F-101 Voodoo Totally Explained

Everything about F-101 totally explained

The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military fighter flown by the USAF and the RCAF. Initially designed as a long-range bomber escort (known as a penetration fighter) for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Voodoo served in a variety of other roles, including that of an all-weather interceptor aircraft with the Air Defense Command / Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) and fighter bomber and photo reconnaissance roles with the Tactical Air Command (TAC).
Along with the Air Force U-2 and Navy RF-8 Crusaders, the RF-101 reconnaissance variant of the Voodoo was instrumental during the Cuban Missile Crisis and saw extensive service during the Vietnam War.

Design and development

Initial design on what would eventually become the Voodoo began just after World War II in response to a USAAF Penetration Fighter Competition in 1946 for a long-range high performance fighter to escort bombers, much as the P-51 Mustang had done in its time. After being awarded a contract (AC-14582), McDonnell built two prototypes, designated the XF-88. The first prototype (#46-6525), powered by two Westinghouse XJ-34-WE-13 (3000 hp/2240 kW) flew from Muroc on 20 October 1948. Preliminary testing revealed that the top speed was a disappointing 640 mph (1,030 km/h) at sea level. After fitting McDonnell-designed afterburners, thrust was increased by 30% with corresponding performance increases in top speed, initial rate of climb and reduced takeoff distance.
   Although the XF-88 won the "fly-off" competition against the competing Lockheed XF-90 and North American YF-93, the USAF (created in 1947) reevaluated the need for bomber escort and 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 new design was considerably larger, carrying three times the initial fuel load and designed around larger, more powerful J57 turbojets. The greater dimensions of the J57 engines required modifications to the engine bays, and modification to the intakes to allow a larger amount of airflow to the engine. The new intake also was designed to be more efficient at higher Mach numbers. In order to increase aerodynamic efficiency, reduce structural weight and alleviate "pitch-up" phenomena recently identified in flight testing of the D-558-2, an aircraft with a control surface configuration similar to the XF-88, the horizontal tail was relocated to the top of the vertical stabilizer, giving the F-101 its signature "T-tail". In late 1952, the mission of the F-101 was changed from "penetration fighter" to "strategic fighter", which entailed equal emphasis on both the bomber escort mission and on nuclear weapons delivery. The new Voodoo mockup with the reconfigured inlets, tail surfaces, landing gear, and dummy nuclear weapon was inspected by Air Force officials in March 1953. The design was approved, and an order for 39 F-101As was placed in May 1953 without any prototypes built. Serial number 53-2418 was the first production A-model delivered to Edwards AFB in August of 1954. Its maiden flight was on 29 September 1954, with a McDonnell test pilot Robert C. Little. Test flight results: Mach 0.9 at 35,000 feet, with a maximum test speed to Mach 1.4. This aircraft is on display at the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, Pueblo Memorial Airport, Pueblo, CO.
   The end of the war in Korea and the development of the jet-powered B-52 negated the need for fighter escort and Strategic Air Command withdrew from the program. The aircraft would be employed primarily as a two-seat air defence interceptor (F-101B), nuclear fighter bomber (F-101A/F-101C) and a reconnaissance platform (RF-101A/RF-101C) which saw service over Cuba and Vietnam.
   The Voodoo's replacement as a fighter bomber would be the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. While the Voodoo was a moderate success, it may have been more important as an evolutionary step towards the Phantom, one of the most successful Western fighter designs of the 1960s. The Phantom would retain the twin engines, twin crew for interception duties, and a tail mounted well above and behind the jet exhaust. Both aircraft were influenced by the same company's F-3 Demon, a carrier-based naval fighter-interceptor that served during the 1950s and early 1960s.
   All models of the Voodoo were known by the nickname "One-oh-Wonder" and this epithet was embroidered on aircraft type badges worn by USAF and RCAF/CF crews

Operational history

F-101A / RF-101G

Despite SAC's loss of interest, the aircraft attracted the attention of Tactical Air Command, and the F-101 was reconfigured as a fighter bomber, intended to carry a single nuclear weapon for use against battlefield targets such as airfields. With the support of TAC, testing was resumed, with Category II flight tests beginning in early 1955. A number of problems were identified during development, with many of these fixed. The aircraft had a dangerous tendency toward severe pitch-up at high angle of attack that was never entirely solved. Around 2,300 improvements were made to the aircraft in 1955–56 before full production was resumed in November 1956.
   The first F-101A was delivered in May 1957 to the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing, replacing their F-84F Thunderstreak. The F-101A was powered by two P&W J57-P-13 turbojet allowing good acceleration, climb-performance, ease in penetrating the sound barrier in level flight, and a maximum performance of Mach 1.52. The F-101's large internal fuel capacity allowed a range of approximately 3,000 mi nonstop. The aircraft was fitted with an MA-7 fire-control radar for both air-to-air and air-to-ground use, augmented by an MA-2 Low Altitude Bombing System(LABS) system for delivering nuclear weapons, and was designed to carry a Mk 28 nuclear bomb. The original intended payload for the F-101A was the McDonnell Model 96 store, a large fuel/weapons pod similar in concept to that of the B-58 Hustler, but was cancelled in March 1956 before the F-101 entered service. Other operational nuclear payloads included the Mk 7, Mk 43, and Mk 57 weapons. (While theoretically capable of carrying conventional bombs or rockets, the Voodoo never used such weapons operationally). It was fitted with 4 x 20mm M39 cannon with one cannon often removed in service to make room for a TACAN beacon-receiver.
   The F-101 set a number of speed records, including: a JF-101A setting a world speed record of 1,942 km/h (1,207 mph) on 12 December 1957, handily beating the previous record set by the Fairey Delta 2. On 27 November 1957 during "Operation Sun Run," an RF-101C set the Los Angeles-New York-Los Angeles record in 6 hours, 46 minutes, the New York to Los Angeles record in 3 hours, 36 minutes, and the Los Angeles to New York record in 3 hours, 7 minutes. An F-101A flew from Carswell, Texas to Bermuda without refueling.
   A total of 77 F-101As were built. They were gradually withdrawn from service starting in 1966. Twenty-nine survivors were converted to RF-101G specifications with a modified nose, housing reconnaissance cameras in place of cannons and radar. These served with the Air National Guard through 1972.

RF-101A

In October 1953, the USAF requested that two F-101As be built as prototype YRF-101A tactical reconnaissance aircraft. These were followed by 35 RF-101A production aircraft. The RF-101A shared the airframe of the F-101A, including its 6.33 g (62 m/s²) limit, but replaced the radar and cannons with up to six cameras in the reshaped nose. It was unusual in having provision for both flying boom and probe-and-drogue in-flight refueling capability. It entered service in May 1957, replacing the RB-57 Canberra. USAF RF-101As from the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Shaw AFB, SC flew reconnaissance sorties over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. including five to SAMs, one to an airfield attack, and one in air combat to a MiG-21 in September 1967. The RF-101C's speed made it largely immune to MiG interception. 27 of the combat lossses occurred on reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam. In April 1967, ALQ-71 ECM pods were fitted to provide some protection against SAMs. Although the Voodoo was again able to operate at medium altitudes, the added drag decreased the speed enough to make RF-101 vulnerable to MiGs and thus requiring fighter escort.
   On 27 November 1957 during Operation Sun Run an RF-101C set the Los Angeles-New York-Los Angeles record in 6 hours, 46 minutes, the New York to Los Angeles record in 3 hours, 36 minutes, and the Los Angeles to New York record in 3 hours, 7 minutes.
   After withdrawal from Vietnam, the RF-101C continued to serve with USAF units through 1979.
   In service, the RF-101C was nicknamed the "Long Bird;" it was the only version of the Voodoo to see combat.

Variants

� Section source: Angelucci, 1987. The American Fighter

F-101A - initial production fighter bomber, 77 produced.
NF-101A - one F-101A used by General Electric for testing of the General Electric J79 engine.
YRF-101A - two F-101As built as prototype reconnaissance models.
RF-101A - first reconnaissance version, 35 built.
F-101B - two-seat interceptor, 479 built.
CF-101B - 112 F-101Bs transferred to Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
RF-101B - 22 ex-RCAF CF-101B modified for reconnaissance use.
TF-101B - dual-control trainer version of F-101B, redesignated F-101F, 79 built.
EF-101B - single F-101B converted for use as a radar target and leased to Canada.
NF-101B - F-101B prototype based on the F-101A airframe; the second prototype was built with a different nose.
F-101C - improved fighter-bomber, 47 built.
RF-101C - reconnaissance version of F-101C airframe, 166 built.
F-101D - proposed version with General Electric J79 engines, not built.
F-101E - another J79 proposal, not built.
F-101F - dual-control trainer version of F-101B; 79 redesignated TF-101Bs plus 152 converted F-101B.
CF-101F - RCAF designation for 20 TF-101B/F-101F dual-control aircraft.
TF-101F - 24 dual-control versions of F-101B, redesignated F-101F (these are included in the -F total).
RF-101G - 29 F-101As converted for ANG reconnaissance.
RF-101H - 32 F-101Cs converted for reconnaissance use.

Operators

Royal Canadian Air Force

Canadian Forces

Republic of China Air Force

Further Information

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