RAF Thor / F-106

[VulcanDriver]

I've been reading a book about the RAF Thor missile. It says that originally the deal was to be 113 Corporal missiles for the Royal Artillery and, get this, the F-106 plus 5000 Falcon AAMs to replace the Javelin for the RAF to be in service during 1960. However the RAF wanted the Avro Arrow so were never going accept the F-106. RAF Top Brass had a major sulk and wanted a missile too, so the US offered them the Thor which they took. Didn't last long as they were removed by the US and by summer 1963 the RAF units were disbanded as part of the US/USSR agreement after the Cuban Missile Crisis. The RAF had to wait until the Lightning became operational until it got its first supersonic fighter. An interesting chapter in the history of the RAF.

[AndyG43]

My ex-father in law was a Warrant Officer in the early '60s, and was assigned to Thor. As part of his training he went to Vandenberg and actually got to participate in the firing of one of the test missiles; it was part of a twin shot, and the footage of that launch has been reused in innumerable films since - he still has the firing key, offered it to his daughter as the "something borrowed" for her wedding day - I should have realised then what sort of family I was getting into!!

Incidentally, some of the guys at SOH are working on a Thor scenery project, which should fit nicely in many a retro install.

[VulcanDriver]

ah yes that launch is covered in the book. Photo of a Victor doing a fly past over the missiles prior to the launch. Glad hear there is scenery being made