F-102A Delta Dagger help

[quang]

13 hours ago, LSP_Typhoonattack said:

The '102 does indeed seem to have a somewhat tapering conical shape, albeit symmetrical, at the extreme nose end. 

 

 

Hard to tell. Too many cones on this photograph. ;-)

[Padraic Conway]

That's a neat set of checkers!

[Troy Molitor]

Ha!  

 

I’m not really a jet guy but I do like the daggers ams this topic has got my interest.  The nose cone certainly does have a series of curvaceous turns to which one needs to study further.  Again, I’d like to thank you all for bringing this most interesting topic up for discussion.   There is something awesome about mid century subjects ....errr.....him.   What are we all talking about again?   

 

[LSP_K2]

9 hours ago, Padraic Conway said:

That's a neat set of checkers!

 

Speaking of the checkers (on the pitot tube), I'm guessing that some sort of tape was used for those, as they are anything but neatly applied, and don't seem to match at all on the bottom.

[LSP_K2]

Don't know if you're aware or not but Detail & Scale did two newer volumes on the '102 a couple of years back, available only as pdf, unfortunately, but at least available, and both are highly recommended to those that have a passion for the Dagger.

 

F-102 D&S

F-102 C&M

[Chek]

56 minutes ago, LSP_Typhoonattack said:

 

Speaking of the checkers (on the pitot tube), I'm guessing that some sort of tape was used for those, as they are anything but neatly applied, and don't seem to match at all on the bottom.

 

I'd guess the checker concept seemed a good one in the design stage, but it's not hard to see the difficulty in actually applying it to a tapering pitot mast.

But checkers were squadron boss Col. Rigney's thing and I don't suppose a lowly airframe fitter felt like explaining a spiral would be much a better and easier idea.

Even a CAD designed laser cut mask of that length and width would be a pain to manipulate into place, keeping it straight and removing the blanks.

 

And +1 to Kevin's recommendation of the Detail & Scale and Colours & Markings titles, both available for instant download for Amazon's Kindle app, which saved me having to scan the colour photo of the checkered record special 54-1396 in that earlier post. The speed record mention intrigued me because the one that immediately sprang to mind for 1956 was FAI World Speed record taken by Peter Twiss in the Fairey Delta II, at a respectable-in-its-day 1132 mph, way beyond the Deuce's top speed of 800+, although to be fair the Fairey delta wasn't carrying a valve (tube) era search radar, six missiles, a launch system and enough fuel to fly to Alaska and back. Col. Rigney's record was the only slightly less attention getting 1100 mile flight from George to Oklahoma City at a more stately 820 mph. I can't find mention of whether the flight was in an operational state, or if it was streak-eagled for it, but a record's a record nonetheless.

 

I found another photo of Barbara's visit to the squadron, and there very likely is another questionable cones quip to be had, but I'm damned if I can think of it.

Don't get your fingers all smutty in that ring piece, Barbara!

 

[LSP_K2]

Here's hoping that we get a 1:32 '102 one of these days, and sooner rather than later. (I'd probably sweep several other subjects aside for a big F-102.)

[Chek]

It's odd the way things stick in your mind, but I can recall getting paid on Saturday night from my paper delivery round, and hardly getting any sleep on the Sunday night in order to be at the toy shop at 9 a.m. Monday to buy the Revell Deuce, with its very odd bent US AIR FORCE logo on the intake. Out of stock didn't seem to be a thing back then.

 

Although it was moulded in 'silver' plastic, none of the squadron Deuce's were ever in natural metal finish. They were all in ADC Aircraft Grey, until 1969 when the Fairchild facility at Crestview in Florida operated the F-102 maintenance contract and began finishing the jets rotated through their plant in aluminised lacquer.

Whether to use up earlier old stocks is unclear, but it's become an iconic scheme thanks to the 57th FIS's silver and orange example in the USAF museum.

 

It'd certainly be imposing in 1/32nd scale (and wouldn't you need a Six too, to see how the concept played out?) But one thing about deltas is that they're economical in width compared to their length.

[LSP_K2]

5 hours ago, Chek said:

It'd certainly be imposing in 1/32nd scale (and wouldn't you need a Six too, to see how the concept played out?) But one thing about deltas is that they're economical in width compared to their length.

 

 

Deltas just rock,... period.

[Troy Molitor]

Not really into jets but the Deuces both 102 and 106’s are just so cool looking.   I would even trade my F-14D for this one.  Maybe even the F-117.  Lol.   The states that flew this aircraft in the National Guard service would also make a lot of people happy.  1-800 Jennings comes to mind here.  

[Chek]

The Colour and Markings title Kevin mentioned earlier has quite a full and comprehensive photo coverage of every ANG unit including a super rare example, due to a very brief service, of a Deuce in the Tennessee Guard. All the Air Defence and other squadrons are of course also covered. I'd certainly recommend the electronic versions which contain far more pages than a print version could, although they're in the proprietary Kindle format rather than something more versatile like a .pdf file.

 

Being able to enlarge at a click or two is very convenient when trying to clarify small serial numbers and other details. I have more than a few of the D&S and C&M print titles I bought during the '80s when they, along with the late lamented Koku Fan series, were pretty much the main if not only source of information to detail models. But expanded, full colour versions would be very welcome, even with all the free walkarounds available online. There's definitely a niche for photos accompanied by informative captions.

 

With the missile bays area lending itself to a very nice focus of detail, I'm getting a bit psyched about how nice a big scale model would be. Even a Combat Models vac could be tempting if there was a nice build to be found online for inspiration. If there is, I haven't found it. And it couldn't be any more difficult than the Contrail XB-70, and likely much less awkward and even more impressive. The new Revell Mirage IIIE comes in a big imposing box. A Delta Dagger would be near enough 50% larger. But with the imminent arrival of even larger multiple Lancasters on the horizon, perhaps a revival of '50s jets in general and century series jets in particular, doesn't seem all that outlandish any more.

 

I'll just post one more photo as a thank you for those who've chimed in on the thread, and just because ... it looks nice, even without all the flashy international orange options on some schemes. Not bad at all for an interim fighter.

 

p.s. Why ever were operational Falcon missiles in that hi-vis scarlet red scheme (even on a dulled down green and tan Phantom).

For the longest time I had assumed we had only been seeing test/display versions.

 

Photo by Clark via Jim Rotramel via Bert Kinzey via Colours & Markings Vol. 2 (highly recommended)

Edited November 10, 2018 by Chek
photo added