Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>F-102>HA3105
F-102A-55-CO Delta Dagger 431 FIS, Zaragoza Air Base, Spain, April 1962
General Background
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was designed to be an interceptor aircraft and act as the core of USAF air defenses in the late 1950s. The F-102 first appeared in service in 1956 with the task to intercept Soviet bombers. The official name for the F-102 was “Delta Dagger” but the most common term used was “Deuce”. There was 889 F-102As manufactured when production ended in September 1958. The Deuce served in Vietnam on fighter patrols and bomber escort. 15 F-102s were lost while in Vietnam.
The Aircraft
The 431st Fighter Squadron (Red Devils) was activated on May 14, 1943 and was inactivated
on 1 April 1949. On September 11, 1952 they were re-designated 431st Fighter Interceptor
Squadron and re-activated November 1, 1952 at Selfridge AFB, Michigan. They remained here
until June 23, 1953 when they transferred to Wheelus AB in Libya. The 431st FIS were
stationed in Libya until September 1958 then moved with their F-86Ds to Zaragoza AB, Spain.
On September 28, 1960 the 431st FIS transitioned to the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger. On May
18, 1964 they returned to the U.S. and George AFB, California where on April 23, 1965 they
traded the F-102 for the F-4C Phantom II and were again re-designated 431st TFS. The
squadron would be re-designated 3 more time before being in-activated on June 30, 1992.
Specifications :
| Role : | Supersonic All-Weather, delta wing interceptor |
| Crew: | 1 pilot |
| Number Produced : | 889 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length : | 68 ft 4 in (20.83 |
| Wingspan : | 38 ft 1 in (11.61 m) |
| Height : | 21 ft 2 in (6.45 m) |
| Weight | |
| Empty : | 19,350 lb 8,777 kg) |
| Loaded : | 24,500 lb (11,100 kg) |
| Maximum Takeoff : | 31,500 lb (14,300 kg) |
| Powerplant : | 1 x Pratt & Whitney J57-P-25 afterburning turbojet |
| Thrust | |
| Dry : | 11,700 lbf (8,777 kg) |
| With Afterburner : | 17,200 lbf (76.5 kN) |
| Fuel | |
| Internal : | 1.085 US gal (4,107 l) |
| External : | 2 x 215 US gal (815 l) drop tanks |
| Armament: | |
| Rockets : | 24 x 2.75 in (70 mm) FFAR (Folding Fin Aerial Rocket) unguided rockets in missile bay doors |
| Missiles : | AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air |
| AIM-26 Falcon with conventional or nuclear warhead | |
| Missiles were contained in 3 bays inside the aircraft belly | |
| Avionics : | MG-10 fire control system designed by Hughes Aircraft Company |