Hmmm. According to the USAF aircraft database, F-106A 56-0467 was last
assigned to the 329th FIS at George AFB, Ca and was destroyed in a class
A accident on 14 August 1961. The aircraft on display at USAFA is
58-0761. 0467 seems to have flown in squadron service for quite awhile
after making its speed run - not bad for an aircraft that's rumored to
have had its structure damaged.

As far as F-111's go . . . in my years with them I heard all sorts of
stories from the aircrews about amazing feats they'd accomplished in the
aircraft - the stories got better after a few pints in Jandy's Pub. Had
one guy in the 55th swore up and down that he'd flown TFR Manual
inverted - pretty good considering that the LARAs would be pointing the
wrong direction to tell him where the ground was - not to mention the
TFR antennas. He became highly irate when I called him on it.

Then there was the pair of Vark jocks that went into an apoplectic fit
of cursing at me when I asked where their drop tanks were after a
sortie. Blown ejector carts in the pylons, broken funny film on the tank
jettison button, and aircraft forms entries notwithstanding, they
claimed that they didn't have tanks loaded when they took off and
refused to budge on their story. One of those "What are you going to
believe? Your eyes or what I'm telling you?"

Vygg


WaltBJ wrote:
That F106 was on display at the USAFA - the heat exposure am=nnealed
the aluminum structure so it no longer possessed design strength and
had to be grounded. I also heard the engine's RPM was cranked up way
over tech order limits - interesting because a 1% increase on a dual
spool engine can be a 5% increase in thrust. Supposedly went from 93%
up to 97%.
I also had a long phone conversation with an old squadron mate. He
mentioned he used to FCF F111s - and had one out to 2.7 in a shallow
dive from 50 grand. And I believe him - know him well. Don't bother
telling me it's past the red line; that's just a mark on a gauge.
Walt BJ