02 McDonnell F-101A Voodoo (USAF)
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a twin-engined fighter originally designed as a long-range bomber escort, or penetration fighter, for the USAF’s Strategic Air Command (SAC). Instead, the Voodoo was developed as a nuclear-armed fighter-bomber for the USAF’s Tactical Air Command (TAC) and a photo-reconnaissance aircraft. The Voodoo served the USAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
The F-101 developed from McDonnell’s earlier penetration fighter, the XF-88 Voodoo, which was introduced in the late 1940s in response to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF)’s Penetration Fighter Competition in 1946. The presumed need for a penetration fighter wavered and the competition was eventually cancelled by the newly organized United States Air Force (USAF). However, analysis of Korean War missions highlighted the vulnerability of USAF strategic bombers to fighter interception. Thus, in 1951 the USAF issued a new requirement for a bomber escort. McDonnell submitted a larger and more powerful version of the XF-88, the F-101 Voodoo which won the competition and awarded the bid in May 1951.
In this image, the first F-101A (serial number 53-2418) awaits trials at Edwards AFB in 1954. It took its maiden flight on September 29 with McDonnell test pilot Robert C. Little at the controls. The aircraft reached Mach 0.9 at 35,000 ft and in less than a month, the maximum speed had progressively been pushed to Mach 1.4.
02 McDonnell F-101A Voodoo (USAF)
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a twin-engined fighter originally designed as a long-range bomber escort, or penetration fighter, for the USAF’s Strategic Air Command (SAC). Instead, the Voodoo was developed as a nuclear-armed fighter-bomber for the USAF’s Tactical Air Command (TAC) and a photo-reconnaissance aircraft. The Voodoo served the USAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
The F-101 developed from McDonnell’s earlier penetration fighter, the XF-88 Voodoo, which was introduced in the late 1940s in response to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF)’s Penetration Fighter Competition in 1946. The presumed need for a penetration fighter wavered and the competition was eventually cancelled by the newly organized United States Air Force (USAF). However, analysis of Korean War missions highlighted the vulnerability of USAF strategic bombers to fighter interception. Thus, in 1951 the USAF issued a new requirement for a bomber escort. McDonnell submitted a larger and more powerful version of the XF-88, the F-101 Voodoo which won the competition and awarded the bid in May 1951.
In this image, the first F-101A (serial number 53-2418) awaits trials at Edwards AFB in 1954. It took its maiden flight on September 29 with McDonnell test pilot Robert C. Little at the controls. The aircraft reached Mach 0.9 at 35,000 ft and in less than a month, the maximum speed had progressively been pushed to Mach 1.4.