Topic: Ron Moore Talks Star Trek

[Villa64]

The F-106 got their guns late, like the Phantoms did.  F-106's were flying in the late '50's, but didnt get their guns until '69.  Even then not all got fitted.

All you ever wanted to know about Delta Darts:

http://www.f-106deltadart.com/index1.htm

[Commander La'ra]

That'll teach me to trust an airplane book I bought from Sears.

Though according to the same book, some versions of the F-101 were also built as 'all-missile' interceptors.  Doesn't say much about the F-89 carrying radar-guided missilies, but it does have a listing for one variant that carried Genie nuclear AARs.

[Capt_Bearslayer_XC]

Key word there guys is "INTERCEPTOR" those planes were made to shoot down bombers and missiles from a LONG range away.

Not get close quarters with real fighters.

[Ravok]

Bears right you guys . The main reason the 106's where not originally built with guns was that they where armed with nuclear tipped missiles. They where meant to use them to sweep the sky clean of Soviet bombers with them.

 The 106 is fast as heck going in strait line, but because of the drag caused at low speed ,and altitude, on the delta wing. It is a real turd in the maneuverability department

 The gun was added as an after thought to really confort the pilot, not actually do all that much good in combat..

[Firehawk]

That'll teach me to trust an airplane book I bought from Sears.

Though according to the same book, some versions of the F-101 were also built as 'all-missile' interceptors.  Doesn't say much about the F-89 carrying radar-guided missilies, but it does have a listing for one variant that carried Genie nuclear AARs.

The F-89J carried 2 AIR 2A Genie air-to-air nuclear tip rockets and 4 AIM 4C Falcons.  IIRC one of the earlier model F-89's carried 104 2.75" FFAR in 2 wing tip pods(52 in each)

[Commander La'ra]

Yeah, those are the earlier models.  Bet watching those things cut loose at night woulda been a show.

Bearslayer:  Gotta remember that in the early 60's, the Air Force insisted all future wars would be nuclear, dogfighting was an obsolete practice, and guided missiles and RPVs were the wave of the future.  They designed their planes accordingly.

Still, internal guns made it onto the F-104 Starfighter and the F-105 Thunderchief.  Someone knew what they were doing, unlike the Brits, who ended up cancelling almost every manned plane other than the Lightning.

[Villa64]

Key word there guys is "INTERCEPTOR" those planes were made to shoot down bombers and missiles from a LONG range away.

Not get close quarters with real fighters.

Interesting thing is that the F4 was designed as an interceptor (late as 1959), but for naval "fleet defense".  I did some googling about what does it take to be an 'interceptor' or a 'fighter' .  What I came up with was that fighters had in common were guns, and bombs (at least until the F14 showed up).  But the F4A didnt have a bomb rack, except for one that they tried, but removed because the F4 (using a naval fighter designation at the time) was designed to be an 'interceptor' (circa 1960).

However, the F4A was used as experimental, and as trainers in the RAG's.

The first operational F4's were F4B's, and they in fact, had bomb racks, but not guns (1961).

Further, the F101A was designed as an escort for bombers, not an interceptor, and it didnt have a gun, either.

Another interesting point is that 'F' designations were USAF designations until the mid 60's, when they became tri service.  At that time, a bunch of the naval fighters got redesignated from their confusing (to me, anyway) designations, to become the F1 through F9.

So, to conclude, I dont feel bad about highjacking this thread because no one was posting anyway.   

Villa