On August 21, 1956, Navy Commander R.W. "Duke" Windsor set a new national record by flying 1,1015.428 mph in an F8U-1 Cusader fighter plane. Presented by Chance Vought Aircraft Inc. in cooperation with the US Navy and produced by the Jamieson Film Company, Project One Grand details the history of the record breaking flight. Featured in the film are the design of the plane, equipment and methods used for timing the flight, and the course and procedures followed by the pilot.
The Vought F-8 Crusader, or F8U as it was originally named, was a replacement for the accident-prone Vought F7U Cutlass. Also developed under a contract for the U.S. Navy, the first F-8 prototype took flight in 1955. While the Cutlass was only in production for a few years, naval Crusader fighters remained in operation for nearly two decades. As shown in the video, the F8U-1 Crusader, flown by Navy Commander R.W. "Duke" Windsor, set a national speed record in 1956 by flying 1015.428 mph. Notably, some of the first operational flights of F-8 Crusaders were part of reconnaissance missions over Cuba in 1962, which played a significant role in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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