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McDonnell F-101 Voodoo1954 |  |
| FIGHTER | Virtual Aircraft Museum / USA / McDonnell Douglas |
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The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was the inevitable follow-on to the company's XF-88 and was intended for the same purpose. Though the 1950 penetration fighter competition among XF-88, XF-90 and YF-93A resulted in no production contract, the Strategic Air Command still wanted an aircraft conceived from the outset as an escort fighter, its F-84F being seen as only an interim solution. McDonnell's design team under Herman Barkey responded with the heaviest single-seat fighter ever built. Powered by two 5307kg Pratt & Whitney J57-P-13 turbojets, the F-101 would carry four 20mm cannon plus three Hughes GAR-ID or GAR-2A Falcon missiles or 127mm high-velocity aircraft rockets (HVAR) mounted on rotary bomb doors. The first F-101A flew on 29 September 1954 at St Louis, and exceeded Mach 1 on its maiden flight. This was a production craft, there being no service-test machine. SAC dropped its requirement and the 77 F-101As built went to the Tactical Air Command. The first delivery was made 2 May 1957 to the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing. Seven of these airframes were later designated JF-101A while being used for temporary tests. The first of two YRF-101A service-test reconnaissance Voodoos flew on 10 May 1956, followed by 35 RF-101A airframes delivered to TAC's 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. The reconnaissance Voodoo had a lengthened nose with space for downward or oblique cameras and other sensors. An RF-101A was shot down during the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962. The F-101B was the tandem two-seat all-weather interceptor version of the Voodoo for the Air Defense Command, powered by two 5438kg thrust afterburning J57-P-55 turbojets. The first F-101B flew on 27 March 1957 at St Louis. For long-range intercept, it could carry two Douglas MB-1 Genie nuclear unguided rockets as well as three Falcons. Deliveries began on 18 March 1959 to the 60th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Eventually, the F-101B equipped 16 ADC squadrons, guarding against the Soviet bomber threat to North America. The JF-101B designation was applied to two machines used for temporary tests. One NF-101B was structurally modified for development work. Very late in their careers, with reconnaissance Voodoos still needed long after the interceptor variant was retired, 22 of the two-seat airframes were converted to RF-101B. The TF-101B was a version of the interceptor with full dual controls. ANG units operated the F-101B between 1970 and 1982. This Voodoo flew with the 179th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Minnesota ANG in 1973. The F-101C single-seat tactical fighter differed from the F-101A primarily in having the capability to carry a US tactical nuclear weapon, and 47 were delivered to TAC. The RF-101C, the first of which was flown 12 July 1957, was an improved development of the RF-101A; 166 went to TAC squadrons. The USAF began operating the RF-101C in South East Asia in 1964 and suffered its first combat loss on 21 November 1964 when an RF-101C of the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was shot down over Laos. Though not as much publicised as other combat types, the RF-101C remained in combat until 1970. No fewer than 31 airframes were lost in battle, plus another six to operational causes. In the mid-1960s, a few RF-101Cs served with the Nationalist Chinese air force, flying clandestine missions over the mainland. Other Voodoo variants were the F-101F, the USAF designation for the CF-101F interceptor operated by Canadian forces; the RF-101G, a conversion of high-hour RF-101A airframes for reconnaissance duties with the Air National Guard; and the RF-101H, another reconnaissance conversion. One F-101B appeared briefly on the US civil register, as N8234, used for thunderstorm research by Colorado State University. A few CF-101Fs remain in service with Canadian forces for electronic warfare operations. Total production was 807 Voodoos.
Jeff Lynn Kolln, e-mail, 23.08.2023  William Henry Daves IIHello William, I just Thanked everyone that has been helping me. Vol. 1 of my F-101 books will be on Amazon in September. Tyndall could be a book by itself. I am trying to organize the squadrons right now and really trying to find teams and aircraft that were at William Tell over the years, a real challenge. Ron McIlnay, e-mail, 01.05.2023 Jeff KollnJeff, I haven't been on this site recently but I'll try to answer your questions on the F-101B Voodoo: Each Mission had a code, should Russian "Bear" bomber /s show up on the western coast, we would scramble 2 or 3 Voodoo's. If radar showed more than 2, our F-101's would be in contact /control with the USAF Command Center to determine if they were hostile. Should they be determined to be hostile by the Command Center, the "Data Link System" (ARR-60) would be sent the "arm" command which would arm the "Genie" and place the Fire Control System under the command of the Pilot and "RO", requiring both to agree to arm the missile, and both to agree to launch the missile. Ron McIlnay Nick Engelman Jr, e-mail, 15.01.2023 Jeff KollnJeff, Grace Banks, e-mail, 20.09.2022 Jeff KollnHi Grace Banks, e-mail, 20.09.2022 Jeff KollnHi Ron McIlnay, e-mail, 26.07.2022 Jeff KollnJeff, I forgot to include what the "RO's" we called, which was "Scope Wizards". Sorry for missing that before I sent the main e-mail to you. Ron Ron McIlnay, e-mail, 26.07.2022 Jeff KollnHello Jeff, just found your site, as well as all the others listed. I see a lot of "Medicine Men" stories (which were the "nuts and bolts" guys), but none identifying the pilots as "One-o-Wonders", and RO's (Radar Observers) who were actually the "Weapons Officers". I was stationed at Kingsley Field, Klamath Falls, OR from early 1963 to mid 1966, supporting the F-101B Voodoo aircraft, assigned to 408th CAMRON, supporting the 322nd FIS, of 25th NORAD. Chuck Fields, e-mail, 11.06.2022 Jeff KollnJeff, my father flew the RF-101C during the Vietnam war. His plane apparently suffered a nose up situation on 3 /3 /1970 flying out of Shaw AFB and was killed. He ejected and his chute opened but, when found, he was still strapped to his seat deceased. I can find nothing about this anywhere. I found that, on that date, RF-101C-70-MC Voodoo /56-0106 was written off with no other explanation. It isn’t mentioned at all in military air crashes that year. What are they hiding about the incident. I know this isn’t what you are looking for but you seemed like a great source to answer my question. Jeff Lynn Kolln, e-mail, 11.06.2022 Chuck FieldsChuck, Jeff Kolln, e-mail, 26.07.2022 Ron McIlnayI am slowly putting together the 322nd History and have a few unanswered questions from that squadron. Did you ever know anything about an R /O named Peoples that was lost on a flight? I have never been able to find the actual report, but just bits and pieces. Been trying to understand the Data Link thing also. Did the R /O have his own set of T.O's other then the Fire Control System and Radar manuals, been trying to track all these down. I have all the flight manuals. Jeff Jeff Kolln, e-mail, 26.07.2022 hipolitotgomez@aol.comI have been trying to track down a lot of the Technical Orders for the F-101s. I have most the flight manuals, did the R /O's have their own? Or did they come under the Fired Control System? Jeff
Jeff Kolln, e-mail, 26.07.2022 Howard WicklundWould appreciate any history you could give me on the 75th! jEFF Jud Rigsby, e-mail, 20.12.2020 William BoyleI was stationed with the 87th at Lockbourne AFB from June 1966 until January 1967 and went to Cam Rahn Bay to work on F4's. I worked on the Autopilot and weapons guidence systems. left the Air Force in 1970. Now retired and living in my home town of Richmond Indiana, one hundred miles from Columbus, OH. Laird Rollins2, e-mail, 08.07.2021 Jud RigsbyMy dad was with the 87TH FIS at lockbourne until he went to Vietnam in 65 and after his tour was stationed at Wurtsmith AFB with the 379TH bomb wing. In the late 60,s the 94TH hat and ring operated from Wurtsmith. Jeff L Kolln, e-mail, 11.06.2022 Wally SoplataWally, Laird Rollins, e-mail, 08.07.2021 Wally SoplataI remember that crash it was huge news in the 87TH I believe the pilot was killed and if I am not mistaken his name was blackburn. Larry Friend, e-mail, 05.07.2020 Wally SoplataHello Wally, Martin Hoppe, e-mail, 02.11.2021 Jerry RobertsWonder if there is any relevance. My grandfathers name was Orland, and he worked for McDonnell Douglas around that time. Interesting info.
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Hi Don! I was looking through the aviastar posts again and I saw your reply to my post. I was 11 years old at the time of the crash and I turned 65 yesterday. The years fly by. Back then, you and my dad were young, cocky and proud young men and you deserved to be. I would love to know the reaction of other pilots from Shaw at the time. We were stationed in France and my dad was friends with Col. Kirby Burnich. Around 1987 I bought an RF-101 model kit to build and his name was on the decal for the pilot. I no longer have the model but wish I did. I hope to hear from you!
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