Hi All, I recently posted a chat about the f-106A and fellow forum member Gordon sent me these 2 photo’s. Gordon has asked me to share them with you guys.
quote from Gordon;
I made a model of this one and gave it to the base commander as a way to say thanks for the flight
We were up for about three hours, mostly over the ocean. Our target was another fighter trying to get into the country by flying below the radar net.
We locked onto him and every move he made, our fighter made.
We broke the sound barrier at 100 feet off the ocean.
My wife was at the base, so my pilot said lets put on a show for her.He came in like he was going to land. He touched the wheels down, then pulled straight up at full power. It was about 9 Gs.I couldn’t even move my arms.But it was one great flight.If you need this photo to be larger, I can send it again in actual size.
This picture is of a F-106 intercepting a USSR Bomber off shore.
Many folks don’t realize how ground breaking it was.
It was part of the very first successful computer networks ever, “S.A.G.E.” (before Apollo)
It had zero solid state electronics… everything was vacuum tubes and big brass transformers! Tons of weight!
The airplane was extremely automated.
Being “area ruled” from the onset was a breakthrough in aerodynamics!
I’ve spoke with a few F-106 pilots and they thoroughly dig the jet. Despite all the automation, the airplane was a joy to fly. A real, bona fide HOT-ROD! Not only that, it was quite tough. The example at the museum I work at as a volunteer survived a mid-air collision and landed without incident… and without a nose cone!
I just had an interesting thought, the F-106 is escorting a bear, its amazing to think we have about 40 years of intercept photo’s of the bear, with many different intercept planes
In our squadron we had a photo in life support of one of our ships comming in without its radome.
On winter day at Minot one of our pilots came in on an I.F.E. when one of his front cockpit panels gave way and collapsed into the splitter plate. when you throw in the sub zero temperatures and the several hundred MPH the aircraft was doing, it got quite cold in the cockpit. The pilot was lucky he didn’t freeze to death.
After he got out of the hospital a few days later he was awarded the panel on a plaque at commander’s call.
One time we had a Mass. ANG F-106 arrive at Minot. We watched it approach our parking area fully expecting it to pull in next to our aircraft. Instead it went by heading for the alert Christmas tree where the B-52s and a EC-135 were parked.
It was quickly escorted back to the transit ramp by a Follow Me truck.
Our guys loved the 106. The only reason they were glad to trade it in for F-15s was because they didn’t have to worry about nukes anymore.
In our squadron we had a photo in life support of one of our ships comming in without its radome.
On winter day at Minot one of our pilots came in on an I.F.E. when one of his front cockpit panels gave way and collapsed into the splitter plate. when you throw in the sub zero temperatures and the several hundred MPH the aircraft was doing, it got quite cold in the cockpit. The pilot was lucky he didn’t freeze to death.
After he got out of the hospital a few days later he was awarded the panel on a plaque at commander’s call.
One time we had a Mass. ANG F-106 arrive at Minot. We watched it approach our parking area fully expecting it to pull in next to our aircraft. Instead it went by heading for the alert Christmas tree where the B-52s and a EC-135 were parked.
It was quickly escorted back to the transit ramp by a Follow Me truck.
Our guys loved the 106. The only reason they were glad to trade it in for F-15s was because they didn’t have to worry about nukes anymore.
Definitely a beautiful airplane, and also definitely in need of a retooled kit!! The detail on the Revellogram is beautiful, but constructing the thing just about killed me!
Yes. I built two simultaneously recently (Revell 1/48). The rear of the model doesn’t fit around the engine. After grinding and fiddling with it I got it to a near flawless and invisable seam. But I cracked it when I burnished masking tape around the tailpipe on the final color application! I was a little ticked off by that.
Oh…One really good thing, I was pleased with the fit of the wing root overall. The top and bottom of the wings fit perfectly in that massive butt fit seam.
