Developed for the Air Force in the early 1950s as a next-generation interceptor following Convair's pioneering delta-wing F-102, the F-106 excelled in every aspect of the Air Defense Command mission. With its advanced Hughes radar system, Falcon air-to-air missiles, and a top speed in excess of Mach 2, the Delta Dart became known as "the ultimate interceptor," able to scramble, launch, find its targets, and blow them out of the sky. The 'Dart was also the lightest-weight aircraft ever powered by a Pratt & Whitney J75 turbojet. This book provides an insightful and in-depth look at the sixth member of the Air Force "Century Series" family of supersonic fighters. From initial concept through early flight test and development and into operational service, every facet of the F-106's career is examined and explained in comprehensive, yet easy-to-read text. All USAF Air Defense Command units that operated F-106s are covered, and aircraft markings and color schemes are included as well. The Convair F-106 remains to this day as one of the most successful military aircraft ever built. This book now gives the reader a thorough and meticulous reference source on the F-106 using excellent photographs and technical illustrations to tell the story of this history-making aircraft, while also providing valuable detailed information for modelers and historians. "Simply put, this is the most extensive, thorough, and insightful publication available on the F-106 Delta Dart. It receives our highest recommendation." (Bert Kinzey Detail & Scale 2017-05-19) "I really appreciated Doug Barbier's book and his ability to weave in the issues of design and systems developments into the storyline. What really makes this book a good, easy read is the detail that he is able to provide both from a technical standpoint and the clarity that he presents this information so that it is easy to comprehend. As a bonus, the well captioned photographs and technical drawings all complement the text and provide an excellent reference for modelers." (Frank Landrus IPMS/USA 2017-05-22) "A 'must' for not just military collections, but aviation enthusiasts and any other reader holding a special interest in military aircraft and their evolution." (James A. Coz Midwest Book Review 2017-07-19) "Dust off those F-106 kits. Your optimal reference has arrived!" (David L. Veres Cybermodeler Online 2017-08-14) The F-106 was developed for the U.S. Air Force as a next-generation interceptor following Convair's pioneering delta-wing F-102, and excelled in every aspect of the Air Defense Command mission. With its advanced Hughes radar system, Falcon air-to-air missiles, and top speed well in excess of Mach 2, the Delta Dart became known as "the ultimate interceptor," able to scramble, launch, find its targets, and blow them out of the sky in short order. This sixth member of the "Century Series" family of supersonic fighters established a World Absolute Speed Record of 1,525 mph, and could outrun any other single-engine jet. Written by a former USAF Command Pilot, this book not only tells the dramatic story of this incredible aircraft, it puts you right into the cockpit intercepting bogies in the Stratosphere at Mach 2 during the peak years of the Cold War. Col. Doug Barbier grew up to the sound of F-106s flying out of Selfridge AFB, MI, where a visit on Armed Forces Day 1962 began a lifelong interest in the jet. A U.S. Air Force Command Pilot with more than 3,500 flight hours, he flew the Lockheed T-33, the supersonic Northrop T-38, and logged more than 1,000 hours in the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II. Barbier finished his military career flying the F-16, spending many hours sitting Air Defense alert, and making three intercepts of Soviet Tu-95 Bears along the way. After retiring from the Air Force, he flew for a major airline for twenty years. Barbier has had over 200 photographs published worldwide, and this is his first full-length feature book.