The restoration team at the Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum in Horsham, Pennsylvania, are putting the final touches on the restoration of a 70-year-old F-8 Crusader.
Led by Drew Mansueto, the team of volunteers has clocked thousands of hours constructing, shaping, assembling, welding, sanding, priming, and painting the aircraft.
On a recent morning, Mansueto and a half dozen volunteers continued restoring the F-8 Crusader. Crouching atop one of the plane’s wings, Mansueto meticulously filled in tiny holes, while Tom Rimm, who worked in aviation maintenance for 48 years, applied tape around windows for painting prep.
Mansueto estimates that volunteers have donated at least 1,000 man hours since the team first began restoring the aircraft in June 2024. He anticipates its completion in the summer of 2026.
“The colors have to be right. The spacing of the letters has to be right,” Mansueto said, referring to several blueprints that have guided the effort. “We try to have the insignias and the letters as close to the standards as we can.”
F-8 history
A U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Fighter, the F-8 Crusader was used from 1957 through 1977. The single-pilot plane flew at a maximum speed of 1,120 miles per hour at 40,000 feet. Its wingspan of 35 feet, two inches, length of 54 feet, six inches, and height of 15 feet, nine inches means painting will take at least two full eight-hour days, according to the volunteers.
The aircraft was delivered to the Navy at the since-closed Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove in December 1957. The aircraft flew a total of 2,786 hours prior to being retired and placed on permanent display at the base, which was located adjacent to the museum.
Cost of restoration
Most of the aircraft displayed at the museum are on loan from the government, which tasks the museum with maintaining and restoring the planes.
Lee Wintz, aircraft restoration manager, estimated that the F-8 project has cost $10,000 in supplies.
“It’s not a cheap hobby,” he said.
The team began restoring the F-8 while simultaneously working on the Marine One helicopter, which was finished in the fall of 2025 after upwards of 5,000 man hours and thousands of dollars in materials costs, according to museum officials.
Bruno Cavallo has been volunteering long enough to see the restoration team rebuild the F-8 a second time. Cavallo, 89, said subpar paint allowed moisture to seep in, which caused it to rust from the inside out.
A former aeronautical engineer with the Navy, Cavallo enjoys the “camaraderie” with fellow volunteers.
“We have to be creative in some of the things we do,” Cavallo said. “We have to strip down and rebuild parts from scratch.”
While it’s true that many hands make light work, the restoration team must be selective about who can assist, according to museum officials. Ideally, volunteers would have “a knack” for working on cars, sheet metal, or aircraft. If someone has the desire to volunteer on a continuing basis, and has some basic skills, the museum welcomes them to learn from skilled restoration volunteers.
Volunteers are welcome to serve in a variety of roles at the Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum. If interested in getting involved, you can email [email protected].
The Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum is operated by the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association, a non-profit organization focused on preserving the aviation history of the greater Delaware Valley. The museum, which opened in 2004, houses aircraft spanning various eras in the history of aviation, including World War I, World War II, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, The Cold War Era, The Gulf War, The Balkan War, The Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan. The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays-Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information: WingsOfFreedomMuseum.org or 215-672-2277.
I served aboard USS America (CV66) from ’78 to ’80. We had a squadron of F8’s aboard. I had the conn many times and It was interesting watching them launch with the wing position. Trapped the same way. Neat airplanes.