Designated F-101 in November 1951, the Voodoo was originally designed as a long range escort fighter for the Strategic Air Command and borrowed heavily from McDonnell’s earlier XF-88 penetration fighter design. However, when the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress entered service and ushered in the era of high-speed, high-altitude jet bombers, escort fighters were deemed unnecessary. The F-101's design was then modified to fill tactical and air defense roles.

The single-seat F-101A Voodoo made its maiden flight in September 29, 1954. The type entered service in May 1957 as a fighter-bomber. The improved single-seat F-101C and two-seat F-101B followed. RF-101As & Cs were the USAF's first supersonic photoreconnaissance aircraft, and were vitally important during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. F-101 production ended in 1961, with 805 built.

The F-101B was a two-seat all-weather interceptor. The prototype first flew March 27, 1957, and production models entered service in January 1959. By August 1960, 17 squadrons of the Air Defense Command (ADC) flew F-101Bs. Phase out of active duty F-101Bs began in 1968, and they were out of the ADC inventory by April 1971. Air National Guard Units flew F-101Bs from November 1969 until August 1983.

McDonnell Aircraft Company, St. Louis, Missouri, built our Voodoo and delivered it to the USAF in November 1959. Its military career was as an experimental and test aircraft. Four times during its career it was designated a JF-101B to reflect its research and development role. The fighter never served with an Air Defense Command fighter squadron. In May 1970, it was in desert storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, (Tucson) Arizona and dropped from USAF inventory in February 1971.

The Gray Ghost
On February 19, 1971, 57-410 was flown from Davis-Monthan to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where it was modified to fly severe storm research for Colorado State University (CSU). From Cheyenne it was flown to the 116th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 141st Fighter Group, Washington Air National Guard at Spokane, Washington. This unit maintained the Voodoo while it flew with CSU, but the flights were conducted from Buckley Air National Guard Base (ANGB), (Denver) Colorado. While with the severe storm penetration program the Voodoo carried the civil registration N8234 and CSU markings. They included a reclining ghost under the forward cockpit with the name The Gray Ghost. Ten thunderstorm symbols were painted on the left side of the aircraft, behind the ghost. COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY and SEVERE STORM RESEARCH were on the fuselage above the wings. A long nose probe painted in red and white stripes was mounted forward of the cockpit. The main landing gear doors had red and yellow flames painted on them.

CAM acquired 57-410 in October 1984. A team of Museum volunteers made two trips to Buckley ANGB to disassemble, load, and transport the Voodoo back to Forbes Field. CAM exhibited it for several years in the CSU markings before painting it in US Air Force markings in 1990.