Squadron/Signal's Aircraft in Action series continues with the F-102A Delta Dagger. This was America's first full delta winged jet and was a direct descendent of the XF-92A research aircraft, itself a descendent of the work of Alexander Lippisch, considered to be the father of delta winged aircraft.

Designed to be a high speed interceptor using only missiles and rockets as armament, the F-102A program started out well, but hit a snag when it was discovered that it couldn't break mach 1 in level flight. A redesign of the aircraft using the 'area rule' principle, which resulted in a slightly 'pinched' fuselage and the rear fuselage fairings took care of this little problem and the 102 was set to enter production.

Though originally designated the '1954 Interceptor', the F-102A did enter service in 1956 and quickly integrated itself into the Air Defense (later Aerospace Defense) community, replacing older F-86D interceptors. The F-102 was itself replaced by what started as the F-102B but was later renamed the F-106, with many of the 102s entering the Air National Guard where they and some regular USAF F-102 Squadrons remained in service until the early 1970s when many of these units transitioned to the F-4 Phantom II. Surviving F-102s were used by the USAF in the 'full scale drone' program and converted to QF-102s, the last one being expended in 1986.

Typical of the 'in Action' series, there are a large number of photographs, covering most of the units that flew the F-102. The usual selection of color profiles fills the center pages with two very nice paintings on the rear cover showing early and late portions of the F-102s career.

No Century Series enthusiast will want to be without this particular book. It is a book that I can highly recommend to all.

November 2005

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