Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire most "flyable" cold War transonic jets?

I loved those things!

I always thought the Grumman Panther jets were pretty cool, as well as the Banshee.

For me the F-11F Tiger - a shape sketched in a 1000's of kids school notebooks.

F-105!! Nothing could touch it down low. Highest Vmo of any fighter from that era...capable of super sonic level flight at Sea Level. Comparable to a top fuel dragster..fast as he!! in straight line, but can’t turn worth a darn.

The Vigilante was no slouch either.

There were lots of great airframes designed in the 50s and built into the 70s that were plenty wicked. They just werent suited to the electronics and weapons systems that came along later.

My hunting buddy here flew em off the USS Independence back in the day. Loved that jet.

Flyable is a pretty vague criteria but my vote would be for the F-106, it was an absolute great design, well ahead of its time. Not just in look but also in performance, to this day it still holds the speed record that was set in 1959 as the fastest single engined fighter - 1525.95 mph,Mach 2.39. This was well in advance of any computer controlled systems, just good design and good old mechanical know-how.
https://www.f-106deltadart.com/speedrecord.htm

In this instance an F-106 landed itself with minimal damage and was returned to service afterwards - does that meet the flyable criteria?

https://www.historynet.com/the-cornfield-bomber.htm#:~:text=Gary%20Foust%20was%20flying%20this,landed%20in%20a%20Montana%20cornfield.

https://www.f-106deltadart.com/580787cornfieldbomber.htm

The Montana ANG flew F106 A and B models until 1987 before they transitioned to F-16's. The last two remaining were B-models (two seater trainers) they were sent to the boneyard in Tucson, I was lucky enough to be in the final one that left the field. A great airplane who lived and fought for nearly 30 years, quite a lifespan for a fighter aircraft.

As much as I liked the F-106 the F-16 that replaced them is a fantastic aircraft and a great replacement for the old girls.

drover

For me, the F16.

Obviously the tail end of the CW, but it’s the jet I used to draw in elementary school. That intake on the underside of the fuselage and the smooth lines are just bad azz.

Lots of interesting discussion here. Folks have brought up a few planes which I had not become familiar with.


Indeed a fine choice. She is a beauty. One which I was unfamiliar with.

I was expecting you to write eloquently of the A6. Another of my favorites since reading Stephen Coonts' novel 35 years ago. Although the craft would be prohibitively expensive to maintain and fuel in civilian hands.

DD, I can't seem to pull the link up. Love those A-6's! Just so bad ass!

I've never seen that, doubt I ever will. However, I've seen enough wild turkeys on the wing that I literally LOL'd when I got to where you wrote "The Turkey".

Rocky, thanks for your explanation on the F104. I've never "flown" any airplane. Dad's friend had a 172 that I "steered" for about 10Min one time on a pleasure cruise over the hinterlands. But, I could "feel" the "OH NO" in your description.

My father flew RF84-Fs, F86s, and finally the Phantom before getting out of the Air Force and going to the airlines. He has a ton of pics and stories from his time in. He said that the Sabre was his favorite for pure flying, and the Phantom was the most fun and fastest til you ran out of fuel. I was lucky enough as a kid to be able to sit in the cockpit of each of the aircraft he flew (unfortunately not flying in them though), which sparked my love for aviation. The old man is still around to tell the tale, but sadly slowing down too quickly with age. I’m trying to document as much as I can before he makes his final departure...

Was stationed at Whidbey Island in 1966-67 when our squadron (VAH 123 flying A3's A3B Link) acquired the first A6's. Looked like they started to build a Hell of plane and ran out of money before getting to the tail. Really high tech at the time. Makes one feel old to see them decommissioned several years back.

I stuck with the old A3's as I was familiar with and certified to crank them up for systems checks.

F4 launching off the Coral Sea filmed in Super 8 by my Uncle while he serverd.

I always thought the looks of the F16 made it the descendent of the P51 Mustang. Clear bubble canopy and the intake underneath. PS--I know the first Mustangs didn't have the bubble canopy. The first Thunderbolts didn't either, but most did.

You guys should look into R/C planes.

Way cheaper.

Mental masturbation........it's free.

The A7 either in Navy or AF attire..an all-round superb airframe for that time line..

Yes, it was. I had it as #1 on my "Dream Sheet" for my next assignment after being a FAC. Alas, I fell into the gap during which they were phasing out the A-7 and the A-10 had not yet been born. As a FAC, I was also an "asterisk" fighter pilot: although I had been to Ground Attack School and carried the full 1111 AFSC as a fighter pilot, the honchos above did not consider us to be one.

Explanation: During 'Nam, the US Army said that any FAC who was to work supporting our ground forces had to be a qualified fighter pilot so he fully understood the limitations of close air support. Except that every available fighter pilot was actually flying as a fighter pilot. So USAF came up with an "Instant FP program" to produce guys who met that Army dictate, but who had never been (and never would be) members of the elite FP club. I was one of those.

It was stupid on the AF's part. They'd take brand new guys right out of basic flight school and make them FPs, but not a combat veteran FAC? A pilot who knew more about ground attack than ANYbody? Believe me, a lot of us were bitter about that.

Rocky, that would seem to indicate that a good FAC was too damned valuable to waste in the cockpit as a jet jocky.