21st Century Crusade(er)

[mikeblaze]

Not a Century Series aircraft, but definitely a kindred spirit of the era.... I started this over a year ago, and am now just getting some steam up on it. I am using it for a test-bed to subordinate animated parts upon other animated parts (LE flaps on folding wings). You can only ask for so much help, sometimes you just gotta figure out things yourself. This will be a great companion aircraft for any retro F-4 and A-4 stuff I or anybody else is working on. These are single-LOD alpha models, but with a lot of little variations visible already.

[relfel66]

Looks Great!!!!!!!!!!!

[MIKE JG]

The last of the gunfighters...... Love this bird.

[Victory103]

Very cool, always surprised when I open this thread.

[Flyin Illini]

i love you! you are definately bringing my interest back to FS

[miljan]

Amazing Mike!

[Chrisb]

I can see a gap about to be filled for the retro French Navy. You carry on.

Chris

[btaylo24]

Superb, love the F8...Classic

well done, you are filling in some big gaps in my sim

[f47420]

Nice looking model Mike .You keep us looking.What will he come up with next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great stuff..

MW

[mikeblaze]

Crusader progress...... gear bays are modeled and textured, and also notice the speedbrake. Unfortunately, that's all I will extend it to account for the gear clearance; but at least you get to see it operate once in awhile. All I really have left to do is the wing control surfaces, then off to the FDE shop.

As an aside, if anybody has a picture of this aircraft carrying drop tanks, please send it to me. I don't believe I have ever seen such a picture (I have about eight reference books), but just checking around. Thanks in advance if you can help out.

MP

[jimrodger]

Found this one.
I believe only the "J" model was plumbed for wet tanks.

Jim

[mikeblaze]

Jim, thanks for the picture. I had information that the J model was plumbed for tanks, but have never seen any. That picture helps a ton.......MP

[mikeblaze]

The only bad news of this project so far. I had mentioned that I was planning to do the TF-8A 'Twosader' variant, but since only one was built from the factory and a handful were converted from old F-8A airframes (against 1,200-odd single-seaters), I am electing not to do it at this time. I think the AI community will recover from this tragedy

MP

[timbob1]

The single seater will do just fine Mike, lovely work.

[DeltaDart]

I am really looking forward to add some Crusaders to my vintage TOPGUN!!!! At last, the Phantoms will have some opposition!!!

[mikeblaze]

To All,

Some true alpha model previews of the Crusader. I still have to do the unique fuselage of the RF-8, but these will serve for 90 percent of what I have planned. I will be doing some of the early model upgrades like the H, K, and L as well, but my models in the pix will serve these variants. Enjoy the view.

MP

[sr01]

Found this one.
I believe only the "J" model was plumbed for wet tanks.

Jim

Jim
Nice pic !!!
I believe that aircraft # 149203 ,which was the 1st F8J, was the only one equiped to carry the 300 gal. tanks . All other underwing pylons were for various missiles ,including nukes ,iron bombs and napalm which was the most frequently carried store .

[mikeblaze]

Modeling Update:

I have multi-LOD betas doing circuits for final evaluation now. I have the final list of what I will be doing for this project as far as base models. Don't be intimidated by the scope, about half of the variants will only have one or two loadouts, and the other half will have probably no more than four. But the paints will flow..... New paint pictures will be posted this week.

F-8A original production (F8U-1), with single chin missile racks
F-8B with refuel blister, most late A-models retro-fitted, this will serve for them as well.
F-8C with ventral fins and Y-racks for missiles
F-8D with IRST on top of the nose
F-8E Avionics hump on wing, new nose, and a small tail RWR
F-8E(FN) French variant with split-section LE flaps and higher-degree wing incidence (7 degrees, normal is 5)
F-8J split LE flaps and larger RWR fairing
F-8P(FN) F-8E(FN) upgrade under the Prolonge program, with the large RWR/ECM fairing on the tail
F-8H Upgraded F-8C with hump & hardpoints
F-8K Upgraded F-8B with hump & hardpoints
F-8L Upgraded F-8A with hump & hardpoints
F-8P Philippine variant, F-8H with E-model RWR
RF-8A Early recce variant, based on F-8A frame
RF-8G Late recce variant with ventral fins, comes with both E and J-model RWR options
DF-8 Drone-towing variant, basically an unarmed A-model with some amazing high-viz paints

[fishlips]

I take my hat off to you Mike, well done indeed!

[mikewmac]

I take my hat off to you Mike, well done indeed!

Mark,

Needless to say things have really picked up in my AI FDE development workload lately.

Mike M.