For more than twenty years the F-106 Delta Dart served as the U.S. Air Force`s primary interceptor aircraft with the mission goal of protecting American soil from Soviet nuclear threats. It was luckily never used in combat though the "Six" (as it wa s called in USAF service) was used in some standoff situations.The F-106 was unique in that it utilized an internal weapons bay to house its missiles a design feature originally intended to provide better supersonic flight performance. The internal weapons bay is now being utilized on newer stealth aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor to minimize radar signature. The F-106 was replaced by the F-15 Eagle starting in 1981 with the Air Force passing Delta Darts on to the Air National Guard. All F-10 6s were retired from combat squadrons by 1988 though they continued to serve as NASA test aircraft and target drones.This longstanding guard of American soil is reproduced here in its original A variant with a carefully applied U.S. Air Force paint s cheme. Superb attention to detail and high-quality construction ensure that this model will be treasured for years to come