Air Force F-102 Delta Dagger first Jet Fighter Interceptor 1957 Cold War Era скачать в хорошем качестве

Air Force F-102 Delta Dagger first Jet Fighter Interceptor 1957 Cold War Era

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger interceptor aircraft was built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950's. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets during the Cold War. Designed and manufactured by Convair, 1,000 F-102s were built. The F-102 was the first operational supersonic interceptor and delta-wing fighter of the USAF. It used an internal weapons bay to carry both guided missiles and rockets. As originally designed, it could not achieve Mach 1 supersonic flight until redesigned with area ruling. The F-102 replaced subsonic fighter types such as the Northrop F-89 Scorpion. It saw limited service in the Vietnam War in bomber escort and ground-attack roles, during the 1960's. It was supplemented by McDonnell F-101 Voodoos and, later, by McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Ii. Many of the F-102s were transferred from the active duty Air Force to the Air National Guard by the mid-to-late 1960s. The F-102 Delta Dagger was retired from operational service in 1976. The replacement was the Mach-2 Convair F-106 Delta Dart, which was an extensive redesign of the F-102. Cover Photo: Idaho Air National Guard 1968