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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0516.PDF
518 CONVAIR F-102 FLIGHT when the doors are opened. Preparation and firingare conducted electrically. In addition, a small number of 2.75in spin-stabilized folding-fin rocketsare carried in tubes within the doors themselves and used as secondary armament. In an interception, the scanner picks up its tar-get at a range of many miles and then locks-on and follows it automatically. In this regime the fire-control feeds back directly into the hydraulic circuits which actuate the rudder and elevons. The lattersurfaces had to be most carefully designed, since extremely small variations in their characteristicshave a profound influence on the ability of the air- craft to run automatically towards its target. Actu-ally the flight need not be "towards" the target in a curve of pursuit, since the MG-10 incorporates acomputer capable of predicting future air situations and working out collision-course or other types offlight path. A radar scope, with which the pilot can monitor the interception, is mounted in the cockpit. At the appropriate range—perhaps five miles—thearmament salvo pre-selected by die pilot is auto- matically prepared for firing. Then, at preciselythe right instant, the missile bay doors flick open and the weapons are fired. Rapid-acting jacks open and shut the doors in afraction of a second. Nevertheless much develop- ment was needed to ensure that the fierce blast of aFalcon motor would not create havoc inside the missile bay, nor have an adverse effect on the opera-tion of the aircraft engine or fire-control systems. Many thomy problems—such as a persistent tendency for theFalcons to break range-lock at the moment of firing—were traced to the blast effects of the rocket motor. Quite apart from suchmechanical problems, development of the basic fire-control and data-linking systems required the use of several aircraft, of whichthe most novel was a T-29 which could be flown by a pilot seated inside a complete F-102 front-end mounted inside the fuselage. From Plant 2 completed aircraft, wearing an undercoat of paint(they are the only fighters in the U.S. Air Force to be painted) are taken to the fly-away base near the old B-36 gun butts atLindbergh Field. Convair spent $340,000 on this facility, in which preliminary field operational cycles are conducted. A total of15 run-up stations is provided, together with five tie-down points and full underground services. In fine weather finished aircraftthen leave San Diego in pairs, so that each can provide surveillance and back-up communications for the other. Convair pilots ferrythe aircraft 140 air miles north, to the company base at Palmdale in Antelope Valley. Since 1954 Conyair have spent $10m here,and the facility can now handle 25 aircraft at once during final field operations and transfer of the aircraft to the Air Force.While at Palmdale the machines are given their coat of glossy grey paint (overall, except for a black nose and non-reflecting greenabove the intakes and ahead of the canopy). Convair have now received five production contracts forF-102As, representing a total business of several hundred million dollars. The first true production aeroplane was formally acceptedlate last June by Captain (now Major) Don Butterfield, assistant Air Force plant representative and acceptance pilot on the 102.During last summer, aircraft were supplied to the 327th Fighter/ Intercepter Sqn. of Air Defense Command at George A.F.B., Cal.The Sqn. Commander, Lt-Col. Charles E Rigney, said that his new equipment was "the easiest plane to fly I've ever been in,"and he soon demonstrated his mastery of the type by flying from his base to Oklahoma City, 1,120 miles in 82 minutes from brakes-off to passing the tower. This average speed of 819.5 m.p.h. was achieved with a non-afterburner climb and a cruise from 40,000to 43,000ft. (His unit has suggested that the 102 be named Lancer, a proposal which is now being considered in Washington.) By August, the 11th F/I Sqn. of the 343rd Fighter Groupat Duluth, Minn., had been equipped, and this was then followed by the 4750th Air Defense Sqn. at Vincent A.F.B., Ariz.; 323rdF/I Sqn. at Truax A.F.B., Madison, Wis.; 31st F/I Sqn., Wurt- smith A.F.B., Wis.; 317th F/I Sqn., McChord A.F.B., Wash.;2nd F/I, Suffolk County A.F.B., N.Y.; and a squadron based at Geiger Field, Spokane, Wash. Many other squadrons have beenequipped with the aircraft during the past few weeks. Represen- tatives of communities living near F-102 bases are given a free CONVAIR F-10ZA Span, 38ft 1.6in; length. 68ft 3.3in; height, 20ft7.56in; teading-edge sweep, 60 deg 6 min 13 sec; max. ground angle, 16 deg 42 min; track, 14ft 2.24in, wheelbase, 22ft 4.6Sin. tour of Air Defense Command H.Q. at Colorado Springs and atwo-day instructional course at San Diego, to enable them to appreciate that their noisy neighbour is a good thing.Engineering flight-development for the Air Force is now centred at Edwards, armament at Holloman, electronics atPatrick and maintenance and supply at Kelly. Squadrons have already logged many thousands of hours during conversion andintensive training. As the 102 can operate at 54,000ft (higher than previous American fighters) B-57 Canberras arc oftenemployed as lock-on targets or as carriers for parachuted drones for live attack by Falcons. Exercises have indicated that the 102is the only U.S.A.F. fighter able to "splash" a B-52 operating at top altitude. For the record, a typical time from "standingbeside aircraft" to "wheels off" is 1 min 55 sec, and the landing roll can be held to 3,650ft even on icy runways. A total of 52 aircraft was engaged in initial flight development,and Convair's Fort Worth division are bringing these up to operational standard. At San Diego production is nearing itspeak rate, with about 500 aircraft so far delivered. Many of the 15,000 extra employees which the "SD" division took on lastyear were absorbed by Plant 2's increased output. Current 102A contracts expire in July 1958. In July 1955 Fort Worth delivered the first set of parts for theTF-102, a combat-proficiency trainer and tactical intercepter seating a pupil to port and an instructor to starboard in a dual-control cockpit. Compared with the single-seat 102 it has equal weapons ability but lower performance, and is shorter (63ft 4|in).The Texas factory ships complete TF front ends to San Diego for mating with standard wings and rear fuselages. TF aircraftwere included in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th contracts for the 102. During 1955 San Diego went ahead on a 102 development,able to fly at greater speed and altitude (to give it mastery over the Russian "Bison") and equipped with a new fire-control andweapon. Originally designated F-102B, this mighty machine has now emerged as the F-106A. Compared with the 102A it has a bigger engine—the Pratt andWhitney J75, with afterburner—a revised structure with 18 heavy-press forgings, longer fuselage and broader, square-tippedwings and vertical tail, cut-back intakes at the wing roots and the most advanced fire-control yet developed, matched to a primaryarmament of two MB-1 (Ding Dong) nuclear air-to-air missiles. The first contract, placed in May last year, was for $83m. Thiswas later brought up to $146m to include more aircraft, and a second $70.2m purchase was made in January. Dick Johnson flew the first 106A at Edwards on Boxing Day.A number of the new fighters have now flown and it is reported that the design performance of Mach 2 and over 65,000ft hasalready been achieved. San Diego are also building the tandem- seat 106B (for which a $47m order was announced on April 11)and an advanced canard derivative, designated 106C, intended to reach Mach numbers of about 2.5. The indications arethat Plant 2 will be making manned fighters for a long while yet. The shorter, fatter nose of the TF-102 two-seater can be seen in this desert-landing photograph. The first TF-102 flew in November 7955.
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