F-8 Crusader

[jp]

Does anyone know if there are any F-8's in developement right now, or on the drawing board? I am a big fan of the F-8, it would be neat to fly one in the sim.

[ColoKent]

.....but I agree--- and give us RF-8s too!

K

[jp]

Agreed, recon birds too!!

[ColoKent]

....the Alphasim F-8 still looks pretty good in FSX

Kent

[DennyA]

Aw, you got me all excited. Though this was announcing one.

When I get an F-8 jones in the meantime, I load up Strike Fighters 2: Vietnam. It has nicely modeled F-8C through J models, and you can actually shoot things down with them. And the whole sim costs about the same as a low-priced payware plane for FSX.

Attachment 34377Attachment 34378Attachment 34379Attachment 34380

[DennyA]

Link for more info... You also get flyable F-100, F-105, F-4, A-4, A-6, and A-7 models.

And a cockpit shot for good measure...
Attachment 34381

[deathfromafar]

I use Rollus's F-8. It is a portover but it runs very well.

[ColoKent]

...I need to go dig up my old Alphasim F-8!!!!

Kent

[ColoKent]

....now all I gotta do is get a compatible airspeed indicator and make the requisite changes.

Still a nice package...

Kent

[Daube]

I use Rollus's F-8. It is a portover but it runs very well.

The one from Rollus is the best available so far.
The freeware from Alphasim has many nice repaints though, but the one made by Rollus has a better virtual cockpit.

[Z-AZ1USN]

Aw, you got me all excited. Though this was announcing one.

When I get an F-8 jones in the meantime, I load up Strike Fighters 2: Vietnam. It has nicely modeled F-8C through J models, and you can actually shoot things down with them. And the whole sim costs about the same as a low-priced payware plane for FSX.

Attachment 34377Attachment 34378Attachment 34379Attachment 34380

I was with VF-24 when they had F-8C's (65-67). One of the F8's I worked on is in in the Naval Air Mesuem in P'Cola.
I was AO2 with them then. Whomever "FSX's" them should have 5 Mig kills painted on the ventral fins. Last of the "Gunfighters"....
They should have either USS Hancock or USS Bon Homme Richard on the fuselage as well. We cross decked
from USS Hancock for just one ('67) Viet Nam cruise to the Bonnie Dick....

Yes, I changed rates from AO to AZ.......

[TARPSBird]

When I was in VFP-63 in 1970 I worked for LCDR Tim Hubbard. He was in '211 on that Bonnie Dick cruise and got his MiG-17 the same day your '24 guys did. You may recall he fired Zuni rockets at his MiG. Small world, ain't it?

[expat]

When you're out of F8's . .

Alphasim Gunslinger is on always on my FSX "live" list of aircraft to fly. Works just fine in FSX as far as I am concerned. Would like to try changing the model to reflective to get some shine on that exhaust metal but otherwise it is a real performer and a challenge to trap but oh, so satisfying when you get it right.

[fallenphoenix1986]

Me wants that Gunslinger... hope Virtavia get round to releasing it someday...

Craig

[brettt777]

I use Rollus's F-8. It is a portover but it runs very well.

I also use the Rollus F-8. It works well in FSX although firing any ordinance is rather cumbersome IMO.
When I was on the Constellation back in '78-79, we had a Marine squadron (VFP-63...? Something like that. I'll have to look at my cruise book when I get back home) of RF-8's. I remember them being VERY loud when engaging the AB.

[GT182]

Denny, Strike Fighters is a pretty good sim. With SF2 Vietnam they really improved things. I don't have either one installed now, but now you've gone an given me the itch to fly them again.

[italoc]

The one from Rollus is the best available so far.
The freeware from Alphasim has many nice repaints though, but the one made by Rollus has a better virtual cockpit.

Hi Daube
Rollus Crusader is OK but no VC in FSX Accel.
Do you run her in DX9 ???

Italo

[Z-AZ1USN]

When I was in VFP-63 in 1970 I worked for LCDR Tim Hubbard. He was in '211 on that Bonnie Dick cruise and got his MiG-17 the same day your '24 guys did. You may recall he fired Zuni rockets at his MiG. Small world, ain't it?

VF-211 use to call us in VF-24 "Bite-Size" because we had smaller red and white checkers.
We would call VF-211 Brand-X; it goes back to the old days of TV commercials when
a named product would compare their stuff to an inferior simuliar product such as
what Brand-X would offer. Hence the name Brand-X....
I do remember LCDR (Left Handed Commander) or "El-CDR" Tim Hubbard.

[TARPSBird]

When I was on the Constellation back in '78-79, we had a Marine squadron (VFP-63...? Something like that. I'll have to look at my cruise book when I get back home) of RF-8's. I remember them being VERY loud when engaging the AB.

No Marines. That was my old squadron, VFP-63. When the RA-5C Vigilantes were retired in the mid-70's VFP-63 went back aboard the big-deck carriers in 3-plane detachments to provide photo recce capability. Yeah, the RF-8's afterburner made a big boom when it lit off, always scared the new guys on the flight deck.

[fsafranek]

....now all I gotta do is get a compatible airspeed indicator and make the requisite changes.

Still a nice package...

Kent

I think there was an RF-8 as well as the French model in the Alphasim set. What all did you end up doing when you brought it into FSX?
:ernae:

[delta_lima]

I think there was an RF-8 as well as the French model in the Alphasim set. What all did you end up doing when you brought it into FSX?
:ernae:

Afraid not.

There was no RF-8 model for FS9. There was an unofficial .mdl file/texture that allowed the fuselage weapon pylons to be blanked out. It was not the RF model, though. The fully faired over refueling probe, sharply cornered ventral corners, and of course, the camera ports - none of this was ever modelled. Still, the use of those file enabled a number of superb repaints emulating the RF-8 to be made by Russell Smith and maybe another couple of authors.

Those "RF-8 emulator" files do not work in FSX, at last investigation a number of months ago - discussed at great length here:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...light=crusader

Yes, the Alphasim Crusader was a magnificent project - it was a treat to be even a tiny cog in that wheel. Carl and I emailed dozens of times a day at the peak of it. Even today, that bird looks good - though the Rollus model works a bit better overall in FSX.

If a bona fide RF model ever gets released, I will be a truly happy man. Here's to hoping.

dl

[ColoKent]

I'd love both an RF-8A and an RF-8G. It would be fantastic, I agree!

K

[fsafranek]

Yes, the Alphasim Crusader was a magnificent project - it was a treat to be even a tiny cog in that wheel. Carl and I emailed dozens of times a day at the peak of it. Even today, that bird looks good - though the Rollus model works a bit better overall in FSX.

If a bona fide RF model ever gets released, I will be a truly happy man. Here's to hoping.

dl

Just checked all my beta and release copies. For some reason I thought there was one. Must have been a pipe dream.

I know what you mean about the frenzied back and forth emails during these projects. Then it's released and silence. After all these years and projects still haven't gotten used to that.
:ernae:

[sparouty]

Does anyone know if there are any F-8's in developement right now, or on the drawing board? I am a big fan of the F-8, it would be neat to fly one in the sim.

So far I never eared/read that a Crusader project was started by anyone...

But what I can say is that my team (Royale French Navy) have planned a F-8 project.
It should not start right after the Etendard final release (which is now a question of weeks), because I need a little break, going back to my shipyards.
There are some work to be done on carriers : enhancements/fixes, Foch and Arromanches (ex-Colossus), and may be a C.DeGaulle... So F-8 start with Automn leaves??

Regarding Crusader version aimed, it should certainly be focused on the F-8E which is the one I have already collected materials/informations on.
Michel, my special advisor, is a former French F-8 pilot, and the F-8 E(FN) is mainly based on the US F-8E, I guess. If the RF-8 is also closed to this version, it should be great, because 3D cockpit work is very time consuming and it's hard to build different VC in the same time...

So far I have nothing more detailed to say on this next RFN project...

Regards,
Sylvain

[Daube]

Hi Daube
Rollus Crusader is OK but no VC in FSX Accel.
Do you run her in DX9 ???

Italo

I have too much FS9 planes in my FSX hangar to run DX10
FSX Acceleration of course, and no problems with the VC which works perfectly. I'm a VC-only pilot.