To see the F-106 pictures click here.
The F-106 has one of the sleekest silhouettes
of any plane. It was conceived in an era when the thinking was enemy bomber formations would fly high, and they'd be close-packed for defensive purposes, just like the B-17s and 24s in World War II. Since the surface-to-air missile was unproven we needed a pure interceptor whose mission was to get off the ground fast, climb to bomber altitude in the minimum time, and drop an air-to-air nuke into the middle of the enemy's bomber formation.
With that in mind the F-102 and its derivative the F-106 were born. From a purely aerodynamic perspective it's my favorite plane. There was no external multi-mission hardware to spoil its lines or slow it down. A pure delta wing with a coke bottle fuselage, a V-shaped
windscreen and no horizontal stabilizers, the 106 was the epitome of grace in the air.
When it got angry a carriage was lowered out of the fuselage and the pilot had a few choices. He could launch the AIR-2A Genie nuclear rocket, 2 Hughes Aircraft AIM-4G Falcons (radar guided) and/or 2 Hughes AIM-4F Falcons (IR guided). When Nike missiles and their equivalents came into service, the F-106 interceptor was not so needed. It soldiered on in the ANG units and was used as a test target drone (what a waste of a beautiful machine!).
At an air show where the pilots were meeting the public, I asked an F-16 ANG pilot if his Falcon was the nicest plane he'd flown. No....he liked the F-106 the best. He said it was the easiest to take on a cruise.
The Montana Air National Guard is featured in the color section of the excellent Detail & Scale 13, F-106 Delta Dart by Bert Kinzey. The squadron markings are attractive and the interior is a unique shade of blue. According to Kinzey the color is based on the blue seen in a MIG-25 that defected in 1976.
The kit is the classic Monogram 1/48th scale from the late 70s....beautifully done and accurate with an adequate interior and raised panel lines. The only modifications I made were to sand off the raised lines and rescribe them, and close the drag chute doors.
The sleek look is enhanced by the Air Defense Command gloss gray. I used a 50-50 mix of gloss white FS 17875 and Aircraft Gray FS 16473. The Montana ANG markings are from Microscale sheet 48-202. No weathering need be applied as these birds were maintained in pristine condition.