|
F-101 Voodoo, The An illustrated History of McDonnell’s Heavyweight Fighter by R
F-101 Voodoo, The An illustrated History of McDonnells Heavyweight Fighter by Ronald Easley
Hard Cover w/ dust jacket (has damage) see photos
248 pages
Copyright 2014
CONTENTS
Preface6
Acknowledgements7
Introduction9
Chapter 1 Escort Fighter10
Chapter 2 Defining the Strategic Fighter24
Chapter 3 Shaping the Concepts38
Chapter 4 The Demon in the Air56
Chapter 5 Reassessment of the Voodoo77
Chapter 6 The Wilderness93
Chapter 7 Doppelganger119
Chapter 8 Tropic Thunder144
Chapter 9 The Shadow of the Pale Horse159
Chapter 10 Into the Fire176
Chapter 11 Never Quietly into the Sunset205
Postscript: Requiem for a Heavyweight226
Appendices
Appendix A: Acronyms and Abbreviations230
Appendix B: A Conversation with Col. Austin A. "Gus" Julian, USAF (Ret.)233
Bibliography241
Index 247
PREFACE
The genesis of this book took place in the summer of 2001 when the author was a new volunteer at what was then McClellan Aviation Museum in Sacramento, California (now the Aerospace Museum of California). Taking on responsibility for the F-101B Voodoo in the museum's collection, it quickly became apparent that what little seemingly authoritative information was available was often either contradictory or patently incorrect. One could either bemoan the situation and just carry on, or set out to perform the due diligence necessary to learn the facts, double check them, ask more questions, and keep scratching and digging until a solid, corroborated set of facts began to emerge, many of which as it turns out have only recently been declassified.
There have been a number of good works written on the F-101, but most date from the mid-1980s. Fortunately, in recent years there have been a number of titles that have shared the stories of the men and their missions in the Voodoo during the most critical years of the Cold War. This is an area that the author has very little in the way of qualifications to be able to add to. However, a thorough technical and developmental history of the F-101 has never before been written. What the author has set out to do is not only relate the facts of the developmental history of the Voodoo, but to present that history within the context of the times and relate why key decisions were made along the way. Rather than focusing exclusively on the missions, this work examines the broader context that those missions took place within and looks at the Voodoo as not just another weapon system, but as a key instrument of American national policy during the most critical years of the Cold War.
The Voodoo has always been an underappreciated aircraft. Alone among the famed "Century-series" fighters, it has served as the razor-sharp tip of NATO's spear as a nuclear-armed strike
aircraft, a reliable and highly effective long-range interceptor, and a ubiquitous reconnaissance aircraft that remained in the thick of combat until there were literally no more left to send into harm's way. As of this writing, the official Air Force history of the development of the Voodoo remains classified nearly sixty years after being written. But enough information has come to light in recent years to reveal the incredibly ambitious specification that it was built to meet, the ultimate expression of the almost-forgotten "strategic fighter." Had the strategic fighter concept come to fruition, the F-101 would not only have been the most powerful of the Century-series fighters with its 30,000 pounds-plus of thrust, but it would have been the most heavily armed fighter aircraft ever conceived, much less to become operational, and that by a very large margin.
The Voodoo failed to meet its original set of objectives, in some cases due to the bar being set impossibly high, in others due to the nascent understanding of high-speed aerodynamics as the Voodoo design evolved from the XP-88 to the F-101 during the course of the 1940s and early-1950s. It remains a testament to a fundamentally sound and capable design that the Voodoo could be adapted to perform so many roles for which it had never been conceived, and that in a highly evolved form it carried on as what was initially a Navy aircraft, with many of the design elements intended to correct the problems of the Voodoo incorporated into what was then known as the F3H-G, and far better remembered as the incomparable F-4 Phantom.
After spending decades in the shadows, the time has come for the Voodoo to step into its overdue share of the limelight to be recognized at last for what it has always been: James S. McDonnell's heavyweight champion.
All pictures are of the actual item. There may be reflection from the lights in some photos. We try to take photos of any damage. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
Shipping charges
US Shipments: When you add multiple items to your cart, the reduced shipping charges will automatically be calculated. For direct postage rates to other countries, send me an email. Shipping varies by weight.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us before making a return. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding or buying.
Thanks for looking at our items.
| 
