The Airplane Thread

[Llarry]

Tomcat Thursday!

Two squadrons of F-14D Tomcats on the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The only other aircraft on deck are four MH-60 helicopters, folded and parked by the carrier's island.

[Llarry]

The Grumman S-2 Tracker or "Stoof" was a long-serving U.S. Navy carrier-based antisubmarine aircraft that was one of the last operational piston engine-powered aircraft produced for the Navy. It also saw widespread use in other countries as both carrier- and land-based ASW and maritime patrol aircraft.

In the 1960s, the Navy decided that a modern replacement aircraft was needed for the S-2. Various options -- and various engines -- were considered and Lockheed, not normally a supplier of carrier aircraft but very experienced in land-based patrol & ASW airplanes such as the P-2 Neptune and the P-3 Orion, was selected to develop what became the S-3 Viking.

The prototype S-3 first flew in early 1972. It was powered by a new small turbofan engine, the General Electric TF34 (which also powered the A-10 Warthog). The test program went fairly smoothly and the first fleet S-3As were delivered in 1973, with the first full squadron deployment in 1976.

The S-3A was greatly improved over the S-2, with jet performance that far exceeded the older airplane's. Although initial plans were for embarkation on ASW carriers (older World War II-era ships that had been updated with angled decks, etc.) the Vietnam War had worn those ships out and they were retired about the time the S-3A entered service. The revised plan was to embark a small air ASW S-3 squadron on each attack carrier.

The Navy took delivery of 187 S-3As, and starting in 1987 updated the force with newer systems as the S-3B. In the fleet the S-3 acquired the nickname "Hoover" due to the distinctive sound of its TF34 engines.

With the end of the Cold War, the need for carrier-based ASW aircraft was considered less important. In 1999, the serving S-3Bs began to have their ASW systems removed, and the aircraft became an important asset in the aerial refueling role while retaining some weapons capability in low-threat environments. In 2004-2008 the refueling mission was assumed by F-18E/F Super Hornets and the S-3 was retired.

There was some sentiment afterwards for the return of S-3s from the boneyard to carrier decks, but that never happened and the carrier-based ASW mission is filled by MH-60R helicopters, which of course have far less range than the S-3.

Post-script: Six early S-3A airframes were converted to carrier-capable COD (transport) airplanes and flown by VRC-50 "Foo Dogs" for a number of years. They could carry a cargo pod on the wing station. See last photo (cargo pod not depicted.)

[Llarry]

Here's a comparison between the Vought F-8 Crusader -- the first truly supersonic U.S. Navy/Marine fighter, which first flew in 1955 -- and the Vought A-7 Corsair II -- a design derived from the F-8 but optimized for the attack mission, which first flew in 1965. The A-7 took the basic design of the F-8 and:
-- Shortened the airframe to allow more aircraft on the crowded decks of aircraft carriers
-- Replaced the afterburning J57 engine of the F-8 with a fuel-sipping non-afterburning turbofan
-- Modified the wing for additional fuel capacity and subsonic flight
-- Added more wing pylons for carrying weapons or external fuel
-- Substituted attack-oriented radar for the fighter's air intercept radar

Here an A-7B of VA-155 "Silver Foxes" refuels an F-8J of VF-191 "Satan's Kittens" during the Vietnam War.

[Llarry]

The F-8 Crusader also brought Navy and Marine Corps photo reconnaissance into the supersonic age with the RF-8A variant (old F8U-1P). The F8U-1P first flew in late 1956 and 144 were delivered to the Navy and Marines through 1960.

One of the early production F8U-1Ps, flown by Marine Major John Glenn (later astronaut and U.S. senator) set a transcontinental speed record in July 1957 at an average speed of 726 mph.

In 1962, Navy and Marine RF-8As played a major role, along with Air Force RF-101s and U-2s, in the Cuban Missile Crisis by flying hazardous low-level missions over Cuba to photograph missile sites.

Probably the most important contributions of photo Crusaders came during the Vietnam War. RF-8As flew missions over North and South Vietnam. Many were lost to enemy air defenses.

Navy RF-8s were organized into two very large squadrons -- one on the East coast and one in the West -- which would send detachments of 3-4 RF-8s on aircraft carrier deployments. Marine photo Crusaders were assigned to three composite squadrons which also operated electronic warfare aircraft.

In 1965, a remanufacturing program was started to update 73 RF-8As to an improved RF-8G configuration with stronger wing spars, ventral fins for improved stability at high speed and other changes. A couple of years later, the Marines replaced their RF-8s with RF-4B Phantoms; The two Navy squadrons and several small Marine Corps Reserve squadrons continued to fly the RF-8G.

The photo Crusaders were the last F-8s to serve: Long after retirement of the type from active duty, two Naval Reserve squadrons operated RF-8Gs until 1987, long after the retirement of the F-8 fighters versions.