F-101 Question

[TLB]

The T-tail also had the characteristic of becoming effective much sooner that the stabilator on the F-4. With the F-4 you held the stick full back during the takeoff run and the aircraft slowly rotated as the speed approached takeoff speed. We had a Canadian pilot (flew with the Snow Birds before TPS) who tried full aft stick with the 101 and the aircraft over-rotated and scraped the engine burner cans on the runway. Realize that these aircraft had been fitted with the P&W J57-P-55 engines which had afterburners extending almost 8’ from the fuselage. Fortunately it was decided that it was just cosmetic damage or I would not have gotten my flight.

Obviously, the Cdn test pilot did not read the Voodoo handling notes before flight, which to me does not seem very professional and caused unnecessary damage to the aircraft.

Take-off in the Voodoo was dead simple (although it all would occur very quickly): release brakes - full throttles - select burners (boom boom) - about 155 KIAS ease back on the stick and raise the nose about 5 degrees - check forward and hold that attitude - and about 230 KIAS the aircraft would very gracefully leap into the sky. No yanking or banking required. Same thing on landing - full elevator control down to about 150 KIAS and also full aileron and rudder control down to about 80 KIAS. And then nose wheel steering. Too easy !