https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_F-106_Delta_Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of
the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the
so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last dedicated interceptor
in U.S. Air Force service to date. It was gradually retired during the 1980s,
with the QF-106 drone conversions of the aircraft being used until 1998 under
the Pacer Six Program.
The F-106 was the ultimate development of the USAF's 1954 interceptor program of
the early 1950s. The initial winner of this competition had been the F-102 Delta
Dagger, but early versions of this aircraft had demonstrated extremely poor
performance, limited to subsonic speeds and relatively low altitudes. During the
testing program the F-102 underwent numerous changes to improve its performance,
notably the application of the area rule to the fuselage shaping and a change of
engine, and the dropping of the advanced MX-1179 fire control system and its
replacement with a slightly upgraded version of the MX-1 already in use on
subsonic designs. The resulting aircraft became the F-102A, and in spite of
being considered barely suitable for its mission, the Air Force sent out a
production contract in March 1954, with the first deliveries expected in the
following year.
Similar to the F-102, the F-106 was designed without a gun, or provision for
carrying bombs, but it carried its missiles in an internal weapons bay for clean
supersonic flight. It was armed with four Hughes AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air
missiles, along with a single GAR-11/AIM-26A Falcon nuclear-tipped semi-active
radar homing (SARH) missile (which detected reflected radar signals), or a 1.5
kiloton-warhead AIR-2 (MB-2) Genie air-to-air rocket intended to be fired into
enemy bomber formations. Like its predecessor, the F-102 Delta Dagger, it could
carry a drop tank under each wing. Later fighters such as the McDonnell Douglas
F-4 Phantom II and McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle carried missiles recessed in the
fuselage or externally, but stealth aircraft would re-adopt the idea of carrying
missiles or bombs internally for reduced radar signature.
Role
Fighter interceptor
Manufacturer
Convair
First flight
26 December 1956
Introduction
June 1959
Retired
August 1988 (ANG); 1998 (NASA)
Primary users
United States Air Force
Air National Guard
Number built
342 (2 prototypes, 277 F-106A, 63 F-106B)
Unit cost
US$4.7 million (1973)
$25.1 million (2014)
Developed from
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
The F-106 served in the contiguous US, Alaska, and Iceland, as well as for brief
periods in Germany and South Korea. The F-106 was the second highest
sequentially numbered P/F- aircraft to enter service under the old number
sequence (the F-111 was highest), before the system was reset under the 1962
United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. In service, the F-106's
official name, "Delta Dart," was rarely used, and the aircraft was universally
known simply as "The Six."
Although contemplated for use in the Vietnam War the F-106 never saw combat, nor
was it exported to foreign users. Following the resolution of initial teething
its pilots. After the cancellation of their own Avro Arrow, the Canadian
government briefly considered purchasing the F-106C/D.
Air-to-air combat testing suggested "The Six" was a reasonable match for the
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in a dogfight, with superior high-altitude turn
performance and overall maneuverability (aided by the aircraft's lower wing
four infrared AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, while the AIM-4 Falcon missiles carried
by the F-106 proved a disappointment for dogfighting over Vietnam. The F-4 had a
higher thrust/weight ratio with superior climb, better high speed/low-altitude
maneuverability, and could be used as a fighter-bomber. Air combat experience
over Vietnam showed the need for increased pilot visibility and the utility of a
built-in gun, which had been added to the "E" variant of USAF Phantoms.
In 1972, some F-106As were upgraded in Project Six Shooter that involved fitting
the F-106 with a new canopy without metal bracing which greatly improved pilot
visibility. Also added was an optical gunsight, and provision for a single M61
Vulcan 20 mm cannon. The M61 Vulcan had 650 rounds of ammunition in the center
weapons bay and it replaced the AIM-26 Super Falcon or Genie.
The F-15A started replacing the F-106 in 1981, with "The Sixes" typically passed
on to Air National Guard units. The F-106 remained in service in various USAF
and ANG units until 1988.
Specifications (F-106A)
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 70.7 ft (21.55 m)
Wingspan: 38.25 ft (11.67 m)
Height: 20.28 ft (6.18 m)
(Conically-Cambered Wing) ()
Airfoil: NACA 0004-65 mod root and tip
Empty weight: 24,420 lb (11,077 kg)
Loaded weight: 34,510 lb (15,670 kg)
* Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0083
Aspect ratio: 2.10
kN)
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.3 (1,525 mph, 2,455 km/h at 12,200 m (40,000 ft))
Combat radius: 926 km (500 nmi/575 mi) with internal fuel ()
Combat range: 2,900 km (1,600 nmi) ()
Ferry range: 4347 km (2346 nmi/2700 mi)with external tanks at 982 km/h (530
kn/610 mph) at 12,500 m (41,000 ft) ()
Service ceiling: 57,000 ft (17,380 m)
Rate of climb: 29,000 ft/min (150 m/s)
Thrust/weight: 0.71
Lift-to-drag ratio: 12.1 (Subsonic, est.)
Time to altitude: 6.9 min to 52,700 ft (16,065 m)
Armament
Guns: 1 20 mm caliber M61A1 Vulcan 6-barreled rotary cannon (After 1972 refit)
Missiles:
2 AIM-4F Falcon
2 AIM-4G Falcon
1 AIR-2A Genie nuclear rocket or AIM-26 Super Falcon missile (Prior to 1972
refit)
*
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