101 - F-101 Voodoo

[@roneasley3711]

A bit late to the party here, but excellent overview of the Voodoo. A few notes: F-101A and F-101C: These were the original single-seat versions, developed under Strategic Air Command as “strategic fighters” to support the heavies either as escorts or striking air defense targets ahead of them. SAC got out of the fighter business just as they began to enter service, and few were built, equipping one wing that spent most of its time in England. Primary weapon was the MK 28 bomb, 1.1 MT yield. The A model was stressed to 6.33 G while the C was stressed to 7.33, otherwise identical. RF-101: Also originally a SAC program. One of the unique features of the RF-101A and RF-101C were a pair of long focal length cameras in a split vertical configuration behind the cockpit, in addition to the smaller cameras in the nose. They used 9 x 18 inch film so even at high altitudes could produce detailed images. First action over Lebanon in 1958, were the first jet aircraft deployed to Indochina beginning in 1961, withdrawn in 1970. They flew missions north of the DMZ into 1968, but proved vulnerable to NVAF MiG-21s, especially when the Voodoos had to carry ECM pods that foiled SA-2 missiles but slowed them enough to allow the MiG-21s to catch up. ECM: RF-101Cs were among the first aircraft to use jammer pods over NVN, with a jury-rigged configuration of four QRC-160 pods per aircraft using equipment borrowed from EB-66 aircraft. They were later modified to carry QRC-160 or AN/ALQ-71 “noise” jammer pods, one under each wing on small pylons. Vibration often caused failure of the experimental QRC pods, and the aerodynamic loads on the thin wing (only 6% thickness : chord ratio) caused wing twist. For a time, they operated with internally mounted ALQ-51 DECM equipment borrowed from the Navy, but over time mods to the SA-2 rendered it ineffective and they had to go back to the pods. A number of F-101Bs at Tyndall AFB carried both ECM pods and chaff dispensers (ALE-2 pod, as I recall) to simulate Soviet bombers to train ADC crews. Hope this helps. There are some really amazing stories behind the Voodoo, and I think that many are still yet to be told.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Sounds like you're the right guy to tell them, Ron!

[@wingsofwar13]

My great uncle flew the RF-101 over Vietnam. He was shot down in April of 1966 and was a POW for nearly 7 years. His stories are incredible and heart wrenching.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

I'll bet!

[@guaporeturns9472]

Damn I would love to read some of his experiences. Did he write anything down?

[@wingsofwar13]

@@guaporeturns9472Nothing publicly released. He passed two years ago on Memorial Day of all days. He’ll be interred at Arlington this fall. He was mentioned by name in Charlie Plum’s book “I’m No Hero”. A great read if you haven’t already.

[@wingsofwar13]

@@guaporeturns9472 He didn’t wrote anything publicly. He actually passed away two years ago Memorial Day and is being interred at Arlington this fall. My uncle is mentioned by name is Charlie Plumbs book “I’m No Hero”. A great read if you haven’t already.

[@jasonsong86]

Very interesting to learn different planes have different roll characteristics. Never came to my mine that position of the ailerons and center of gravity can cause the airplane to change positions slowly as you roll. Always learning something from your podcasts.

[@davidofford7002]

Four thumbs up for RCAF Major Stace Stacey, Air Canada retr., active serving Ice Jockey jock, father, grandfather, back woods countryman, and super all round good guy. Come back soon brother!

[@vtwinbuilder3129]

Congrats on your top billing in Apple Jello! You guys deserve it, you and your whole team have been kicking ass with this podcast and you’ve clearly worked really hard to make it as awesome as it is! Looking forward to the century series, Bruce Gordon is a great addition as well, love his channel.

[@georgeburns7251]

Stace is the perfect guest. Good job getting him on your show. So very eloquent.

[@DavidG62]

Stace is right about the air show display. Always a highlight at Toronto international air show at CNE. Always 425 squadron and when they lit the burners BOOM a great crowd pleaser. There were a few years where the Voodoos and The Vulcan bomber were in the same show. Couldn’t ask for better in the day.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

I'll bet!

[@jjock3239]

In 1967, the Canada Centennial, the RCAF formed a demonstration team called the the Centenaires, which was composed of 9 Tutors, a CF-104 (flown by Rennie Serell), and a CF-101(flown by Jake Miller, and I am sorry I have forgotten the Navs name). The team flew for the entire 1967 season, and they put on a fantastic show, and the two fighters put on the best show I have seen, and I have seen them all, including the day when the Blue Angels, flying the F-4s, during a show in Kelowna, BC, slipped through the mach, and blew out 1/2 the windows in the city center. The downtown area looked like it had been bombed.

[@jjock3239]

The Canadians flew two versions of the non dual control F-101. The original version the Canadians received, did not have the infra-red capability. This older version, was more suitable for conversion to the RF version, so at the USAF request, they were all traded back to the USAF, for the newer IR equipped aircraft. These aircraft were actually in mothballs at Davis Monthan, and there was a program developed to re-introduce the aircraft back into service. These later aircraft were kept in service until the Voodoo was retired in 1984.

[@johnpryor1318]

Just started listening to this podcast catching up since newyears and recognized a friends voice. Bruce Gordon is a friend of mine that I am building a rc turbine f106 as his jet the 94th hat in the ring squadron. Such an interesting jet. My former boss retired the last flying F101

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

How cool John!

[@kpsig]

These recollections on the airplane flight characteristics and incidents were very interesting! This is one of the best interviews across KZbin.

[@vtwinbuilder3129]

“Like a long road, to a small house” - Vincent I love it, this may be your best Jello-ism yet.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

I can't claim credit for that one, nor do I recall where I heard it first.

[@lefty59th18]

But, "duration is really a function of your left hand" - comes in #2 for sure :D :D :D

[@adityapunetha6606]

Please do an episode with SAM operators such as patriots or hawks. It would be very interesting to hear their side of stories since we have heard a lot from the pilots perspective.

[@Cornography1996]

My favorite jet of all time! I've loved the 'One oh Wonder' ever since I saw one for the first time at a museum in Minneapolis. Come to find out that that was the last Voodoo to ever fly in the United States. Great episode.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Thanks, Max. 👍

[@brittsmith8260]

They sure knew how to build them in the old days.

[@kelvinrempel3]

Great Episode,. I've been going through your previous episodes and love them all. Great way to pass the time on my 3 hour commute. Great guest on this episode. I've know John casually through work for the last 20 years, great guy. My first experience with the Voodoo was in 1976 when I was 5 at an airshow in Winnipeg. I remember having the living s*^t scared out of me when the Voodoo did the sneak pass coming from behind in AB. Never forgot that.

[@I.G_NL]

Great podcast, surely does make the geography project that I'm doing now a lot more fun!

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Glad to help!

[@r1a1p1AllenPogue]

Good interview. He was funny. I love the F-101 and I think it was underutilized, being restricted mostly to bomber intercept and recce.

[@modap3000]

Great idea having Bruce Gordon on to give his perspective as well.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

You'll hear a lot of him over the next several episodes.

[@MrEddieG420]

My grandpa was in the RCAf from 1955-1975 he worked on a lot of the century series jets. F-86-101-104-F-116 “F5”

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

I bet he has a bunch of good stories!

[@JosheyG34]

My grandpa too! Maybe they knew each other

[@Mark_Ocain]

A really super interesting podcast, eh? Thanks, "Stace" for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Beauty, eh! 👍

[@ja_37di_81]

Beautiful aircraft, was a kid time fav of me for jets.. Saw an RF in the Buck Danny comics (I think it was called) flown by that character Sonny.. Looked so cool..

[@nissan6541]

New subscriber here. You make amazing videos!! Lots of knowledge to be learned here!!! I am a retired Marine, 6541 aviation ordnance so I got to play with a lot of the bombs rockets and machine guns and cannons for the birds. Both helo and fixed wing aircraft. But keep up the good work Sir!!!

[@jeffreyphipps5099]

Good talk. In the movie ‘Fail Safe’ the fighters trying to chase down the ‘Vindicator’ bombers were F-101 silhouettes. There’s an Arkansas ANG RF-101 on a stick at Little Rock AFB, AR but it is behind the gates near the flight line.

[@dankuettel5063]

Don’t forget the speed records set by the F-101A and also the important role the RF-8 Crusader played in the Cuban Missile Crisis including being chased by Migs

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Never, Dan!

[@mobiuszero1018]

Damn,this thing is just massive... It's crazy how they built aircraft back in the day.

[@maximilliancunningham6091]

I used to love the sound of the hard light A/B at the CNE. 😊❤ Warlocks, from Bagotville.

[@lefty59th18]

Great show again! It's good to hear so happy voices, who flew in the craziest era! Do you plan a Flanker episode, this year maybe?

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

If we can find the right (any?) guest, you bet! Know any?

[@hockey3761]

Great podcast, and love Bruce!

[@jasonsong86]

Was able to see F-101 in person at Hill Aerospace Museum. Rather cool airplane indeed.

[@KrisRamJ]

That was awesome, would love to hear more about the recce Voodoo though, it'd definitely be worth revisiting if you could find a Vietnam vet who flew RF-101s

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Maybe the recce mission in general? Because the Vigilante and a few others also flew that mission. Not sure how interesting it would be to simply focus on the cameras of just one of those.

[@KrisRamJ]

​@@FighterPilotPodcast You're right, that's an awesome idea - recce has changed a lot in the last 30 years or so, and the only dedicated old school tactical recce platform I can think of right now is the Marine Corps ATARS F/A-18D but there's lots of interesting avenues to explore for sure, including how I guess how virtually every platform these days has a secondary ISR role (thinking about the F-35 here and its data link capabilities). Love the podcast by the way, thank you so much for your dedication to it!

[@TLTeo]

@@FighterPilotPodcast An episode on recce would be great because I think it's one of the least understood missions. There's this kind of picture that you just fly over somewhere and take pictures, and I would love to know more beyond that!

[@MrEddieG420]

421 red Indians, 1956 my grandpa James Roy Garrow was in Baden working on jets.

[@denmalski]

421 was based in Grostenquin France with the Saber in 1956, moved to Zweibruchen Germany in 67 with their CF-104 Starfighters, not sure when the move to Baden happened, cheers

[@quickdrawkitty7985]

YESSS the voodoo one of my favourite aircraft thank you jello

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Sure thing! 🤩

[@georgeburns7251]

Another great episode.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

🙏

[@APV878]

It's too bad you weren't able to find a Scope Wizard to interview. I've long been fascinated by the radar & guidance system on the Voodoo, and I haven't been able to find anything out there, no videos, etc. And it's just not seen in Flight Sims or games, which is a shame. But this has been a great interview, either way. Also: the black painted 101F just looks sinister.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Well see if we can find one...similar to a RIO/WSO, we’ll have to see how much info they can even discuss, but it could be good!

[@PHUSHEY]

You would really need Doug Brown for this. He was a Scope Wizard instructor and had over 1k hours on the jet.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

@@PHUSHEY Any idea how to contact him?

[@roneasley3711]

I haven’t talked to Doug in a while, but might be able to put you in touch. Great guy!

[@mr_beezlebub3985]

If I could make a suggestion, you guys should make an episode about the HH-60 Pave Hawk or MH-53 Pave Low. Would love to hear from people who've flown them and worked with them. I love your show!

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Well get there eventually, just going fighter-centric or where fighters are clearly related first.

[@_RAF_SkyRider_]

Excellent interview! But it looks like we missed F-100 Super Sabre!

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

You must have missed our comments on that subject in the preceding episodes. It’s on its way, don’t you worry.

[@yxeaviationphotog]

Talking external fuel tanks being dropped on stuff,.....during Desert Storm, an S-3 Viking inadvertently dropped a buddy pod on an Iraqi patrol boat and sunk it. Story I had read that the pilot was excited about getting the first S-3 surface kill, rolled in on the target, and selected everything to drop, by accident. Anyhow.....great episode on the Voodoo....and great to have another RCAF pilot on the show!

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Ahh! 😬 Great story, amazing if they actually hit!

[@yxeaviationphotog]

@@FighterPilotPodcast I was hoping Sunshine would have touched on that, during the S-3 episode....assuming he had heard the story. But it makes for a great O Club story.

[@APV878]

Voodoo's in movies: "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!" from 1966, which took place in Cape Cod (a fictional New England town "Gloucester Island"). Near the end of the movie, a pair of Voodoos are seen buzzing the Russian sub. They were supposed to represent the 60th FIS out of Cape Cod which was flying the 101B at the time, but, the jets were from the 84th FIS out of California

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Yup

[@APV878]

@@FighterPilotPodcast Oops, I got ahead of the podcast while listening to it, your co-host made mention of the movie after the interview.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

@@APV878 😉

[@tabascoindy5005]

This episode pairs best with 'Voodoo Ranger IPA'.

[@GojiKaichou]

there is a static display RF-101 in front of the KY ANG HQ in South Louisville, and it can be seen from I-65 going north or south.

[@jim874]

It was Adlai Stevenson who confronted the Russian ambassador at the UN. "I will wait until Hell freezes over for your answer, Mr Ambassador" he retorted when the Russian said "you will get your answer in due time" about the nukes being in Cuba.

[@jim874]

I watched it live on TV as a kid and still remember that exchange. Stevenson was on a roll.... he told the Russian "don't wait for the translation!"

[@michaelmulligan0]

One thing I always wonder with nuclear anti-aircraft weapons is what about EMP? Happy holidays

[@RCAvhstape]

Regarding which squadrons get stood up or down, I'd imagine that one of the things that goes into the decision would be the unit's history and lineage. A famous squadron that distinguished itself in WWII is probably less likely to get stood down than a lesser-known unit. As a Marine I know the Corps cares about this to some extent; VMA-231 traces its lineage to the very first Marine Corps squadron, and of course VMA-214 is Pappy Boyington's famous Black Sheep squadron who even had a whole TV series made about them in the 70s. I imagine these would be the last squadrons to get stood down in a budget cut.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

That's certainly a fair bet.

[@stevenduncan7086]

Sorry, Bruce. Adlai Stevenson was our representative at the UN during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

[@ramal5708]

USAF legend and ace Robin Olds flew in F-101 and he said it's not maneuverable as later F-4

[@327musman]

There are several videos on KZbin about stall recovery And pitch up recovery for the F101 voodoo very interesting stuff

[@skipssmn3754]

I believe I was a victim of an RCAF searchlight prank. Finally after all these years... I now know the truth.

[@PHUSHEY]

The sound of those two J-57s would have been a slight giveaway.

[@eliezercohen2205]

Love the picture!!!!!

[@jjock3239]

The movie, "The Russians are Coming", was well done, and I remember enjoying it.

[@Dexter037S4]

Probably one of my favorite fighters ever, saw one in person, she's HUUGE.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

And loud!

[@CapitalRoach]

Wait is Super Sabre not a Century aircraft? I expected this series to start last episode! :(

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

We mentioned it a few times in the episodes leading up to episode 100, but we are putting it in episode 103.

[@RCAvhstape]

For anyone who wants to see that nuclear test mentioned at 1:07:30 here is the link to a video showing the F-89 firing the Genie rocket and the guys standing underneath it as it goes off: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4e9aHmHfbmUiJY From what I've read they all lived out fairly normal lives with no radiation-related illnesses.

[@patrickchase5614]

W.r.t. siblings in the same unit, I have a vague recollection that the US armed services prohibited that as a matter of policy after the loss of the 5 Sullivan brothers in the sinking of the USS Juneau. In 'Neptune's Inferno' Hornfischer claims that giving siblings orders to the same unit was controversial even before that.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Plausible.

[@ญัติผิวขาว]

-1-101.F."เปรียว"ลักษณะ .สวยมากๆครับ.

[@Rocktheredandblack92]

My dad was a 101 wiso

[@texn8]

Spelled WSO in the USAF...... unless it's changed

[@tomislavb5760]

Would you say "Stace" still had the same amount of takeoffs and landings?

[@ALSNewsNow]

"Couldn't hit a forest fire if it was locked on"

[@scottmanning8739]

The RF-101 Voodoo made a brief appearance in the film,Thirteen Days.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

I bet you made that comment before listening to the episode all the way through... 😉

[@scottmanning8739]

@@FighterPilotPodcast I did. 🙄

[@drupiROM]

In that "blueprint" why is the nose turned to the right in the top view ? it looks the same as in the side view.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Cameras

[@sohrabroozbahani4700]

These old wild machines... they do what they do, don't listen to you much, and you better learn how to ride along with them... aren't those things so awesome...

[@deedsmillar6056]

i think this explains technology from then to now and why it looks like jets kinda went from old to super hi tech, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_law

[@scottmccambley764]

Was he disappointed the Canadian Government never partnered with the Brits in building a joint F-4 production program which the British Government wanted to do

[@carlhull8276]

Warriors.

[@Duvstep910]

The voodoo looks like the Avro Vulcan's distant cousin

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

It does, doesn’t it!

[@solidlift]

One-O-Wonder!

[@mobiuszero1018]

Moral of the story:nukes suck.

[@heazheaz6105]

So...Jello.....you're saying that KZbin is incentivizing behavior which encourages controversy...maybe lying to generate views.

[@LRRPFco52]

I believe the term you're looking for is "click-bait", but this channel doesn't really need to do that.

[@MozTS]

Canada bought a ton of these lemons 🍋 after the avro arrow was cancelled Now rotting CF-101 on pedestals haunt parade grounds across canada

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

A case could be made that they served their purpose for a spell.

[@LRRPFco52]

The thing about aircraft designs that were never built is that they take on all the wildest attributes and dreams of those who envisioned their success, while conveniently ignoring any flaws or problems that would have naturally occurred. The Avro Arrow, F-20, and YF-23 are the most common "coulda, woulda, shoulda" designs we like to pontificate about.

[@DJones476]

@@LRRPFco52 I'm certainly not a fan of the Arrow. It was expensive, not to mention HUGE, not particularly maneuverable, and the visibility was horrid! To ad insult to expense, the Arrow _repeatedly_ humped the bunk on top speed tests in level flight as well. Oh, I almost forgot: That heap wasn't nearly as "ahead of its time" as many people believe it was, either.

[@IntrusiveThot420]

@@LRRPFco52 Devil's Advocate: I think the YF-23 would have had better strike capability than the F-22, simply because its weapon bay was longer and you could fit larger weapons into it.

[@LRRPFco52]

@@IntrusiveThot420 The weapons bay of the YF-23 was one of the biggest weaknesses and risk factors of the whole design. They never demonstrated the ability to mount and separate A2A weapons. The proposed fix for this was adding another forward bay for 2-3 AIM-9s, while the rear bay would only hold 3-4 AIM-120s with a complex trapeze matrix, thereby lengthening the aircraft even more than its already long fuselage. The simple flat belly bay solution on the YF-22 with cheek bays for AIM-9s proved to be the least risky option, and probably contributed greatly to the selection of the Lockheed/GD/Boeing Team submission. I still love the revolutionary and timeless design of the YF-23 though. I would have loved to have seen a joint core systems sharing program between the 2, with both airframes produced. Make 300 each using the same AESA, IR MAWS sensors, distributed RF sensor suite, IFDL data link later upgraded to JSF MADL, with open architecture and shared subcomponents with JSF. Basically a 3 VLO Airframe for Tacair that would sequentially replace F-15C, F-15E, and F-16C but not limited to legacy roles, since VLO 5th Gen are all Omnirole. Air Planners could tailor the force as-needed with that mix and wreck anyone on the planet with an extreme unfair advantage. The real challenge would be funding it and keeping the production infrastructure adaptive enough for improvements in VLO that have already evolved within F-22A and JSF.

[@bret9741]

Politics do play a roll in squadron closures and aircraft placement. Not saying the only roll. If a logo or squadrons history isn’t politically correct….. kiss it goodbye.

[@threexfromwsg]

The F4s grandfather.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

So what's the generation in the middle?

[@RCAvhstape]

2:45 so you have discovered click-bait!

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

We may have taken a liberty this one time... 🙄

[@Deltasayan]

@@FighterPilotPodcast As we say in the industry, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

@@Deltasayan Harumph!

[@FrankBruce]

As always César Rodríguez was right on spot: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJzXm3yui6Z3Z6c

[@patrikrenmark2010]

great show! found this video that explains the whole pitch-up thing and it also has a video showing the deployment of the drogue chute as a recovery measure. kzbin.info/www/bejne/imPcZHeObc2Nd7s chute at 9.20.

[@darrenhayles902]

You heard it from the horses mouth, if he lies he makes more money.....hmmm