F-106 Delta Dart

The F-106 Delta Dart manufactured by Convair was introduced on June 1959 to the United States Air Force. Designed as the “Ultimate Interceptor”, it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date. The aircraft retired during the 1980s although some of its drone conversions of the aircraft were used until 1998.

The F-106 emerged from the USAF’s 1954 interceptor program of the early 1950s as an advanced derivative of the F-102 Delta Dagger. The aircraft featured modifications and design changes it became a new design in its own right. The F-106 was equipped with Hughes MA-1 integrated fire-control system, it was armed with four Hughes AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missiles in its internal weapons bay, single GAR-11/AIM-26A Falcon nuclear-tipped semi-active radar (SAR) homing missile, a 1.5 kiloton-warhead AIR-2 (MB-2) Genie air-to-air rocket intended to be fired into enemy bomber formations. The MA-1 proved extremely troublesome and was eventually upgraded more than 60 times in service.  

Specifications (F-106A)
Crew: 1
Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney J75-17
Maximum speed: Mach 2.3 (1,525 mph, 2,455 km/h)
Range: 1,800 miles (1,600 nm, 2,900 km) combat
Service ceiling: 57,000 ft (17,000 m)
Rate of climb: 29,000 ft/min (150m/s)
Armament:
Guns: 1 x 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan gatling gun
Missiles: 2 x AIM-4F Falcon
2 x AIM-4G Falcon
1 x AIR-2A Genie nuclear rocket

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