F-104 Starfighter
A Fokker-built, German-owned F-104G in USAF markings in August 1979
Type	Interceptor aircraft, fighter-bomber
Manufacturer	Lockheed
Designed by	Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
Maiden flight	4 March 1954
Introduction	20 February 1958
Retired	2004 (Italy)
Primary users	Luftwaffe United States Air Force Japan Air Self-Defense Force Turkish Air Force
Number built	2,578
Unit cost	US$1. An interceptor aircraft (or simply interceptor) is a type of Fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy Aircraft, particularly Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The Lockheed Corporation (originally Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1954: Events January January 10 - BOAC Flight 781, a De Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1958: Events Gulfstream Aerospace founded in Savannah Georgia, USA This is a list of Aviation -related events from 2004: Events January 2 - Several British Airways flights from ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The, or JASDF, is the Aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese Airspace and other aerospace The Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. 42 million (F-104G)[1]
Developed from	Lockheed XF-104
Variants	Lockheed NF-104A Canadair CF-104 Aeritalia F-104S CL-1200 Lancer and X-27

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was an American single-engined, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1958 until 1967. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For other uses see Supersonic. The term supersonic is used to define a speed that is over the Speed of sound ( Mach 1 An interceptor aircraft (or simply interceptor) is a type of Fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy Aircraft, particularly One of the Century Series of aircraft, it continued in service with Air National Guard units until it was phased out in 1975. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Air National Guard ( ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the several states and The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flew a small mixed fleet of F-104 types in supersonic flight tests and spaceflight programs until they were retired in 1994. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program ^[2] Several two-seat trainer versions were produced, the most numerous being the TF-104G.

The F-104C was used in combat with the USAF during the Vietnam War, and F-104A aircraft were deployed by Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani wars. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Republic of China Air Force F-104s also engaged the People's Liberation Army Air Force over the disputed island of Kinmen. Republic of China Air Force Personnel53000 The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF ( is the Aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the Military of the People's Republic of Kinmen, ( Traditional Chinese: 金門 Simplified Chinese: 金门 Hanyu Pinyin: Jīnmén Tongyong Pinyin: Jinmén Wades-Giles

The poor safety record of the Starfighter brought the aircraft into the public eye, especially in Luftwaffe service; the subsequent Lockheed bribery scandals surrounding the original purchase contracts caused considerable political controversy in Europe and Japan. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The Lockheed bribery scandals encompassed a series of bribes and contributions made by officials of U For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. However, a USAF study of other Century Series fighters revealed that the F-100 Super Sabre had an accident rate far worse than the F-104's. ^[3]

The F-104G version sold well amongst NATO air forces, where these high-speed fighter-bomber variants continued in service with most operators until the late 1980s. The North Atlantic Treaty Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces Lockheed developed the final and most advanced version, the F-104S, for use by the Italian Air Force which was designed to carry AIM-7 Sparrow missiles. The Aeronautica Militare is the Air force of Italy. It has held a prominent role in modern Italian military history. The AIM-7 Sparrow is a medium-range Semi-active radar homing Air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy The Italian Air Force was the last remaining Starfighter operator, retiring their fleet in 2004. Many F-104s were eventually replaced with F-16 or Panavia Tornado aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A projected, highly-modified version of the F-104, known as the CL-1200 Lancer, did not proceed; the project was cancelled at the mock-up stage. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A civilian demonstration team based in Florida operates the last three of four airworthy Starfighters. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the ^[4] The other, a CF-104D, is owned and operated by Mark Sherman out of Williams Gateway airport in Phoenix, Arizona.

Development

Four-aircraft formation of F-104A-5-LO

Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, chief engineer at Lockheed's Skunk Works, visited Korea in December 1951 and spoke with fighter pilots about what sort of aircraft they wanted. An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering. The Lockheed Corporation (originally Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. At the time, the U. S. pilots were confronting the MiG-15 with F-86 Sabres, and many of the American pilots felt that the MiGs were superior to the larger and more complex American design. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The pilots requested a small and simple aircraft with excellent performance. ^[5]

On his return to the United States, Johnson immediately started the design of just such an aircraft. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In March, his team was assembled; they studied several aircraft designs, ranging from small designs at 8,000 pounds (3. 6 t), to fairly large ones at 50,000 pounds (23 t). This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. The L-246 remained essentially identical to the L-083 Starfighter as eventually delivered. ^[5]

The design was presented to the Air Force in November 1952, and they were interested enough to create a new proposal and invite several companies to participate. Three additional designs were received: the Republic AP-55, an improved version of its prototype XF-91 Thunderceptor; the North American NA-212, which would eventually evolve into the F-107; and the Northrop N-102 Fang, a new General Electric J79-powered design. The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale Long Island New York. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout North American Aviation was a major US Aircraft manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft including the T-6 Texan trainer the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Northrop Corporation was a leading Aircraft manufacturer of the United States from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman Although all were interesting, Lockheed had an insurmountable lead, and was granted a development contract in March 1953. The prototype was given the designation XF-104. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[6]

Work progressed quickly, with a mock-up ready for inspection at the end of April, and work starting on two prototypes late in May. At the time, the J79 engine was not ready; both prototypes were instead designed to use the Wright J-65 engine, a licensed version of the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire. A prototype is an original type form or instance of something serving as a typical example basis or standard for other things of the same category This article is about the jet aero-engine for the vehicle see Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire (motor car WikipediaWikiProject The first prototype was completed by early 1954, and started flying in March. The total time from design to first flight was about two years; this is an unheard of time today, when several years is more typical, and was a very short time even then.

In order to achieve the desired performance, Lockheed chose a minimalist approach: a design that would achieve high performance by wrapping the lightest, most aerodynamically efficient airframe possible around a single powerful engine. The emphasis was on minimizing drag and mass. In Fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called fluid resistance) is the force that resists the movement of a Solid object through a Fluid (a

Lockheed F-104A-10-LO

Design

Wings

The F-104 featured a radical wing design. Most jet fighters of the period (and to this day) used a swept-wing or delta-wing planform. A swept-wing is a wing Planform common on high-speed Aircraft, with the wing swept back instead of being set at right angles to the Fuselage. The delta wing is a Wing Planform in the form of a triangle named after the Greek uppercase delta which is a triangle (Δ A planform or Plan view is a vertical Orthographic projection of an object on a horizontal plane like a Map. This allowed a reasonable balance between aerodynamic performance, lift, and internal space for fuel and equipment. Lockheed's tests, however, determined that the most efficient shape for high-speed, supersonic flight was a very small, straight, mid-mounted, trapezoidal wing. For other uses see Supersonic. The term supersonic is used to define a speed that is over the Speed of sound ( Mach 1 The new wing design was extremely thin, with a thickness-to-chord ratio of only 3. In reference to Aircraft, chord refers to the distance between the leading edge and trailing edge of a Wing, Horizontal stabilizer or Vertical stabilizer 36% and an aspect ratio of 2. In Aerodynamics, the aspect ratio of a wing is defined as the square of the wing span divided by the wing area 45. The wing's leading-edges were so thin (0. 016 in / 0. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 41 mm) and sharp that they presented a hazard to ground crews, and protective guards had to be installed during ground operations. The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to The thinness of the wings meant that fuel tanks and landing gear had to be contained in the fuselage. In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi The motors driving the control surfaces had to be only one inch (25 mm) thick to fit. The wings had both leading- and trailing-edge flaps. Flaps are hinged surfaces on the trailing edge of the wings of a Fixed-wing aircraft. The small, highly-loaded wing resulted in an unacceptably high landing speed, so a boundary layer control system (BLCS) of blown flaps was incorporated, bleeding engine air over the trailing-edge flaps to improve lift. Blown flaps are a powered Aerodynamic High-lift device invented by the British on the Wings of certain Aircraft to improve low-speed The system was a boon to safe landings, although it proved to be a maintenance problem in service, and landing without the BLCS could be a harrowing experience. ^[7]

Tail surfaces

The stabilator (horizontal tail surface) was mounted atop the fin to reduce inertia coupling. A stabilator ( stabil izer-elev' ator') is an aircraft control surface that combines the functions of an elevator and a Horizontal stabilizer Inertia coupling is a potentially lethal phenomenon of High-speed flight in which the Inertia of the heavier Fuselage overpowers the aerodynamic stabilizing Because the vertical tailfin was only slightly shorter than the length of each wing and nearly as aerodynamically effective, it could act as a wing on rudder application (a phenomenon known as Dutch roll). A rudder is a device used to steer a Ship, Boat, Submarine, Hovercraft, or other conveyance that move through a fluid (generally air or Dutch roll is a type of Aircraft motion consisting of an out-of- phase combination of "tail-wagging" and rocking from side to side To offset this effect, the wings were canted downward, giving 10° anhedral. Dihedral is the upward angle from horizontal of the wings or tailpane of a Fixed-wing aircraft or the wing of a Bird. ^[7]

Fuselage

The Starfighter's fuselage had a high fineness ratio, i. e. , tapering sharply towards the nose, and a small frontal area. The fuselage was tightly packed, containing the radar, cockpit, cannon, fuel, landing gear, and engine. In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi This fuselage and wing combination provided extremely low drag except at high angle of attack (alpha), at which point induced drag became very high. Angle of attack ( AOA, \alpha Greek letter alpha) is a term used in Aerodynamics to describe the Angle between the In Aerodynamics, lift-induced drag, induced drag, vortex drag, or sometimes drag due to lift, is a drag force that occurs whenever As a result, the Starfighter had excellent acceleration, rate of climb and potential top speed, but its sustained turn performance was very poor, described by some as more like a milk truck than a fighter. It was sensitive to control input, and extremely unforgiving to pilot error.

NACA wind tunnel tested a model of the F-104 to evaluate its stability, and found it became increasingly unstable at higher angles of attack, to the point that there was a recommendation to limit the servo-control power that generated those higher angles, and shake the stick to warn the pilot. In the same report, NACA stated that the wingtip tanks, possibly because of their stabilizing fins, somewhat reduced the model's instability problems at high angles of attack.

Engine

Detail of F-104G's J79 turbojet exhaust (the red coloring has been added by the museum).

The F-104 was designed to use the General Electric J79 turbojet engine, fed by side-mounted intakes with fixed inlet cones optimized for supersonic speeds. TurboJET (噴射飛航 is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong -based Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited (信德中旅船務管理有限公司 Inlet cones (sometimes called shock cones) are a component of some supersonic aircraft Unlike some supersonic aircraft, the F-104 does not have variable-geometry inlets. Its thrust-to-drag ratio was excellent, allowing a maximum speed well in excess of Mach 2: the top speed of the Starfighter was limited more by the aluminium airframe structure and the temperature limits of the engine compressor than by thrust or drag (which gives an aerodynamic maximum speed of Mach 2. Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 2). Later models used uprated marks of the J79, improving both thrust and fuel consumption significantly.

Ejection seat

Early Starfighters used a downward-firing ejection seat (the Stanley C-1), out of concern over the ability of an upward-firing seat to clear the tailplane. In Aircraft, an ejection seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft (usually military in an emergency Stanley Aviation is an aerospace company started by Robert M Stanley, the aviation pioneer in Buffalo New York in 1948. This presented obvious problems in low-altitude escapes, and some 21 USAF pilots failed to escape their stricken aircraft in low-level emergencies because of it. The downward-firing seat was soon replaced by the Lockheed C-2 upward-firing seat, which was capable of clearing the tail, although it still had a minimum speed limitation of 90 knots (170 km/h). Many export Starfighters were later retro-fitted with Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seats, which have the ability to successfully eject the pilot from the aircraft even at zero altitude and zero airspeed. Martin-Baker Aircraft Co Ltd is a British manufacturer of Aircraft Ejection seats and was a pioneer in their design and manufacture In Aircraft, an ejection seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft (usually military in an emergency ^[8]

Avionics

The initial USAF Starfighters had a basic AN/ASG-14T ranging radar, TACAN, and a AN/ARC-34 UHF radio. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships TACtical Air Navigation, or TACAN, is a Navigation system used by military aircraft The later international fighter-bomber aircraft had a much more advanced Autonetics NASARR radar, a simple infrared sight, a Litton LN-3 inertial navigation system, and an air data computer. North American Aviation was a major US Aircraft manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft including the T-6 Texan trainer the Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of An Inertial Navigation System (INS is a Navigation aid that uses a Computer and motion sensors to continuously track the position orientation and Velocity

In the late 1960s, Lockheed developed a more advanced version of the Starfighter, the F-104S, for use by the Italian Air Force as an all-weather interceptor. The Aeronautica Militare is the Air force of Italy. It has held a prominent role in modern Italian military history. The F-104S received a NASARR R21-G with a moving-target indicator and a continuous-wave illuminator for semi-active radar homing missiles, including the AIM-7 Sparrow and Selenia Aspide. Semi-active radar homing, or SARH, is a common type of Missile guidance system perhaps the most common type for longer range air-to-air and Surface-to-air The AIM-7 Sparrow is a medium-range Semi-active radar homing Air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy The Aspide is an Italian medium range Air-to-air missile produced by Selenia (now part of the Alenia consortium The missile-guidance avionics forced the deletion of the Starfighter's internal cannon. Avionics means "aviation electronics" It comprises electronic systems for use on aircraft artificial satellites and spacecraft comprising Communications In the mid-1980s surviving F-104S aircraft were updated to ASA standard (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma, or Weapon Systems Update), with a much improved, more compact Fiat R21G/M1 radar.

M61 cannon installation of a Luftwaffe F-104G

Armament

The basic armament of the F-104 was the M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling gun. The M61 Vulcan is a 20 mm Hydraulically or Pneumatically driven six- barreled air-cooled The Gatling gun is considered by some to have been the first Machine gun: although it did not automatically reload under its own power it was capable of firing continuously The Starfighter was the first aircraft to carry the new weapon, which had a rate of fire of 6,000 rounds per minute. The cannon, mounted in the lower part of the port fuselage, was fed by a 725-round drum behind the pilot's seat. It was omitted in all the two-seat models and some single-seat versions, including reconnaissance aircraft and the early Italian F-104S; the gun bay and ammunition tank were usually replaced by additional fuel tanks. Two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles could be carried on the wingtip stations, which could also be used for fuel tanks. The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range Air-to-air missile carried by Fighter aircraft and recently certain gunship helicopters An air-to-air missile ( AAM) is a guided Missile fired from an Aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft The F-104C and later models added a centerline pylon and two underwing pylons for bombs, rocket pods, or fuel tanks. The centerline pylon could carry a nuclear weapon; a "catamaran" launcher for two additional Sidewinders could be fitted under the forward fuselage, although the installation had minimal ground clearance and made the seeker heads of the missiles vulnerable to ground debris. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The F-104S models added a pair of fuselage pylons beneath the intakes available for conventional bomb carriage. The F-104S had an additional pylon under each wing, allowing for a maximum of nine.

Two-seat trainer

Several two-seat training versions of the Starfighter were produced. They were generally similar to the single-seater, but the additional cockpit required removing the cannon and some internal fuel (very early versions of the F-104B did have a cannon fitted but it became impractical for many reasons). The nose landing gear bay was repositioned and the strut retracted rearwards. Two-seaters were combat-capable with Sidewinder missiles, and, despite a slightly larger vertical fin and increased weight, had similar performance to the early model single-seat aircraft.

Operational history

USAF Air Defense Command

Lockheed F-104A-20-LO of the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Taeyan Air Base, Taiwan, on 15 September 1958, during the Quemoy Crisis (Operation Jonah Able). Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The F-104A initially served briefly with the USAF Air Defense Command (ADC) as an interceptor, although neither its range nor armament were well-suited for that role. CONAD (all caps redirects here for the Italian supermarket chain see Conad (upper and lower case Aerospace Defense Command ( The first unit to become operational with the F-104A was the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 20 February 1958, at Hamilton AFB, California. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hamilton Air Force Base was a former United States Air Force base located along the northern shore of San Francisco Bay south of Novato, California California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. After just three months of service, the unit was grounded after a series of engine-related accidents. The aircraft were then fitted with the J79-3B engine and another three ADC units equipped with the F-104A. The USAF reduced their orders from 722 Starfighters to 155. ^[9] After only one year of service these aircraft were handed over to ADC-gained units of the Air National Guard, although it should be noted that the F-104 was intended as an interim solution while the ADC waited for delivery of the F-106 Delta Dart. The Air National Guard ( ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the several states and WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[10]

USAF Tactical Air Command

The subsequent F-104C entered service with Tactical Air Command as a multi-role fighter and fighter-bomber. Tactical Air Command (TAC it an inactive United States Air Force organization The 479th Tactical Fighter Squadron at George AFB, California was the first unit to equip with the type in September 1958. For the civilian use of this facility after 1992 see Southern California Logistics Airport George Air Force Base (1941-1992 is a former United States Although not an optimum platform for the theater, the F-104 did see limited service in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Again, in 1967, these TAC aircraft were transferred to the Air National Guard. The Air National Guard ( ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the several states and

Lockheed F-104A-15-LOs in flight with Lockheed EC-121. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Vietnam War

Commencing with the Operation Rolling Thunder campaign, the Starfighter was used both in the air-superiority role and in the air support mission; although it saw little aerial combat and scored no air-to-air kills, Starfighters were successful in deterring MiG interceptors. Operation Rolling Thunder was the title of a gradual and sustained U ^[11] Starfighter squadrons made two deployments to Vietnam, the first being from April 1965 to November 1965, flying 2,937 combat sorties. During that first deployment, two Starfighters were shot down by ground fire, one was shot down by a Chinese MiG-19 (Shenyang J-6) when the F-104 strayed over the border, and two F-104s were lost to a mid-air collision associated with that air-to-air battle. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed to Vietnam in April 1965 through July 1965, losing one Starfighter; and the 436th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed to Vietnam in July 1965 through October 1965, losing four. ^[12]

Starfighters returned to Vietnam when the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed from June 1966 until July 1967, in which time they flew a further 2,269 combat sorties, for a total of 5,206 sorties. Nine more F-104s were lost; two F-104s to ground fire, three to surface-to-air missiles, and the final four losses were operational (engine failures). The Starfighters rotated and/or transitioned to F-4 Phantoms in July 1967, having lost a total of 14 F-104s to all causes in Vietnam. ^[13] F-104s operating in Vietnam were upgraded in service with APR-25/26 radar warning receiver equipment, and one example is on display in the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum — generally referred to as the Air Zoo — is located just down the street from the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport ^[14]

The USAF was less than satisfied with the Starfighter and procured only 296 examples in single- and two-seat versions. At the time USAF doctrine placed little importance on air superiority (the "pure" fighter mission), and the Starfighter was deemed inadequate for either the interceptor or tactical fighter-bomber role, lacking both payload capability and endurance compared to other USAF aircraft. Its U. S. service was quickly wound down after 1965, and the last USAF Starfighters left active service in 1969, but continued with the Puerto Rico ANG until 1975. ^[14]

1967 Taiwan Strait Conflict

On 13 January 1967, four Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force F-104G aircraft engaged a formation of 12 MiG-19s of the People's Liberation Army Air Force over the disputed island of Kinmen. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF ( is the Aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the Military of the People's Republic of Kinmen, ( Traditional Chinese: 金門 Simplified Chinese: 金门 Hanyu Pinyin: Jīnmén Tongyong Pinyin: Jinmén Wades-Giles One MiG-19 was claimed shot down with one F-104 also lost. ^[15]

India-Pakistan Wars

Main articles: Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts and Aerial warfare in 1965 India Pakistan War

At dawn on 6 September 1965, Flight Lieutenant Aftab Alam Khan in an F-104 claimed a Dassault Mystère IV destroyed over West Pakistan and another damaged, to mark the start of aerial combat in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. On September 1 1965, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 war erupted between the Republic of India and Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout West Pakistan was the popular and sometimes official (1955&ndash1970 name of the western wing of Pakistan until 1971 when the eastern wing became independent The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of Skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between India and Pakistan. At that time it was claimed as the first combat kill by any Mach 2 aircraft, and the first missile kill for the Pakistan Air Force. Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid Pakistan Air Force ( Urdu: پاک فضائیہ, Pak Faza'ya) ( PAF) is the Aviation branch of the Pakistan armed forces Indian sources dispute this claim. ^[16] The PAF lost three F-104 Starfighters during the 1965 operations, scoring two kills in return. ^[17]

The Starfighter is also believed to have been instrumental in intercepting an Indian Air Force Folland Gnat earlier, on 3 September 1965. The Indian Air Force (Devanāgarī भारतीय वायु सेना IAST Bhartiya Vāyu Senā is the air arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. F-104s were vectored to intercept the Gnat flying over Pakistan, returning to its home base. The F-104s, closing in at supersonic speed, caused the Gnat pilot to lower the undercarriage and land at a nearby disused Pakistani airfield to surrender. The Indian AF claims Squadron Leader Brij Pal Singh (who later rose to be an Air Marshal) made a navigation error that led him to land on the Pakistani airstrip. Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence This article is about the air force rank Air marshal (or Sky marshal) is also the term given to federal security agents who travel undercover aboard commercial Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Singh was taken as a POW and later released. ^[17] The IAF Gnat is now displayed at the PAF Museum, Karachi. PAF Museum Karachi is an Air Force Museum and park situated between PAF Base Faisal and Awami Markaz on main Shahra-e-Faisal at Karachi, Pakistan In the 1971 war, four F-104As were lost in combat.

International service

At the same time that the F-104 was falling out of U. S. favor, the Federal German Airforce was looking for a multi-role combat aircraft. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The Starfighter was presented and reworked to convert it from a fair-weather fighter into an all-weather ground-attack, reconnaissance and interceptor aircraft, as the F-104G. The aircraft found a new market with other NATO countries, and eventually a total of 2,578 of all variants of the F-104 were built in the U. The North Atlantic Treaty S. and abroad for various nations. Several countries received their aircraft under the U. S. -funded Military Aid Program (MAP). The American engine was retained but built under license in Europe, Canada and Japan. The Lockheed ejector seats were retained initially but were replaced later in some countries by the statistically safer Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seat. Martin-Baker Aircraft Co Ltd is a British manufacturer of Aircraft Ejection seats and was a pioneer in their design and manufacture In Aircraft, an ejection seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft (usually military in an emergency

The so-called "Deal of the Century" produced considerable income for Lockheed. The Lockheed Corporation (originally Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta However, the resulting Lockheed bribery scandals caused considerable political controversy in Europe and Japan. The Lockheed bribery scandals encompassed a series of bribes and contributions made by officials of U In Germany, the Minister of Defence Franz Josef Strauss was accused of having received at least $10 million for West Germany's purchase of the F-104 Starfighter in 1961. The Federal Ministry of Defence ( Bundesministerium der Verteidigung) is a ministry in the German Cabinet. Franz Josef Strauss (Franz Josef Strauß (fʁants jozɛf ʃtraʊs ( September 6, 1915 – October 3, 1988) was a German The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[18] Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands later confessed to having received more than $1 million in bribes. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (29 June 1911 in Jena – 1 December 2004 in Utrecht) Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld born HSH Count Bernhard Leopold Friedrich In the 1970s it was revealed that Lockheed had engaged in an extensive campaign of bribery of foreign officials to obtain sales, a scandal that nearly led to the downfall of the ailing corporation. Bribery, a form of pecuniary corruption is an act usually implying money or gift given that alters the behaviour of the recipient in ways not consistent with the duties of that person

The international service of the F-104 began to wind down in the late 1970s, being replaced in many cases by the F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it remained in service with some air forces for another two decades. The last operational Starfighters served with the Italian AMI, which retired them in mid-2004.

Flying the F-104

Chuck Yeager in the cockpit of an NF-104, 4 December 1963

The Starfighter was generally considered a rewarding, if very demanding, "sports car" of a fighter. Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager (born February 13 1923 is a retired Brigadier-General in the United States Air Force and a noted Test pilot. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was the first combat aircraft capable of sustained Mach 2 flight, and its speed and climb performance remain impressive even by modern standards. If used appropriately, with high-speed surprise attacks and good use of its exceptional thrust-to-weight ratio, it could be a formidable opponent, although being lured into a turning contest with a slower, more maneuverable opponent (as Pakistani pilots were with Indian Hunters in 1965) was perilous. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The F-104's large turn radius was mainly due to the high speeds involved, and its high-alpha stalling and pitch-up behavior was known to command respect. Angle of attack ( AOA, \alpha Greek letter alpha) is a term used in Aerodynamics to describe the Angle between the

Takeoff speeds were in the region of 190 knots, with the pilot needing to swiftly raise the landing gear to avoid exceeding the limit speed of 260 knots. Takeoff is the phase of Flight in which an Aircraft goes through a transition from moving along the ground ( Taxiing) to flying in the air usually Climb and cruise performance were outstanding; unusually, a "slow" light illuminated on the instrument panel at around Mach 2 to indicate that the engine compressor was nearing its limiting temperature and the pilot needed to throttle-back. Returning to the circuit, the downwind leg could be flown at 210 knots with "land" flap selected, while long flat final approaches were typically flown at speeds around 180 knots depending on the weight of fuel remaining. An airfield traffic pattern is a standard path followed by Aircraft when taking off or Landing. High engine power had to be maintained on the final approach to ensure adequate airflow for the BLC system; consequently pilots were warned not to cut the throttle until the aircraft was actually on the ground. A drag chute and effective brakes shortened the Starfighter's landing roll. A drogue parachute is a Parachute designed to be deployed from a rapidly moving object ^[19]

Safety record

The safety record of the F-104 Starfighter became high profile news especially in Germany in the mid 1960s, and lingers in the minds of the public even to this day. Some operators lost nearly one third of their aircraft through accidents, although the accident rate varied widely depending on the user and operating conditions; the Spanish Air Force, for example, lost none. The Spanish Air Force ( Spanish: Ejército del Aire; literally "Army of the Air" is the Air force of Spain. The Starfighter was a particular favorite of the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force), although the AMI's accident rate was far from the lowest of Starfighter users. The Aeronautica Militare is the Air force of Italy. It has held a prominent role in modern Italian military history.

Notable U. S. Air Force pilots who lost their lives in F-104 accidents include Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. and Captain Iven Kincheloe. Robert Henry Lawrence Jr ( October 2, 1935 - December 8, 1967) was a United States Air Force office and the first African-American Iven Carl "Kinch" Kincheloe Jr ( July 2, 1928 &ndash July 26, 1958) was an American Test pilot, recipient of Civilian (retired USAAF) pilot Joe Walker died in a midair collision with an XB-70 Valkyrie while flying an F-104. Joseph Albert "Joe" Walker ( 20 February 1921  &ndash 8 June 1966) was an American Test pilot and a WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Chuck Yeager was nearly killed when he lost control of an NF-104A during a high-altitude record-breaking attempt. Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager (born February 13 1923 is a retired Brigadier-General in the United States Air Force and a noted Test pilot. He lost the tips of two fingers and was hospitalized for a long period with severe burns after the flight.

F-104 general characteristics

The F-104 series all had a very high wing loading (made even higher when carrying external stores), which demanded that sufficient airspeed be maintained at all times. Airspeed is the speed of an Aircraft relative to the air There are several different measures of airspeed indicated airspeed calibrated airspeed equivalent airspeed and true The high angle of attack area of flight was protected by a stick shaker system to warn the pilot of an approaching stall, and if this was ignored a stick kicker system would pitch the aircraft's nose down to a safer angle of attack; this was often overridden by the pilot despite flight manual warnings against this practise. A stick shaker is a mechanical device to rapidly and noisily vibrate the control yoke (the "stick" of an aircraft to warn the pilot of an imminent stall A stick shaker is a mechanical device to rapidly and noisily vibrate the control yoke (the "stick" of an aircraft to warn the pilot of an imminent stall At extreme high angles of attack the F-104 was known to "pitch-up" and enter a spin, which in most cases was impossible to recover from. In Aerodynamics, pitch-up is a severe form of stall. The phenomenon of pitch-up is directly related to inherent properties of all Swept wings Wingtips In aviation a spin is an aggravated stall resulting in rotation about the center of gravity wherein the aircraft follows a downward corkscrew path Unlike the twin-engined F-4 Phantom II for example, the F-104 with its single engine lacked the safety margin in the case of an engine failure, and had a very poor glide ratio without thrust. Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton 's Second and Third Laws.

Early problems

The J79 was a new engine that continued to be developed during the YF-104A test phase and in service with the F-104A. The engine featured variable incidence compressor stator blades, a design feature that altered the angle of the stator blades automatically with altitude and temperature. A condition known as "T-2 reset", a normal function that made large stator blade angle changes, caused several engine failures on takeoff. It was discovered that large and sudden temperature changes (from being parked in the sun to getting airborne) were falsely causing the engine stator blades to close and choke the compressor. The dangers presented by these engine failures were compounded by the downward ejection seat which gave the pilot little chance of a safe exit. The engine systems were subsequently modified and the ejection seat changed to the more conventional upward type. Uncontrolled tip-tank oscillations sheared one wing off of an F-104B; this problem was apparent during testing of the XF-104 prototype and was eventually resolved by filling the tank compartments in a specific order. Oscillation is the repetitive variation typically in Time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of Equilibrium) or between two or more different states ^[20]

Later problems

A further engine problem was that of "uncommanded" opening of the variable thrust nozzle (usually through loss of engine oil); although the engine would be running normally at high power, the opening of the nozzle resulted in a drastic loss of thrust. A propelling nozzle is a component of a Jet engine that is found at the tail of the engine that operates to form an exhaust jet and to maximise A modification program installed a manual nozzle closure control which reduced the problem. The engine was also known to suffer from afterburner blow out on takeoff or even non-ignition resulting in a major loss of thrust, which could be detected by the pilot – the recommended action was to abandon the takeoff. The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs The first fatal accident in German service was caused by this. Some aircrews experienced uncommanded "stick kicker" activation at low level when flying straight and level, so F-104 crews often flew with the system de-activated. Asymmetric flap deployment was another common cause of accidents, as was a persistent problem with severe nosewheel "shimmy" on landing which usually resulted in the aircraft leaving the runway and in some cases even flipping over onto its back. Wobble, shimmy, tank-slapper, Speed wobble, and even death wobble are all words and phrases used to describe a quick (4 - 10 Hz oscillation ^[21]

Luftwaffe F-104G in USAF markings

German service

The introduction of a highly technical aircraft type to a newly reformed airforce was fraught with problems. Many pilots and groundcrew had settled into civilian jobs after World War II and had not kept pace with developments, with pilots being sent on short "refresher" courses in slow and benign handling first generation jet aircraft. A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed Groundcrew were similarly employed with minimal training and experience. Operating in poor North West European weather conditions (vastly unlike the fair weather training conditions at Luke AFB in Arizona) and flying at high speed and low level over hilly terrain, a great many accidents were attributed to CFIT or Controlled Flight Into Terrain (or water), which it is fair to say was no fault of the aircraft. Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles (11 km west of the Central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Controlled flight into terrain ( CFIT) describes an accident whereby an airworthy Aircraft, under pilot control inadvertently flies into terrain an Many Canadian losses were attributed to the same cause as both air forces were operating in the same country. An additional factor was that the aircraft were parked outside in adverse weather conditions (snow, rain etc) where the moisture affected the delicate avionic systems. It was further noted that the Lockheed C-2 ejection seat was no guarantee of a safe escape and the Luftwaffe retro-fitted the much more capable Martin Baker GQ-7A seat from 1967, and many operators quietly followed suit. In 1966 Johannes Steinhoff took over command of the Luftwaffe and grounded the entire F-104 fleet until he was satisfied that problems had been resolved or at least reduced. Johannes Steinhoff ( September 15, 1913 – February 21, 1994) was a German Luftwaffe Fighter ace of In later years the German safety record improved, although a new problem of structural failure of the wings emerged. Original fatigue calculations had not taken into account the high number of g-force loading cycles that the German F-104 fleet was experiencing, and many airframes were returned for depot maintenance where their wings were replaced, while other aircraft were simply retired. g-force (also G-force, g-load) is a measurement of an object's Acceleration expressed in g s Towards the end of Luftwaffe service, some aircraft were modified to carry an ADR or 'Black Box' which could give an indication of what might have caused the accident. The flight data recorder ( FDR) or Black Box is a Flight recorder used to record specific Aircraft performance parameters ^[22] It may be noted that the German fighter ace Erich Hartmann had deemed the F-104 an unsafe aircraft with poor handling characteristics for air combat and had judged the fighter unfit for Luftwaffe use, even before its induction, to the dismay of his superiors. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy Aircraft during aerial combat Erich Alfred "Bubi" Hartmann (19 April 1922 &ndash 20 September 1993 also nicknamed " The Blond Knight of Germany " by friends and " The Black ^[23]

Normal operating hazards

The causes of a large number of aircraft losses were the same as for any other similar type. They included: birdstrikes (particularly to the engine), lightning strikes, pilot spatial disorientation, and mid-air collisions with other aircraft. A bird strike (sometimes birdstrike, bird hit, or BASH (Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard in Aviation is a collision between an airborne animal (usually Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of Electricity, which typically occurs during Thunderstorms and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or Spatial disorientation is a condition in which an Aircraft pilot 's perception of direction ( Proprioception) does not agree with reality A mid-air collision is an aviation accident where two or more aircraft come into unplanned contact during flight A particularly notable accident occurred on 19 June 1962 when a formation of four F-104F aircraft, practising for the type's introduction into service ceremony, crashed together after descending through a cloud bank. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This accident was explained as probable spatial disorientation of the lead pilot, and formation aerobatic teams were consequently banned by the Luftwaffe from that day on. ^[24]

Safety comparison with other aircraft types

A USAF comparison study of the accident rate of all the Century Series, F-4 Phantom, A-7, and F-111 aircraft over 750,000 flying hours showed that the F-100 Super Sabre led the table with an accident rate over double that of the F-104 (471 accidents for the F-100 versus 196 for the F-104) which had the second highest rate, closely followed by the F-102 Delta Dagger. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[3] It should be noted that the F-104 figures in this study were taken over 600,000 hours as the type had not reached 750,000 hours at the time.

Variants

Lockheed XF-104 in flight

A Lockheed YF-104A, 55-2961, NASA number 818. First NASA flight on 27 August 1956, last operational flight on 26 August 1975 – 1,439 flights over this period. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

A total of 2,578 F-104s were produced by Lockheed and under license by various foreign manufacturers. The Lockheed Corporation (originally Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta Principal variants included:

XF-104

Main article: Lockheed XF-104

Two prototype aircraft equipped with Wright J65 engines (the J79 was not yet ready); one aircraft equipped with the M61 cannon as an armament test bed. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout This article is about the jet aero-engine for the vehicle see Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire (motor car WikipediaWikiProject Both aircraft were destroyed in crashes.

YF-104A

17 pre-production aircraft used for engine, equipment, and flight testing. Most were later converted to F-104A standard.

F-104A

A total of 153 initial production versions were built. In USAF service from 1958 through 1960, then transferred to ANG until 1963 when they were recalled by the USAF Air Defense Command for the 319th and 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadrons. The Air National Guard ( ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the several states and Some were released for export to Jordan, Pakistan, and Taiwan, each of whom used it in combat. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. In 1967 the 319th F-104As and Bs were re-engined with the J79-GE-19 engines with 17,900 lb (79. 6 kN) of thrust in afterburner; service ceiling with this engine was in excess of 73,000 ft (22,250 m). In 1969 all the F-104A/Bs in ADC service were retired. On 18 May 1958, an F-104A set a world speed record of 1,404. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 19 mph (2,259. 82 km/h).

NF-104A

Main article: Lockheed NF-104A

Three demilitarized versions with an additional 6,000 lbf (27 kN) Rocketdyne LR121/AR-2-NA-1 rocket engine, used for astronaut training at altitudes up to 120,800 ft (36,830 m). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A rocket engine is a Jet engine that uses only Propellant mass for forming its high speed propulsive jet. An astronaut or cosmonaut (космона́вт) is a person trained An accident on 10 December 1963 involving Chuck Yeager was depicted in the motion picture The Right Stuff, although the aircraft in the film was not an actual NF-104A. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager (born February 13 1923 is a retired Brigadier-General in the United States Air Force and a noted Test pilot. The Right Stuff ( is a film adaptation of Tom Wolfe 's book The Right Stuff, about the Test pilots who were involved in high-speed

QF-104A

A total of 22 F-104As converted into radio-controlled drones and test aircraft. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV is an unpiloted Aircraft. UAVs can be remote controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic

F-104B

Tandem two-seat dual-control trainer version of F-104A, 26-built. Enlarged rudder and ventral fin, no cannon and reduced internal fuel, but otherwise combat-capable. A few were supplied to Jordan , Pakistan and Taiwan. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. 26-built.

F-104C

F-104C at USAF Museum, WPAFB

Fighter bomber versions for USAF Tactical Air Command, with improved fire-control radar (AN/ASG-14T-2), centerline and two wing pylons (for a total of five), and ability to carry one Mk 28 or Mk 43 nuclear weapon on the centerline pylon. Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces Tactical Air Command (TAC it an inactive United States Air Force organization Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships The B28 (originally Mk 28) was a Thermonuclear bomb carried by U The B43 was a United States air-dropped Nuclear weapon used by a wide variety of Fighter bomber and Bomber aircraft. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The F-104C also had in-flight refuelling capability. On 14 December 1959, an F-104C set a world altitude record of 103,395 ft (31. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 5 km), 77 built.

F-104D

Dual-control trainer versions of F-104C, 21 built.

F-104DJ

Dual-control trainer version of F-104J for Japanese Air Self-Defense Force, 20 built by Lockheed and assembled by Mitsubishi. The, or JSDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of the post- World War II American occupation of Japan The, Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi

F-104F

Dual-control trainers based on F-104D, but using the upgraded engine of the F-104G. No radar, and not combat-capable. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships Produced as interim trainers for the Luftwaffe. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. All F-104F aircraft were retired by 1971, 30-built.

Lockheed F-104G

F-104G

1,122 aircraft of the main version produced as multi-role fighter bombers. Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces Manufactured by Lockheed, and under license by Canadair and a consortium of European companies which included MBB, Messerschmitt, Fiat, Fokker and SABCA. Messerschmitt AG was a famous German Aircraft manufacturer known primarily for its World War II Fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer Fokker was a Dutch Aircraft manufacturer named after its founder Anthony Fokker. The Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA is a Belgian Aerospace company a subsidiary of the Dassault Group. The type featured strengthened fuselage and wing structure, increased internal fuel capacity, an enlarged vertical fin, strengthened landing gear with larger tires and revised flaps for improved combat maneuvering. In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi Upgraded avionics included a new Autonetics NASARR F15A-41B radar with air-to-air and ground mapping modes, the Litton LN-3 inertial navigation system (the first on a production fighter) and an infrared sight. An Inertial Navigation System (INS is a Navigation aid that uses a Computer and motion sensors to continuously track the position orientation and Velocity Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of

RF-104G

189 tactical reconnaissance models based on F-104G, usually with three KS-67A cameras mounted in the forward fuselage in place of cannon. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information

TF-104G

220 combat-capable trainer version of F-104G; no cannon or centerline pylon, reduced internal fuel. One aircraft used by Lockheed as a demonstrator with the civil registration number L104L, was flown by Jackie Cochran to set three women’s world speed records in 1964. Jacqueline Cochran ( 11 May 1906 &ndash 9 August 1980) was a pioneer American Aviator, considered to be one of the most This aircraft later served in the Netherlands.

F-104H

Projected export version based on a F-104G with simplified equipment and optical gunsight. Not built.

F-104J

Specialised interceptor version of the F-104G for the Japanese ASDF, built under license by Mitsubishi for the air-superiority fighter role, armed with cannon and four Sidewinders; no strike capability. The, Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed Some were converted to UF-104J radio-controlled target drones and destroyed. Total of 210 built, three built by Lockheed, 29 built by Mitsubushi for Lockheed built components and 177 built by Mitsubishi.

F-104N

Three F-104Gs were delivered to NASA in 1963 for use as high-speed chase aircraft. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program One, piloted by Joe Walker, collided with an XB-70 on 8 June 1966. Joseph Albert "Joe" Walker ( 20 February 1921  &ndash 8 June 1966) was an American Test pilot and a Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar.

F-104S

F-104S in original camouflage scheme with Sparrow missiles mounted under the wings, c. 1969

Main article: Aeritalia F-104S

246 Italian versions produced by FIAT, one aircraft crashed prior to delivery and is often not included in the total number built. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer The F-104S was upgraded for the interception role having NASARR R-21G/H radar with moving-target indicator and continuous-wave illuminator for SARH missiles (initially AIM-7 Sparrow), two additional wing and two underbelly hardpoints (increasing the total to nine), more powerful J79-GE-19 engine with 11,870 lbf (53 kN) and 17,900 lbf (80 kN) thrust, and two additional ventral fins for increased stability. Semi-active radar homing, or SARH, is a common type of Missile guidance system perhaps the most common type for longer range air-to-air and Surface-to-air The AIM-7 Sparrow is a medium-range Semi-active radar homing Air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy The M61 cannon was sacrificed to make room for the missile avionics in the interceptor version but retained for the fighter-bomber variants. Up to two Sparrow; and two, theoretically four or six Sidewinder missiles were carried on all the hardpoints except the central (underbelly), or seven 340 kg bombs (normally two–four 227–340 kg). The F-104S was cleared for a higher maximum takeoff weight, allowing it to carry up to 7,500 lb (3,400 kg) of stores; other Starfighters had a maximum external load of 4,000 lb (1,814 kg). Range was up to 1,250 km with four tanks. ^[25]

F-104S-ASA

(Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma – "Weapon Systems Update") – 147 upgraded F-104S with Fiat R21G/M1 radar with frequency hopping, look-down/shoot-down capability, new IFF system and weapon delivery computer, provision for AIM-9L all-aspect Sidewinder and Selenia Aspide missiles. Frequency-hopping spread spectrum ( FHSS) is a method of transmitting radio signals by rapidly switching a carrier among many frequency channels, using In Telecommunications, identification friend or foe (IFF is a Cryptographic identification System designed for command and control The Aspide is an Italian medium range Air-to-air missile produced by Selenia (now part of the Alenia consortium

F-104S-ASA/M

(Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma/Modificato – "Weapon Systems Update/Modified") – 49 airframes upgraded in 1998 to ASA/M standard with GPS, new TACAN and Litton LN-30A2 INS, refurbished airframe, improved cockpit displays. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth TACtical Air Navigation, or TACAN, is a Navigation system used by military aircraft All strike-related equipment was removed. The last Starfighters in combat service, they were withdrawn in December 2004 and temporarily replaced by the F-16 Fighting Falcon, while awaiting Eurofighter Typhoon deliveries. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

CF-104

Main article: CF-104

200 Canadian-built versions, built under license by Canadair and optimized for nuclear strike, having NASARR R-24A radar with air-to-air modes, cannon deleted (restored after 1972), additional internal fuel cell, and Canadian J79-OEL-7 engines with 10,000 lbf (44 kN) /15,800 lbf (70 kN) thrust. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Bombardier Aerospace is a division of the Bombardier group It is the third largest aircraft company in the world in terms of yearly delivery of commercial airplanes (behind

CF-104D

38 dual-control trainer versions of CF-104, built by Lockheed, but with Canadian J79-OEL-7 engines. Some later transferred to Denmark, Norway and Turkey. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches

Production summary table and costs

Production summary table

Note: ^[a] One aircraft crashed on test flight and is not included.
Source: Table data taken from Bowman, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. ^[26]

Costs

Note: Costs are in approximately 1960 United States dollars and have not been adjusted for inflation. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[27]

Operators

Main article: List of F-104 Starfighter operators

Canadian CF-104 displayed at CFB Borden

Luftwaffe F-104G at Lasham

Hellenic AF F-104

 Belgium

 Canada

 Republic of China

 Denmark

 Germany

 Greece

 Italy

 Japan

 Jordan

 Netherlands

 Norway

 Pakistan

Spain

 Turkey

 United States

Survivors

• F-104G Starfighter, R-756, Midland Air Museum, Coventry, England. See also F-104 Starfighter The List of F-104 Starfighter operators lists the countries and their air force units that have operated the F-104 Starfighter Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden) is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Midland Air Museum (MAM is situated just outside the village of Baginton in Warwickshire, England, and is adjacent to Coventry Airport. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[28][29]
• F-104G Starfighter, 22+35 is on display at Lasham airfield, England, 2006. Lasham Airfield is located 6 miles south-south-east of Basingstoke in Hampshire, England, near the village of Lasham. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[30]
• F-104G Starfighter, 20+47 is on display at Internationales Luftfahrtmuseum, Manfred Pflumm, in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany. ^[31]
• CF-104D Starfighter, 104637 is currently (2008) under restoration to airworthy condition by a team of volunteers in Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional ^[32]
• F-104J Starfighter, 36-8515 is preserved at Kakamigahara Aerospace Museum, Kakamigahara, Japan. is a city located in the Gifu Prefecture of central Japan. It was founded on 1 April 1963 by the merger of Naka Sohara Unuma and Inaba For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[33]
• F-104C Starfighter, 60-914, is on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official National Museum of the United States Air ^[34]
• F-104, type unknown, assumed ex-Turkish Airforce, on static display at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. Outline of aircraft is clearly visible on Google earth at location 39°54'5. 24"N 32°46'19. 07"E.
• F-104, type unknown, USAF markings,on static display at Weatherford Oklahoma Regional Airport entrance.

Specifications (F-104G)

Data from Quest for Performance^[35]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 54 ft 8 in (16. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 66 m)
• Wingspan: 21 ft 9 in (6. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip 36 m)
• Height: 13 ft 6 in (4. 09 m)
• Wing area: 196. 1 sq ft (18. 22 m²)
• Airfoil: Biconvex 3. An airfoil (in American English) or aerofoil (in British English) is the shape of a Wing or blade (of a Propeller, rotor 36% root and tip
• Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)
• Loaded weight: 20,640 lb (9,365 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 29,027 lb (13,170 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× General Electric J79-GE-11A afterburning turbojet
  • Dry thrust: 10,000 lbf (48 kN)
  • Thrust with afterburner: 15,600 lbf (69 kN)
• Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The Maximum Takeoff Weight or Maximum Takeoff Mass of an Aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot of the aircraft is allowed to attempt to take off TurboJET (噴射飛航 is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong -based Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited (信德中旅船務管理有限公司 This article deals with the unit of force For the unit of mass see Pound (mass. The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs In Aerodynamics, the zero-lift drag coefficient C_{D0} is a dimensionless parameter which relates an aircraft's zero-lift drag Force to its 0172
• Drag area: 3. In Aerodynamics, the zero-lift drag coefficient C_{D0} is a dimensionless parameter which relates an aircraft's zero-lift drag Force to its 37 sq ft (0. 31 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 2. In Aerodynamics, the aspect ratio of a wing is defined as the square of the wing span divided by the wing area 45

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,328 mph (1,154 knots, 2,125 km/h)
• Combat radius: 420 mi (365 NM, 670 km)
• Ferry range: 1,630 mi (1,420 nm, 2,623 km)
• Service ceiling 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 48,000 ft/min (244 m/s)
• Wing loading: 105 lb/sq ft (514 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: 0. In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. For Aircraft, ferry range means the maximum range the aircraft can fly In Aeronautics, a ceiling is the maximum Density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions In Aerodynamics, the rate of climb RoC is the speed at which an Aircraft increases its Altitude. In Aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing Thrust-to-weight ratio is as its name suggests the ratio of instantaneous Thrust to Weight (where weight means weight at the Earth ’s surface 54 with max. takeoff weight (0. 76 loaded)
• Lift-to-drag ratio: 9. In Aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio, or L/D ratio ("ell-over-dee" in the US "ell-dee" in the UK is the amount of lift generated 2

Armament

• Guns: 1× 20 mm (0. 787 in) M61 Vulcan gatling gun, 725 rounds
• Hardpoints: 7 with a capacity of 4,000 lb (1,800 kg),with provisions to carry combinations of:
  • Missiles: 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder* Other: Bombs, rockets, or other stores

Popular culture

Nicknames

The Starfighter was commonly called the "missile with a man in it"; a name swiftly trademarked by Lockheed for marketing purposes. The M61 Vulcan is a 20 mm Hydraulically or Pneumatically driven six- barreled air-cooled The Gatling gun is considered by some to have been the first Machine gun: although it did not automatically reload under its own power it was capable of firing continuously The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range Air-to-air missile carried by Fighter aircraft and recently certain gunship helicopters The term "Super Starfighter" was used by Lockheed to describe the F-104G in marketing campaigns, but fell into disuse. In service, American pilots called it the "Zipper" or "Zip-104" because of its prodigious speed. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force called it Eiko ("Glory"). The, or JASDF, is the Aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese Airspace and other aerospace A less charitable name appeared, "The Flying Coffin" from the translation of the common German public name of Fliegender Sarg. The F-104 was also called Witwenmacher ("Widowmaker"), or Erdnagel ("ground nail") – the official military term for a tent peg. ^[36] The Pakistani AF name was Badmash ("Hooligan"), while among Italian pilots its spiky design earned it the nickname Spillone ("Hatpin"), along with Bara volante ("Flying coffin"). Pakistan Air Force ( Urdu: پاک فضائیہ, Pak Faza'ya) ( PAF) is the Aviation branch of the Pakistan armed forces Canadian pilots sometimes referred to it as the "flying lawn dart" or "Widowmaker". Lawn darts (also called Jarts or yard darts) is a Lawn game for two players or teams

The engine made a unique howling sound at certain throttle settings which led to NASA F-104B Starfighter N819NA being named Howling Howland. ^[36]

Further popular culture

The Starfighter was featured in music and film. The German controversy over the Starfighter's contract and its toll on pilots inspired a rock concept album by Robert Calvert of Hawkwind, called Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" Robert Newton Calvert ( 9 March 1945, Pretoria South Africa - 14 August 1988) was a writer poet and performer Hawkwind are a British rock band, one of the earliest Space rock groups Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters was a 1974 satirical Concept album by Robert Calvert, the former frontman of British space-rock band It repeated the commonplace grim joke in Germany that the cheapest way of obtaining a Starfighter was to buy a small patch of land and simply wait. ^[37] After Kai-Uwe von Hassel succeeded Strauss as minister of defence, his son Oberleutnant Joachim von Hassel died in a Starfighter crash. Kai-Uwe von Hassel ( 21 April 1913 - 8 May 1997) was a German politician from Schleswig-Holstein associated with the This event was the topic of the Welle:Erdball song, "Starfighter F-104G". Welle Erdball (often abbreviated as WE) is a group from Germany often credited with being the pioneers of Bitpop. The Tom Tom Club song "Booming and Zooming" (1981) prominently features the F-104 Starfighter. Tom Tom Club is an American new-wave band founded in 1980 by spouses and Talking Heads alumni Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz

Stock footage of F-104s was used when U. S. Air Force aircraft intercepted the U.S.S. Enterprise in the Star Trek first season episode, "Tomorrow is Yesterday". The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701 is a Starship in Star Trek, which chronicles the vessel's mission "to explore strange new worlds to Star Trek is a Science fiction Television series created by Gene Roddenberry that aired from September 8, 1966 through " Tomorrow Is Yesterday " is a first-season episode of Star Trek The Original Series. In the remastered version of the episode, the stock footage was replaced by Computer-Generated Imagery. Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics An F-104G Starfighter was featured, in the guise of an NF-104A, in the 1983 film The Right Stuff. The Right Stuff ( is a film adaptation of Tom Wolfe 's book The Right Stuff, about the Test pilots who were involved in high-speed The 1964 movie The Starfighters, about the training and operations of F-104 crews was subsequently featured in episode #612 of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Starfighters is an American film released in 1964. It was written and directed by Will Zens and stars future U Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American Cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced The film starred future US Congressman Robert Dornan. Robert Kenneth "Bob" Dornan (born April 3, 1933) is a Republican and former member of the United States House of Representatives from

See also

• Century Series
• Zero length launch
• North American Eagle
  

Related development

• Lockheed XF-104
• Lockheed NF-104A
• Canadair CF-104
• Aeritalia F-104S
• CL-1200 Lancer and X-27
  

Comparable aircraft

• F-11 Tiger
• Dassault Mirage III
• Northrop F-5
• EWR VJ 101
• English Electric Lightning
  

Related lists

• List of F-104 Starfighter operators
• List of fighter aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the United States
  

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Lockheed XF-104 to F-104A, F-104B/D, F-104C, and F-104G pages on USAF National Museum site
• Baugher's F-104 Index Page variants and operators
• Photos from F-104N Joe Walker crash site
• Site of Chuck Yeager NF-104A crash
• List of F-104s on display and list of Canadair CF-104 Starfighters on display in Canada from Aero-Web.org
• F-104F Starfighter at the Deutsches Museum, Munich