military-aircraft-f-106

In its search for the "ultimate interceptor", the US Air Force realized that the Convair F-102A was only an interim step, and urged the company to press ahead swiftly with the definitive F-102B, the plane that was to be combined with the Hughes armament system (MA-1 radar fire control and AIM-4 missiles) to create the MX-1554 weapon system. Seventeen F-102Bs were ordered in November 1955, at the same time as the F-102A built in1956 the type was re-designated F-106A to reflect alterations to the original specification. The first two YF-106A prototypes flew in December 1956 speed was still 15 cent below that specified and the program was bedeviled by a host of problems. These were gradually cured, but the USAF came close to canceling the project before deciding to order 350 rather than the envisaged 1,000 examples of the Delta Dart. These began to enter service in October 1959, and later aircraft were considerably more capable. The type was finally phased out of service in the late 1980s

Description	Specifications
Manufacturer: Convair	70 ft. 8.75 in. Length:
First Flight: December 1956	Height: 20 ft. 3.25 in.
Model: A	Wing Span: 38 ft. 3.5 in.
Crew: One	Wing Area: 631.3 sq. ft.
Nickname: Delta Dart	Empty Weight: 23,646 lb.
Basic Role: All weather interceptor.	Max. Weight: 41,831 lb.
Other Versions: F-106A: 277 single seat interceptor. F-106B: 63 combat trainers with full combat capability and two seat in tandem.	Armament: One 20-mm multi barrel cannon or AIR-2 Genie nuclear tipped rocket, and up to four AIM-4 Falcon/Super Falcon air to air missiles carried internally.
Principal User: U. S. A.	Propulsion
Performance	Power Plant: Pratt & Whitney J75-P-17 turbojet.
Range: Radius 729 miles.	Horsepower: 24,500-lb reheated thrust.
Max. Speed: 1,525 mph. or mach 2.31 at 40,000 ft.	No. Of Engines: One
Ceiling: 57,000 ft.
Climb Rate: 30,000 ft per minute.