F-8P (FN) Crusader #35 12F Op. Trident 1999

When the French Navy's air arm, the Aéronavale, required a carrier based fighter in the early 1960s to serve aboard the new carriers Clemenceau and Foch, the F-4 Phantom, then entering service with the United States Navy, proved to be too large for the small French ships. Following carrier trials aboard Clemenceau on 16 March 1962, the Crusader was chosen and 42 F-8s were ordered, the last Crusaders produced.
The French Crusaders were based on the F-8E, but were modified in order to allow operations from the small French carriers, with the maximum angle of incidence of the aircraft's wing increased from five to seven degrees and blown flaps fitted. The aircraft's weapon system was modified to carry two French Matra R.530 radar or infra-red missiles as an alternative to Sidewinders, although the ability to carry the American missile was retained. Deliveries of the new aircraft, dubbed the F-8E(FN), started in October 1964 and continued until February 1965, with the Aéronavale's first squadron, Flotille 12F reactivated on 1 October 1964.

The French Crusaders were subject to a series of modifications throughout their life, being fitted with new F-8J-type wings in 1969 and having modified afterburners fitted in 1979. Armament was enhanced by the addition of R550 Magic infra-red guided missiles in 1973, with the improved, all-aspect Magic 2 fitted from 1988. The obsolete R.530 was withdrawn from use in 1989, leaving the Crusaders without a radar-guided missile. In 1989, when it was realised that the Crusader would not be replaced for several years due to delays in the development of the Rafale, it was decided to refurbish the Crusaders to extend their operating life:
-Replacement of the entire electric circuit.
-Thorough overhaul of the radar and of the flight controls.
-Installation of an ILS (Instrument Landing System).
-Installation of a Mode 4 IFF.
-New INS (Inertial Navigation System)
-New SHERLOC radar-warning receiver.
-New Martin-Baker Mk.7 (0/0) seat (soft pack) instead of the old Mk.F5A-F (0/120).

The first renovated plane (No.35) performed a tests campaign aboard the Clemenceau in April 1993. The 17 refurbished aircraft [3,4,5,7,8,10,11,19,23,27, 29,31,32,33,35,37,39] were redesignated as F-8P (P used for "Prolongé" -extended- and not to be confused with the Philippine F-8P). In May 1996, the Crouze's fate was sealed: the last airframes were to be retired no later than December 31st 1999. By then, the F-8 was the French Aéronautique Navale's plane that required the most maintenance time. 1 flight hour was indeed followed by 67 hours of maintenance (including major maintenance visits to Cuers)!
The final carrier landing on the Foch took place on October 28th 1999 when F-8P No.34 landed. The final catapulting took place the same day in the evening in F-8P No.11. After 140,000 hours of flight time and 25,000 traps/catapultings, the half dozen (No.7, 10, 11, 34, 39) remaining specimen of one of the last "Century Fighters" were retired in this end of the millennium, on December 15th 1999 at NAS Landivisiau.

During operation Trident 2 in the Adriatic sea, the night of february 25th, 1999 before her last launch from the Foch aircraft carrier, the crewmen decided to paint this special markings to celebrate the end of the long life of the Cruze in French service. She received a shark mouth in souvenir of the Vietnam years, Foch's insignia and 12F duck insignia but wearing a trident instead of a rifle.