The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the US Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft as a long-range bomber escort (known as a penetration fighter) for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Voodoo was instead developed as a nuclear-armed fighter-bomber for the Tactical Air Command (TAC), and as a photo reconnaissance aircraft based on the same airframe. Extensively modified versions were produced as an all-weather interceptor aircraft, serving with the Air Defense Command, later renamed the Aerospace Defense Command (ADC), the Air National Guard, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the unified Canadian Forces after 1968.
Initial design of what would become the Voodoo began just after WW II in response to a USAAF long-range high performance Penetration Fighter Competition in 1946. After being awarded a contract on 14 February 1947, McDonnell built two prototypes, designated the XF-88 Voodoo. The first prototype, powered by two 3,000 lbf Westinghouse XJ34-WE-13 turbojets, flew from Muroc on 20 October 1948. Preliminary testing revealed that while handling and range was adequate, the top speed was a disappointing 641 mph at sea level. After fitting McDonnell-designed afterburners to the second prototype, thrust was increased to 3,600 lbf with corresponding performance increases in top speed, initial rate of climb and reduced takeoff distance. Fuel consumption was greatly increased by use of the afterburners, however, reducing the range.
Although the XF-88 won the "fly-off" competition against the competing Lockheed XF-90 and North American YF-93, the detonation of the first nuclear weapon by the Soviet Union resulted in the USAF reevaluating its fighter needs, with interceptors being more important and bomber escorts being of reduced priority, and it terminated the Penetration Fighter program in 1950. Analysis of Korean war missions, however, revealed that contemporary USAF strategic bombers were vulnerable to fighter interception. In 1951, the USAF issued a new requirement for a bomber escort with all major US manufacturers submitting designs. The McDonnell design was a larger and higher powered version of the XF-88, and won the bid in May 1951. The F-88 was redesignated the F-101 Voodoo in November 1951.
The F-101 first flew on 29 September 1954 and introduced in May 1957. It retired from the USAF in 1972 and the ANG in 1982. A total of 807 were built.
This aircraft, F-101B-105-MC s/n 58-0285, a fighter-interceptor version, was delivered in 1959. Its last operational posting was with the 136th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 107th Tactical Fighter Group, New York Air National Guard, Niagara Falls, NY. She then served as a maintenance trainer at Sheppard AFB, TX, until acquired by the Travis Museum in 1986.
Specifications:
Crew: 2
Power Plant: 2× 10,200 lbf Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 turbojets 16,900 lbf w/afterburner
Dimensions:
- Span: 39' 8"
- Length: 71' 1"
- Height: 18' 0"
Weight:
- Empty: 28,495 lb
- Maximum: 52,400 lb
Performance:
- Speed:
- - Max: 1,134 mph @ 35,000 ft
- - Cruise: 600 mph
- Range: 1,520 miles
- Ceiling: 58,400 ft
- Climb: 49,200 fpm
Armament:
- Missiles:
- - 4 (originally 6)× AIM-4 Falcon, or
- - 2× AIR-2 Genie nuclear rockets, plus
- - 2× AIM-4 Falcon missile variants:
- - - AIM-4A
- - - AIM-4B
- - - AIM-4C
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