The F-106 was originally developed from the F-102, but the changes were so extensive that the aircraft was redesignated. The Delta Dart was fitted with the MA-1 electronic guidance and fire-control system, which operated with the SAGE (Semiautomatic Ground Environment) defense system. The SAGE system allowed the F-106 to be flown automatically from wheels up on takeoff to flareout before touchdown. The F-106 was the aircraft that finally met the Air Force's original 1948 specifications for the "ultimate interceptor." The Delta Dart entered service in July 1959 with the 498th Fighter- Interceptor Squadron at Geiger Field, Wash. Fourteen squadrons eventually received the F-106, and deliveries were completed in 1961. Retired from the active-duty Air Force and Air National Guard interceptor squadrons in 1988, the remaining aircraft were converted into QF-106 target drones. The last dedicated air defense interceptor, the Delta Dart was universally referred to as "the Six." On February 2, 1970, an F-106 entered an uncontrollable flat spin, and the pilot ejected. After the pilot and seat departed, the aircraft recovered on its own (apparently due to the balance and configuration changes), circled, and miraculously made a gentle belly landing in a snow-covered field near Big Sandy, Mont. That aircraft was repaired, returned to service, and is now on display at the US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The F-106 was continually upgraded over its career, such as with a new ejection seat and updated avionics, under several programs named Wild Goose, Broad Jump, and Dart Board. The F-106 was primarily replaced by F-16s, although a few Air National Guard units converted to F-15s.

Contractors:	Convair Division of General Dynamics Corp.
Locations Built:	San Diego, Calif.
Number Built: (USAF)	340 (340)
First Flight:	December 26, 1956
First Flight Model:	YF-106A (originally F-102B)
First Flight Location:	Edwards AFB, Calif.
First Flight Pilot:	Richard L. "Dick" Johnson
Models/Variants:	F-106A, B. NF-106B
Powerplant:	One Pratt & Whitney J75-P-17 turbojet of 24,500 lb of thrust in afterburner
Wingspan:	38 ft 31/2 in.
Length:	70 ft 9 in.
Height:	20 ft 3 in.
Weight:	34,510 lb gross
Armament:	One AIR-2A Genie nuclear-tipped rocket (one W-25 warhead with a yield of approx 1.5 kilotons) and four AIM-4 Falcon missiles in an internal bay; the AIR-2A was later replaced in some aircraft with a General Electric M61A1 Vulcan 20-mm cannon.
Accommodation:	Pilot only (student and pilot in tandem in F-106B)
Cost:	$4.9 million
Max. Speed:	1,525 mph
Range:	Approx 1,500 mi.
Ceiling:	53,000 ft.