File:McDonnell F-101B-100-MC Voodoo N8234 - 51166802617.jpg

Designated F-101 in November 1951, the Voodoo was originally designed as a long range escort fighter for the Strategic Air Command and borrowed heavily from McDonnell’s earlier XF-88 penetration fighter design. However, when the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress entered service and ushered in the era of high-speed, high-altitude jet bombers, escort fighters were deemed unnecessary. The F-101’s design was then modified to fill tactical and air defense roles.

The single-seat F-101A Voodoo made its maiden flight in September 29, 1954. The type entered service in May 1957 as a fighter-bomber. The improved single-seat F-101C and two-seat F-101B followed. RF-101As & Cs were the USAF's first supersonic photoreconnaissance aircraft, and were vitally important during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. F-101 production ended in 1961, with 805 built.

The F-101B was a two-seat all-weather interceptor. The prototype first flew March 27, 1957, and production models entered service in January 1959. By August 1960, 17 squadrons of the Air Defense Command (ADC) flew F-101Bs. Phase out of active duty F-101Bs began in 1968, and they were out of the ADC inventory by April 1971. Air National Guard Units flew F-101Bs from November 1969 until August 1983.

McDonnell Aircraft Company, St. Louis, Missouri, built our Voodoo and delivered it to the USAF in November 1959. Its military career was as an experimental and test aircraft. Four times during its career it was designated a JF-101B to reflect its research and development role. The fighter never served with an Air Defense Command fighter squadron. In May 1970, it was in desert storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, (Tucson) Arizona and dropped from USAF inventory in February 1971.

The Gray Ghost On February 19, 1971, 57-410 was flown from Davis-Monthan to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where it was modified to fly severe storm research for Colorado State University (CSU). From Cheyenne it was flown to the 116th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 141st Fighter Group, Washington Air National Guard at Spokane, Washington. This unit maintained the Voodoo while it flew with CSU, but the flights were conducted from Buckley Air National Guard Base (ANGB), (Denver) Colorado. While with the severe storm penetration program the Voodoo carried the civil registration N8234 and CSU markings. They included a reclining ghost under the forward cockpit with the name The Gray Ghost. Ten thunderstorm symbols were painted on the left side of the aircraft, behind the ghost. COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY and SEVERE STORM RESEARCH were on the fuselage above the wings. A long nose probe painted in red and white stripes was mounted forward of the cockpit. The main landing gear doors had red and yellow flames painted on them.

CAM acquired 57-410 in the fall of 1984. A team of Museum volunteers made two trips to Buckley ANGB to disassemble, load, and transport the Voodoo back to Forbes Field. CAM exhibited it for several years in the CSU markings before painting it in US Air Force markings in 1990.

This aircraft is on Conditional Transfer to Combat Air Museum from the Kansas State Agency for Federal Surplus Property and the General Services Administration.

Assignments

Dec 1959 Air Proving Ground Center, Air Research and Development Command, Eglin Air Force Base (AFB),(Fort Walton Beach) Florida as F-101B and JF-101B Early 1962 3201st Maintenance Group, Air Force Systems Command (AFSC), Eglin AFB as JF-101B and F-101B 21 Mar 1962 Middleton Air Material Area, Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC), Olmstead AFB, Harrisburg) (Pennsylvania as F-101B 30 Nov 1962 3201st Maintenance Group, AFSC, Eglin AFB as F-101B and JF-101B 20 Feb 1964 Air Proving Ground Center, AFSC, Eglin AFB as F-101B 5 Jan 1965 Aeronautical Systems Division, AFSC, Wright-Patterson AFB, (Dayton) Ohio as JF-101B 14 Feb 1966 Ogden Air Materiel Area, AFLC, Hill AFB, (Ogden) Utah as JF-101B and F-101B 26 May 1966 Aeronautical Systems Division, AFSC, Wright-Patterson AFB as F-101B and JF-101B 2 Mar 1970 Air Defense Weapons Center, Air Defense Command, Tyndall AFB, (Panama City) Florida as F-101B 26 April 1970 Aeronautical Systems Division, AFSC, Wright-Patterson AFB as F-101B 26 May 1970 Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center, AFLC, Davis-Monthan AFB, (Tucson) Arizona as F-101B 19 Feb 1971 Dropped from USAF inventory by transfer or diversion 1971 - 1984 Colorado State University, Department of Atmospheric Research; flown from Colorado Air National Guard Base Buckley Field, (Denver) Colorado 27 Oct 1984 Combat Air Museum

Technical Notes

Crew Pilot and Weapons System Officer Basic Role All-weather interceptor fighter Powerplant Two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 11,900 lb (5,438kg) static thrust each; 16,900 lb (7,666kg) thrust in afterburner Max Speed 1,134 mph (1,825km/hr) @ 35,000 ft (10,668m) Cruising Speed551 mph (887 km/hr) Range 1,520 miles (2,446 km) Max: 1,930 miles (3,106km) Service Ceiling54,800 ft (16,703m) Combat Ceiling51,000 ft (15, 454m) Wingspan 39 ft 8 in (12.09m) Length 71 ft 1 in (21.67m) Height 18 ft (5.48m) Wing Area 368 sq ft (34.18sq m) WeightEmpty: 28,970 lb (13,141kg) Combat Weight 40,853 lb (18,531kg) Weight Max Takeoff 52,400 lb (23,769kg) Armament Two AIR-2A Genie nuclear air-to-air missiles or two AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missiles Serial Number USAF 57-0410