This Day in McDonnell Voodoo History: February 8th

In 1963, McDonnell released its final model for the VooDoo, a modification to the RF-101 as the Model 36DH.  Sharing equipment with the new McDonnell RF-4C, the equipment would be incorporated into the fleet under “Project 1181.”  The KA-2 cameras were replaced with new KS-72 cameras along with a new control system, while the KA-1 cameras were retained.  A compact KA-56 panoramic camera provided horizon-to-horizon coverage.  After the miserable experience over Cuba in 1962, the Project 1181 modification gave the old RF-101C new and highly-demanded capabilities.  

On the same day in 1967, Capt. John Rogers was hit by anti-aircraft artillery over a coastal objective in North Vietnam and ejected just offshore.  Racing against enemy junks and sampans, US Navy A-1 Skyraiders arrived to cover his rescue by the destroyer USS Cunningham.

In this photo, the small undernose fairing for the KA-56 panoramic camera is clearly visible in this early production RF-101C, 56-0168, modified with new camera equipment under Project 1181.  The small-format KS-72 cameras replaced the older 9" x 9" format KA-2 cameras in the nose stations and the films produced were very unpopular with photo interpreters.  However, they did not suffer the same reliability and image quality problems experienced at high speed and very low level as the older KA-2 equipment had during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October, 1962.  Provision of the KA-56 to provide horizon-to-horizon photo coverage along with the smaller KS-72 cameras also allowed them to be used in a split vertical configuration to complement the long focal-length KA-1 cameras that were retained behind the cockpit.  Project 1181 not only allowed increased survivability for the RF-101C and its crews by permitting reliable camera operation at very low altitudes, but greatly increased its versatility as an intelligence collection platform.

Photo Credit: NMUSAF via Mark Nankivil