Sunday, July 26, 2009

F-106 Delta Dart


The F-106 served in the continental USA, Alaska, and Iceland, as well as 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, 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 Vietnam, it never saw combat, nor was it exported to foreign users. After initial teething problems were resolved, 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. Air-to-air combat testing suggested the "Six" was a reasonable match for the F-4 Phantom II in a dogfight, with superior high-altitude turn performance and overall maneuverability (aided by the aircraft's lower wing loading), although pilots conceded the Phantom had better radar and missiles. The F-4 also featured a greater missile capacity than the F-106, featured a higher thrust/weight ratio, superior climb performance, and better high speed/low-altitude maneuverability.

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