Convair F-106 Delta Dart

Convair F-106 Delta Dart
Name	F-106 Delta Dart
Caption	An F-106A of the 119th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, New Jersey Air National Guard, 1973.
Type	Interceptor aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Convair
First flight	26 December 1956
Introduction	June 1959
Retired	August 1988 (United States Air Force)
Status	Retired
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	342
Developed from	Convair F-102 Delta Dagger

Convair F-106 Delta Dart was a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed for the United States Air Force as the ultimate dedicated air defense fighter of the Cold War. Designed and built by Convair as part of the Century Series, it was a development of the earlier Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, featuring a more powerful engine and refined aerodynamic design. The F-106 served as the primary all-weather interceptor for the Air Defense Command for nearly three decades, renowned for its high performance and sophisticated Hughes MA-1 integrated fire-control system.

Development and design

The F-106's origins lie in the F-102 Delta Dagger, which was itself a product of the 1949 Fighter Conferences and the need for a supersonic interceptor to counter Soviet bomber threats. Seeking improved performance, the United States Air Force contracted Convair for a substantially redesigned version, initially designated the F-102B. The design incorporated the revolutionary Area rule "Coke bottle" fuselage shaping, developed by Richard T. Whitcomb at the NACA Langley laboratory, to reduce transonic drag. It was powered by a single, more powerful Pratt & Whitney J75 afterburning turbojet engine, which necessitated a larger air intake and other structural changes. The aircraft's advanced Hughes MA-1 electronic guidance and fire-control system was integrated with the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) network, allowing for ground-controlled intercepts with automatic weapon firing.

Operational history

The F-106A entered service with the United States Air Force's Air Defense Command in June 1959 with the 539th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron based at Malmstrom Air Force Base. It quickly became the cornerstone of continental air defense, routinely standing alert armed with a mix of AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missiles and a single AIR-2 Genie nuclear rocket in its internal weapons bay. The type served extensively across the continental United States, with notable units including the 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Minot Air Force Base and the 48th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Langley Air Force Base. In the 1970s and 1980s, many aircraft were transferred to the Air National Guard, with units like the 102nd Fighter-Interceptor Wing in Massachusetts and the 186th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in Montana operating the type until its final retirement from the 177th Fighter-Interceptor Group in August 1988. The F-106 never saw combat but set a world speed record for single-engine aircraft of 1,525.95 mph in 1959, piloted by Joseph W. Rogers.

Variants

* F-106A: Single-seat all-weather interceptor version; 277 built. * F-106B: Tandem two-seat combat-capable trainer version; 63 built. * NF-106B: Designation for two F-106B aircraft used as testbeds, including for the Have Dash missile program. * F-106C and F-106D: Proposed advanced versions with new radars and engines; both projects were cancelled. * F-106X: Proposed version with a Pratt & Whitney J58 engine, the powerplant used in the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird; not built. * F-106 Delta Dart (QF-106): Numerous airframes converted into full-scale aerial targets for drone and missile testing by the USAF and NASA.

Operators

The sole operator was the United States Air Force, specifically its Air Defense Command, Tactical Air Command, and later the Air National Guard. Major active-duty units included the 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 48th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, and 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. Prominent Air National Guard units that operated the F-106 included the 102nd Fighter-Interceptor Wing (Massachusetts), 119th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (New Jersey), 186th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (Montana), and the 177th Fighter-Interceptor Group (New Jersey).

Aircraft on display

Many F-106s are preserved in museums across the United States. Notable examples include an F-106A at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, an F-106B at the New England Air Museum in Connecticut, and an F-106A from the 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at the Pacific Coast Air Museum in California. Other significant displays can be found at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base, the Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base, and the Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona.

Specifications (F-106A)

* **Crew:** 1 * **Length:** 70 ft 8 in (21.55 m) * **Wingspan:** 38 ft 3 in (11.67 m) * **Height:** 20 ft 3 in (6.18 m) * **Empty weight:** 24,420 lb (11,077 kg) * **Max takeoff weight:** 41,831 lb (18,975 kg) * **Powerplant:** 1 × Pratt & Whitney J75-P-17 afterburning turbojet, 16,100 lbf (71.6 kN) thrust dry, 24,500 lbf (109 kN) with afterburner * **Maximum speed:** 1,525 mph (2,455 km/h, 1,325 kn) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m) * **Combat range:** 575 mi (925 km, 500 nmi) * **Service ceiling:** 57,000 ft (17,000 m) * **Rate of climb:** 29,000 ft/min (150 m/s) * **Armament:** * 1 × M61A1 20 mm rotary cannon (added in 1972) * 4 × AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missiles * 1 × AIR-2 Genie nuclear air-to-air rocket

Category:Convair aircraft Category:United States fighter aircraft 1950–1959 Category:Supersonic aircraft Category:Cold War interceptors of the United States