The Ultra Fast Interceptor that Became an Unseen Flying Predator

On February 3, 1968, two of the Vietnam People’s Air Force top pilots, Pham Thanh Ngan and Nguyen Van Coc, took off on MIG-21s on their fourth interception mission of the day: a radar-detected pair of enemy aircraft, most likely light bombers.

However, as the duo approached the Laotian border, MiG-21 pilot Ngan thought he spotted an EB‐66 ECM aircraft; a closer look revealed a much more valuable target: two Convair F-102 Delta Daggers, the world’s first supersonic all-weather jet interceptor.

Also, the United States Air Force’s first operational delta-wing aircraft, the Delta Dagger, had been wreaking havoc on Vietnam for nearly six years as one of America’s first deployed aircraft models to the area.

That day, the Daggers were piloted by Major A. L. Lomax as the flight leader, with 1Lt Wallace Wiggins as his wingman. Sensing the imminent threat, the leader reacted with the precision of a seasoned warrior and tried to unleash the fury of three of his missiles.

But when every missile missed its mark, the Americans were becoming an easy target.

With this, seizing the moment and about to become the first-ever North Vietnam pilot to fire at the iconic Convair Delta Dagger directly, Ngan sneakily maneuvered into the blind spot behind Wiggins and aimed.

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[TheJaymon]

I love the 102 and 106. They were what aircraft looked like when i was a kid.

[JohnSmith-demz]

My Dad flew the 102 at Thule Greenland in the 60's. He also flew the 106 at Andrews and George AFB. The 106 was his favorite plane, he loved it. He flew everything from CG-4A gliders to F-82 Twin Mustangs, F-86, 101's and F-4's in Vietnam but the 6 was his favorite.

[rael]

I never knew the F-102 had such a good career. For some reason I thought it was short lived and replaced by the F-106. I once saw a flight demo of an F-106 at the Chicago Air and Water show and all the people on the beach stood up and cheered for the F-106. The only other time I've seen an air show crowd react that strongly to a flight demo was for the F-14 Tomcat.

[losonsrenoster]

These planes are as old as I am, but they look a lot better..

[wdgreen]

I worked on both the F-102 and F-106 during my 12 yrs in the Florida Air National Guard. It is sad to see a documentary film like this showing the F-106 where the F-102 is being described. This film has many such mistakes in it. Too bad they were not better informed about the easy to spot differences so as to be accurate with the visuals. I must admit that the F-106 was a more attractive and sleek aircraft. I worked on and repaired the radar systems in both aircraft.

[lancerevell]

F-102s in combat, as per Wiki:
"The F-102 and TF-102 were exported overseas to both Turkey and Greece. The Turkish F-102s saw combat missions during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. There have been claims of air combat between Greek F-5s and Turkish F-102s above the Aegean Sea during the Turkish invasion. A Greek internet website editor, Demetrius Stergiou, claims that the Greek F-5s had shot down two Turkish F-102s, while the Turkish side has claimed that their F-102s had shot down two Greek F-5s;[73] however, both Greece and Turkey still officially deny any aircraft losses."

[jswain]

My uncle flew 66’s in Nam. I’ve always followed AF planes. The Delta’s were some of my favorites. Convair built great planes.

[ibiltit]

As a kid I grew up not far from George Air Force base. I remember when the F102’s arrived. That year at the air show at George the 102 was the star of the show. Airmen walked through the crowd of spectators with boxes of 2” long plastic models of the 102 and would throw them into the air which sent us scrambling to pick them up off the tarmac. I ended up with quite a few. I thought the 102 was the coolest plane ever until the F104 showed up. This video brought back good memories.

[KGV]

The F-102 & F-106 always remind me of the ill-fated CF-105 Arrow.

[andersnilsson]

Designed from the start to be equipped only with missiles.... This thinking which was so common in the early days cost so much in the end. And to add insult to injury the early missiles were not that good.

[johnharris]

On Amazon Prime video they are showing the Old Steve Canyon show. It starts with a flyby of an F-102.

[crankychris]

The F102 evolved into the F106. it was going to be the F102B, but the new engine, wings, structural mods, avionics and weapons made it more like a new aircraft. I like their names, "Dagger and Dart".
The F106 Delta Dart became involved in a bizarre incident known as 'the cornfield bomber'. Lt Gary Foust while piloting his Dart in a dogfight simulation lost control and went into a stall spin. His airspeed dropped to zero, his engine lost power, he deployed his drag chute which wrapped around his tail. Out of options, he punched out.
Much to his amazement, the jet pulled out, and glided down and gently landed on its belly, suffering only minor damage, the engine continued to run until the fuel was exhausted in a wheatfield in Montana.
Gary was soon reunited with his Dart and they flew training missions until both retired at Eglin AF base in Florida. The restored Dart now rests in an AF museum in Dayton OH, where Gary often posed for pictures next to his plane telling his story. He thought that his nickname was inappropriate, since it wasn't a cornfield and the Dart certainly wasn't a bomber. The entire event was documented by the other 2 pilots, and is known as 58-0787 in military speak.
Gary and his wingman flew directly at each other passing each other both going mach 1.9 on full afterburners and climbing vertically.
Thats when Gary Lost it. He lost 16, 000 feet of altitude before he ejected, trying to save his plane.
It was the main event in Montana on Feb 2, 1970. He's immortal now, after living a full life.

[RetroSkier]

My dad was stationed at Keflavik in 67 and 68. The Darts would sometimes flyover the base over mach 1 with the boom rattling the apartment windows which we thought was so cool. I was only 9 at the time when my buddies and I would roam out in the tundra just beyond the airstrip and lie on our backs and watch the jets takeoff. The MPs would try to chase us away, but with so many hiding places, we were tough to find. I remember a Russian Bomber had been intercepted and landed at the airbase. Great Memories and love watching the Steve Canyon reruns on TUBI TV !

[vonmikeore]

Many of your pictures are of the F106 not F102

[triggerpointtechnology]

F102s were designed before the discovery of “area rule”.
The F106 with its pinched waist was the next generation of that design incorporating “area rule”.
Much faster, much less drag. A design criteria that has dominated aircraft design since its discovery by a British engineer.

[philgiglio]

13:08...that's an F106 Delat Dart; NOT an F102

[edwardpate]

If those horrible AIM-4 missiles had been replaced by AIM-7 Sparrows and/or AIM-9 Sidewinders the aircraft's effectiveness would have increased markedly.

[williammoreno]

Used to hear and then see the 102's from AZ ANG taking off from the airport and come out of AB about 150' just as they flew over my old jr high school. It was pretty cool, more so at or just after sunset.

[prowlus]

“Wreacked havoc in vietnam”? It was so effective it completely failed as a bomber escort and was used its falcons as ground attack missiles

[joseveintegenario-nisu]

The Convair F-102 'Delta Dagger' was a direct Derivative of Alexander Lippisch DM-1/ L-13, studied at Langley and improved with apportations by A Lippisch himself.
All Info available in NACA/ NASA Cranfield repository