DS003 CONVAIR F102A (CASE X)

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger is a single-seat interceptor capable of operating in all weather conditions. It is also the first delta-wing fighter to enter operational service, and the first fighter with air-to-air missiles as its primary armament. The first flight of the prototype took place on October 24, 1953. The first unit armed with new fighters reached combat readiness in 1956. The main task of the F-102 was to combat Soviet strategic bombers. 1,101 were built, of which 975 in the F-102A version and 111 in the TF-102 version (training and combat aircraft with seats next to each other). The F-102 Delta Dagger fighter was built in a low wing design with a delta wing, keeping the field rule. Half-shell aluminum fuselage. The propulsion is a single jet engine with the Pratt-Whitney J57-P-23 afterburner with a thrust of 4627 kg increasing to 7258 kg after the afterburner is turned on (in late models it is a J57-P-25 with an afterburner thrust of 7802 kg). Three-assembly hydraulically retractable undercarriage. The F-102 was most often armed with six AIM-4 Falcon missiles placed in the hull hatch and 24 unguided rockets of 70 mm caliber placed in the door of the bomb bay. Its use during the Vietnamese conflict was limited, mainly due to the F-102's limited ability to attack ground targets. Technical data (version F-102A): Maximum speed: 1304 km / h, speed of climb: 66 m / s, ceiling practical 16,300 m, maximum range: 2,175 km.