F-101 Voodoo
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Good shots!
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
I seen people write about "stretching" the F-101A to produce the F-101B, but in fact if you overlay the drawings in the Squadron book you find they are exactly the same length. The 2nd seat was added behind the cockpit but without changing the length of the fuselage
I used to work with an RF-101C pilot and asked him why it persisted in service so long after the RF-4C came out. He replied that the best cameras in both airplanes were the vertical ones in the back, between the engines. And the RF-4C's cameras back there had a problem with engine vibration. The RF-101C's had no such problem and thus got better pictures.
Some F-101B's were converted to RF-101H's. I guess that reflected the airplane's effectiveness in photo recon.
I used to work with an RF-101C pilot and asked him why it persisted in service so long after the RF-4C came out. He replied that the best cameras in both airplanes were the vertical ones in the back, between the engines. And the RF-4C's cameras back there had a problem with engine vibration. The RF-101C's had no such problem and thus got better pictures.
Some F-101B's were converted to RF-101H's. I guess that reflected the airplane's effectiveness in photo recon.
soulezoo
Senior Airman
I can see a legitimate role for outdated interceptors (101, 106) in the recon role. The straight line speed for egress being useful!
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
Actually I don;t think the RF-101H's ever went overseas. I suppose they provided training that enabled more RF-101C's to stay where the action was. Who they out in the rear seat, I don't know; again, I suppose it might have been good for training.
There was also the F-101F, which was the trainer version of the F101B.
They must have been reliable airplanes. Despite its age I worked on very little depot maintenance issues relative to it.
There was also the F-101F, which was the trainer version of the F101B.
They must have been reliable airplanes. Despite its age I worked on very little depot maintenance issues relative to it.
Adrian Parker
Recruit
Sharing some pics of a rather weather beaten Canadian Voodoo. Pics taken in July 2017 at the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum near Halifax International Airport.
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MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
That reminds me. Do y'all know that the University of Colorado had its own F-101B it operated for a while, complete with University markings? I saw it land at Tinker AFB back in the 70's.
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Tracker
Senior Airman
MIflyer
U of Colorado's F-101B was registered as N8234 and used for thunderstorm research, USAF No. 57-0410 - on display at
Combat Air Museum, Topeka, Kansas. nickname, 'the Gray Ghost'; previously at Colorado State University.
More info from the University
Around 1974, CSU operated an F-101B aircraft as shown in this image. During its time under CSU control, the aircraft carried the civilian serial number N8234 and the nickname "the Gray Ghost," which became its call sign. This aircraft was used to study severe storms under the direction of Prof. Peter Sinclair. It was based at Buckley Air National Guard Base in Denver.
CSU contracted with Flight Test Research, Inc., of California, which provided an experienced test pilot named Jim Lucy. Sinclair rode in the back seat running the instruments after selecting the storm to be penetrated. Most flights were over northern Colorado and western Nebraska in thunderheads of 35,000 to 45,000 feet, where the plane encountered high turbulence, lightning and hail.
The plane was returned to the Air Force and is now located at the Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
U of Colorado's F-101B was registered as N8234 and used for thunderstorm research, USAF No. 57-0410 - on display at
Combat Air Museum, Topeka, Kansas. nickname, 'the Gray Ghost'; previously at Colorado State University.
More info from the University
Around 1974, CSU operated an F-101B aircraft as shown in this image. During its time under CSU control, the aircraft carried the civilian serial number N8234 and the nickname "the Gray Ghost," which became its call sign. This aircraft was used to study severe storms under the direction of Prof. Peter Sinclair. It was based at Buckley Air National Guard Base in Denver.
CSU contracted with Flight Test Research, Inc., of California, which provided an experienced test pilot named Jim Lucy. Sinclair rode in the back seat running the instruments after selecting the storm to be penetrated. Most flights were over northern Colorado and western Nebraska in thunderheads of 35,000 to 45,000 feet, where the plane encountered high turbulence, lightning and hail.
The plane was returned to the Air Force and is now located at the Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
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Nice shots!
Let's hear it for Pratt & Whitney's bulletproof J-57! GE's J-79 in the RF-4 and RA-5 was more powerful and fuel efficient, but not as robust, reliable, or smooth. In the RA-5, the vibration issue was somewhat alleviated by mounting the cameras in a streamlined dugout-like pod mounted under the belly, leaving the tubular bomb bay between the engines available for additional fuel canisters. Egressing Laos to Yankee Station in the weeds at Mach++ takes a lot of gas!
Cheers,
Wes
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fubar57
General
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