Cornfield Bomber
Appearance
Cornfield Bomber | |
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The "Cornfield Bomber" after landing in a frozen Montana field | |
Type | F-106A-100-CO Delta Dart
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Manufacturer | Convair |
Serial | 58-0787 |
Owners and operators | United States Air Force |
In service | 1958–1988[1] |
Fate | On display |
Preserved at | National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio |
The "Cornfield Bomber" is the nickname given to a
71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron which made an unpiloted landing in a farmer's field in Montana in 1970. Suffering only minor damage after the pilot had ejected from the aircraft during a training mission gone awry, the aircraft was recovered, repaired, and returned to service. It is currently on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio
.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Cornfield_Bomber_Belly.jpg/220px-Cornfield_Bomber_Belly.jpg)
This aircraft was manufactured by
drag chute as a last resort while attempting to recover.[2] When it failed Foust ejected at an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,600 m).[4]
The reduction in weight and change in
center of gravity caused by the removal of the pilot,[5] coupled with the blast force of his seat rocketing out of the plane pushing the nose of the aircraft down,[3] which had been trimmed by Foust for takeoff and idle throttle,[clarify] caused the aircraft to recover from the spin.[5] One of the other pilots on the mission was reported to have radioed Foust during his descent by parachute that "you'd better get back in it!".[2] From his parachute, Foust watched incredulously as the now-pilotless aircraft descended and skidded to a halt in a farmer's field near Big Sandy, Montana.[5] Foust drifted into the nearby mountains. He was later rescued by local residents on snowmobiles.[2][4]
Shortly thereafter, the local sheriff and local residents arrived at the scene of the crash. The thrust from the still-idling jet engine allowed the aircraft to slowly drift on its belly across the field after it landed.
Preservation
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Convair_F-106A_Delta_Dart.jpg/220px-Convair_F-106A_Delta_Dart.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Cornfield_Bomber_Museum_Frontal_View.jpg/220px-Cornfield_Bomber_Museum_Frontal_View.jpg)
Following its misadventure, the "Cornfield Bomber" was repaired and returned to service, operating with the
49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, the final Air Force unit to operate the F-106.[2] Foust flew the aircraft again in 1979 while training at Tyndall Air Force Base.[6] Upon its retirement, it was presented to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in August 1986, where it remains on display.[1][5]
See also
References
Notes
- ^ a b "Fact Sheets – Convair F-106A Delta Dart". National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Grier 2009.
- ^ a b c Van Hare, Thomas (February 2, 2013). "The Cornfield Bomber". Historic Wings.
- ^ a b c "58-0787 Pilot-less Landing". f-106deltadart.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d Skaarup 2003.
- DVIDS.
Bibliography
- Grier, Peter (April 1, 2009). "Gary, You Better Get Back In It!". Air Force Magazine.
- Skaarup, Harold A. (2003). Ohio Warbird Survivors 2003: A Handbook on Where to Find Them. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. OCLC 53112511.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cornfield Bomber (aircraft).
- Short documentary on the Cornfield Bomber on AVweb
- National Museum of the Airforce videos page, with pilot interview
- Cornfield Bomber video from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on YouTube