Day-fighter limits, deck handling, and folded-wing take-offs

The Crusader was technically considered a day fighter, yet its available systems sometimes took it into night operations. A high sink rate and castering nosewheel contributed to difficult handling on the carrier deck and an 'ensign killer' reputation. Older carriers often had to maintain high speed into the wind, and their funnel smoke could obscure the approach enough to increase reliance on landing-signal officers. The aircraft could still take off with its wings folded and return safely, with pilots reporting control forces only slightly higher than normal. That survivable mistake did not make folded-wing flight routine, although it demonstrated how much control authority remained in the design. Pilots and deck crews had to learn these peculiarities as early carrier jets entered service.