Re: Bush's Flight Instructor Speaks Up (Ref--F-102 Air Refueling Setup)

[Kevin Brooks]

"RENABORNEY" > wrote in message
...
> STR reading that a total of two F-102's were lost in combat operations,
one of
> which occured over NVN. l). I have not heard that it was used as an air
> superiority fighter per se (kind of lacked the legs for that).
>
> SNIP
>
> The one lost over NVN was the one I meant when I referred to use as an air
> superiority fighter - my impression was that it was lost on a MIGCAP
> mission....
> And it might noy have been a MIG, maybe a SAM got it...
>
> As for legs - isn't that what tankers are for? (At least some Deuces were
> modifed with this capability in the Sixties)

I don't know what the full story is regarding air refueling. Yes, the F-102
could refuel using the hose and drogue method, but I don't know whether the
probe was a pop-out type, or a fixed attachment. After going over a fair
number of photos, I can't see any external evidence of permanently affixed
probe, but then again most of the danged phots available on the web are
either from too far away or of the left side of the aircraft (the probe was
located on the right side of the fuselage near the cockpit). If it was
fixed, then none of the photos I found of the Vietnam deployed aircraft
(including one nasty victim of a VC sapper attack at Danang) showed them
attached. There used to be an F-102 pilot that hung around here RAM; he
might be able to answer the question.

Brooks

[Mike Marron]

>"Kevin Brooks" > wrote:

>I don't know what the full story is regarding air refueling. Yes, the F-102
>could refuel using the hose and drogue method, but I don't know whether the
>probe was a pop-out type, or a fixed attachment. After going over a fair
>number of photos, I can't see any external evidence of permanently affixed
>probe, but then again most of the danged phots available on the web are
>either from too far away or of the left side of the aircraft (the probe was
>located on the right side of the fuselage near the cockpit). If it was
>fixed, then none of the photos I found of the Vietnam deployed aircraft
>(including one nasty victim of a VC sapper attack at Danang) showed them
>attached. There used to be an F-102 pilot that hung around here RAM; he
>might be able to answer the question.

Walt BJ is still around and he flew the F-102.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Kevin Brooks" > wrote in message
...
>
> I don't know what the full story is regarding air refueling. Yes, the
F-102
> could refuel using the hose and drogue method, but I don't know whether >
the probe was a pop-out type, or a fixed attachment.
>

It was fixed and temporary. I could post some photos to
alt.binaries.pictures.aviation if you're interested.

[Tex Houston]

"Kevin Brooks" > wrote in message
...
>
> "RENABORNEY" > wrote in message
> ...
> > STR reading that a total of two F-102's were lost in combat operations,
> one of
> > which occured over NVN. l). I have not heard that it was used as an air
> > superiority fighter per se (kind of lacked the legs for that).
> >
> > SNIP
> >
> > The one lost over NVN was the one I meant when I referred to use as an
air
> > superiority fighter - my impression was that it was lost on a MIGCAP
> > mission....
> > And it might noy have been a MIG, maybe a SAM got it...
> >
> > As for legs - isn't that what tankers are for? (At least some Deuces
were
> > modifed with this capability in the Sixties)
>
> I don't know what the full story is regarding air refueling. Yes, the
F-102
> could refuel using the hose and drogue method, but I don't know whether
the
> probe was a pop-out type, or a fixed attachment. After going over a fair
> number of photos, I can't see any external evidence of permanently affixed
> probe, but then again most of the danged phots available on the web are
> either from too far away or of the left side of the aircraft (the probe
was
> located on the right side of the fuselage near the cockpit). If it was
> fixed, then none of the photos I found of the Vietnam deployed aircraft
> (including one nasty victim of a VC sapper attack at Danang) showed them
> attached. There used to be an F-102 pilot that hung around here RAM; he
> might be able to answer the question.
>
> Brooks

Extracted from: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f102_1.html

The F-102A was not equipped at the factory for midair refuelling. However,
there were some examples of the F-102A that were fitted in the field with
probe and drogue inflight-refuelling probes mounted immediately aft of the
cockpit on the right-hand side of the fuselage. These were fitted for the
purpose of ferrying aircraft from the US to Southeast Asia. The probes were
removed upon arrival. Some ANG F-102As were also fitted with these midair
refuelling probes.

This was also as I remembered hearing it from a friend of my who was on one
of the early F-102 fighter drags to SEA.

Tex



>
>

[Kevin Brooks]

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
link.net...
>
> "Kevin Brooks" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > I don't know what the full story is regarding air refueling. Yes, the
> F-102
> > could refuel using the hose and drogue method, but I don't know whether
>
> the probe was a pop-out type, or a fixed attachment.
> >
>
> It was fixed and temporary. I could post some photos to
> alt.binaries.pictures.aviation if you're interested.

No, that's OK. You just confirmed my suspicion.

Brooks
>
>

[Kevin Brooks]

"Tex Houston" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Kevin Brooks" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "RENABORNEY" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > STR reading that a total of two F-102's were lost in combat
operations,
> > one of
> > > which occured over NVN. l). I have not heard that it was used as an
air
> > > superiority fighter per se (kind of lacked the legs for that).
> > >
> > > SNIP
> > >
> > > The one lost over NVN was the one I meant when I referred to use as an
> air
> > > superiority fighter - my impression was that it was lost on a MIGCAP
> > > mission....
> > > And it might noy have been a MIG, maybe a SAM got it...
> > >
> > > As for legs - isn't that what tankers are for? (At least some Deuces
> were
> > > modifed with this capability in the Sixties)
> >
> > I don't know what the full story is regarding air refueling. Yes, the
> F-102
> > could refuel using the hose and drogue method, but I don't know whether
> the
> > probe was a pop-out type, or a fixed attachment. After going over a fair
> > number of photos, I can't see any external evidence of permanently
affixed
> > probe, but then again most of the danged phots available on the web are
> > either from too far away or of the left side of the aircraft (the probe
> was
> > located on the right side of the fuselage near the cockpit). If it was
> > fixed, then none of the photos I found of the Vietnam deployed aircraft
> > (including one nasty victim of a VC sapper attack at Danang) showed them
> > attached. There used to be an F-102 pilot that hung around here RAM; he
> > might be able to answer the question.
> >
> > Brooks
>
> Extracted from: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f102_1.html
>
> The F-102A was not equipped at the factory for midair refuelling. However,
> there were some examples of the F-102A that were fitted in the field with
> probe and drogue inflight-refuelling probes mounted immediately aft of the
> cockpit on the right-hand side of the fuselage. These were fitted for the
> purpose of ferrying aircraft from the US to Southeast Asia. The probes
were
> removed upon arrival. Some ANG F-102As were also fitted with these midair
> refuelling probes.
>
> This was also as I remembered hearing it from a friend of my who was on
one
> of the early F-102 fighter drags to SEA.
>
> Tex

I thought that was how it worked, but I was not sure. Thanks.

Brooks
>
>
>
> >
> >
>
>

[Peter Stickney]

In article >,
"Kevin Brooks" > writes:
>
> "RENABORNEY" > wrote in message
> ...
>> STR reading that a total of two F-102's were lost in combat operations,
> one of
>> which occured over NVN. l). I have not heard that it was used as an air
>> superiority fighter per se (kind of lacked the legs for that).
>>
>> SNIP
>>
>> The one lost over NVN was the one I meant when I referred to use as an air
>> superiority fighter - my impression was that it was lost on a MIGCAP
>> mission....
>> And it might noy have been a MIG, maybe a SAM got it...
>>
>> As for legs - isn't that what tankers are for? (At least some Deuces were
>> modifed with this capability in the Sixties)
>
> I don't know what the full story is regarding air refueling. Yes, the F-102
> could refuel using the hose and drogue method, but I don't know whether the
> probe was a pop-out type, or a fixed attachment. After going over a fair
> number of photos, I can't see any external evidence of permanently affixed
> probe, but then again most of the danged phots available on the web are
> either from too far away or of the left side of the aircraft (the probe was
> located on the right side of the fuselage near the cockpit). If it was
> fixed, then none of the photos I found of the Vietnam deployed aircraft
> (including one nasty victim of a VC sapper attack at Danang) showed them
> attached. There used to be an F-102 pilot that hung around here RAM; he
> might be able to answer the question.

The F-102 probe was a pretty ugly thing, with a pretty hefty-looking
truss supporting teh front, and a feedline running almost the entire
length of the fuselage. Apparently it was pretty draggy, and distubed
the airflow around the tail. The probes were used during the
trans-Pacific deployment of the 64th and 82nd FISs when they were sent
out in '66, adn removed after arrival.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster