In 1962, Americans were glued to their television sets, the glow of the screens casting long shadows as the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated. The nation watched, breath held, as President John F. Kennedy announced the discovery of Soviet missile sites in Cuba, a direct threat to American soil.
Right then and there, the RF-101 Voodoo supersonic jet fighter was catapulted into the spotlight. Skimming the treetops at breakneck speeds, the Voodoo jets darted over Cuban terrain. These aircraft were America’s eyes, capturing crucial images that would dictate the nation’s next move. The reconnaissance variants flew daring, low-altitude missions, mapping the terrain while dodging the lethal clasp of SA-2 missiles lurking on the ground.
As the fighter/bomber units awaited their orders, the pilots stood beside their fully-loaded aircraft. Each pilot felt the weight of responsibility upon their shoulders, knowing that within the rotary bomb bays of their jets rested nuclear weapons, ready for deployment at a moment’s notice.
The RF-101 Voodoo, once a mere blueprint on the brink of cancellation, had defied odds and broken speed barriers. Now, it hovered on the cusp of executing what could become the most decisive bombing run in history…
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter designed and produced by the American McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.
Development of the F-101 commenced during the late 1940s as a long-range bomber escort (then known as a penetration fighter) for the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC). It was also adapted as a nuclear-armed fighter-bomber for the USAF’s Tactical Air Command (TAC), and as a photo reconnaissance aircraft based on the same airframe. On 29 September 1954, it performed its maiden flight. The F-101A set a number of world speed records for jet-powered aircraft, including fastest airspeed, attaining 1,207.6 miles (1,943.4 km) per hour on 12 December 1957.
Delays in the 1954 interceptor project led to demands for an interim interceptor aircraft design, a role that was eventually won by the F-101B Voodoo. This role required extensive modifications to add a large radar to the nose of the aircraft, a second crew member to operate it, and a new weapons bay using a rotating door that held its four AIM-4 Falcon missiles or two AIR-2 Genie rockets hidden within the airframe until it was time to be fired. The F-101B entered service with USAF Air Defense Command in 1959 and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1961.
While the Voodoo was a moderate success, it may have been more important as an evolutionary step towards its replacement in most roles, the F-4 Phantom II, one of the most successful Western fighter designs of the 1950s; the Phantom would retain the twin engines, twin crew for interception duties, and a tail mounted well above and behind the jet exhaust, although it was an evolution of the F3H Demon while the Voodoo was developed from the earlier XF-88 Voodoo.
F-101F AF Serial Number 58-0311, located at Devils Lake Regional Airport, North Dakota
The Voodoo’s career as a fighter-bomber was relatively brief, but the reconnaissance versions served for some time. Along with the US Air Force’s Lockheed U-2 and US Navy’s Vought RF-8 Crusaders, the RF-101 reconnaissance variant of the Voodoo was instrumental during the Cuban Missile Crisis and saw extensive service during the Vietnam War. Interceptor versions served with the Air National Guard until 1982, and in Canadian service, they were a front line part of NORAD until their replacement with the CF-18 Hornet in the 1980s.
The type was operated in the reconnaissance role until 1979. US examples were handed off to the USAF Air National Guard where they were operated until 1982. The RCAF Voodoos were in service until 1984.
Top Photo: A U.S. Air National Guard McDonnell F-101B Voodoo aircraft banking in flight in 1978. The aircraft was assigned to the 107th Fighter Interceptor Group, New York Air National Guard, at Niagara Falls Air Base, New York (USA).
Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube