Forgot to mention the Crusader I stumbled across......

[hercules130]

I see VF-194 markings, any sign of a Bu No? What about that F21 on the tail?

Thanks for posting

[Jack Cook]

Ya find the strangest things when venturing about the back roads of Texas!

and a lot of them are Texans I hear

[Obergrafeter]

Your right about some of them , with the economy all the left coasters moving in it's hard to find a real Texan.

[K5DH]

While we're on the subject of Crusaders. . .

Back in the 1980s, there was a Crusader sitting in a field along Farm Road 407 in Flower Mound, Texas (far north part of F.M., just to the west of Highland Village). It appeared to be a complete airplane, sans engine. I don't recall if it wore USN or USMC markings, but it was in full colors. It sat there for several years, condition gradually going downhill, and then vanished. As I recall, the property belonged to some kind of metal fab shop, but I can't swear to that. That entire once-rural area has now been swallowed up by yet another shopping center. . .

For unknown reasons, Big Dummy never bothered to shoot a picture of that Crusader (bangs fist on forehead repeatedly, muttering "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!").

Anyone else see that ship? Got any idea where it came from and where it went?

Dean the Big Dummy

[RyanShort1]

Hey, when were you there in the Waring area??? That's where our church usually meets. You'd basically have to pass right by the street on the way out to that Crusader. Here's an aerial shot I took on the way to the Pearl Harbor commemoration up with Ober:



Oh, and Ober's quite right about it being hard to find Texans anymore. Tons of folks, many of them nice, have moved here, but they often bring along some baggage (usually in the form of ideas) as well. I think I have more non-Texan friends than Texans.
Of course my family's owned the ranch since the 1870s, and other family members have been here longer.
BTW. I'm thinking when/if I get up to the ranch on a more permanent basis it may just need a project or two for a rainy or slow day...

Ryan

[OZFURYFAN]

Hi Gary,did you happen to notice in your last pic there appears to be a prop stand or trolley.I think someone was asking about one of those a few weeks ago,or was that the reason for the 'special' trip thru Texas??? Best regards for Xmas & the New Year,Pete

[Obergrafeter]

Looking at Garys' last picture it looks like that Ford pick up and trailer scored some fine antique gently used aircraft parts even if he didn't get the Crusader. Looks like the prop was gone by the time Ryan took his picture two weeks ago.

[mattsb2000]

Your right about some of them , with the economy all the left coasters moving in it's hard to find a real Texan.

I'm from CA, I moved to TX last year.

I like it here.

[RyanShort1]

Your right about some of them , with the economy all the left coasters moving in it's hard to find a real Texan.

I'm from CA, I moved to TX last year.

I like it here.

Well, don't get my previous post wrong. You're welcome here in the friendship state.

Ryan

[Andy Marden]

This F-8J is proving a challenge to identify. Although I can't make it out in the photos, I believe it carries its old MASDC code somewhere on the nose, which would be the key.
As far as I know, 17 VF-194 F-8s ended up in MASDC, of which:

10 went to the USAF as range targets (Cannon, Indian Springs, Mountain Home)
2 went to France as spares ships
1 went to a company in Sacramento (150863 - it is now in the yard just along Rte 58 heading east from Mojave Airport)
4 went to the Consolidated/UAC yard adjoining AMARC.

These last 4 must be the prime candidates:
149182
149222 NM/210
150660
150662

Can anyone add any more?
Regards,
Andy Marden

USA Military Out of Service

[vg-photo]

There is another F8 at the Estrella Warbird Museum in Paso Robles, CA.



They have a page about it on their website:
http://www.ewarbirds.org/f8.html

[hercules130]

This F-8J is proving a challenge to identify.

Got any ideas on that F21 French? Marked for Flotille 12F?

[Andy Marden]

This F-8J is proving a challenge to identify.

Got any ideas on that F21 French? Marked for Flotille 12F?

Nope, but I doubt if it has anything to do with France. Its stenciled onto a paint-stripped section. Maybe some sort of maintenance code?

Andy

[viking73]

This F-8J is proving a challenge to identify.
149182
149222 NM/210
150660
150662

Can anyone add any more?

If we could make out the code number on the nose it might help some. Gary - do you have an close ups of the nose that might help? I was looking at Steve Ginter's F-8 book (Navy Fighter Squadrons, no. 19) and it looks like 150660 was NM/207 in a photo dated 1973. Looks like the nose numbers were slanted in their final scheme.

I did a search on the net for "VF-194 F-8" and found these interesting pictures:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/lof ... 71507.html

About the fourth photo down, look at the name on the canopy sill: "CDR Hanner Hamilton" which looks like a match for the Texas bird. That bird's nose number is "201". "201" is also in the next shot but unfortunately, due to the angle of the photo, one cannot make out the BuNo. There is a photo in Ginter’s book of VF-194 F-8J, nose number “201” dated 13 March 1976. It’s BuNo is 150328. Andy, is it possible that this bird could be 150328?? According to Ginter, 1976 was the last year for VF-194 F-8s before they went to F-4s.

I’ll keep looking in some of my other reference books for anymore VF-194 photos.

-Derek

[hercules130]

This F-8J is proving a challenge to identify.

Got any ideas on that F21 French? Marked for Flotille 12F?

Nope, but I doubt if it has anything to do with France. Its stenciled onto a paint-stripped section. Maybe some sort of maintenance code?

Andy

I figured that was a long dark shot. I do remember a few Crusaders stored in AMARC in 97-99 time frame some actual French machines and some that the French had their eyes on during rebuild in 94.

There is a photo in Ginter’s book of VF-194 F-8J, nose number “201” dated 13 March 1976. It’s BuNo is 150328. Andy, is it possible that this bird could be 150328?

-Derek

150328 is an F8U-2NE/F-8E that is all the detail on it that I can find , courtesy of Mr.Baugher