Hobby Master HA3114 | F-102A Delta Dagger, USAF, #70907 460th FIS Cave Tigrim 337th FG Portland Air National Guard Base 1962

General Background:

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was designed to be an interceptor aircraft and act as the core of USAF air defenses in the late 1950s. The F-102 first appeared in service in 1956 with the task to intercept Soviet bombers. The official name for the F-102 was “Delta Dagger” but the most common term used was “Deuce”. There was 889 F-102As manufactured when production ended in September 1958. The Deuce served in Vietnam on fighter patrols and bomber escort. 15 F-102s were lost while in Vietnam.

The Aircraft:

The maiden flight of the F-102 took place on October 24, 1953 and became operational in 1956. Designed as the world’s first supersonic all-weather jet interceptor as well as the USAF’s first delta-wing. F-102A Delta Dagger 57-0907 was produced in 1957 and was assigned to the USAF 460th FIS as the commander’s aircraft from 1958-1962. After that it spent time with the 4780th ADW, California ANG 196th FIS before being stored in 1971 at AMARC. In 1981 the aircraft was converted to a PQM-102B drone #841.