convairf106b

Beautiful

But a bit disappointing if you have cropped the image (was ratio 5x4?).

This is the first built F-106B 57-2507 which was delivered to the USAF Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB. The photo looks a bit "staged" so may have been taken while still with Convair and just before delivery ca April-May 1958. Stig

Delivered 28 April 1958. She was heavily damaged during a taxi test to gather information for a nose shimmy. During the test the left main tire blew and caused a brake fire. The aircraft slid off the runway onto the lake bed. Sent to Convair San Diego for repairs. Assigned to NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland OH June 1961. Registered as NASA 607/N507NA, but was canceled and re-designated NF-106B. Used for ejection seat testing & NASA projects, at NASA Lewis Facility, Cleveland OH as NASA S/N 607. Used as a NASA Chase Plane. Did final qualification tests for Gemini spacesuit and spacecraft escape system in 1973. Used for Solar Cell Calibration tasks and later Upper Atmosphere Particulate Air Sampling tests in 1974. Used for Ocean Color Scanner System tests 1976-1979. Transferred to NASA Langley Facility, VA 12 May 1981. Cut in half lengthwise so the left side could be mounted in a wind tunnel to test the vortex flap used on NASA 816 (57-2516). Scrapped 24 February 1984.

F-106B-31-CO, s/n 57-2507. Assigned to NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH. Redesignated NF-106B. Used as ejection seat test aircraft (shown in photo). Assigned to NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA. Scrapped 1984.

This probably reflects the aircraft's handover back to USAF after conversion to TEST-to-TACTICAL which was when aircraft were returned to Convair and upgraded from TAC Conventional to Vertical instruments in 1961. Fuselage cut in half at station 412 (Aft bulkhead missile bay) and a new fuselage, cockpit section, and nose section was installed with the latest production avionics, and reassigned to various ADC units. F-106B 57-2515 was the last aircraft so modified. Stig

PS: Roll-out from Convair was on 19 April 1961 and after tests etc the above seems pretty logical. Stig