F-101B Voodoo - "Voodoo Magic"

Designed initially as a long range fighter to escort strategic bombers the F-101 Voodoo instead was developed as a nuclear armed fighter bomber. The airplane was also used as a high speed reconnaissance role in Vietnam. The Voodoo set a number of world speed records including the fastest airspeed of 1,207.6 MPH on December 12, 1957. In 1954, the two-seat "B model was developed for the interceptor role adding a large radar and unique weapons bay which featured a rotating pallet with two AIM 4 Falcon missiles on one side and two nuclear AIR-2 Genie rockets on the other. F-101B Voodoos served with the Air Defense Command throughout the 1960s and were phased out by 1972 with many aircraft going to Air National Guard units where it served until the last units retired in 1982. I enjoy the clean look of a powerful airplane like the Voodoo painted against a clear blue sky.