Ordered in 1951 by the Strategic Air command as a long-range escort fighter, the F-101 lineage included several versions: Low-altitude fighter-bomber; photo-reconnaissance; two-seat interceptor; and transition trainer. To accelerate production, no prototypes were built and the first Voodoo, an F-101A, made its initial flight on September 29, 1954. When production ended in March 1961, nearly 800 Voodoos had been built. Development of the unarmed RF-101, the world's first supersonic photo-recon aircraft, began in 1956. While 35 RF-101As and 166 RF-101Cs were produced, many earlier single-seat Voodoos were converted to recons. RF-101Cs played a vital role in the Vietnam War, where they flew low and fast into some of the heaviest air defenses in history.
The RF-101C on display (S/N 56-135) was delivered on April 27, 1959. It served with the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, and the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing before going to the Air National Guard in 1971.
Specifications
Span: 39 ft. 8 in.
Length: 69 ft. 3 in.
Height: 18 ft.
Weight: 51,000 lbs., loaded
Armament: One MK-28 or MK-43
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney J57s of 15,000 lbs. thrust each with afterburner
Crew: One
Cost: $1,276,245
Performance
Maximum speed: 1,000 mph
Cruising speed: 550 mph
Range: 2,060 miles
Service ceiling: 45,800 ft.
This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force
Comments 0 comments