Fighter Jets
Vought F8U Crusader
ICAO: F8
Overview
The Vought F6U Pirate was an early jet fighter developed for the U.S. Navy after World War II. First flown in the mid-1940s, it was designed for carrier operations. The aircraft faced performance limitations during testing.
Live Fleet Activity (F6U)
📡
Fetching live data…
Specifications
Units
- Engine
- 1 × Westinghouse J34-WE-30A
- Engine type
- Jet
- Thrust
- 4,224 lbf · 19 kN
- Avionics
- —
- Wing tips
- No winglets
- Seats
- 1
- Crew
- —
- Cabin width
- —
- Cabin height
- —
- Cabin length
- —
- Exterior length
- 37 ft 7 in · 11.46 m
- Tail height
- 12 ft 10 in · 3.90 m
- Fuselage diameter
- 3 ft 11 in · 1.20 m
- Wing span
- 32 ft 10 in · 10.00 m
- Baggage volume
- —
- Gross weight
- —
- Empty weight
- —
- Max takeoff weight
- 12,900 lb · 5,850 kg
- Max landing weight
- —
- Max payload
- 1,300 lb · 600 kg
- Fuel capacity
- 650 gal · 2,500 L · 2,000 kg (Jet A)
- Max cruise speed
- 518 kt · 596 mph · 959 km/h
- Maximum speed
- —
- Cruise speed
- —
- Approach speed
- 107 kt · 123 mph · 198 km/h
- Range
- 1,020 nm · 1,170 mi · 1,890 km
- Fuel burn
- —
- Ceiling
- 46,260 ft · 14,100 m
- Rate of climb
- 8,060 ft/min · 41 m/s
- Takeoff distance
- —
- Landing distance
- —
Gallery
(/)
tap to zoom
(/)
Live fleet activity details
📡
Operational Context
Vought F6U Pirate — early carrier-based jet fighter
The F6U first flew in 1946 as one of the Navy’s initial jet fighter programs. It featured a straight wing and mid-mounted turbojet engine. The design reflected early experimentation with naval jet integration.
A single Westinghouse turbojet engine producing approximately 3,400 pounds of thrust (15 kN) powered the aircraft. Maximum speed approached 475 mph (765 km/h). Maximum takeoff weight was around 15,000 pounds (6,804 kg).
The Pirate was produced in limited numbers but saw little operational use due to engine performance issues. It was quickly overshadowed by more capable naval jet fighters. The aircraft represents a transitional stage in early carrier jet development.
Sources and references used for research and fact-checking.