Convair F-106 Delta Dart

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
problems – in particular an ejection seat that killed the first 12 pilots to
eject from the aircraft – its exceptional performance made it very popular with
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
loading). However, the Phantom had better radar – operated by an additional
crewman – and could carry a load of up to four radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow and
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)
Wing area: 661.5 sq ft/61.52 m² (Original Wing) or 695 sq ft/64.57m²
(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
Drag area: 5.8 sq ft (0.54 m²)
Aspect ratio: 2.10
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney J75-17 afterburning turbojet, 24,500 lbf (109
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)
Wing loading: 52 lb/(sq ft) (255 kg/m²)
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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