The Best LONG RANGE All weather intercepor.

[Glider]

FJ I remember the previous posting. Your Father is a very experienced and exceptional pilot with a number of records to his name. However the question is how would a normal squadron pilot in a F106 match against a normal squadron pilot in another fighter. My suspision is that the 106 would be at a disadvantage in the majority of cases. Its a big heavy fighter carrying a lot of fuel and a lot of missiles on a very large delta wing which has know disadvantages in a dog fighting situation.

I could be wrong here and forgive me if I am, but I am not aware of F106's being deployed in any numbers where they were likely to tangle with enemy fighters. I don't recall them being deployed to Europe on a permanent basis or to Indo China during the conflicts in that area. A long ranged fighter capable on taking on all comers would I guess have been very useful in escorting the long range B52 bomber missions that were flown.

The F14 had it all, range, superb long range radars and misiles plus it could take on anyone in a dogfight. For that reason the F14 would have my vote.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

FJ I remember the previous posting. Your Father is a very experienced and exceptional pilot with a number of records to his name. However the question is how would a normal squadron pilot in a F106 match against a normal squadron pilot in another fighter. My suspision is that the 106 would be at a disadvantage in the majority of cases. Its a big heavy fighter carrying a lot of fuel and a lot of missiles on a very large delta wing which has know disadvantages in a dog fighting situation.

I could be wrong here and forgive me if I am, but I am not aware of F106's being deployed in any numbers where they were likely to tangle with enemy fighters. I don't recall them being deployed to Europe on a permanent basis or to Indo China during the conflicts in that area. A long ranged fighter capable on taking on all comers would I guess have been very useful in escorting the long range B52 bomber missions that were flown.

Very true in your statements - "Pops" felt if used correctly the 106 could take on all comers in its class and that would of been a matter of training, but by the time he got to play with them the aircraft was in its twilight and it's only repreve was it's role on the B-1 program. In the 106's day it was looked upon as one of those weapons systems that remained stateside unless something really bad was supposed to happen. It carried Radar and other equipment that was designed for NORAD and NORAD only....

As far as escort, I think becuase of fuel consumption and it's operational role, it would of been ill suited. In Vietnam (for example) the real threrat to the B-52 came from SAMs although one NVPA claimed to have shot down a B-52 in a Mig-21, something never really substantiated..

The F14 had it all, range, superb long range radars and misiles plus it could take on anyone in a dogfight. For that reason the F14 would have my vote.

The F-14 had the dogfighting capability built into it. As it was becoming operational the F-106 was in it's final phases. I put the F-14 marginally into the "next generation."

 

[syscom3]

F106's were deployed for a short time to Vietnam.

I also think they had temp assignments in Germany from time to time.

This interceptor was not deployed to tangle with single engine fighters. It was to shoot down bombers. That was its sole rationale.

For the F14, it was a fleet defense fighter used on carriers. Its endurance limited its role for those missions where you had hundreds of miles to fly to to get on station then loiter looking for your target.

 

[lesofprimus]

Its endurance limited its role for those missions where you had hundreds of miles to fly to to get on station then loiter looking for your target.

Thats why they invented something called mid-air refueling...

 

[davparlr]

I don't know too much about the F-106 other than I chose it as one of the best looking aircraft. I did have a friend that flew a B-58. He said that they flew so high and fast that they were not too threaten by intercepters. Most intercepters just couldn't maneuver at that altitude and had to come in from the tail, where there was a gun. The exception was the F-106 which could fly by, maneuver and attack from the front. It must have had good high altitude performance. Anyway, it could still carry those nukes, Genie and Falcon. Not sure it used Genies.

 

[syscom3]

And if air refueling isnt available? The -106 still has the endurance.

And remember, except for the -D model F14, those engines were crappy. Even with two engines, I would hate to be over the arctic circle all alone.

 

[lesofprimus]

Im onboard with the -106 sys, and if the Tomcat is running CAP, he has either another aircraft carrying buddy stores or the tanker is on station....

And as far as the pre-D series engines, while they were a maintenance nightmare, they still pushed that bird over Mach 2 and made the F-14 one of the greatest interceptors known to mankind..........

 

[FLYBOYJ]

F106's were deployed for a short time to Vietnam.

I also think they had temp assignments in Germany from time to time.

The -106 never went to Vietnam. They did spend some time in Canada, South Korea and Germany, but those tours were more the exception than the rule...

F-102s were sent to Vietnam...

 

[Glider]

The pairing of the F106 and Lightning would have been a heck of a marraige. The F106 for the long range interception and the lightning for those that leaked through the first line of defence.

As for the F14 its clearly in the next F16/F15/F14 generation

 

[pbfoot]

The -106 never went to Vietnam. They did spend some time in Canada, South Korea and Germany, but those tours were more the exception than the rule...

F-102s were sent to Vietnam...

I have pic somewhere of 60 106's on the ramp in goose back around 83 at one point we had over 80 fighters airborne at once it was pure pandimonium

 

[FLYBOYJ]

The pairing of the F106 and Lightning would have been a heck of a marraige. The F106 for the long range interception and the lightning for those that leaked through the first line of defence.

As for the F14 its clearly in the next F16/F15/F14 generation

Agree - Plan D and I discussed the same scenario with the Lightning and the F-15 - the F-15 taking out the fighters, the Lightning taking out the bombers...

 

[Twitch]

Yeah, I can't think of any other plane on the list besides the F-14 that could launch and kill over the horizon and hold its own close in as well.

 

[davparlr]

Yeah, I can't think of any other plane on the list besides the F-14 that could launch and kill over the horizon and hold its own close in as well.

An interesting side note to the F-14. The Phoenix is a relatively slow missile (slow burn for range). The F-pole (the distance between the launch vehicle and target at impact) is quite a bit less than 20 miles (if my memory is good). It starts getting a bit dicey if the planes keep heading toward each other (the F-14 does not need to head toward the targert but does have to keep it in radar tracking until the autonomous Phoenix seeker locks on).

 

[syscom3]

The F106 has a longer range on internal fuel, thus can be on station and waiting for the bombers to appear. The F14's endurance is not enough to it allow to do any menaingfull long range loitering.

For contiental defense, Id take the F106

 

[pbfoot]

The F106 has a longer range on internal fuel, thus can be on station and waiting for the bombers to appear. The F14's endurance is not enough to it allow to do any menaingfull long range loitering.

For contiental defense, Id take the F106

when you scramble a fighter there is no loiter time figured into the equation the further out you intercept the better and then you RTB and turn the thing around

 

[102first_hussars]

Yeah but the further out, the less time is given for you to stay in a fight before you go to refuel, like if you were in an F5, and you had to intercept a flight of bombers 50 or 100 miles out, you wouldnt be fighting very long.

 

[pbfoot]

Yeah but the further out, the less time is given for you to stay in a fight before you go to refuel, like if you were in an F5, and you had to intercept a flight of bombers 50 or 100 miles out, you wouldnt be fighting very long.

you are intercepting bombers and it is not a turn and burn dogfight

 

[syscom3]

Scrambling for intercept is reactive. Loitering at the edge looking for your target is proactive.

Better to be shooting at your enemy far away from its target (and getting multile chances for attack) is better than to hope you get it right close in.

The F14 is for fleet defense, the F106 is for contiental defense.

 

[lesofprimus]

The F14 is for fleet defense, the F106 is for contiental defense.

Very very true....

 

[syscom3]

As good as the F14 was in its role, dont forget it couldnt take off a carrier with a full Phonix load and full fuel.

It needed refueling somewhere along the line or its endurance was limited.