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RESTORATION HANGAR
 
 
 
 

    

 
 
 
 
 

See more details on the FIX-A-SIX FUNDRAISING PAGE

 
 

A History Worth Restoring  -  -  -  -

McChord Air Force Base, WA. -  On a rainy November day in 1983, a small ceremony was held to celebrate the end F-106A Delta Dart, s/n 56-0459 active Air Force career, but unlike the usual retirement where a aircraft is eventually  “put out to pasture, broken up and sold for scrap or like many F-106’s, destroyed as target drones, this celebration would be a happy one. On that day members from McChord’s 318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron presented the Interceptor to the newly formed McChord Air Museum, making her the second aircraft to join the museums growing collection.

 Early in her glorious 25 year career, - 0459 established its mark in history during the early weeks in December 1959 when she was chosen as the lead aircraft in “Project Firewall” a joint USAF / Convair attempt at a new Absolute World Speed Record. During her two weeks of flying –0459 could not overcome severe compressor stalls that led to the Interceptors removal from the project. A stock F-106 was pulled from the F-106 Test fleet, information gathered from the early flights in –459 assisted Pilot Capt. Joe Rogers set a new Absolute World Speed Record in a F-106 he had never flown previously. The record (average) of 1525.95 MPH is a record that still stands today for a production, single-engine Turbojet aircraft. What could have –0459 done?

After four years in the F-106 operational test program, -0459 was upgraded and entered active service with the Air Defense Command’s 11th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in April of ’61. After a four-year tour with the 11th, the Interceptor was transferred to McChord’s 318th FIS in March of 1965, where she proudly served until her retirement from active duty in Oct of 1983. During the almost 20 years of service at McChord, –0459 participated in many of the 318th's deployments, and was frequently selected to compete with the Squadron in The William Tell World Wide Air to Air Meet.

From 1983 until 1989, F-106 56-0459 was a valuable member of the McChord Air Museum until her transfer to the McChord’s 25th Air Division. During 1989, the McChord Museum was in the process of a move to a new site at McChord AFB. Shortly after the start of construction, problems discovered at the site led to the cancellation of the move, which put the Museums future in doubt. Fortunately weeks later the McChord Air Museum reestablished it’s self at our present location. It was during this period of uncertainty that the Museum lost the F-106 and two other aircraft to McChord’s 25th Air Division. The Unit quickly drew up plans to mount the aircraft on pylons in front of the Division’s Headquarters Building. To prepare the aircraft for display, all internal and some external components had to be removed from the aircraft, this process began with - 0459. After the deactivation of the 25th AD in 1990, the Museum regained control of the three aircraft; unfortunately the F-106’s airframe had been completely stripped of her components.

Since 1997 crews have been it the process of collecting components for the eventual restoration of 56-0459, these components were unavailable until 1998, due to the Air Combat Command’s need to support  QF-106 Drone Program. F-106 components have been collected from former drones at Holloman and Tyndall Air Force Bases. 

During the early months of 2004, restoration crew members received a major boost in the effort of returning F-106 56-0459 back to a condition deserving for a Cold War Warrior. With the assistance from personnel from the Barry Goldwater Bombing Range located at Gila Bend, AZ, the Museum was able to gather a good deal of the missing components needed to partially restore our F-106.

  F-106 56-0459 has served her nation well, and possess a rich history - - 

A history worth restoring !  

NEWS FLASH 
Museum makes a "direct hit" at Range 
SEE THE RIP CHORD ONLINE FOR DETAILS OF THE RECENTLY SUCCESSFUL COMPONENT RECOVERY EFFORT
Click here for the history of 56-0459 and the F-106.
Click here to read about Col Joe Rogers visit to McChord
Click here for a biography for Col. Joe Rogers
Click here to read about Col Randy Neville's visit to the McChord Museum
Click here for the McChord Air Museum Homepage
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

Welcome Aboard ! 

 
 
     
     
   
     
PICTURES OF A COMPLETE F-106 FORWARD ELECTRONICS BAYS 
 
 
     
     
     
     
PARTIALLY RESTORED COCKPIT OF McCHORD's F-106 
   
     
PICTURES OF A COMPLETE F-106 COCKPIT 
     
     

 

     
     
     
 

 318th FIS SPEED BRAKE (1982)

RESTORED DOOR (L/H)

RESTORED SPEED BRAKES 

PARTLY RESTORED DOOR (R/H)

 
     
     
J-75 ENGINE WITH STAND
   
   

(A P&W J-75 ENGINE AND STAND HAS BEEN REQUESTED  BY THE RESTORATION CREW FOR DISPLAY IN THE MUSEUMS PROPOSED AVIATION ENGINE GALLERY.)

 
 

The following "Wishlist" contains components (in red) needed to 

complete the restoration of the McChord Museum's 
F-106A Delta Dart S/N 56-0459. 
 
Listings similar to this for our other Aircraft Restoration Projects  
can be found at our "Wish List" page.
 
 
COCKPIT
 
INSTRUMENT PANEL
GUNSIGHT
UHF REMOTE INDICATOR
TAIL HOOK CONTROL SWITCH AND WARNING LIGHT
COMPUTER MODE INDICATOR
LANDING GEAR RED WARNING LIGHT
LANDING GEAR GREEN POSITION LIGHT
AIR SPEED MACH INDICATOR (AMI)
MAXIMUM MANEUVER WARNING LIGHT
EXTERNAL TANK EMPTY LIGHTS 
STANDBY COMPASS
MASTER WARNING LIGHT
ENGINE FIRE WARNING LIGHT
VARIABLE RAMP WARNING LIGHT
ENGINE FIRE WARNING LIGHT TEST SWITCH
MARKER BEACON LIGHT
ALTITUDE-VERTICAL VELOCITY INDICATOR
STANDBY ALTITUDE INDICATOR
HOT SECTION INDICATOR PROGRAMMER
FUEL QUANTITY TANK SELECTOR SWITCH
RADAR/IR SELECTOR PANEL HYDRAULIC PRESSURE FAILURE WARNING LIGHT
CANOPY UNLOCKED WARNING LIGHT
FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR
HORIZONTAL SITUATION INDICATOR (HSI)
TACTICAL SITUATION DISPLAY (TDS)
HEADING SELECTOR SWITCH
MASTER WARNING LIGHT REPEATER
CONTROL STICK
EXTERNAL LATCHING SYSTEM
 
LEFT CONSOLE
RADAR/IR CONTROL PANEL
LIQUID OXYGEN CONTROL PANEL
ILS CHANNEL SELECTOR PANEL
ARMAMENT CONTROL PANEL
IFF CONTROL PANEL
MA-1 POWER CONTROL PANEL
FUEL CONTROL PANEL
AIR REFUELING PANEL
COCKPIT LEFT FUSE PANEL
 
RIGHT CONSOLE
No 3 TANK SWITCH
CABIN CONTROL KNOB
COCKPIT RIGHT FUSE PANEL
REFRIGERATION UNIT SWITCH
 
 
WEAPONS AND NAVIGATION SYSTEMS
 
MA-1 AND AN/ASQ-25 SYSTEMS 
ALL "BLACK" BOXES FORWARD (LEFT & RIGHT) AND AFT  (LEFT & RIGHT) COMPARTMENTS
RADAR ANTENNA AND COMPONENTS
I/R SEARCH HEAD AND COMPONENTS
 
 
WEAPONS BAY
 
ARMAMENT BAY SELECTOR VALVES (FWD & AFT)
ARMAMENT BAY DOOR ACTUATORS (6) - FWD (L/R), CTR (L/R), AFT (L/R)
FWD LAUNCHER ACTUATOR
AFT MISSILE LAUNCHER ACTUATOR (2) - LEFT & RIGHT
MISSILE LAUNCHER RAIL ASSEMBLIES (4) - FWD (L/R), AFT (L/R)
MB-1 EJECTOR ASSEMBLY (AIR-2 GENIE LAUNCHER)
M61A1 VULCAN INSTALLATION AND/OR FARING 
 
 
SPEED BRAKE SYSTEM
 
DRAG CHUTE CANISTER
DRAG CHUTE
 
 
PROPULSION SYSTEM
 
PRATT & WHITNEY J-75 ENGINE WITH STAND (FOR MUSEUM OUTDOOR ENGINE GALLERY )
COMPRESSOR SECTION WITH NOSE CONE
 
 
 

The Crew of F-106A 56-0459 would like to pass on many thank the following individuals and / or organizations for their assistance over the years in the restoration of -0459.  - THANKS ALL ! ! ! ! ! !

 
318th Fighter- Interceptor Squadron - McChord AFB, WA 
25th Air Division - McChord AFB, WA 
Western Air Defense Sector - McChord AFB, WA 
62d Airlift Wing - McChord AFB, WA 
446th Airlift Wing - McChord AFB, WA
Det. 1, 82d Aerial Targets Squadron, Holloman AFB, NM
F-106A 90105 Restoration Crew, Jacksonville, FL 
202d Red Horse Squadron, Camp Blanding, Florida
Lt Col. Robert Sawyer, 82d ATS
George Krug and Crew, 82d ATS
MSgt Jack Stuart, 125th FIW (Ret), Jacksonville IAP, FL  
MSgt Dick Becker - WADS, McChord AFB. 
MSgt. (Ret) Ken Roberts - 317th FIS - F-86D/F-102 Restoration McChord Museum
George Rankos, Tacoma, WA
Tom Borg - 318th FIS - (Former member)
TSgt. David Kuntz - New Jersey ANG
Lt Col. Steve Mehring - Montana ANG 
Mark O Williams
SMSgt. (Ret) .Erv Smalley - Webmaster - Convair F-106 Delta Dart
 SMSgt (Ret) Patrick J. McGee, Webmaster - Pats's World, F-106 Delta Dart  
Rick Broome - Rick Broome Productions
Russ Clement - 56th RMO, Gila Bend AAF
James Rios - 56th RMO, Gila Bend AAF
Randy Monroe - Boeing
 MSgt. Ahmad McGee - Former 318th FIS Crew Chief (-0459) / USAF
Col. Randy Neville (Ret) - Former 318th FIS Pilot (-0459)  / Boeing
and 
Col. Joe Rogers (Ret) - 1959 Absolute Speed Record Holder
 
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
$50.00 or less
John W. Carr
John C. Daenzer
Carl Pobanz - (F-106 Painting purchase)
 
 
Website provided and maintained by:
The McChord Air Museum Foundation
P.O. Box 4205
McChord AFB, WA. 98438-0205
253-982-2485
e-mail - mamfound@mcchordairmuseum.org
fix-a-six@mcchordairmuseun.org