What USN fighter...
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The F11F (F-11) was replaced by the F-8, as they were both single-seat day fighters (although the F-8 later developed some all-weather capability).
The primary aircraft to be replaced by the F-4 were indeed the F3H (F-3) Demon (single seat all-weather Sparrow-armed interceptor) and the F4D (F-6) Skyray (single seat all-weather Sidewinder-armed interceptor). Some F-3 & F-6 squadrons transitioned to F-8s as well.
Only a few squadrons replaced their F-8s with F-4s in the late 1960s.
In the early 1970s, when the F-8 was finally phased out, some squadrons were disbanded while others transitioned to the F-4... but this was because F-4s were themselves being displaced in many squadrons by F-14s.
In the end, when looking at the overall USN fighter strength, you see F-8s disappear at the same time as F-14s appear... with no overall increase in the number of F-4s in service.
Thus, it could be argued that, for the USN, the F-14 replaced most of the F-8 strength.
In the USMC the F-8 was retired at the end of Vietnam at the same time that the USMC fighter squadrons were reduced in number... again there was no increase in F-4 numbers, so you could validly argue that those F-8s were not replaced by anything.
The primary aircraft to be replaced by the F-4 were indeed the F3H (F-3) Demon (single seat all-weather Sparrow-armed interceptor) and the F4D (F-6) Skyray (single seat all-weather Sidewinder-armed interceptor). Some F-3 & F-6 squadrons transitioned to F-8s as well.
Only a few squadrons replaced their F-8s with F-4s in the late 1960s.
In the early 1970s, when the F-8 was finally phased out, some squadrons were disbanded while others transitioned to the F-4... but this was because F-4s were themselves being displaced in many squadrons by F-14s.
In the end, when looking at the overall USN fighter strength, you see F-8s disappear at the same time as F-14s appear... with no overall increase in the number of F-4s in service.
Thus, it could be argued that, for the USN, the F-14 replaced most of the F-8 strength.
In the USMC the F-8 was retired at the end of Vietnam at the same time that the USMC fighter squadrons were reduced in number... again there was no increase in F-4 numbers, so you could validly argue that those F-8s were not replaced by anything.
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Interesting that the F-8 and F-4 retired almost at the same time. The 8 retired as a fighter in 1976 but remained in the recon role until 1987. The last F-4 retired in 1987, but remained on as a drone until 2004.
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The F4H-1 (F-4) won the flyoff competition with the F8U-3 Super Crusader.
My father worked on the F4H-1 test program. The Grumman people had a saying "the Navy will never buy an airplane that needs two engines to make it fly and needs two people to make it go in the right direction".
My father worked on the F4H-1 test program. The Grumman people had a saying "the Navy will never buy an airplane that needs two engines to make it fly and needs two people to make it go in the right direction".
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Originally Posted by glhcarl
The Grumman people had a saying "the Navy will never buy an airplane that needs two engines to make it fly and needs two people to make it go in the right direction".
Perhaps that very uninformed quote should be attributed to the Vought corporation... designers of the F-8 Crusader, the XF8U-1 Super Crusader, and the A-7 Corsair II?
* RFP February 1957, Grumman announced as winner February 1958, first flight 19 April 1960.
XF4H-1: final selection by USN of 2-seat, 2-engine design December 1955, first flight 27 May 1958, announced winner over XF8U-1 in December 1958.
