F-101 Voodoo
The F-101 was developed from the XF-88 penetration fighter. It was originally designed as a long range bomber escort for the Strategic Air Command, but when the high-speed, high-altitude B-52 entered service, there was no longer a need for escort fighters. The F-101’s design was changed to fill both tactical and air defense roles.
The F-101 first flew on September 29, 1954. By the time production ended in March 1961, McDonnell had built 785 aircraft, including the two-seat, all-weather F-101B used by the Air Defense Command.
The RF-101, the reconnaissance version of the Voodoo, is the world’s first supersonic photo-recon aircraft. Its most distinctive feature was its nose, which had been slightly lengthened for the installation of photographic equipment. It was widely used for low-altitude photo coverage of missile sites during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and during the late 1960s in Southeast Asia.
Specifications
Length: 67 ft 5 in (20.55 m)
Wingspan: 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)
Height: 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)
Wing area: 368 ft² (34.20 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 65A007 mod root, 65A006 mod tip
Empty weight: 28,495 lb (12,925 kg)
Loaded weight: 45,665 lb (20,715 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 52,400 lb (23,770 kg)
Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 afterburning turbojets
Maximum speed: Mach 1.72 (1,134 mph, 1,825 km/h) at 35,000 ft (10,500 m)
Range: 1,520 mi (1,320 nm, 2,450 km)
Service ceiling: 58,400 ft (17,800 m)
Rate of climb: 49,200 ft/min (250 m/s)
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