The Convair F-106 Delta Dart all-weather interceptor began its life as the F-102B but was essentially an entirely new aircraft design, having only a delta wing in common with its F-102 precursor. While development of the earlier fighter was delayed by various teething troubles in 1955-6, progress with the later machine became possible with the development of the Hughes MA-1 integrated fire-control system. In November 1955, the USAF placed an order for 17 F-102Bs and in December, a mock-up of the proposed cockpit with radically new equipment and pilot displays was completed. On 17 June 1956, the F-102B was redesignated F-106.
The USAF was tasking Convair to develop an interceptor which could intercept Soviet bombers in all weather at altitudes up to 21336m and over a radius of 692km. Armed with guided missiles and/or unguided rockets with nuclear warheads, the F-106 was data-linked to the semi-automatic ground environment (SAGE) air-defence network and was expected to carry out intercepts at high altitude on the automatic mode.
The first of two YF-106A service-test aircraft (56-451/452) flew on 26 December 1956 at Edwards AFB, California. Like most new fighter types in the 'century series', the F-106 was initially a disappointment. Maximum speed, rate of climb and overall acceleration were significantly below Air Defense Command expectations with the Pratt & Whitney J57-P-9 turbojet employed in the initial machines and the Wright J67, licence-built Olympus, being contemplated. When the latter powerplant failed to materialise, the USAF sharply reduced its requirement from 1,000 to 360 of the new interceptors. Coincidentally, performance was improved sharply with the installation of the 7800kg thrust Pratt & Whitney J75-P-17 turbojet which could provide 11100kg thrust with afterburning.
The F-106A attained its initial operating capability with the 498th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Geiger AFB, Washington, in October 1959 and subsequently served with 15 ADC and eight Air National Guard squadrons. Except for brief deployments to Europe and to Korea in 1968, the type served exclusively in North America. Totals of 277 F-106A single-seat interceptors served in company with 63 F-106B two-seat combat trainers, 340 machines actually being completed, and the types remained on active duty until 1982.
A little more detail as to the attack geometry of intercept might further explain the employment.The geometry is called "Lead Collision" which might possibly end up as Lead Pursuit depending upon the relative actions /flight paths of the target [X] and the interceptor [I]. The terms used in calculating the geometry are: V = velocity of interceptor [from air data, Mach, Stagnation Temperature (non-moving air temperature local to interceptor); R = Range to target from radar locked on; T = time to armament intercept of target, i.e., time calculated from now until the weapon (missile /rocket) impacts the target; t^f (subscripts don't work well in the message) called t sub f which is the calculated value of weapon "time of flight" from launch until target impact; F (commonly called F - Pole), a distance where the interceptor would be from the target if it continues its flight path at weapon impact, i.e. when T = "0". F and t^f are calculated from parameters of air density (altitude), overtake R dot (rate of closure on target from changing radar Range [R], missile /rocket motor performance profile, missile auto-pilot functions and the known air data and target data for this particular intercept. Note that geometry is continuously calculated in the older analog computer radar systems - Hughes E- through MG- series for F-86D /L, F-89D /H /J, F-94C, F-101B /F, and F /TF-102A and cyclically during the digital computer attack cycle of the F-106A /B [MA-1 /ASQ-25 integrated weapons control systems. The Time-to-Go till launch, displayed by a collapsing circle on the Radar scope display, is caluclated as T - t^f and when = "0", the armament leaves the Interceptor.
I__________________R____________________ X - - T-t^f = "0" - I__V (t^f ) __ I__________F _______- T="0" "X" _______Missile /Rocket travel______
In the analog systems "F" was referred to as "relative armament velocity" which was apparently F /t^f, a velocity term. Rocket /Missile motor "profiles" for an "average" velocity, given a required end point (or impact) velocity, can be adjusted for air density (altitude) and time-of-flight to meet this need. Since the armament is imparted with the Interceptor velocity [V] at launch, the term V + F /t^f provides the relative armament velocity at launch and then multiplying by T, [(V + F /t^f) x T where T=t^f and T - t^f = "0", i.e., launch time], yields the prescribe (total) Missile /Rocket distance for this intercept. The simple "collision" course is where the Range [R] - T (time to impact) x V = 0, i.e., the Range to target = the distance the interceptor travels over time-to impact, or R=0 as T=0. Since we desire the armament to do the colliding (as opposed to the Interceptor), we set the collision equation R -VT = (V+F /t^f)t^f, the "lead" or armament distance to collision. Solving this equation where T = time to go to launch (T-t^f) yields R - VT + Vt^f = Vt^f + F or R = VT + F. Multiplying through by T yields RT = (VT + F) x T, or T [to weapons impact] = RT /(VT + F). This can be seen as an iterative process for exact (almost-depending on cycle time vs changing V and R or t^f) solution. The earlier analog MG systems used a collasping Range circle display and the R = VT + F formulated as R = V + F /t^f (where T=t^f) as the R [Range] solution to launch (even though not dimensionally correct and F /t^f generally constant for a given intercept profile). Interestingly enough, the F-106 had a "small" x [11 /2" legs] for missile launch which stayed on the display until t^f expired, i.e., T=0 or impact [needed to continue tracking for radar missiles] and a large X [3" legs] for the MB-1 rocket to indicate the pullout. This was later changed to the "8 ball" but some "older" troops still talk about getting the "Big X" meaning "get the h*** outta here"
The MA-1 in the early days had a Coherent On Receive Only (CORO) to display low altitude and "low" overtake targets in the ground clutter. This was totally an analog radar function-no inputs or computations from the digital computer. This mode was activated with 4 and 16 mi range sweep selections and then selecting "Clutter" (fully CW position) on the adjacent rotary switch. This activated the Airborne Moving Target Indicator mode which used a 0.25 usec pulse width at 4000 Hz [still within range non-ambiguity]. A transmitted sample o ...
Most of my 3,500 hours flying fighters was in the DART. I'd like to mention a few unique items about the bird. In its day, it was cats meow. It came off the assembly line with arearule "cokebottle" shape, had a computer, carried a "great Shot" AIR@A NUKE, with four pathetic PUTT PUTT missiles. The IR missile would hit a cigar. You could lock-on to an SR-71s heat at 400nm with the IRSTS (Infrared search and track system, and the aircraft didn't know that it carried external tanks because they were designed so well. A pilot trained in the bird, got used to its moods and abilities, and when loaded with the "GReat Shot" and four missiles, lo and behold, it remained the same aircraft that one had trained in. Once the tanks went dry, you could climb to 49,000 and just go, go, go. You'd throttle back to .9 and you'd make gas. Around 4,000lbs of fuel on board you'd be burning 2,400 lbs. per hour. You could fly it for four hours w /o refueling.Stultz should clarify that the Coors was in 16oz. cans. Once you got the fuel out of the drop tanks
Anybody Crew the F-106 @ Castle AFB 79-81? 84th FIS. This was my first assignment of 22 more years in the AF and I still believe it was one of the best airplanes I worked on, and one of the most enjoyable.
Spent 5 years in the 6. 3 years flying the "tapes" @ Minot & 2 yeards in the "clocks" @ Dover. What a great bird! Had the pleasure of actually living the "there I was at 50,000; flat on my back; and the engine quit. It was my second solo flight (T-2) and my chase pilot was Sandy Scovell. Got it started at 20,000 and kept it running by holding the ignition button down. (Would flame out upon release) A /C # 59003 which later carried name of Lt. Moore. Thanks to then Lt /Col Jack Broughton, after 3 years in the Minot refrigerator, transfered to the 59th @ GOOSE for 15 months in the "DUCE" where I met & married my first and present wife. Then back to 95th @ Dover for the "Clocks". Spent 3 years @ Suffolk '56 -59 in 5th FIS prior to Minot. About 10 years in the "DELTAS" was as good as it gets! To turn on a dime take the Dart, for 2.3 take the DAGGER. What a kick those "DRY MARTINI" missions were out of Minot. Flew 4 and had 3 kills on the B-58.
I have tried for so long to buy videos (DVD or if not then VHS) of this awesome aircraft and have come up with zip! Can someone please help me get one or more videos of the F-106 DVD or VHS if not able to be DVD for good prices, ok? Please contact me ASAP please! jt_beckman@hotmail.com my mailing address is: John T. Beckman, III. at 3722 Walton Way Ext. Apartment #226, Augusta, Georgia, 30907 and my phone is 706-650-1080. Thank you!!
the six and i flew together for 1400 hours with the 498th @ Mcchord and Paine and 27th & 83rd @ Loring.I carried a Honda 90 in the armament bay from Boise to Paine without damage to anything. What an awesome airplane to fly.
While working on the trim pad(near the EOR) with the A-10A at Davis-Monthan from '81-'83, we would stop what we were doing to watch the 5TH FIS birds lite the burner and rotate back to Minot. Their paint scheme is beautiful.
I was with the 49Th FIS at Griffiss AFB NY from Jan 81 to Feb 83. One of the best assignments of my career. My first flight in any jet was in a "B" model from the Grif to Loring AFB Maine in what was dubbed Operation Potato Flag. The Grifs runway was closing for two weeks for resurfacing so we sent six Darts and a Tweet to Loring. While I flew up in the Dart, Eddie flew up in the T-33. While there we both got flights in the 33 on "target" missions for the Darts. We swapped for the return flights. On the way inbound I was lucky enough to involved in a 1v1 intercept. What a trip! My pilot, (then)Capt Jack Barton. I believe the intercept was against (then) Capt Joe May, not sure. I believe the commander at that time was "Twitch" Worrell (sp). My next assignment was the 57th FIS at Keflavik Iceland. I sure did love serving in FIS's.
On a side note, I was selected to serve with Det 1, 82nd ATRS at Holloman in 1989 where i helped establish the training requirements for contractors who would be maintaining the QF-106 Drones from 1990 till they were gone (although i left for Pusan Korea in 1995). The QF-106 on display at Hollomans Heritage Park is the second production model -106 made (the first was shot down at Holloman). I saw my own jet, 080, at the East Alton IL airport where the conversion were being done and was near tears when i came back 3 months later and the contractor had found out it was my jet and put my name and my 49th years on the nose door. Pretty upset after Tyndal promised it would be sent to Holloman and then shot it down on a mission there. I think the Dart was the Cadilac of tactical jets, personal opinion, but sure was a beauty.
Went from the 86-D to the F106. First in Selfridge, Mich and then to Tyndall AFB and finally to Malmstrom AFB, MT. Got my first ride While in Florida. At that time the best F106 pilot in the AF. Had several rides in the F106. Never did make it to mach 2. The best ride was my last on in Montana. This pilot was the best f-106 pilot in the MANG and at that time the AF. Flight of 4, we were the target and I might add an advasive target. I don't think we ever did get shot down. Then one of the other airplanes was the target, so we got to try our luck in shooting him down. The pilot got locked on and he asked me how I was doing. I told him "Go get him babe, go get him." Well we did get him. That was by far the best flight I had ever had. I worked on the MA-1 system. Lots-o-fun. The guard changed that. After they deactavited the 71st FIS. The MANG transitioned from the F-102 to the F-106. They worked with us at Malmstrom and trained with our guys. We had vertical instruments, but the guard had to take the "round eyes." The MANG set all kinds of records, primarly because of the outstanding training they got from the regulars at Malmstrom. I think we went from the 71st to the 319th before they finally deactavited us. I got to stay with the MANG as an advisor. I was supposed to stay with them until I retired, but with less then a year to go they decided they needed me a "why not." Lovely place, yuk.
I was a Hughes Aircraft Company field engineer (techrep)on the MA-1 system from Jan. 1962 until July, 1968. I spent two years with the 27FIS at Loring AFB, two years with the 11FIS at Duluth AFB, MN and 18 months with 1stAFHQ (1AFMME), Stewart AFB, NY. Besides working the line at the FISs, I taught the MA-1 system to the newer techs in the squadron three times at the 212A FTD. I think I learned more than my students.
There is a lot of BS around regarding MA-1. Basically, all the MA-1 (touted as having the first airborne digital computer)really did was to calculate the steering solutions for the NAV and Attack modes and display the solutions on the radar scope and the TSD (Tactical Situation Display). The weapon selected in Attack (AIM-4F or G or the MB1), determined the tactics used. The object was to keep the steering error at zero. In attack mode the computer calculated a term, RT /VT+F, (R=range to tgt; T=time to fire; V=closing velocity; F=calculated missile flight distance.) that converted Radar angular tracking errors into steering error. In any flight mode below Auto, the pilot had to keep the error dot on the radar scope centered in a small circle with 1 /10 the angular sensitivity (fine and coarse sensitivity). The computer initiated the fire signal which was interlocked through the trigger switch on the left control handle.
It is interesting to note that when firing the MB1 Genie, a figure 8 was displayed on the radar scope...telling the pilot to execute a 135 degree roll and execute a high g pullout to put the intercept point behind him so as to shield him from the nuclear explosion. T
In NAV mode, the pilot selected waypoints over precalculated routes. The routes were copied onto the computer drum from punch tapes supplied from an outfit in St. Louis. The computer would use Nav data from the TACAN receiver to determine Lat and Long. The pilot would select the waypoints. in the proper order and the computer would calculate the direction to fly. Speed and altitude commands were displayed on the panel instruments and the pilot either select altitude hold, heading hold, pilot assist or auto modes. In auto mode, when the A /C reached the next waypoint, the filight mode switch would drop to pilot assist. The pilot would then select the next waypoint and TACAN station and put the flight mode switch in Auto.
Each waypoint had a lat and long, an altitude and flight direction stored. For instance, to have waypoints for pattern entry, turning Base, and turning Final. Without belaboring the subject Auto ILS was also implemented.
Regardless of pilot mode selection, a Radar or IR lock and weapons select initiated Attack mode.
Comment for Dick Stultz: AMTI is Airborne MTI. AMTI works differently than ground based MTI in that AMTI is clutter referenced. If no clutter is present , raw radar video went to the scope. When clutter was present, the movement of the targets with respect to the clutter caused a "flutter" which would be detected by a filter and displayed instead of the clutter. Merril Skolnik explains this in his handbook on radar.
A sidestick controller would have been very difficult to implement insofar as there were a large number of controls on the F-106 two handed stick.
I loved the F-106 as much as anyone. I got my first ride in a jet aircraft of any kind in the back of F106B 59-149. Going to morning and afternoon briefings every day payed off.
Charlie Glackman may be confusing what he saw while in Vietnam with the F-102 Delta Dagger. The F-106's never served anywhere in Vietnam or anywhere in the pacific except Korea for a short time. Several F-106 FIS units had the distinction of flying across the Pacific ocean for deployments to sit Alert at Osan AB, South Korea as part of the Korean buildup stemming from the USS Pueblo crisis where North Korea seized a US Navy ship on 23 Jan 1968. Also the Sixes flew shotgun for the EC-121 Constellation's after one got shot down by North Korea on 15 Apr 1969. The first F-106's were deployed from the 318th FIS McChord AFB in February 1968 and conducted in flight refueling en route, the first such refueling of F-106's. The last unit to serve in Korea was the 95th FIS in 1970. You can read more at www.f-106deltadart.com /korea.htm
I flew th six when asigned to th llh FIS at Duluh , AB, Minnesot from 1965 to1967.IN fbruary 1967 during a maintnanc test fight I had a comprssor filure while doing ove mach 2 and I made a dead stick landin bck at Duluh AB whih w some sixty miles awy rom the initial flamout out situation.I undrstand tht his was the econd only dead stick landing ev made in a six and of coure i ws not reommended and not authoized y he DAsh One>
You guys are a lot of fun. I noticed several mentions of "contraband" booze flights.
Back in the early '60's I was assigned to RAF Upper Heyford AFB in England. We were supporting (maintenance type) B47 ANG wings rotating from the US for whatever reason.....Russia, Cold War......
As I recall the "Class VI Store" (on base) was the place where rotating crews (or any USAF locals for that matter) could purchase duty free booze to consume locally, or to take with them on their home journey.....seems the sales clerks asked no questions (Ha Ha). The stuff was dirt cheap and this was a golden opportunity, not to be overlooked.
I forget the numbers I heard, but from all the scuttlebutt, the transport of spirits from UK to the USA was a big enterprise and seems all the B-47 flight crews did it; even took orders from buddies back home wanting to replenish their booze lockers.
Course, I learned that the bombay was where they stored all this stuff for the flight and it was unpressurized, and at 30k something ft of altitude that I assume these guys attained on the flight back home, one can only wonder, how much of the "brew" made it home intact. Butttttt it must have survived as orders and purchases kept coming the whole time I was there and if it didn't work, I'm sure the buddies back home wouldn't be ordering more. Grin.
I first flew the F106 at Loring AFB -where my CF100 and I were taking part in an ORI. My first ride was kinda ho-hum -because it turned out that the pilot didn't understand that I too was a pilot. Needless to say my next flight was magnificent -we really wrung it out! While we didn't do it -I believe the bird was good for Mach 2.3! It could turn on a dime but unfortunately it bled off speed while doing so. So, however did my beloved CF104 which I later flew -but they fixed all that in the F15 /F16 /F18 generation that followed. The 106 certainly outperformed my CF100 in all regards except number of engines. Incidentally though -the CF100 could carry 30 cases of Scotch! Match that! Unfortunately Scotch will not knock down an enemy aircraft. The F106 was a classic world-beater!
I was a weapon system tech on the F-106 training in 1963 and flightline maintaining this bird 1964 thru 1966 at Selfridge AFB. We had 40 birds that were a joy to work on. The MA-1 system was top shelf.
I was at Danang Vietnam in 65 and I was at work in the GCA unit one day when I heard two planes kick in their afterburners. We had two F106's for interceptors to chase the North Vietnams Migs back to North Vietnam. I could tell that the planes from the sounds of their afterburners were making, were moving but they were not going anywhere. I opened the door of the GCA unit to see our two F-106's dogfighting in a 90 degree bank at about 2-3 thousand feet going round and round in a circle which was only about 100 yards diameter. They must have gone round and round about 15 times before breaking off and landing. Wow. I have never seen a tight circle like that out of any plane. One of the pilots was our Base Commander, a full Colonel but his name escapes me. The other pilot I never did hear his name. It was just one of the remarkable things I saw over there. I did go up in a C-123 with that same Colonel one day and he put that C-123 in a 90 degree bank many times as we went up and down the valleys looking for a plane that was missing. Thats the closest I ever came to getting airsick in a plane. I was lying on the tailgate looking out the rear of the plane and it was something to see the horizon standing straight up and down. Never saw a C-123 do that before or since either. Ha Charlie Glackman
