{"product_id":"9781472857545-f8-crusader","title":"F-8 Crusader","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVietnam 1963–73\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWith specially commissioned artworks and dynamic combat ribbon diagrams, this volume reveals how the ‘last of the gunfighters’, as the F-8 was dubbed by its pilots, prevailed against the growing MiG threat of the Vietnamese People's Air Force\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWith specially commissioned artworks and dynamic combat ribbon diagrams, this volume reveals how the ‘last of the gunfighters’, as the F-8 was dubbed by its pilots, prevailed against the growing MiG threat of the Vietnamese People’s Air Force\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen the Vietnam War began, the F-8 was already firmly established as a fighter and reconnaissance aircraft. It entered combat as an escort for Alpha strike packages, braving the anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles alongside the A-4 Skyhawk bombers and meeting MiGs for the first time on 3 April 1965. Although the Crusader was nicknamed ‘last of the gunfighters’, its pilots employed ‘secondary’ AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles in all but one of their MiG kills, with guns also used as back-up in three. Its 20 mm guns were unreliable as they often jammed during strenuous manoeuvres, although they were responsible for damaging a number of MiGs. However, in combat the F-8 had the highest ‘exchange ratio’ (kills divided by losses) at six-to-one of any US combat aircraft involved in the Vietnam War.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough the copious use of first-hand accounts, highly detailed battlescene artwork, combat ribbon diagrams and armament views, Osprey’s Vietnam air war specialist Peter E. Davies charts the successful career of the F-8 Crusader over Vietnam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40902308397153,"sku":"9781472857545","price":12.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_28392811.jpg?v=1722584579","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781472857545-f8-crusader","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}