The short life of a reconnaissance Voodoo
Coming in for landing over Reno Air National Guard Base's (NV) runway threshold during 1974 is McDonnell RF-101B Voodoo 59-0453.
Being a rare species Voodoo, and having no obvious unit markings assigned, this particular RF-101B belonged to the 192nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron/152nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group of the Nevada Air National Guard that is based at Reno.
Only 23 RF-101Bs have been operated by the 192nd TRS for a short period. While the Vietnam War was in full motion at the end of the sixties, the US Air Force decided that, because of shortfall in tactical reconnaissance capability, 22 former Royal Canadian Air Force CF-101Bs would be re-manufactured into RF-101Bs.
One USAF F-101B became first a development prototype airframe for the RF-101B and was later added to 192nd inventory.
Becoming the sole USAF RF-101B operator, the 192nd received its first aircraft at the beginning of the seventies. Because the RF-101B was extremely costly to maintain and a lot of support hours were needed to keep the aircraft in the air, the RF-101Bs were retired in the 1974-1975 timeframe.
After that short life, almost all Nevada ANG RF-101Bs were transferred to storage at the Tucson's Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) Boneyard. Eventually, along with 59-0453, almost all RF-101B Voodoos were scrapped at the end of the seventies and beginning of the eighties. At Reno the Voodoos were being replaced by the RF-4C Phantom II.
The following 22, ex RCAF CF-101Bs (serial 17 plus last three of the USAF serial), were converted into RF-101B photo reconnaissance aircraft:
The 23rd aircraft, USAF F-101B 57-0301, was a development test airframe first assigned to USAF's Air Force Logistics Command.
Sole RF-101B survivor, 59-0483, has been displayed inside the Nevada Air National Guard's gate at Reno for most of the recent decades. Nowadays Reno houses C-130H Hercules transport aircraft with the 192nd Airlift Squadron/152nd Airlift Wing.
Credit information: Scramble Magazine USAF database. Although no photo of an RF-101B, please have a look at AirHistory.net for other versions and exclusive pictures of the RF-101 Voodoo.
Photos by Reto Fasciati (via Urs Baettig collection) and 27glade52 (Flickr) / Patch 192nd TRS RF-101 era: Ebay