When Soviet or unidentified aircraft approached Canadian airspace in the 1960s and 70s, they
were met by an iconic cold war interceptor. Armed with both conventional and nuclear weapons,
they were a formidable foe in their day. Although not designed or built in Canada, the McDonnell
CF-101 Voodoo has earned its place as a trusted and reliable member of the Canadian livery.
The Voodoo was originally designed by the American McDonnell company starting in 1951
and is based on their VF-88 design. It was in response to a Strategic Air Command requirement
for a long range bomber escort fighter, but this was cancelled. The Voodoo was then adapted
to fill a Tactical Air Command requirement for a strategic fighter/bomber. The F-101A
took its first flight on the 29th of September 1954 and was delivered to the TAC starting
in 1957 where it served until 1972 in nuclear strike and reconnaissance roles.
The F-101B was a departure from the original design in order to fill a United States Air
Force requirement for a long range interceptor. It was meant to supplement the disappointing
F-102 Delta Dagger until the F-106 Delta Dart was ready for service. The F-101B would take
advantage of the common hardware developed for different aircraft competing for the same
contract. The forward fuselage was modified to carry the F-102s Hughes MG-13 fire control
radar and the cockpit was modified to carry a second crew member to operate it, called
the airborne intercept navigator. The Voodoo was equipped with a datalink system enabling
full integration with NORAD’s ground based radars. Interception commands could be sent
to guide them straight to their targets. The F-101B was equipped with powerful Pratt & Whitney
J57-P-55 engines and large afterburners which dramatically increased its performance over
the A model. It had a great rate of climb, could reach operational speeds of Mach 1.72,
and altitudes in excess of 17,800m. The weapons system was refined for the interceptor role.
The guns were removed and a rotating pallet was installed in the weapons bay. Initially
it was designed to carry four Hughes Falcon missiles, two AIM-4A semi-active radar homing
missiles on one side, and two AIM-4B infrared-guided missiles on the other. Later this was modified
to carry two 1.7 kiloton AIR-2 Genie nuclear air to air rockets on one side, and two AIM-4C
infrared-guided missiles on the other. The new interceptor entered service with the United
States Air Force in January of 1959, the same year as the competing F-106 Delta Dart. In
the end 479 F-101Bs would be built before the production line was closed in 1961.
Canadian involvement with the Voodoo began in 1959 shortly after the Avro Arrow was cancelled.
Canada was in need of a fast interceptor to fulfil its new NORAD commitments. Their existing
fleet of CF-100 Canucks were becoming obsolete in the face of improved Soviet aircraft. An
off-the-shelf replacement was needed and the Americans offered up their newest interceptor,
the F-101B Voodoo. Operational Voodoos would be taken from American squadrons and be replaced
with the F-102 Delta Dagger, much to the dismay of American pilots. The Diefenbaker government
negotiated the deal which included cost offsets. These offsets included taking over the staffing
and funding of 11 Pinetree line radar stations located within the Canadian border. By June
of 1961 a deal was struck and the USAF began transferring 56 F-101Bs and 10 F-101F trainers
to form 5 RCAF squadrons.
One major stumbling block was the adoption by Canada of American nuclear weapons. Canada
would now be operating the Bomarc missile, Honest John ballistic missile, and Genie air-to-air
rockets, all equipped with powerful nuclear bombs. The debate was still ongoing at the
time of the transfer and so the initial CF-101s were equipped with the all Falcon missile
loadout. 1963 saw the quiet delivery of the nuclear weapons to arm the Bomarc missile
squadrons, the Honest John and Starfighter units in Europe, and the Genie weapons for
the Voodoo squadrons. Canada operated no more than 108 Genie rockets until it was retired
alongside with the Voodoos. The official stance of the government during this time was to
neither confirm nor deny the existence of nuclear weapons on Canadian soil or operated
by Canadian troops.
The Voodoo compares quite favourably to the Arrow it replaced and the Delta Dart it was
competing with. While it didn’t have the speed and service ceiling of the Delta Dart,
nor the thrust-to-weight ratio and weapon carrying capacity of the Arrow, it could efficiently
deliver its weapons and fulfill Canada’s interceptor needs. The Voodoo had a much longer
range than the others, making it a good choice for long range arctic patrol missions.
The first operational squadron was the 425 at RCAF Namao, Alberta in October of 1961.
It initially acted as a conversion squadron until those duties were taken over by the
No. 3 All Weather OTU in Bagotville, Quebec. During 1962 the 409 squadron at RCAF Comox,
British Columbia, 414 squadron at RCAF North Bay, Ontario, 410 squadron at RCAF Uplands,
Ontario, 425 squadron at RCAF Bagotville, Quebec, and 416 squadron at RCAF Chatham,
New Brunswick were all operating the Voodoo. Budget cuts in 1964 led to the 410 and 414
squadrons being disbanded. In 1967 the 414 squadron was reformed and would eventually
fly a unique electronic-warfare version of the Voodoo. The EF-101B Electric Voodoo was
a standard F-101B equipped with the electronic jamming equipment of the EB-57E Canberra.
It was leased to the Canadian military and served with the 414 until it was returned
to the United States in 1987.
Each squadron maintained at least two aircraft on 5-minute Quick Reaction Alert (QRA). The
Voodoos were positioned at the end of the runway for a quick takeoff. Pilots and airborne
interception navigators slept close to their planes with all their flight gear laid out
in front of them, ready for the call to wake up and take to the air.
After 8 years of hard service, the surviving CF-101s were traded with the Americans for
66 replacements between 1970 and 1972 as part of Operation Peace Wings. This batch of Voodoos
had lower flight hours than the originals and had been upgraded with an Infrared Search
and Tracking system and an enhanced fire control system.
The big and noisy Voodoos became popular air show attractions flying single ship demonstration
flights or sometimes in multi-ship formations. In 1984 one Voodoo from each of the three
remaining squadrons were painted as a special show aircraft. The Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwin,
Alberta proudly displays the “Lynx One Canada” paintjob of the 416 squadron.
The Voodoo began to show its age and starting in 1977, Canada began looking for a new fighter
to replace both it and the CF-104 Starfighters as both had been deemed obsolete by that time.
The Voodoos were kept in service until 1984 when they began to be withdrawn from service
and replaced by the highly capable CF-18 Hornet. The last flight of a Voodoo was on April 9th
1987 and with it came the end of a generation of century series fighters.
During its long history in Canadian service, at least 14 Voodoos were lost in crashes killing
over a dozen crew members. It served to support NORAD and protect the Northern approaches
into the North American heartland during the height of the Cold War. Although it was neither
designed nor built in Canada, the reliable Voodoo remains a Canadian Cold War icon and
was well loved by its ground crews and pilots.