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McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo

1957 COLD WAR CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS VIETNAM WAR

MacDonald RF-101 Voodoo Story

The inherent versatility of the original McDonnell aircraft, the F-101 "Voodoo" (single-seat, supersonic "one-oh-wonder") meant that the airframe was well suited for multiple roles other than fighter jets Two-seat interceptor, advanced jet training, low-altitude fighter-bomber and tactical reconnaissance missions. This was demonstrated when United States Air Force (USAF) authorities called in October 1953 and formally requested a tactical reconnaissance version of this venerable fighter.

Before the end, more than 800 Voodoo will be completed, of which 286 (including the development airframe) will be in the form of reconnaissance.

The original Voodoo airframe first flew on September 29, 1954, so development work in reconnaissance form did not begin until 1956, and no prototypes were ordered to speed up the planning process. Instead, two development vehicles named "YRF-101A" were commissioned. The design was officially accepted and subsequently entered the US Air Force inventory in July 1958.

This was followed by 35 "RF-101A" production variants, based on the now proven YRF-101A design and used as successors to the aging stockpile of Martin RF-57 "Canberra" reconnaissance aircraft that played the same role on the battlefield.

While retaining much of the form and function of the original aircraft, the RF-101 lost its ammunition-carrying capabilities, radar capabilities, and internal cannon, allowing its mission payload to be loaded directly to the cameras and accompanying recording equipment (airframe The centerline of the fuel tank or special mission-related device remains unchanged). This resulted in a new, reshaped nose assembly that gave the RF-101 a unique look compared to the original F-101 fighter. Carrying qualities include a single-seat cockpit, triangular side-mounted air intakes, dual side-by-side engine layouts and a low swept wing main aircraft. The rear wing continues to use a T-plane arrangement, with the horizontal part sloping slightly upwards.

The tricycle landing gear can be fully retracted under the aircraft for ground movement.

Despite the name "RF-101B", it arrived later than other brands and consists of 22 former Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fighter jets, now converted for tactical reconnaissance missions. These came online in the early 1970s and were largely based on the Canadian CF-101B - again losing weapons capability and radar capability while gaining cameras and an in-flight refueling arm.

In the end, their operating costs meant they had a short lifespan - this group retired back in 1975.

The

series F-101C fighter jet evolved into the final RF-101C "Longbird", which first flew on July 12, 1957, and entered service the following year. Unlike the A, the C retains the weapon-carrying characteristics of the F-101C fighter-bomber. About 96 F-101C airframes were completed as RF-101C tactical reconnaissance aircraft, with a total production of 166 by the end of the year.

These mounts were used during the turbulent Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) and on dangerous missions in the Vietnam War (1955-1975), where they were flown by a McDonnell RF-4C "Phantom II" supersonic jet Modified excellent Mirage II fighter. The C model was active until 1979 and proved to be the only Voodoo variant used during the war.

The RF-101C has a barrel length of 69.2 feet, a wingspan of 39.7 feet, and a height of 18 feet. Maximum weight reaches 51,100 lbs and is powered by 2 x Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojets producing 15,000 lbs of thrust through afterburner.

Performance specs include a top speed of 1,000 mph, a cruising speed of nearly 550 mph, a range of up to 2,060 miles, and a service ceiling of up to 45,800 feet. This gives the aircraft excellent escape speed as well as some defensive capabilities to operate at high altitudes.

The F-101A model continued to contribute to the voodoo story, with an additional 29 of these models being converted for Air National Guard (ANG) reconnaissance use, codenamed RF-101G. These were active until 1972.

The F-101C model also borrowed part numbers to form the RF-101H variant, filling ANG's inventory. These were also scrapped in 1972.

In addition to serving in Southeast Asia and the United States, RF-101 aircraft were stationed in key areas throughout Europe during the Cold War.