Museum Audio Tour 52: Cold War Gallery: Protecting Against the Bear

DAYTON, OH, UNITED STATES

12.31.1969

Audio by NMUSAF PA 

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

To meet the threat of Soviet bombers, the United States needed the ability to locate, intercept and destroy enemy aircraft by day or night under all types of weather conditions. The F-89J could do just that. This all-weather fighter-interceptor of the Air Defense Command was the first to launch an air-to-air rocket with a nuclear warhead. Soon after, however, the Air Force began phasing out F-89s in favor of supersonic all-weather jet interceptors such as the F-101, F-102, and F-106. The F-101 originally was designed as a long-range bomber escort for SAC, but before production began, the F-101's design changed to fill both tactical and air defense roles. The sole mission of the F-102 was to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft. It was the world's first supersonic all-weather jet interceptor and the U.S. Air Force’s first operational delta-wing aircraft. On many occasions, these aircraft met and escorted Soviet aircraft flying reconnaissance missions along the U.S. border. Click on the Resources portion of the podcast to see a photo. The F-106 was developed from the F-102. The F-106 on display in the Cold War Gallery was involved in a most unusual incident. During a training mission from Malmstrom Air Force Base on February 2, 1970, it suddenly entered an uncontrolled flat spin – a condition where the airplane rotates and descends out of control – forcing the pilot to eject. Unpiloted, the aircraft recovered on its own, apparently due to the balance and configuration changes caused by the ejection, and miraculously made a gentle belly landing in a snow-covered field near Big Sandy, Montana. After minor repairs, the aircraft was returned to service. Types of each of these aircraft can be found in the Cold War Gallery.

• Date Taken: 12.31.1969
• Date Posted: 09.02.2015 13:54
• Category: Newscasts
• Audio ID: 41978
• Filename: 1509/DOD_102704411.mp3
• Length: 00:01:50
• Album: Museum Audio Tour
• Track #: 52
• Location: DAYTON, OH, US