried out the initial tests. The first catapult launch took place on April 4.
The first production F8U-1s reached VX-3 in December of 1956. The first operational squadron to re-equip with the Crusader was VF-32 at NAS Cecil Field in March of 1957, followed by West Coast squadrons VF-154 and VF(AW)-3, then by VF-211, VF-143, and VF-143. The first squadron to operate the F8U-1 aboard an aircraft carrier was VF-32, which embarked aboard the USS Saratoga towards the end of 1957. The first Marine Corps squadrons took their Crusaders in December of 1957--VMF-122, followed by VMF-312, VMF-333, and VMF-334.
In order to show off its new fighter, the Navy decided to use the Crusader to capture the World's air speed record, held at that time by the F-100C Super Sabre at 825 mph. The Navy felt that the Crusader could beat that record by a substantial margin, perhaps even giving the Crusader the distinction of being the first aircraft to set a record that exceeded 1000 mph. However, on March 19, 1956, the Fairey Delta F.D.2, a British research aircraft, set a speed record of 1132 mph, 310 mph greater than the previous record. Undaunted, the Navy went ahead with its plans, but since it did not want to reveal the full capabilities of the Crusader, the team was told to hold back, the only instructions being given to exceed 1000 mph. On August 21, 1956, CDR "Duke" Windsor in F8U-1 BuNo 141345 (the twelfth production machine) hit an average speed of 1015.428 mph in two speed runs in opposite directions over a 15-kilometer course at an altitude of 40,000 feet over China Lake, California. This set a new national speed record, and for this feat the Thompson Trophy was awarded to the Navy and to Vought.
