The RF-8 Crusader was an unarmed photo-reconnaissance development of the F-8 Crusader.  Initially designated as F8U, the Defense Department in 1962 standardized military aircraft designations, and consequently, the F8U became the F-8, with the original F8U-1 redesignated F-8A.   An early F8U-1 was modified as a photo-reconnaissance aircraft, becoming the first F8U-1P, subsequently the RF-8A, equipped with cameras rather than guns and missiles.

The first fleet squadron to fly the F-8 (F8U) Crusader was VF-32 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida, in 1957, deploying to the Mediterranean late that year on USS Saratoga.  The last active duty Navy Crusader fighter variants were retired from VF-191 and VF-194 aboard USS Oriskany in 1976 after almost two decades of service, setting a first for a Navy fighter.  However, RF-8G's continued to operate with the U.S. Navy until 1962, and U.S. Naval Reserve units continued to operate the aircraft until 1987.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, RF-8As flew extremely hazardous low-level photo reconnaissance missions over Cuba with overflights beginning on October 23, 1962. These were the first true operational flights of the F-8 Crusader. Flights of RF-8As, operating in several pairs of aircraft, with each pair assigned a different target, left Key West twice each day, to fly over Cuba at low level, then return to Jacksonville, where the film was offloaded and developed, to be rushed north to the Pentagon. These flights confirmed beyond all doubt that the Soviet Union was in fact setting up IRBMs in Cuba. The RF-8As also monitored the withdrawal of the Soviet missiles. The overflights went on for about six weeks and returned a total of 160,000 images. The pilots who flew the missions all received Distinguished Flying Crosses, while VFP-62 received the prestigious U.S. Navy Unit Commendation.

On March 29, 1987 the last operational RF-8 Crusader was turned over to the National Air and Space Museum.

Source: Wikipedia