The flight was led by the commanding officer of VMF (AW)-451, Lt.
Stops were made at Hawaii, Wake and Guam en route aerial refuelings were made via C-130 tanker aircraft. On 23 January 1962, eighteen F8U-2N Crusader" aircraft of USMC VMF (AW)-451, arrived at Atsugi, Japan, flying from MCAS EI Toro, California, thereby completing the first transPacific flight ever by a USMC jet fighter squadron. With its advanced AN/APQ-94 radar (longer search range) and fire control system, and its AN/AAS-15 infrared scanner, this model had more accurate missile fire control and improved but still "limited" all-weather capability. The First production -2NE was first flown by Konrad on 11 September at NAS Dallas. This particular airplane became yet another prototype, the F8U-2NE (FN). The second F8U-2NE prototype, formerly the number 2 F8U-2N prototype, was flighttested soon after. Vertical tail is red da-glo.įinal Developments The first of two F8U-2NE Crusader II prototypes was initially flight tested by Konrad at NAS Dallas on 30 June 1961. YF8U-2NE (YF-8E), number two in the second color scheme, note the now round radome and the infrared scanner. The second YF8U.2'NE (YF-8E), 147036, which was the second YF8U-2N (YF-8D) in its first color scheme. In the F8U-2N, (F-8D) The armament system was refined with the rocket pack being deleted and Sidewinder capability expanded by the addition of the infrared scanner above the nose cone (which slightly reduced windshield area and was not installed till the fifth production model) as well as provision for the four Sidewinder rack installation. Three photos of the second YF8U-2N (YF8-D), 147036, with red daglo markings on the nose diamond, vertical fin, aft portion of the wings and horizontal tail. Prototype YFSU-2N (YF-SD), 147035, with red da-glo wing-tail-nose markings. VF.S4 was the first Navy squadron to receive the FSU-2 Crusader II. Then on 25 October 1960, exactly 67 months after its premier supersonic flight test at Edwards in 1955, Konrad flew One-X from PAX River to Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C., and "delivered" it to the NASM flight 509, (Two-X was scrapped-out after 460 flights.) It was to be picked up there by Konrad for delivery to the NASM one week later. CVA test pilot Bob Rostine ferried the airplane to PAX River from NAS Dallas on 18 October (flight number 508). After its restoration it was flight tested (flights 506 and 507) for "safe" delivery. indeed! So with the Navy's permission and CVA's blessing, One-X was completely refurbished for presentation to what is now the National Air and Space Museum.
Hopkins, then the director of the National air Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., and asked if their was an interest in obtaining this historic airplane. Schoeni, CVA public relations, who knew that One-X had just completed its 505th test hop and was about to be scrapped-out, contacted Philip S.