Click on Picture to enlarge The F-106X

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The F-106X

      "The Secretary of Defense's decision on 23 November 1967 to discontinue F-12 development and to select the F-106 as the future interceptor to complement a new airborne warning and control system (AWACS) altered ADC planning. The SLIM program was put aside in favor of a more costly one-nearly $1 billion-for the so called (but as it turned out, never to be) F 106X.

As part of the Korean buildup stemming from the Pueblo crisis, a series of F-106 deployments to Korea began. The first F-106s deployed from McChord AFB and conducted in flight refueling en route the first such refueling of F-106s.

When it appeared in late 1968 that the F-106X would not materialize, ADC renewed its efforts to modernize the entire F-106 weapon system which, it believed, had become one of the Air Force's most competent fighters. "

The F-111 was an absolute POS that McNamara tried to ram down the throat of the USAF. It never became an ADC aircraft, it was only used by TAC. Before the F-111, the F-106X was proposed, and beat the F-12 in a paper competition:

     

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The F-106X

      "The F-106X (Model 8-28/8-29) was a 1956 design study for a Delta Dart follow-on. This study envisaged an interceptor with a canard layout that was powered by a JT4B-22 turbojet fed by rectangular air intakes. It was envisaged as an alternative to the Lockheed YF-12 (later SR-71), and was to have had a fire control system with "look-down, shoot-down" capability fed by a 40-inch radar dish. The F-106X was extremely advanced for its time with Mach 5 performance envisaged.

The project was later re-designated F-106C/D, with "C" being the single-seat version, the "D" being the two-seat version. At one time the Air Force had considered acquiring 350 of these advanced interceptors, but the F-106C/D project was cancelled on 23 September 1958.

Following the cancellation of the Model 8-28/29 project, two production F-106A's. 57-239 and 57-240, were modified to test the new radar housing with a five-foot nose extension. They were re-designated F-106C. Only 57-239 actually flew, and made ten flights with this new nose in 1959. The plane was later destroyed in fatigue tests. 57-240 eventually reverted to standard F-106A configuration."

 

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F-106C/D

 

By Joe Baugher

The F-106X (Model 8-28/8-29) was a 1956 design study for a Delta Dart follow-on. This study envisaged an interceptor with a canard layout that was powered by a JT4B-22 turbojet fed by rectangular air intakes. It was envisaged as an alternative to the Lockheed YF-12, and was to have had a fire control system with "look-down, shoot-down" capability fed by a 40-inch radar dish. The C was the single -seater, the D the two-seat version. The F-106X was extremely advanced for its time--a Mach 5 performance was envisaged

The project was later re-designated F-106C/D, with C being the single-seat version, the D being the two-seat version. At one time the Air Force had considered acquiring 350 of these advanced interceptors, but the F-106C/D project was cancelled on September 23, 1958.

Following the cancellation of the Model 8-28/29 project, two production F-106As (57-239 and 57-240) were modified to test the new radar housing with a five-foot nose extension. They were re-designated F-106C. Only 57-239 actually flew, and made ten flights with this new nose in 1959. The plane was later destroyed in fatigue tests. 57-240 eventually reverted to standard F-106A configuration.

The F-106C/D (Model 8-28/8-29) was a 1956 design study for a Delta Dart follow-on. This study envisaged an interceptor with a canard layout that was powered by a JT4B-22 turbojet fed by rectangular air intakes. Originally known as the F-106X, it was to have a fire control system fed by a 40-inch radar dish. The C was the single seater, the D the two-seat version. The F-106X was extremely advanced for its time --- a Mach 5 performance was envisaged. At one time the Air Force had considered acquiring 350 of these advanced interceptors, but the F-106X project was cancelled on September 23, 1958. Following the cancellation of the Model 8-28/29 project, two production F-106As (57-239 and 57-240) were modified to test the new radar housing with a five-foot nose extension. They made ten flights with this new nose in 1959. 

 

 

On February 9, 1968, the Defense Department announced that they were not going to purchase the Lockheed F-12A interceptor, opting instead to remain with the F-106 as the primary interceptor to protect the continental USA from air attack.

On September 3, 1968, Convair issued a proposal for an "improved" interceptor that was to be designated F-106E/F. It was to be compatible with the upcoming airborne warning and control systems as well as with the over the horizon radar defense network. The F-106E/F would have had a longer lose, with a new and improved radar with a look-down/shoot-down tracking and missile launch capability. It would also have had a two-way UHF voice and data-link radio. It would be capable of launching both nuclear and non-nuclear missiles, including the AIM-26 Nuclear Falcon and the AIM-47.

Unfortunately for Convair, this project never got off the drawing board.

 

Sources:

1. United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
    
2. The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.
    
3. Fighters of the United States Air Force, Robert F. Dorr and David Donald, Temple Press Aerospace, 1990.
    
4. American Combat Planes, Third Enlarged Edition, Ray Wagner, Doubleday, 1982.
    
5. Post-World War II Fighters, 1945-1973, Marcelle Size Knaack, Office of Air Force History, 1986.
    
6. General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors, John Wegg, Naval Institute Press, Naval Institute Press, 1990.
    
7. Convair F-106 Delta Dart, Robert F. Dorr, Wings of Fame, Vol 12, 1998  

By Joe Baugher

 

Did you know that there really was at one time a three-engine F106 !

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Three Engine F-106

That is, a Six that was equipped with the primary Pratt & Whitney J-75-P-17 afterburning turbojet (as was standard configuration), as well as two auxiliary engines--one under each wing where the drop tanks were normally fitted?

Yes, this aircraft really did exist!  It was a long term borrow from First Fighter Wing (Selfridge AFB) in the 60s.  It was intended to test various engine inlet and exhaust configurations for the future (later cancelled) US SST program.  It belonged to the 94th FIS and actually stopped at Selfridge at one time.   NASA renumbered this Dart as tail number 816NA and assigned it to Dryden, yet it always flew out of Langley.  To fit the nacelle-mounted engines (one under each wing, where the Six's drop tanks were normally emplaced), the elevons were split to clear the exhaust.  Auxiliary (fuel) tanks were mounted in the missile bays along with extra instrumentation.  Later, this aircraft was modified again with an early fly-by-wire control system (NASA colors).  Still later, 816NA was modified to test wing-tip vortex flaps (turbulence generators) to enhance flight characteristics (NASA colors).  This aircraft's last use was to research lightning strike effects (NASA paint removed--bare metal).  The plane was finally retired to the Hampton Roads Virginia Aerospace Museum, where it hangs today in its bare metal configuration.