Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>F-102>HA3113
F-102 Delta Dagger 61210, 526th FIS, Ramstein AB, Germany 1963
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 Aircraft
From 1950 until August 1954 the 526th TIS was known as the 526th Fighter-Bomber Squadron.
In 1954, along with the re-designation the 526th FIS mission also changed to air defense of
central Europe flying the all-weather, rocket carrying F-86D Sabres. In 1960 the 526th FIS was
reassigned to the 86th Air Division at Ramstein AB and equipped with the F-102 which they flew
until 1968. F-102 was originally delivered to the 27th FIS in 1962 and was converted to a drone
and shot down in 1979.
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 |