F-106 Delta Dart Illustrated

While the F-106 may have been the least produced of the Century Series, it was one of the most advanced fighters of its time. It was conceived and built as a pure interceptor and it excelled at that mission. The Dart’s operational life spanned 28 years, outlasting many of its contemporaries. While MAD may have tamped down the possibility of Russian bombers attacking CONUS, the Russians continued to probe American defenses with their Bear and Bison reconnaissance bombers, and ADC F-106s continued to intercept them.This is the story of the development and career of the “Ultimate Interceptor”, from its XF-92 gestation to its death throes as a target for more modern fighters.