In 1959, the Canadian government cancelled work on the Avro CF-105 Arrow advanced Mach 1.9 all weather interceptor, opting instead for a surface-to-air missile defense based on the IM-99 Bomarc long-range missile. It soon became apparent that the cancellation of the Arrow project was a mistake, and that Canada would need a manned long-range all-weather interceptor capable of supersonic performance. In order to fill in the void left by the cancellation of the Arrow, the Canadian government decided to adopt the F-101B Voodoo.
The Canadian Voodoos were all ex-USAF machines rather than new builds. The first deliveries of Voodoos to Canada were under Operation Queens Row. A first batch of 56 F-101Bs was delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force (later renamed the Canadian Armed Forces) between July of 1961 and May of 1962. The first batch of Canadian Voodoos included 25 F-101B-115-MCs and 31 F-10B-120-MCs, all of them from a 1959 fiscal year production lot. In Canadian service, they were designated CF-101B. The CF-101Bs were virtually identical to the USAF F-101B, including the nose inflight refuelling probe which was never used tactically by RCAF Voodoos.
In addition, Canada also received ten F-101F two-seat operational trainers. These included four F-101F-116-MCs and six F-101F-121-MCs. These were virtually identical to the F-101B interceptor, and were fully combat-capable. In Canadian service, they were designated CF-101F.
In Canadian service, these CF-101Bs and Fs were assigned Canadian serial numbers using the last three digits of their USAF serials prefixed by the number 17 (for example, 59-391 became 17391).
The first 45 CF-101Bs and CF-101Fs entered operational service on November 13, 1961 when No. 410 "Cougar" Squadron based at Ottawa began conversion to the type. Other RCAF squadrons to acquire the Voodoo were No. 409 "Nighthawk" Squadron based at Comox, British Columbia, No. 414 "Black Kinight" Squadron based at North Bay, Ontario, No. 416 "Lynx" Squadron based at Bagotville, Quebec, and No. 425 Squadron "Alouette" Squadron based at Chatham, New Brunswick. No. 425 Squadron was initially the Operational Training Squadron for the type, but this role was later taken over by No. 3 OTU at RCAF Bagotville after the initial five squadrons were trained. In 1970 or thereabouts, No. 3 OTU at Bagotville was renamed 410 "Cougar" Squadron and served as the CF-101 OTU(Both Nos 410 and 414 Squadrons had been disbanded in 1964 as an economy measure).
In 1970-71, the 46 surviving CF-101Bs and CF-101Fs from the initial batch delivered to Canada were traded to the USAF for 56 refurbished and modernized F-101B interceptors and ten new F-101F operational trainers under Operation Peace Wings. These ex-USAF Voodoos were from earlier production batches, but had been upgraded with infrared sensors and improved fire control systems as part of Project Bold Journey. In Canadian service, this new batch of 66 Voodoos were assigned consecutive serial numbers in the 101001 to 101066 range, with the ten CF-101Fs being given the numbers 101001/101007, 101022, 101024 and 101052. These modernized Voodoos remained in service with Nos. 409, 410, 416, and 425 Squadrons until replaced by McDonnell Douglas CF-18A/Bs in the early 1980s.
The CF-101s carried the same armament as did their USAF counterparts-- two AIM-4D Falcons and up to two AIR-2A Genies. The Falcons were programmed to be launched in salvo, the second firing a half-second after the first. The improved AIM-26B later replaced the AIM-4. Canadian Voodoos operated with live Genies under a dual-key arrangement for the release by the US of the nuclear warheads should the need arise.
A single Canadian Voodoo was equipped as a specialized electronic countermeasures aircraft and was used as ECM aggressor aircraft in training. It was an ex-USAF F-101B (58-0300) which had been leased from the USAF in 1982 and given the Canadian serial number 101067. This aircraft were given the unofficial designation EF-101B in Canadian service. 101006 was a regular CF-101F that was assigned to 414 Squadron as a proficiency trainer for pilots flying 101067. 101006 was never designated EF-101B, contrary to what some other references say. It was returned to the USAF in April of 1987
The last CF-101B left Canadian Armed Forces service in 1985. However 101006 and 101067 were retained by 414 Squadron until April 1987, finally bringing the era of Voodoo service in Canada to an end.
Serials of Canadian Voodoos:
56-0253 McDonnell F-101F-61-MC Voodoo to Canadian Armed Forces as 101001 in 1970/71 56-0260 McDonnell F-101F-66-MC Voodoo to Canadian Armed Forces as 101002 in 1970/71. 56-0262 McDonnell F-101F-66-MC Voodoo to Canadian Armed Forces as 101003 in 1970/71 56-0274/0277 McDonnell F-101F-71-MC Voodoo 0277 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101004 in 1970/71 56-0304 McDonnell F-101F-81-MC Voodoo to Canadian Armed Forces as 101005 in 1970/71 56-0324 McDonnell F-101F-81-MC Voodoo to Canadian Armed Forces as 101006 in 1970/71 56-0328 McDonnell F-101F-81-MC Voodoo to Canadian Armed Forces as 101007 in 1970/71 57-0268/0270 McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo 0268 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101008 in 1970/71 57-0272/0274 McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo 0273 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101009 in 1970/71 57-0284/0286 McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo 0286 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101010 in 1970/71 57-0288/0291 McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo 0289 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101011 in 1970/71 57-0293/0296 McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo 0293 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101012 in 1970/71 0296 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101013 in 1970/71 57-0298/0301 McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo 0298 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101014 in 1970/71 0299 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101015 in 1970/71 57-0303/0306 McDonnell F-101B-85-MC Voodoo 0303 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101016 in 1970/71 0305 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101017 in 1970/71 0306 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101018 57-0313/0316 McDonnell F-101B-90-MC Voodoo 0314 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101019 in 1970/71 0315 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101020 in 1970/71 57-0318/0321 McDonnell F-101B-90-MC Voodoo 0321 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101021 in 1970/71 57-0323/0326 McDonnell F-101B-90-MC Voodoo 0323 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101023 in 1970/71 57-0333/0336 McDonnell F-101B-90-MC Voodoo 0334 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101025 in 1970/71 57-338/341 McDonnell F-101B-90-MC Voodoo 0340 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101026 in 1970/71 0341 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101027 in 1970/71 57-343/346 McDonnell F-101B-90-MC Voodoo 0346 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101028 in 1970/71 57-348/351 McDonnell F-101B-90-MC Voodoo 0351 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101029 in 1970/71 57-353/356 McDonnell F-101B-90-MC Voodoo 0354 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101030 in 1970/71 57-358/364 McDonnell F-101B-95-MC Voodoo 0358/0360 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101031/ 101033 in 1970/71 0362/0364 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101034/ 101036 in 1970/71 57-366/371 McDonnell F-101B-95-MC Voodoo 0366 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101037 in 1970/71 0368/0369 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101038/ 101039 in 1970/71 57-373/378 McDonnell F-101B-95-MC Voodoo 0373/0375 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101040/ 101042 in 1970/71 57-380/385 McDonnell F-101B-95-MC Voodoo 0380/0382 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101043/ 101045 in 1970/71 0384 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101046 in 1970/71 57-387/392 McDonnell F-101B-95-MC Voodoo 0388 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101047 in 1970/71 0391 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101048 in 1970/71 57-394/399 McDonnell F-101B-95-MC Voodoo 0395/0396 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101049/ 101050 in 1970/71 0398 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101051 in 1970/71 57-415/420 McDonnell F-101B-100-MC Voodoo 0418 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101053 in 1970/71 0420 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101054 in 1970/71 57-422/427 McDonnell F-101B-100-MC Voodoo 0424 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101055 in 1970/71 0426 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101056 in 1970/71 57-429/448 McDonnell F-101B-100-MC Voodoo 0429 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101057 in 1970/71 0431/0434 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101058/ 101061 in 1970/71 0441/0444 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101062/ 101065 in 1970/71 57-450/452 McDonnell F-101B-100-MC Voodoo 0551 to Canadian Armed Forces as 101066 in 1970/71 58-298/303 McDonnell F-101B-105-MC Voodoo 0300 to Canadian Forces in 1982 as 101067. 59-0391/0392 McDonnell F-101B-115-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17391 and 17392 in 1968 upon return to USA, converted to RF-101B. 59-0393 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17393 in 1968 59-0394/0399 McDonnell F-101B-115-MC Voodoo all to RCAF as 17394/17399 in 1968 59-0400 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17400 in 1968. 59-0401/0406 McDonnell F-101B-115-MC Voodoo all to RCAF as 17401/17406 in 1968. 59-0407 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17407 in 1968. 59-0408/0412 McDonnell F-101B-115-MC Voodoo 0408/0411 to RCAF as 17408/17411 in 1968. 59-0426/0436 McDonnell F-101B-115-MC Voodoo 0433/0436 to RCAF as 17433/17436 in 1968. 59-0437 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17437 in 1968. 59-0438/0440 McDonnell F-101B-115-MC Voodoo all to RCAF as 17438/17440 in 1968. 59-0441/0442 McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo both to RCAF as 17441/17442 in 1968. 59-0443 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17443 in 1968. 59-0444/0448 McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo all to RCAF as 17444/17448 in 1968. 59-0449 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17449 in 1968. 59-0450/0453 McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo all to RCAF as 17450/17453 in 1968. 59-0455/0459 McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo 455/457 to RCAF as 17455/17457 in 1968. 459 to RCAF as 17459 in 1968. 59-0460 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17460 in 1968. 59-0461/0465 McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo 0461 to RCAF as 17461 in 1968. 0463/0465 to RCAF as 17463/17465 in 1968. 59-0466 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17466 in 1968. 59-0467/0471 McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo all to RCAF as 17467/17471 in 1968. 59-0472 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17472 in 1968. 59-0473/0477 McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo 475/477 to RCAF as 17475/17477 in 1968. 59-0478 McDonnell F-101F-116-MC Voodoo to RCAF as 17478 in 1968. 59-0479/0483 McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo all to RCAF as 17479/17483 in 1968.
Sources:
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McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume II, Rene J.
Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1990.
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United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and
Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
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The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.
-
Fighters of the United States Air Force, Robert F. Dorr and
David Donald, Temple Press Aerospace, 1990.
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American Combat Planes, Third Enlarged Edition, Ray Wagner, Doubleday,
1982.
-
Post-World War II Fighters, 1945-1973, Marcelle Size Knaack,
Office of Air Force History, 1986.
-
McDonnell F-88/F-101 Voodoo Variant Briefing, Robert F. Dorr,
Wings of Fame, Vol 1, 1996.
-
E-mail from Martin Keenan on details of Canadian Voodoo service.
- E-mail from ABC Johnson on CF-101 in Canadian service.
