F-104 Starfighter

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a high-performance supersonic interceptor aircraft, capable of high speeds and climb rates. The Starfighter entered service with the US Air Force in 1958, but dissatisfaction with the aircraft's range, load-carrying ability, and equipment led to it being phased out in 1967. However, in a heavily modified form, the Starfighter sold well abroad, particularly to the air forces of Germany, Canada, Pakistan and Italy, where high-speed fighter-bomber versions continued in service until the mid 1980s (and, in the case of the Italian Air Force, until 2004). The modified Starfighter versions also gained an unenviable reputation for being challenging to fly, with high fatal accident rates, particularly in German service where it gained nicknames like "widowmaker" and "earth nail" for frequently driving itself into the ground. Many air forces that used F-104s eventually replaced them with the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

History

"Kelly" Johnson, chief engineer at Lockheed's Skunk Works, visited Korea in December 1951 and talked to fighter pilots about what sort of plane they wanted. At the time the US pilots were meeting the MiG-15 in their F-86s, and many of the American pilots felt that the MiGs were superior to the larger and more complex American design. The pilots requested a small and simple aircraft with excellent performance.

On his return to the US, Johnson immediately started the design of just such an aircraft. In March his team was assembled, and they studied several aircraft designs, ranging from small designs at 8,000 lb (3.6 t), to fairly large ones at 50,000 lb (23 t). In November 1952, a follow-on study started, the lessons learned from the earlier designs being used to eventually result in the Lockheed L-246, of about 12,000 lb (5.4 t). The L-246 remained essentially identical to the L-083 Starfighter as eventually delivered.

The design was presented to the Air Force in November 1952, and they were interested enough to create a new proposal and to 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 J-79-powered design. Although all were interesting, Lockheed had an insurmountable lead, and was granted a development contract in March 1953.

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 J-79 engine was not ready; so, both prototypes were designed to use the Wright J-65 engine instead, a licensed version of the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire. The first prototype was completed by early 1954, and started flying in March. The total time from design to flying was about two years, a very short time even then, and unheard of today, when ten to fifteen years is more typical.

Design

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.

Wing and fuselage

The wing design was radical. Most jet fighters of the period (and to this day) used a swept-wing or delta-wing planform. 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. The wing was extremely thin, with a thickness-to-chord ratio of only 3.36%. Its aspect ratio was 2.45. The wing's leading edges were so thin (0.016 in / 0.41 mm) and so sharp that they presented a hazard to ground crews, and protective guards had to be installed during ground operations. The thinness of the wings meant that fuel tanks and landing gear had to be contained in the fuselage. Equally the motors to drive to the control surfaces had to be only one inch (25 mm) thick to fit.

The stabilator (horizontal tail surface) was mounted atop the fin to reduce inertia coupling. 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). To offset this effect, the wings were canted downward, given 10° anhedral. The wings had both leading- and trailing-edge flaps. Later Starfighter marks incorporated a system that allowed the flaps to be extended during combat maneuvering, reducing turn radius and generally improving sustained turn rate.

The combination provided extremely low drag except at high angle of attack (alpha), at which point induced drag became very high. As a result the Starfighter had superb 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 of pilot error.

The small, highly-loaded wing resulted in an unacceptably high take-off and landing speed, so a boundary layer control system (BLCS) of blown flaps was incorporated, bleeding engine air over the trailing edge flaps to improve their lift. 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 harrowing.

The Starfighter's fuselage had a high fineness ratio, i.e., tapering sharply towards the nose, and small frontal area. The fuselage was tightly packed, containing the radar, cockpit, cannon, all fuel, landing gear, and engine.

Several two-seat training versions of the Starfighter were produced. They were generally similar to the comparable single-seater, but the additional cockpit required removing the cannon and some internal fuel. Two-seaters are combat-capable, and, despite a slightly larger vertical fin and increased weight, have similar performance to the single-seater.

Engine

The F-104 was built around the General Electric J79 turbojet engine, fed by side-mounted intakes with fixed inlet scoops and a conical ramp optimized for supersonic speeds. (Unlike some supersonic aircraft, the F-104 does not have variable-geometry inlets.) Its thrust-to-drag ratio was superb, allowing a maximum speed well in excess of Mach 2: the top speed of the Starfighter is limited more by the aluminum structure and the temperature limits of the engine than by thrust or drag (which gives an aerodynamic maximum speed of Mach 2.2). Later models used uprated marks of the J79, improving thrust by almost 20%.

Equipment and armament

Early Starfighters used a downward-firing ejection seat (the Lockheed C-1), out of concern over the ability of an upward-firing seat to clear the tailplane. 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 a 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). Most export Starfighters were fitted with Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seats (having the ability to successfully eject the pilot from the aircraft even if the aircraft was at zero altitude and zero airspeed), which no doubt was comforting to pilots.

The initial USAF Starfighters had basic AN/ASG-14T ranging radar, TACAN, and radio. The later international fighter-bomber aircraft had much more advanced Aeroneutics NASARR radar, a simple infrared sight, Litton LN-3 inertial navigation system, and an air data computer.

In the late 1960s the Italian Air Force developed a more advanced version of the Starfighter, the F-104S, for use as an all-weather interceptor. The F-104S received a NASAAR R21-G with moving-target indicator (for some ability against low-level targets) and a continuous-wave illuminator for semi-active radar homing missiles, including AIM-7 Sparrow and Selenia Aspide. The missile-guidance avionics forced the deletion of the Starfighter's internal cannon. 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.

Basic armament of the F-104 was the M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling gun. The Starfighter was the first aircraft to carry the new weapon, which had a phenomenal 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 deleted in two-seat models and some single-seaters (the gun bay and ammunition tank could be replaced by an additional fuel tank). Two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles could be carried on the wingtip stations, which could also be used for fuel tanks or other stores. F-104C and later models added a centerline pylon and two underwing pylons under each wing for bombs, nuclear weapons, rocket pods, or tanks. The centerline pylon could carry a "catamaran" launcher for two additional Sidewinders, although the installation had minimal ground clearance and made the seeker heads of the missiles vulnerable to ground debris. The F-104S and some F-104G and F-104J models added a pair of fuselage pylons beneath the intakes, usually used for Sidewinders (providing better ground clearance than the catamaran launcher and leaving the centerline available for other stores). The Italian F-104S had still another pylon under each wing, for a maximum of nine. The F-104S was cleared for a higher maximum take-off 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).

Pilot impressions

The Starfighter was generally considered a rewarding, if very demanding, "sports car" of a fighter. It was the first combat aircraft capable of sustained Mach 2 flight (not just a brief dash), and its speed and climb performance remain impressive by modern standards. If used appropriately, with high-speed slashing 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. The F-104's turn radius and high-alpha behavior were always tricky, and the Starfighter had a well-deserved reputation for unforgiving behavior. Some users lost nearly half 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 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.

Famous U.S. Air Force pilots who lost their lives to F-104 accidents include Maj. Robert H. Lawrence Jr. and Capt. Iven Kincheloe. Chuck Yeager was nearly killed when he lost control of an NF-104A during a high-altitude record-breaking attempt. He did lose the tips of two fingers and was hospitalized with severe burns for a long period after the flight.

Service

The initial F-104A served briefly with the USAF Air Defense Command as an interceptor, although neither its range or armament were well-suited for that role. Its status was nonetheless enhanced when, on May 18, 1958, an F-104A set a world speed record of 1,404.19 mph (2,259.82 km/h), and on December 14, 1959, an F-104C set a world altitude record of 103,395 ft (31.5 km). The Starfighter was the first aircraft to hold simultaneous official world records for speed, altitude, and time-to-climb.

The subsequent F-104C entered service with Tactical Air Command as a multi-role fighter and fighter-bomber. It saw service in the Vietnam War, both in the air-superiority role (although it saw little aerial combat and scored no air-to-air kills) and in the air support mission.

The USAF procured only 296 Starfighters in one- and two-seat versions. The USAF was less than satisfied with the Starfighter. 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 and endurance compared to other USAF aircraft. Its U.S. service quickly wound down after 1965.

At the same time as the F-104 was falling out of US favour, the Federal German Airforce was looking for a multi-role aircraft. The Starfighter was presented and reworked to convert it from a fair-weather fighter into an all-weather ground attack and interceptor aircraft the F104G. This brought it a new market with other NATO countries, and 2,578 F-104s were built in the U.S. and abroad under the for various nations, including Canada, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Pakistan, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Japan. Norway, Denmark, Greece, Jordan, Turkey and Spain received theirs under the military aid program. The American engine was retained but built under licence in Europe. The Lockheed ejector seats were also retained at first but were replaced later by the superior Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seat.

The so-called "Deal of the Century" produced considerable income for Lockheed, but considerable political controversy in Europe, particularly in Germany, where minister of defence Franz Josef Strauß was almost forced to resign over the issue. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands later confessed to having received more than 1 million USD in bribes. 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 ailing corporation's downfall.

The German modified Starfighters were especially problematic, due to the modifed version's alarming accident rate. In German service alone, 292 of the 916 Starfighters crashed, claiming the lives of 115 pilots, leading to cries that the Starfighter was fundamentally unsafe and earning it the Widowmaker nickname, among others (see below). However, the non-German F-104 proved much safer and earned a better track record.

The F-104 in international service began to wind down in the late 1970s, replaced in many cases by the F-16, but it remained in service with some air forces for another two decades. The last frontline Starfighters were with the Italian AMI, which retired in summer 2004.

The Starfighters are a civilian aerobatic team based in Florida that currently flies two F-104s at airshows. Their two F-104 Starfighters, a CF-104D 104632 "N104RB" and CF-104 104850 "N104RD" a third to be restored were originally with the Royal Canadian Air Force and both later served with the Royal Norwegian Air Force before being imported into the US in private hands. The team lost one of its founding pilots in 2003 when Tom "Sharkbait" Delashaw was killed when he departed in a two-seat Hawker Hunter from a Pennsylvania airport and apparently the engine failed.

Service with Pakistan Air Force

Pakistan was the first country in Asia to get a supersonic aircraft when they acquired the F-104 Starfighter in 1961.

The Starfighter got its first kill on the dawn of 6 September, 1965 when Flight Lieutenant Aftab Alam Khan in an F-104 destroyed a Dassault Mystère IV over West Pakistan skies and damaged another, to mark the start of aerial combat in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. The engagement was significant in many respects. It marked a new era in dogfighting at very low altitude. It was the first combat kill by any Mach 2 aircraft, and the first missile kill for the Pakistan Air Force. Though the F-86 was the mainstay of the PAF, the F-104 had a very special task.

The Starfighter is also believed to have been instrumental in intercepting an Indian Air Force (IAF) Folland Gnat earlier on 3 September 1965. The Gnat was flying over Pakistan, on its way to its home base, when a F-104 was vectored to intercept the aircraft. Closing in at supersonic speed, the F-104 crossed the Gnat. There was no chance of making a successful intercept. But the Gnat pilot, probably thinking that there were more aircraft in the area, promptly lowered his undercarriage, landed at a disused Pakistani airfield nearby and surrendered himself. The Gnat is now displayed at the PAF Museum, Karachi. Indians claim that contrary to this version of events that there was a navigation error that led to its pilot wrongly landing on a Pakistani airstrip. The IAF pilot, Sqn Ldr Brij Pal Singh (who later rose to be an Air Marshal in the IAF), was taken as a POW and later released. ^*

In the later Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the F-104s were outfought and outgunned by the IAF's fighters and though Jordanian Starfighters were added to bolster the numbers, it did little to sway the air war in Pakistan's favour. Up to 8 PAF Starfighters were shot down by IAF MiG-21s ^* and even Pakistan admitted they didn't do so well, with up to seven losses and relatively few kills. http://www.vectorsite.net/avf104_3.html#m2

After the war the 12 PAF F-104s were grounded due to lack of spares resulting from the U.S. military embargo. They were replaced by French-made Dassault Mirage III fighters.

Costs

The costs are in approximately 1960 United States dollars and have not been adjusted for inflation.

	F-104A	F-104B	F-104C	F-104D	F-104G	TF-104G
Unit R&D cost			189,473	189,473
Airframe	1,026,859	1,756,388	863,235	873,952
Engine	624,727	336,015	473,729	271,148	169,000
Electronics	3,419	13,258	5,219	16,210
Armament	19,706	231,996	91,535	269,014
Ordnance	29,517	59,473	44,684	70,067
Flyaway cost	1.7 million	2.4 million	1.5 million	1.5 million	1.42 million	1.26 million
Modification costs by 1973			198,348	196,396
Cost per flying hour	655
Maintenance cost per flying hour	395	544	395	395

Variants

A total of 2,578 F-104s were produced by Lockheed and under license by various foreign manufacturers. Principal variants included:

XF-104 - Two prototype aircraft equipped with Wright J65 engines (the J79 was not yet ready); no operational equipment.
YF-104A - 17 pre-production aircraft used for engine, equipment, and flight testing.
F-104A - 153 initial production versions. 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. Some were released for export to Jordan, Pakistan, and Taiwan, each of whom used it in combat. In 1967 the 319th F-104As and Bs were re-engined with the J79-GE-19 engines with 17,900 pounds (79.6 kN) of thrust in afterburner. Note: service ceiling with this engine was in excess of 73,000 feet (22,250 m). In 1969 all the F-104A/Bs in ADC service were retired.
NF-104A - Three demilitarized versions with 6,000 lbf (27 kN) Rocketdyne LR121/AR-2-NA-1 rocket engines, used for astronaut training at altitudes up to 120,800 ft (36,830 m). (A December 10, 1963 accident involving Chuck Yeager was depicted in the movie The Right Stuff, although the aircraft in the film was not an actual NF-104A.)
QF-104A - 22 F-104As converted as radio-controlled drones and test aircraft.
F-104B - 26 dual-control trainer versions of F-104A. No cannon and reduced internal fuel, but otherwise combat-capable. A few were supplied to Pakistan and Taiwan.
F-104C - 71 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 centerline pylon. One squadron (476th Tactical Fighter Squadron) served briefly in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967, escorting F-105 Thunderchief missions. No air-to-air kills were scored, although the Starfighters were successful in deterring MiG interceptors. Vietnam-serving F-104s were upgraded in service with APR-25/26 radar warning receiver equipment. Nine were lost in combat.
F-104D - 21 dual-control trainer versions of F-104C.
F-104DJ - 20 dual-control trainer version of F-104J for Japanese Self-Defense Air Force, built by Lockheed rather than Mitsubishi.
F-104F - 30 dual-control trainer based on F-104D, but using the upgraded engine of the F-104G. No radar, and not combat-capable. 30 produced as interim trainers for the Luftwaffe.
F-104G - 1,122 aircraft in major production version as multi-role fighter bomber aircraft. Built by 4 groups of European companies, Canadair and Lockheed. Strengthened fuselage and wings, increased internal fuel capacity, enlarged vertical fin, heavier landing gear, revised flaps for improved combat maneuvering. New Autonetics NASARR F15A-41B radar with air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, Litton LN-3 inertial navigation (the first on a production fighter), infrared sight.
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.
TF-104G - 220 combat-capable trainer version of F-104G; no cannon or centerline pylon, reduced internal fuel. One civil version, civil registration number L104L, was used by Jackie Cochran to set three women’s world speed records in 1964.
F-104J - 178 Japanese version, built under license by Mitsubishi for the air-superiority fighter role, armed with cannon and four Sidewinders; no strike capability.
F-104N - Three F-104Gs delivered to NASA in 1963 for use as high-speed chase aircraft. One, piloted by Joe Walker, collided with the XB-70 on 8 June 1966. (To see its crash site, click here.)
F-104S - 246 Italian versions produced mainly by FIAT, upgraded for interception role with NASARR R-21G/H radar with moving-target indicator and continuous-wave illuminator for SARH missiles (initially AIM-7 Sparrow), two additional wing hardpoints, more powerful J79-GE-19 engine with 11,870 lbf (53 kN) and 17,900 lbf (80 kN) thrust, two additional ventral fins for increased stability. The cannon was sacrificed to make room for the illuminator and was never restored in subsequent variants.
F-104S-ASA (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma - "Weapon Systems Update") - 147 upgraded Italian version with Fiat R21G/M1 radar with frequency hopping, look-down/shoot-down capability, new IFF and weapons delivery computer, provision for AIM-9L all-aspect Sidewinder, Selenia Aspide missiles.
F-104S-ASA/M (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma/Modificato - "Weapon Systems Update/Modified") - 49 single seat and 15 two-seat (former TF-104G) upgraded from 1998 to ASA/M standard with GPS, new TACAN and Litton LN-30A2 INS, refurbished airframe, improved cockpit displays. All strike-related equipment was removed. The last Starfighters in combat service, they were eventually withdrawn in December 2004 and temporarily replaced by the F-16, while awaiting the Eurofighter Typhoon to become fully operational.
CF-104 - 200 Canadian-built versions, built under license by Canadair and optimized for nuclear strike, with NASARR R-24A radar with air-to-air modes and cannon deleted (the cannon was 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. Some later transferred to Denmark, Norway, and Turkey.
CF-104D - 38 dual-control trainer versions of CF-104D, built by Lockheed, but with Canadian J79-OEL-7 engines. Some later transferred to Denmark, Norway, and Turkey.

Nicknames

The Starfighter was commonly called the "missile with a man in it." 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"), but other export pilots were less charitable, dubbing it "Flying Coffin" or worse. The German public called it Witwenmacher ("widowmaker"), fliegender Sarg ("flying coffin") or Erdnagel ("ground nail", the official military term for a tent peg). 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", again). Canadian pilots sometimes referred to it as the flying lawn dart. The engine made a unique howling sound at certain throttle settings which led some to call the Starfighter Howling Howland. At certain low speeds with high engine RPM the aircraft produced a pronounced oscillating whine as the wings rocked from side to side. In Canada this was referred to as the "Whistling Wing Walk".

Music about the Starfighter

The German controversy over the Starfighter's contract and its toll of pilots inspired a rock concept album by Robert Calvert of Hawkwind, called Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters. After Kai-Uwe von Hassel succeeded Strauss as minister of defence, his son Oberleutnant Joachim von Hassel died in a crash with a Starfighter. This event was the topic of the Erdball song "Starfighter F-104G."

Land speed record car

A modified F-104A Starfighter airframe is being used for the North American Eagle land speed record jet car. The Eagle teams hopes to attain 800 mph (1,288 km/h) or Mach 1.05.

Specifications (F-104G)

Lockheed Corporation | U.S. fighter aircraft 1950-1959

Notes

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