EXTREMES
18 AH JULY 2018
D
uring the Cold War years, Convair’s delta-wing F-106A
was the fastest and most lethal all-weather interceptor in
the U.S. Air Force inventory. The F-106A, when lightly
loaded, approached the magic 1-to-1 thrust-to-weight
ZI\QW ̧IKPIZIK\MZQ[\QKKW^M\MLJaÅOP\MZXQTW\[M^MZa-
where. With a 24,500-pound-thrust afterburning Pratt &
Whitney J75-P-17 engine pushing an airframe only slightly
heavier than the engine thrust output, this 1950s-era airplane
had an impressive initial climb rate of 30,000 feet per minute
and a zoom-climb altitude above 70,000 feet. As a result of
the “thermal barrier” created by friction heat on the ship’s
skin and Plexiglas canopy, its airspeed was limited to Mach
2.31 (1,525 mph).
<PMOMVM[Q[WN\PMÅOP\MZ\PI\]T\QUI\MTaJMKIUM\PM
F-106A, and later the F-106B trainer, began in 1949 as Project
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ceptor carrying air-to-air guided missiles, with an all-weather[MIZKPIVLÅZMKWV\ZWTZILIZ
The Hughes Aircraft
Company was awarded the
armament and electronics
contract in October 1950.
Hughes developed the MA-
ÅZMKWV\ZWT[a[\MULM[QOVML
\WÅZMIV]KTMIZ\QXXML/MVQM
rocket and/or four Super
Falcon radar-homing, infra-
red heat-seeking missiles.
(In 1972 an internal Vulcan
20mm cannon package_W]TLZMXTIKM\PM/MVQMWV
some F-106As.)
The airframe development
contract was originally pre-
sented to Convair, Lockheed
and Republic. Convair’s
proposal ultimately won
the day, since it was closely
related to the company’s ear-
TQMZMٺWZ\[WV\PMLMT\I_QVO
XF-92A. The delta-wing
design had evolved from the
work of Alexander Lippisch,The Ultimate
Interceptor
CONVAIR DEVELOPED THE FASTEST
AND MOST SOPHISTICATED
FIGHTER OF THE COLD WAR TO
PROTECT THE U.S. FROM SOVIET
BOMBERSBY JOHN LOWERYBLAST FROM THE PAST A Convair
F-106A fires a training version of
the AIR-2 Genie nuclear missile.
Below: An F-106B research aircraft
displays its area-ruled fuselage.ABOVE: U.S. AIR FORCE; ABOVE LEFT & OPPOSITE: NASAEXTREMES