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Texas National Guard?

Fri Sep 05, 2014 10:22 am

I have a question. Did the Tx National Guard land F102's on a carrier?

Thanks for looking.


I think i have the answer. They never landed a F-102 on a carrier.
Last edited by Versatile on Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:05 am

Yes, they did it all the time on the carrier RTN Almo based on Lake Worth.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:17 am

Versatile wrote:I have a question. Did the Tx National Guard land F102's on a carrier?

Thanks for looking.


If this is a serious question, no the F-102 nor the TF-102 was never capable of operating on an aircraft carrier. Never done. Not intended or designed to operate from an aircraft carrier. No catapult hook up points, no arresting hook (the barrier hook is no way intended for carrier arrestment) not stressed for it, and the delta wing is a poor choice for carrier aircraft. Any F-102 on a carrier today is strictly a museum piece hoisted aboard.

I do know of a ex-Texas national guard F-102 pilot, that later landed on a carrier, but that was in and S-3 Viking with the call sign of Navy-One.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:34 am

Silly question.
-The F-102 was never carrier capable...not designed to be, no one ever thought it should be. Designed as an Air Force interceptor. The Navy had its own delta, the Douglas Skyray as a carrier-based interceptor.
-I'd wager the approach and landing speeds would prohibit it. Growing up on a F-102 base, I saw their long landing runs.
-Why would the "Texas National Guard" land on a carrier? Have you ever heard of any Air Force or National Guard fixed-wing unit fly from carriers?
-Finally, it's AIR National Guard.

If this question is prompted by one a carrier museum, I'd suggest that that's one of the things wrong with the carrier museum concept.
How many school kids who don't know a SPAD from a Phantom go home thinking the SR-71 (among other unlikely aircraft) flew off ships?

Re: Texas National Guard?

Fri Sep 05, 2014 2:39 pm

Versatile wrote:I have a question. Did the Tx National Guard land F102's on a carrier?

Thanks for looking.


I think i have the answer. They never landed a F-102 on a carrier.


That seems like an awful odd question and of course you already had the answer. And just on a purist note The Texas AIR National Guard flew F-102's. Usually when the generic term National Guard is used it is more likely to refer to the Army National Guard, while when referring to aircraft assigned to the Air Force component of the National Guard the term Air National Guard is used.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Fri Sep 05, 2014 2:41 pm

JohnB wrote:Silly question.

-Why would the "Texas National Guard" land on a carrier? Have you ever heard of any Air Force or National Guard fixed-wing unit fly from carriers?
-Finally, it's AIR National Guard.



Thanks John! :)

Re: Texas National Guard?

Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:07 am

sandiego89 wrote:
Versatile wrote:I have a question. Did the Tx National Guard land F102's on a carrier?

Thanks for looking.


If this is a serious question, no the F-102 nor the TF-102 was never capable of operating on an aircraft carrier. Never done. Not intended or designed to operate from an aircraft carrier. No catapult hook up points, no arresting hook (the barrier hook is no way intended for carrier arrestment) not stressed for it, and the delta wing is a poor choice for carrier aircraft. Any F-102 on a carrier today is strictly a museum piece hoisted aboard.

I do know of a ex-Texas national guard F-102 pilot, that later landed on a carrier, but that was in and S-3 Viking with the call sign of Navy-One.


Yes this was a serious question. I am no expert on jets at all. A man was spouting off and due to his ranking as to where i was at i didn't want to call him on it. I was sure that the 102 was never flown by the navy and thought it was never sat up or designed to. Rather that call him on it in front of a group of people i thought it wiser to ask here at WIX than call him on it and for some strange reason find out i was wrong.

Call it a stupid question if you want. I just thought i could ask the experts without an attack.
Thank you

Re: Texas National Guard?

Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:19 am

The Navy had a few Sea Darts that were designed to take off from the water not a carrier, but they were just for testing. One of them is displayed in Lakeland outside the EAA museum.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:28 pm

Versatile wrote:
sandiego89 wrote:
Versatile wrote:I just thought i could ask the experts without an attack.
Thank you


You used to. Just not anymore. LOL :?

:drink3:

Re: Texas National Guard?

Mon Sep 08, 2014 2:08 pm

Versatile wrote:
sandiego89 wrote:
Versatile wrote:I have a question. Did the Tx National Guard land F102's on a carrier?

Thanks for looking.


If this is a serious question, no the F-102 nor the TF-102 was never capable of operating on an aircraft carrier. Never done. Not intended or designed to operate from an aircraft carrier. No catapult hook up points, no arresting hook (the barrier hook is no way intended for carrier arrestment) not stressed for it, and the delta wing is a poor choice for carrier aircraft. Any F-102 on a carrier today is strictly a museum piece hoisted aboard.

I do know of a ex-Texas national guard F-102 pilot, that later landed on a carrier, but that was in and S-3 Viking with the call sign of Navy-One.


Yes this was a serious question. I am no expert on jets at all. A man was spouting off and due to his ranking as to where i was at i didn't want to call him on it. I was sure that the 102 was never flown by the navy and thought it was never sat up or designed to. Rather that call him on it in front of a group of people i thought it wiser to ask here at WIX than call him on it and for some strange reason find out i was wrong.

Call it a stupid question if you want. I just thought i could ask the experts without an attack.
Thank you


Sorry if my "serious?" part came across as an attack- I didn't call it stupid or silly, I just thought it might be a George Bush, Texas Air Guard type wind up. I too have heard some dubious claims by certain folks at museums and the like, and yes sometimes it is best to not embarras someone.

I too prefer only carrier based aircraft at carrier museums. I agree the Intrepid must throw a lot of people off.

Sorry again Versatile.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Mon Sep 08, 2014 2:26 pm

Thanks.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:18 am

Don't take my comment personally...given the level of discussion here, it is a unexpected question.
And given it had so many issues (NG...not ANG...on carrier?) ...besides the simple question on whether a specific type is carrier capable, it came across as more of a joke.

Even a bright guy can ask something silly...I do it all the time. Ask my car mechanic friends.

There is no such thing as stupid question, but someone with 500+ posts here asking such a question does come across as, well silly.*

Sorry if my word choice offended you.

*My favorite WIX story is a few years back someone asked "What does the B in B-17 mean?"
My first thought was "That's sweet some 9 year old who is new to aviation history is asking the question".
I recalled asking my dad, a wartime B-17 pilot, when I was 8 or 9 what was the difference between the B-24 and B-25 since they looked similar in some of the airplane books I got from the library. His reply "The B-24 has 4 engines, the B-25 has two". That brief interaction remains in my mind one of my favorite father-son moments in my childhood.

Then I looked at the guy's profile...he had 500+ posts and had been a member for years. Again it was a unexpected question from a guy who had been posting here for a long time and one would think he'd know the basics.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:54 am

Not everyone knows everything ...............what might seem a silly question to one might well be a serious question to another .

Re: Texas National Guard?

Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:59 am

You just never know with a AC so many different models. I am not into the Warbird scene as much as before and jets were never much on my radar.
Doesn't bother me one bit that i was abused over this. Life goes on. Good way to run people off is to come at them when they have a question. Bad for the forum overall. Maybe we just need a NO FLAME section for off the wall questions.

Re: Texas National Guard?

Tue Sep 09, 2014 4:40 pm

If you think calling a question (that a quick look on wiki would answer)...not you...silly...I'd suggest you might be a tad to sensitive for any forum. :)

And thanks for graciously accepting my apology.... :roll:
Last edited by JohnB on Tue Sep 09, 2014 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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