F-101A Voodoo Additional Missile Capability

[TheStig 39]

I just ran across the picture below and bumped up the SF1 F-101A/C File Announcement in regard to the weapons bay not included in the SF1 model I downloaded. Was this a forgotten feature? I would love to have this capability on my A-model for escort. (I deleted it in favor of keeping the C model for Hard Drive space)

 

[DWCAce 19]

I thought the rotating weapons bay was modeled?

[TheStig 39]

Not on mine... Perhaps I had the old version?

 

 

 

 

[+Dave 2,322]

The A and C DID NOT have a rotating bay. Only the B.

[TheStig 39]

Per F-101voodoo.com, the site states that the A-model did have this bay incorporated in it. They mention nothing for the C-variant though. I am confused...

 

 

F-101A Single-Seat Fighter

The first F-101A (53-2418) was delivered in August of 1954, right on schedule. After completing some ground trials in St. Louis, it was shipped out to Edwards AFB. It took off on its maiden flight on September 29, 1954, McDonnell test pilot Robert C. Little being at the controls. He reached Mach 0.9 at 35,000 feet. Less than a month later, maximum speed had progressively been pushed to Mach 1.4.

 

In the meantime, the USAF had changed its mind yet again about its requirements. They now concluded that the range of the F-101A, impressive as it was, was not nearly large enough to be able to escort SAC's bombers all the way to the target. Consequently, the Strategic Air Command no longer believed in the viability of the F-101 concept and lost any interest in the aircraft as an escort fighter. Ordinarily, this would have been the end of the line for the F-101A project, and the F-101 would have been consigned to oblivion along with its XF-88 predecessor. Fortunately, the Tactical Air Command (TAC) saw the potential of the aircraft as a nuclear-armed fighter-bomber and requested that the F-101A be acquired by them under the aegis of Weapon System WS-105A. This designation corresponded to a short-lived Pentagon fad of assigning a "WS" number to its ships, tanks, and aircraft. Consequently, the F-101A that finally emerged became a hybrid aircraft, fitted with APS-54 radar and a MA-7 fire-control system for the air-to-air role, and a LABS (Low-Altitude Bombing System) for the delivery of nuclear bombs.

 

On October 28, 1954, the Air Force lifted its production hold order, permitting McDonnell to proceed with full-scale production. Three other F-101As were accepted before the end of 1954. They immediately began to undergo Category I flight tests. Category II flight tests began in January of 1955, and at this time, problems appeared with engine compressor stall. A redesign of the internal intake layout and engine compressor modifications cleared up these problems.

 

By mid-1956 the continued testing of the 29 F-101As which had been accepted by the USAF up to that time had turned up a number of structural, propulsion, aerodynamic, and armament problems. Perhaps the most serious of these was a tendency of the aircraft to pitch-up, a problem which was never fully corrected even after much effort. Brigadier General Robin Olds, who commanded a Voodoo wing, reported that it did not take very much to make a F-101A suddenly and without warning to go into pitch-up, even while cruising. The angle of attack needed to achieve lift with full flaps and drop tanks was very close to the pitch-up stall point, where the flow of air over the wings created a downflow over the tail slab. On January 10, 1956, Major Lonnie R. Moore, a Korean War ace with 10 kills to his credit, was killed in a F-101A pitch-up mishap at Eglin AFB, Florida.

 

Citing numerous still-unsolved problems with the F-101, in May of 1956 the USAF ordered that production be halted yet again. Although the hold order did not last very long, F-101A production remained limited to only eight airplanes per month throughout most of the remainder of 1956. During this period, McDonnell spent most of its time in modifying existing F-101As rather than in building new ones. Some 300 USAF-recommended changes were incorporated, plus some 2000 company-devised improvements.

 

It took a long time for McDonnell to develop any sort of cure for the pitch-up problem. McDonnell fitted an active inhibitor which helped to clear up the pitch-up problem, at least partially. Satisfied with the active inhibitor installed by McDonnell, the Air Force finally rescinded its May production restrictions on November 26, 1956. Nevertheless, the pitch-up problem was never completely cured, and remained a nuisance throughout the Voodoo's service life. Also never resolved was a problem encountered in retracting the forward-folding nosewheel--beyond a speed of about 90 mph, it simply would not go up.

 

The F-101A was armed with four 20-mm cannon and could carry a single 1620 lb or 3271-lb "special store", i.e., a nuclear bomb. The F-101As were equipped with the MA-7 fire control system as well with the LABS (Low-altitude Bombing System) for toss-release of their nuclear bombs. The F-101A could not carry or deliver conventional bombs.

 

The first Voodoo delivered to an operational unit was a F-101A which reached the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing at Bergstrom AFB on May 2, 1957. The last of 77 F-101As was delivered on November 21, 1957. Of the 77 F-101As accepted, only 50 of them actually reached operational units. The rest were used for experimental and test purposes to iron out various bugs and never attained actual service.

 

On July 1, 1957, the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing was transferred to the Tactical Air Command and became the 27th Fighter-Bomber Wing. The Wing had previously operated the F-84F Thunderstreak. The F-101A was assigned the mission of nuclear strike, carrying a single nuclear bomb on its underfuselage centerline.

 

On September 25, 1958, an F-101A flew 1896 miles between Carswell AFB in Texas to Bermuda, completing the longest nonstop/nonrefuelled flight yet accomplished in a Century Series fighter.

 

Once the problem with the tendency to pitch-up had been addressed by the installation of an active inhibitor, the F-101A established an excellent safety record. In fact, the F-101A had the lowest first-year accident rate of any operational fighter in Air Force history.

 

The F-101A began leaving the USAF inventory in 1965-66, when 27 of them were transferred to the Air National Guard. By mid-1970, accidents, transfers, cannibalizations, and conversions had whittled down the USAF's F-101A fleet to only a couple of planes.

 

The ninth F-101A (52-2426) was bailed to Pratt & Whitney to serve as a testbed for the more powerful J57-P-55 engines planned for the F-101B interceptor. It was given the designation JF-101A, the "J" prefix indicating a temporary change of configuration for test purposes. The new engine installations offered an afterburning thrust of 16,000 pounds, and featured a large extension of the jetpipe to accommodate the longer afterburner section. Additional air scoops were installed underneath the rear fuselage for afterburner cooling. The JF-101A was used by Major Adrian E. Drew to set a new absolute world speed record of 1207.6 mph on December 12, 1957, taking the record away from the British Fairey Delta FD-2.

 

The first F-101A was bailed to General Electric in 1958 as a testbed for the J79-GE-1 turbojet. The designation NF-101A was assigned to this modification, the N prefix indicating a permanent change in configuration for test purposes. This aircraft was test flown with two J79s in 1958-59 before being retired to Amarillo AFB in Texas as a ground maintenance trainer.

 

Following their removal from active USAF service in 1965, eighteen ex-USAF F-101As (serial numbers 54-1445, 4119, 1452, 1455, 1457, 1461, 1462, 1463, 1468, 1469, 1470, 1472, 1475, 1479, 1481, 1482, 1484, and 1485) were modified by Lockheed Aircraft Service Company of Ontario, California to serve as unarmed reconnaissance aircraft by the Air National Guard. The armament was removed and new nose cones housing cameras were installed. These aircraft were redesignated RF-101G. As compared to the RF-101A dedicated photo-reconnaissance version of the F-101A, the RF-101G had a shorter and broader nose. Along with the RF-101H (an equivalent conversion of the F-101C), they served with the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the Arkansas ANG, with the 165th TRS of the Kentucky ANG, and the 192nd TRS of the Nevada ANG. Beginning in 1970, these aircraft were supplemented by RF-101Cs retired from active USAF stocks. The last reconnaissance Voodoos were withdrawn from ANG service in 1979.

 

 

Serials of the F-101A:

53-2418/2422 McDonnell F-101A-1-MC Voodoo 2418,2421/2425,2427 converted to JF-101A53-2423/2430 McDonnell F-101A-5-MC Voodoo53-2431/2436 McDonnell F-101A-10-MC Voodoo53-2437/2446 McDonnell F-101A-15-MC Voodoo54-1438/1443 McDonnell F-101A-20-MC Voodoo54-1444/1452 McDonnell F-101A-25-MC Voodoo 1445 converted to RF-101G 1449 converted to RF-101G 1451,1452 converted to RF-101G54-1453/1465 McDonnell F-101A-30-MC Voodoo 1453/1455 converted to RF-101G 1457 converted to RF-101G 1459/1464 converted to RF-101G54-1466/1485 McDonnell F-101A-35-MC Voodoo 1466 converted to RF-101G 1468 converted to RF-101G 1470 converted to RF-101G 1472,1473 converted to RF-101G 1475/1477 converted to RF-101G 1479 converted to RF-101G 1481,1482 converted to RF-101G 1484,1485 converted to RF-101G

Specification of the F-101A:

Engine: Two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 turbojets, 11,990 lb.s.t. dry and 16,900 lb.s.t. with afterburner.

 

Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 8 inches, length 67 feet 5 inches, height 18 feet 0 inches, wing area 368 square feet.

 

Performance: Maximum speed 1134 mph at 35,000 feet (Mach 1.72). Initial climb rate 49,200 feet/min. Service ceiling 58,400 feet, combat ceiling 51,000 feet. Normal range 1520 miles, maximum range 1930 miles.

 

Weights: 28,970 pounds empty, 45,664 pounds gross, 40,853 pounds combat weight, 52,400 pounds maximum takeoff.

 

Fuel: Maximum internal fuel load was 2053 US gallons, housed in five fuel cells in the upper fuselage and three in each wing. A total of two 450 US gallon under-fuselage drop tanks could be carried, bringing maximum fuel load to 2953 US gallons.

 

Armament: Armed with six Falcon AAMs (usually 3 GAR-1 (AIM-4) semiactive radar homers and 3 GAR-2 (AIM-4B) infrared homers) in internal ventral weapons bay. In later versions, two unguided AIR-2A Genie unguided rockets with nuclear warheads could be carried on external attachment points.

Edited December 28, 2010 by TheStig

[+hgbn 91]

The armament chart is from a F-101B not an A the A was with 4 guns and a centerline store for a nuke.... You can't trust everything on the web to be correct

[+Dave 2,322]

Its was not the A. That information is incorrect. Page 50, Century Fighters by Airtime Publishing. Gives the complete scoop on the F-101.

[TheStig 39]

I found another site that pretty much refutes the data about what I pulled for the A-model

 

http://www.vectorsite.net/avf101.html

 

 

 

 

[+Dave 2,322]

Rest assured Stig we thoroughly researched the Voodoo when we did the project.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

One thing i'd like to know is...Who would actually fly the 101 for anything other than than Intercepts and Recce work? I mean, perhaps you can get lucky with boom and zoom but get caught in a real furball and your squadronmates are good as gone.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Cater::

...get caught in a real furball and your squadronmates are good as gone.

The game AI can't handle this, but Chennault's P-40 pilots knew how. You make a pass and keep going. The "trick" with F-101 is you have endurance far beyond any Soviet supersonic jet fighter of that time with a competitive combat speed, although if you are deep in enemy lands (SAC bomber escort) you will have fuel problems too.

 

I figure....you fire, and either hit or miss. In either case you just keep going, and don't look back, but do look ahead for another target in front, or do a gentle turn for home if your time is up. My idea is to keep your wing man maybe 20 miles behind you so he can attack the target if you miss, if he is not assigned a different target. On top of that, plan missions with a backup offensive flight behind you, or two or three backup flights. This keeps a certain area of high altitude sky under assault.

 

Think: If you miss the target, say MiG-21F, and the target turns after you, your wingman comes up behind the bad fella and he's flying straight trying to catch you. If not, you keep going until MiG has to turn home for lack of fuel (or runs out if he chances that). This dependence on after burning speed could get itchy if you are far from a tanker though.

 

Is this Correct Thinking?

Edited December 30, 2010 by Lexx_Luthor

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Don't know if it's proper tactics for a 101 or not, but i've gotten really good results from being defensive and running MIGs low fuel. Once they turned away i stalked and shot at them.

[Slartibartfast 153]

Best thing I have found with the 10wonder... is to hit and run nothing but thankfully I was getting very good at deflection shooting...

[+Julhelm 266]

The original F-101A as drawn to SAC specifications is actually quite good at racking up Migs as it would be armed with AIM-4 or AIM-9.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Cater::

Don't know if it's proper tactics for a 101 or not, but i've gotten really good results from being defensive and running MIGs low fuel. Once they turned away i stalked and shot at them.

Greed kills. Don't know if the game can do this, but out on the street, that is when other side sets up backup flights to ambush your stalk, and now you have less fuel than you did before (and maybe at lower altitude). I'd love to see how leaders in online co-op or online war would plan using these old jets.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Julhelm::

 

AIM-9

 

 

The perfect weapon for high altitude: Dependable, reliable, and war winning.

 

If you have not heard this yet, word-search this link for "snakes" ~~> China and Taiwan since 1945; Part 1 and the following turkey shoot.

[Delta6Actual 0]

In reference to the F-101A data on f-101voodoo.com, it has been corrected. The old info was for a B model, and lists the Falcons as GAR-1's instead of AIM-4's. The current info is correct with 4x20mm M39's. 1 F-101A/C model was modified with a rotating bay as a testbed, but was not used operationally. The pictures above of the rotating bay were of some interest to me because they show the original 3x3 Falcon loadout. This was not carried for very long as most were equipped to carry 2 Falcons, and 2 Genies.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

Cater::

Greed kills. Don't know if the game can do this, but out on the street, that is when other side sets up backup flights to ambush your stalk, and now you have less fuel than you did before (and maybe at lower altitude). I'd love to see how leaders in online co-op or online war would plan using these old jets.

 

It all depends.

 

My favorite tactic is get an opening, stand the bird on it's tail and hit full burner. Then you go in stages up to at least 30,000Ft in the direction of the front. You want to drag them up with you. Just make sure you stay just out of gun range.

 

Once you are up high, level off and wait. Occasionally make a gentle S turn to check the enemy contrails but otherwise go straight and just fast enough to act as bait. Western fighters (except for the Javalin) all have more fuel to work with so you can imagine just how much the enemy has to burn to catch up with you.

 

When the enemy turns away you have him at a marked disadvantage. If someone else comes along they'll have to be in a damn good spot considering the altitudes and speeds involved. Depending on aircraft and scenario it is possible to let the range open a bit, lock the enemy AC and take medium to max range SARH shots at the retreating foe. Flying a Deuce that was how i dealt with MIG-19s.

 

And if the situation looks a bit too hairy? Stay high and fast until you are in the clear.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

Just make sure you stay just out of gun range.

Okay if they can't catch you. In F-102 vs MiG-19 that's seems okay, and the 102 probably could turn around quickly.

 

For F-101 vs MiG-21/Su-7 which I'm thinking about here, its alot more risky if you don't *already* have altitude, speed, or distance. Both those can catch you up there within some window of opportunity (how large?) before they run dry. Also, if they carry Atolls well...I don't know if the game AI can model this, but in the real thing, I'd guess you should not pin alot of hope on pulling alot of Voodoo~esque AoA at high speeds to avoid missiles or guns if they do catch you.

 

And, in many situations, its "okay" to let the bad guy go, if all you do is keep him away from the bombers you are supposed to be protecting. I wish games would model this more often.

[Lt. James Cater 62]

To be honest i've neve flown a Voodoo in anything other than Recce flights. High and fast was the way to go and on few times a MIG 21 tried for a 6 o clock shot i was full throttle heading for the weeds. Besides, those early Atolls aren't exactly hard to evade.

 

As tricky as the 101 is at high AOA, it seems to be more of a slash and burn plane ala the P-38. My modus operandi in early fighters intercepting low flying formations has always been to approach them at about 10,000ft and go for a path that'll bring me in about 5-6 miles behind them. Then it's a case of diving to blowing past the escorts, firing AAMs, closing to guns, overtaking the formation then reversing course to repeat the attack.

 

Always go in full bore and don't let off the throttle.

 

The intial attack is always the safest as you have a pretty good idea of where everyone is at and 9 out of 10 times the escorts will be lower on energy since they are turning to meet your attack while you are coming in blazing.

 

Another factor will be your own squadron. MAX EFFORT is my motto. If a plane is available, send it up. usually while you and your wingman are the center of attention, the rest of your guys can sometimes catch the enemy off guard and score some kills. Missle armed birds can sometimes have a field day.

 

 

Disengaging is a whole other story, i've always prefered to go full burner and head up high. As high and as fast as as possible heading west.