F-106 Delta Dart

F-106 Delta Dart
A USAF F-106A Delta Dart fires a missile
Description
Role	All-weather interceptor, operational trainer (B variant)
Crew	1
Dimensions
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 ft&sup2	61.52 m²
Weights
Empty	24,420 lb	11,077 kg
Loaded	34,510 lb	15,668 kg
Powerplant
Engines	One Pratt & Whitney J75-17 afterburning turbojet
Power	24,500 lb	109 kN
Performance
Maximum speed	1,525 mph (Mach 2.3)	2,455 km/h
Combat range	1,800 mi	2,897 km
Ferry range	2,700 mi	4,345 km
Service ceiling	57,000 ft	17,374 m
Rate of climb	29,000 ft/min	8,839 m/min
Armament
Guns	One 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon
Missiles	two AIM-4F and two AIM-4G Falcons, plus one AIR-2A or -2G Genie nuclear rockets

The Convair F-106A Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the US Air Force during the 1960s.

It started as a redesignation of the Air Force's project to design the ultimate interceptor, with the F-102A becoming an interim aircraft while the future design was called the F-102B. When the F-102A tests were successful, the Air Force placed an order for the F-102B in November 1955, and redesignated it the F-106 on June 17, 1956.

Initial flight tests at the end of 1956 and beginning of 1957 were disappointing, with performance much less than anticipated, but after nearly abandoning the program, the Air Force decided to order 350 F-106s instead of the planned 1,000.

After some minor redesign, the F-106A and F-106B (a two-seat trainer version) were delivered to 15 fighter interceptor squadrons starting in October 1959.

In December 1959, Major Joseph W. Rogers set a world speed record of 1,525.96 mph while flying a Delta Dart at 40,500 feet.

The F-106 was equipped with the MA-1 integrated fire-control system, which could be linked to the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment network for ground control interception missions (letting the aircraft be steered by ground controllers). It was armed with four Hughes AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missiles in its internal weapons bay along with a single AIR-2 Genie air-to-air nuclear rocket. The MA-1 proved extremely troublesome, and was eventually upgraded more than 60 times in service.

The F-106 served in the continental USA, Alaska, Iceland, and Canada, as well as for brief periods in Germany and South Korea. Although contemplated for use in Vietnam, it never saw combat, nor was it exported to foreign users. It was very popular with its pilots after its initial teething problems were resolved, with exceptional performance. Air-to-air combat testing suggested that the "Six" was a reasonable match for the F-4 Phantom in a dogfight, with similar high-altitude turn performance (aided by the lower wing loading) and superior acceleration, although pilots conceded that the Phantom had better radar and missiles.

The F-106 was progressively updated in service, with improved avionics, an infrared search-and-track system, better instrumentation, and features like an inflight refuelling receptacle and an arrester hook for landing emergencies.

Some F-106As were upgraded in Project Sharpshooter in 1972, fitted with a new canopy without the vertical metal strip in the center of the windscreen (which greatly improved pilot visibility), an optical gunsight, and provision for a single M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon with 650 rounds of ammunition in the weapons bay, replacing the AIR-2 Genie nuclear rocket.

The F-15 started replacing the F-106 in 1972, and the 106s were typically passed on to Air National Guard units. The F-106 remained in service in various USAF and ANG units until 1988.

Starting in 1986, many of the surviving planes were converted to drones, designated QF-106A, and used for target practice. The last was destroyed in January 1998. A handful were retained by NASA for test purposes through 1998.

In service, the F-106's official popular name, "Delta Dart," was rarely used, and the aircraft was universally known simply as the "Six."

External links

• www.f-106deltadart.com is a truly comprehensive site, with many firsthand accounts by both pilots and ground crew, many many pictures, and a detailed accounting of the fate of nearly every Delta Dart made.
• USAF Museum: Convair F-106A "Delta Dart" (http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/modern_flight/mf30.htm) (and second UASF Museum link (http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/fighter/f106a.htm))

ja:F-106 (戦闘機)