F-104星式戰機全球服役史－２

YF-104A service test aircraft
In July of 1954, the USAF decided to purchase 17 service test aircraft under the designation YF-104A. This was done under a "fly-before-you-buy" philosophy, under which these aircraft would participate in development tests before any commitment to large-scale production was made. If large-scale production was actually undertaken, these YF-104As could later be brought up to full production standard and delivered to operational units.
Fearing that the General Electric J79 turbojet might not be ready in time, the first service test Starfighters were to be powered by the afterburning J65 turbojet. However, the J79 engine was flight tested by the Navy in a borrowed Navy XF4D in December of 1955, and it was concluded that early versions of the General Electric J79 engine should be available by the time that the YF-104A was ready, and the service test aircraft were built with the General Electric engine in mind.
The seventeen YF-104A service test aircraft (serials 55-2955/2971) were powered by early experimental versions of the General Electric J79 engine instead of the J65 engine which powered the XF-104s. The YF-104A aircraft were initially fitted with the General Electric XJ79-JE-3 turbojet, rated at 9300 lb.s.t. dry and 14,800 lb.s.t. with afterburning. The YF-104A differed from the XF-104 in having a 5 feet 6 inch extension in the length of the fuselage to accommodate the new J79 engine. The vertical fin was slightly taller, raising the overall height from 12.7 feet to 13.49 feet. A forward-retracting nosewheel replaced the rearward-retracting unit of the XF-104, in order to provide improved ejection seat clearance out of the bottom of the aircraft. A narrow dorsal spine was added to the upper fuselage. Two additional fuel cells were installed in the fuselage. The air intakes were modified in shape and were fitted with half-cone center bodies which had been omitted from the two XF-104s. The fixed-geometry central intake shock cone had an internal bleed slot which exhausted some intake air through the fuselage for afterburner cooling and helped to reduce the aircraft's base drag. An AN/ASG-14T1 fire control system was fitted, plus AN/ARN-56 TACAN. There were provisions for four underwing and one under-fuselage stores pylon.
With an empty weight increased only slightly to 12,561 pounds, the YF-104A maximum takeoff weight (clean) rose to 15,700 pounds for the XF-104 to 18,881 pounds. With provision for four underwing and one fuselage stores pylon, the maximum takeoff weight was 24,584 pounds.
The first YF-104A (55-2955) was completed in February of 1956, and was trucked out in high secrecy to Edwards AFB. It made its first flight there on February 17, 1956, with Lockheed test pilot Herman "Fish" Salmon at the controls.
On February 16, 1956, the second YF-104A (55-2956) was used for a media-covered official rollout ceremony at Lockheed's Burbank factory. This was the first display of the Starfighter to the public. Before that, there had been only rumors in the aviation press about the existence of a truly revolutionary new fighter aircraft, plus a few speculative drawings. The engine air intakes were covered with temporary fairings, since the Air Force didn't want people to see the half-cones in the air intakes.
The first Starfighter photographs were released in the spring of 1956. These were limited to air-to-air shots of the prototype and ground photos of YF-104A 55-2956 with the intake fairings still fitted. It was not until mid-1956 that the J79-engined F-104 lateral intakes were finally revealed to the public.
The J79 engine provided a spectacular improvement in performance. 55-2955 reached Mach 2 on February 28, 1956, becoming the first fighter aircraft capable of double-sonic speed in level flight.
An initial order for production F-104As was issued on October 14, 1956.
Together with the first 35 production F-104As, all seventeen YF-104As were used for flight-test and to evaluate early versions of the J79 (the -3, -3A, and -3B) engine, the Vulcan cannon, the AIM-9 (formerly GAR-8) Sidewinder air-to-air missile and the wingtip-mounted fuel tanks. Airframe strengthening and local redesign were progressively introduced. Various forms of flap blowing were tested, and a ventral fin was introduced to improve directional stability at supersonic speed. Some YF-104As were also used to test wingtip racks for either 170 US-gallon drop tanks or Sidewinder infrared-homing air-to-air missiles.
On May 7, 1958, Major Howard C. Johnson reached an altitude of 91,249 feet in a zoom climb at Edwards AFB in California, setting a new altitude record. On May 16, 1958, Captain Walter W. Irwin flying a YF-104A set a new world's air speed record of 1404.19 mph flying over a 15/25 kilometer course at Edwards AFB. For the first time in history, the same aircraft type held both the world speed and altitude records at the same time.
A large percentage of the seventeen YF-104As were lost in crashes during the test program. At the end of this program, the surviving YF-104As were brought up to F-104A production status and were turned over to USAF squadrons for duty. Following the withdrawal of the F-104A from active service in 1960, at least four of the ex-YF-104As (55-2956, 2957, 2969, 2971) were converted into unmanned QF-104A target drones. They were all most likely shot down during tests.
Of the seventeen YF-104As built, only two are known to survive today. The first survivor is the seventh YF-104A (55-2961). This aircraft was transferred to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in August of 1956. It was initially numbered 018, which was later changed to a civilian registration of N818NA. In 1958, NACA was reorganized as NASA, and the YF-104A remained with NASA until November of 1975. This aircraft is now hanging in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. I saw it there in October of 1993. The other survivor is the thirteenth YF-104A (55-2967). It is now on display at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I remember seeing it sitting outside the Chapel when I visited the Air Force Academy in 1971. 55-2955/2971 Lockheed YF-104A Starfighter c/n 183-1001/1017
F-104A, first production version
The F-104A (company designation Model 183-92-02) was the initial production version of the Starfighter. In a contract approved on March 2, 1956, the USAF ordered 146 production F-104As. This brought the total F-104A procurement to 170 aircraft, including the service test YF-104As.
As compared to the service-test YF-104As, production F-104As featured a strengthened airframe that was stressed for 7.33-G maneuvers. An aft-mounted ventral fin was fitted on the centerline to improve directional stability at high speeds and high altitudes. Various flap-blowing boundary layer control systems were fitted. The interim AN/ASG-14T-1 radar fire control system was installed, which was later replaced by the more capable AN/ASG-14T-2 fire control system.
Because of its boundary layer control system, the landing speed of the F-104A was only five percent higher than that of earlier fighters. The boundary layer system operated in connection with the wing flaps. When the flaps passed the fifteen-degree mark during extension, the bleed air valves began to open and reached the fully open position when the flaps are all the way down at 45 degrees. The highly-compressed air needed to operate the system was taken from the 17th compressor stage of the engine and ducted into the wing and out over the upper flap surfaces via a set of slots lined up along the trailing edge flap hinge line. This air flow reduced air turbulence in the boundary layer due to flow separation, thus decreasing the stalling speed and making lower landing speeds possible.
Full-span leading-edge flaps operated in conjunction with the trailing edge flaps for takeoff, landing, and low-speed maneuvering. The aileron system was interconnected with the flap system in such a way that when the flaps were fully up, aileron travel was limited to 65 percent. The entire horizontal stabilizer was pivoted aft of the fin mid-chord line and moved as a single unit. There was no elevator. A speed brakes was located on each side of the aft fuselage.
An automatic pitch control system provided advance warning of an impending stall. As the stall approached, the system energized a stick shaker to warn the pilot. Should the pilot ignore the warning and persist in maintaining the same attitude, the system would automatically apply a forward stick force.
The first 35 F-104As delivered to the USAF were involved in a protracted series of flight tests during which changes and improvements were progressively introduced on successive batches coming off the production line.
The F-104A had originally been scheduled to replace the F-100 Super Sabres of the TAC beginning in 1956. However, by the time that the F-104A was finally ready for delivery, Air Force requirements had changed. The Starfighter's relatively low endurance and its lack of ability to carry a significant offensive weapons load made it no longer suitable for the TAC. Consequently the TAC lost all interest in the F-104A even before it was scheduled to enter service. This might ordinarily have been the end of the line for the F-104A. However, delays in the delivery of the Convair F-106 Delta Dart Mach 2+ interceptor to the Air Defense Command had at that time become worrisome, and the USAF decided to go ahead and accept the F-104As originally destined for the TAC and assign them to the ADC as a stopgap measure. The selection of the F-104A for the ADC was sort of curious, since it had not been originally designed as an interceptor and it lacked an adequate endurance and had no all-weather capability. However, its high climb rate made it attractive to the ADC and it was hoped that the Starfighter could fill in until the F-106 became available.
First to get the F-104A was the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Hamilton AFB in California, which became operational with the type on February 20, 1958. Next to acquire the F-104A were the 56th FIS at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio, the 337th FIS at Westover AFB in Massachusetts, and the 538th FIS at Larson AFB in Washington.
The F-104A was initially powered by the J79-GE-3 or -3A turbojet. These engines proved to be quite unreliable in service and were responsible for several crashes and inflight emergencies during testing. Among the engine problems were flameouts, oil depletions, roughness, backfires, and ignition failures. These engine problems resulted in the grounding of all F-104As in April of 1958 after only a few months of service. Most of the failures were traced to problems with the J79's variable afterburner nozzle. When the afterburner was turned on, it would often get stuck in the open position after it was turned off, which restricted engine power to not much above idle thrust, which was insufficient to maintain level flight, forcing the pilot to make a hasty exit from the aircraft. The early F-104As also lacked modulated afterburning, which meant that they could only be operated full on or full off, which effectively meant a level speed choice of either Mach 1 or Mach 2.2.
A more reliable version of the J79, the -3B rated at 9600 lb.s.t. dry and 14,800 lb.s.t. with afterburning, was developed and retrofitted into existing F-104As beginning in April of 1958. The F-104As were returned to flight status in July of 1958. However, the safety record of the F-104A continued to compare unfavorably with other "Century Series" fighters, and crashes remained fairly frequent.
In June of 1958, English Electric test pilot Roland Beaumont test flew an F-104A. He was quite critical of the Starfighter. He found the aircraft to have inadequate directional damping, evidenced by a persistent low-amplitude short-period oscillation throughout most of the flight regime. The use of a thin, highly-loaded wing had a severe adverse effect on the turning maneuverability. There were excessive break-out forces of the power-controlled ailerons. At high angles of attack, the high-set stabilator would tend to stall in the wing downwash, and a departure into a flat spin was often the result. Recovery from such a flat spin was usually possible only if there was sufficient height so that increased engine power could be applied to accelerate the aircraft back into controlled flight. Beaumont found that subsonic handling properties were unpleasant and particularly dangerous in take-off and landing configuration and were not compatible with bad weather operation. He predicted that the F-104 was likely to suffer a high accident rate in operation.
The M61 Vulcan cannon initially fitted to the YF-104A suffered from excessive vibration during firing and from occasional premature detonation of its 20-mm shells. The cannon had a problem with handling high-G stresses during its early development stages. Things got so bad that on November 1, 1957 the Air Force decided that these cannon should not be installed in any more production F-104As and should be removed from existing F-104As until the problems could be fixed. Consequently, for a long time USAF Starfighters served without any cannon armament being installed, relying on the wingtip-mounted Sidewinders as their sole armament. In 1964, after the improved and vastly more reliable M61A1 was made available, the F-104As finally got their full armament.
The first F-104As were fitted with Lockheed-designed downward-firing ejector seats. Lockheed engineers had feared that upward-firing ejections would not be safe at the speeds at which the F-104 would be flying, the seat supposedly being unable to clear the tall vertical tail at such high speeds. Consequently, they opted for a downward-firing ejection system. The system was the first fully-automatic downward-firing ejection system ever employed in a production fighter. When the pilot initiated the ejection sequence by pulling the ejection ring, an automatic sequence of events was initiated. First, the cockpit depressurized and the flight control stick retracted. The parachute shoulder harness then tightened and the pilot's feet were pulled together and clamped into place. The escape hatch was then blown off the bottom of the aircraft and the seat fired, ejecting the pilot out the bottom of the airplane. This system proved to be unsafe in service, since it was useless for emergencies that occurred during landings, takeoffs, or anywhere near the ground. In order to eject safely at low altitudes, the pilot would first have to roll his aircraft inverted and then eject upward out of the bottom of the plane. This was of course not always feasible, and the famous test pilot Iven C. Kincheloe was among 21 F-104 aircrew to be killed by the deficiencies in this escape system. Consequently, the downward ejection system was quite unpopular with F-104A pilots and was replaced in the field by the more conventional Lockheed C-2 upward-firing ejector seat.
A total of 153 F-104As were built in seven production blocks-- F-104A-1-LO to F-104A-30-LO. The last F-104A was delivered in December of 1958. The number built was far less than originally planned. Only 170 F-104As and YF-104As were ultimately acquired out of the 722 originally planned. Shortages of funds due to the needs of other programs accounted for some of the reduction, whereas the decision by TAC not to acquire the F-104A accounted for the rest of the shortfall.
The YF-104A had already set the world altitude and speed records. In December of 1958, an F-104A flown alternately by Lt William T. Smith and Einar K. Enevoldson over a two-day period at NAS Point Mugu, California set several time-to-climb records: 3000 meters (9842 feet) in 41.35 seconds, 6000 meters in 51.41 seconds, 9000 meters in 81.14 seconds, 15,000 meters (49,212 feet) in 131.1 seconds, 20,000 meeters in 222.99 seconds, and 25,000 meters (82,020 feet) in 266.03 seconds.
In October 1958, twelve F-104As of the 83rd FIS at Hamilton AFB were crated and airlifted by C-124 transport to Taiwan, where they served temporarily with the Republic of China Air Force during the Quemoy crisis. The crisis was peacefully resolved, and the aircraft were returned to the USA.
As one might have expected, the F-104A was not very well suited for service as an interceptor. Its low range was a problem for North American air defense, and its lack of all-weather capability made it incapable of operating in conjunction with the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) system. Service with the ADC was consequently quite brief, and the F-104As of the ADC were replaced by the end of 1960 by more heavily-armed all-weather McDonnell F-101B Voodoos and Convair F-106A Delta Darts.
The ADC's F-104As were then transferred in 1960 to three Air National Guard squadrons, the 151st FIS of the Tennessee ANG, the 157th FIS of the North Carolina ANG, and the 197th FIS of the Arizona ANG. These three ANG F-104A squadrons were called up for active duty during the Berlin crisis of 1961 and were deployed to Europe. Following the defusing of the Berlin crisis, these squadrons all returned to the USA by June of 1962 and reverted to state control. However, their F-104As were retained by the USAF and were transferred to two other ADC units, the 319th and 331st FIS at Homestead AFB in Florida as part of the 32nd Air Division. For some odd reason, these two squadrons exchanged their all-weather F-102s and F-106s for these day-only F-104As, which would seem at first sight to make no sense.
These ADC F-104As remained in service for several years. From late 1967, 26 aircraft of the 319th FIS were retrofitted with the more powerful J79-GE-19, rated at 17,900 lb.st. with afterburner, which was the same type of engine fitted to the F-104S version developed for Italy. The last USAF squadron to operate the F-104A, the 319th FIS, was disbanded in December of 1969, marking the final end of service of the F-104A with active duty squadrons.
In 1960, after the decision to withdraw the Starfighter from ADC, twenty-four YF-104A and F-104A aircraft (exact ratio uncertain) deemed surplus to USAF requirements were modified as QF-104A radio-controlled target drones. They were painted pillar-box red overall and were operated by the 3205th Drone Squadron at Eglin AFB in Florida. These planes could be flown by onboard pilots or they could be flown by remote control from the ground or from other aircraft. Most of them were expended in missile firing tests.
The unsuitability of the F-104A for air defense duties with the USAF led to the release of some F-104As for export. The air forces of Taiwan, Pakistan, and Jordan were provided with several F-104As from surplus USAF stocks. Most of the other F-104As which had not been lost to attrition or transferred to foreign air forces went to the boneyards at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona.
One F-104A (serial number 56-770) was lent to the Royal Canadian Air Force as the model aircraft for the Canadian version of the Starfighter. Its Canadian serial number was 12700.
Three F-104As (serial numbers 56-756, -760, and -762) were modified as NF-104A aerospace pilot trainers. These will be described more fully in a later post.
Two F-104As (serial numbers 56-734 and 56-749) were transferred to NACA in October of 1957. They served as high-speed chase aircraft. 56-749 crashed in December of 1962. A third F-104A (56-790) was transferred to NASA in December of 1966.
Design work on an unarmed photographic reconnaissance version of the Starfighter was begun in November of 1954. The designation was RF-104A, with the company designation being Model 383-93-04. However, a contract for eighteen aircraft (56-939/956) was cancelled in January of 1957 before anything could be completed.
A proposed unarmed two-seat training version of the Starfighter, the TF-104A, was not proceeded with, since the Air Force preferred the combat-capable F-104B.
Serials of the F-104A: 56-0730/0736 Lockheed F-104A-1-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1018/1024 0732 at Rantoul Aviation Complex, IL. 0734 loaned to NASA.56-0737/0747 Lockheed F-104A-5-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1025/1035 0745 loaned to NASA for wind tunnel tests.. Later converted to JF-104A56-0748/0763 Lockheed F-104A-10-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1036/1051 0748 at Dyess AFB, TX painted as 55-6748. 0749 to NASA for high-altitude rocket launch. 0750 to Jordan in 1969 0752 to Jordan in 1969. This plane is now on display at Travis AFB museum 0754 to Jordan in 1969. Now at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio, painted as 56-0879 0756 converted to NF-104A. Now at Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA. 0759 to Jordan in 1969 0760 converted to NF-104A. Displayed on pole at Edwards AFB. Is this really 0790? 0762 converted to NF-104A. Crashed 12/12/63 near Edwards AFB. Chuck Yeager ejected with minor injuries.56-0764/0788 Lockheed F-104A-15-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1052/1076 0766 to Jordan in 1969 0770 transferred to RCAF CF-104 with s.n. 12700. 0771 to Jordan in 1969 0773 to Pakistan in 1961 0775 to Taiwan in 1960/61 as 4208 0777 to Taiwan in 1960/61 as 4213 0779 to Jordan in 1969 0782 to Jordan in 1969 0784 to Jordan in 1969 0789 at Addison, TX Museum.56-0789/0825 Lockheed F-104A-20-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1077/1113 0790 converted in 1966 to NF-104A as replacement for NASA 813. Designated NASA 820. Now on display at USAF Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA. 0791 to Jordan in 1969. Now at Alexandria, LA, Rayford Ent. 0793 to Jordan in 1969 0795 to Jordan in 1969 0798 to Taiwan as 4219 in 1960/61. Later transferred to Pakistan. On display at Sargodha. 0799 to Taiwan in 1960/61 as 4221. Later transferred to Pakistan 0800/0805 to Pakistan in 1961 0801 at Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA. 0807 to Pakistan in 1961. 0808 to Pakistan in 1961. 0811 to Jordan in 1969 0817 at Robins AFB, GA painted as 57-0817. 0824 to Jordan in 196956-0826/0877 Lockheed F-104A-25-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1114/1165 0829 to Taiwan in 1960/61 as 4202 0839 to Jordan in 1969 0845 to Taiwan in 1960/61 as 4204 0849 to Jordan in 1969 0868 to Pakistan in 1961. 0872 to Jordan in 1969 0875 to Pakistan in 1961. 0877 to Pakistan in 1961.56-0878/0882 Lockheed F-104A-30-LO Starfighter c/n 183-1166/1170 0879 to Pakistan in 1961.56-0939/0956 Cancelled contract for Lockheed RF-104A Starfighter
Specification of the F-104A:
One General Electric J79-GE-3A/3B turbojet, 9600 lb.s.t. dry and 14,800 lb.s.t. with afterburning.
Performance: Maximum speed 1037 mph at 50,000 feet. Stalling speed 198 mph. Initial climb rate 60,395 feet per minute. Combat ceiling 55,200 feet. Service ceiling was 64,795 feet. Normal range 730 miles. Maximum range with external drop tanks 1400 miles.
Fuel: Internal fuel capacity was 897 US gallons, and maximum fuel capacity with two wingtip tanks and two underwing tanks was 1627 US gallons.
Dimensions: Wingspan 21 feet 9 inches, length 54 feet 8 inches, height 13 feet 5 inches, wing area 196.1 square feet. Weights: 13,184 pounds empty, 17,988 pounds combat, 22,614 pounds gross, 25,840 pounds maximum takeoff.
Armament: Armament consisted of a single 20-mm M61A1 cannon in the fuselage with 725 rounds, plus a pair of wingtip-mounted AIM-9B Sidewinder infrared homing air-to-air missiles. Alternatively, these wingtip shoes could carry a 141.5 or a 166.5 Imp.gall. droptank.
F-104B two-seat combat trainer
The F-104B (company Model 283-93-03) was a two-seat, dual-control, combat trainer version of the F-104A. A second seat was provided underneath an extended canopy, with each crewmember being provided with a separate hatch which opened to the left. A full set of controls was provided for both crewmembers.
It was intended that the F-104B two seater would have the same performance and combat capability of the F-104A single seater. However, in order to provide space for the second seat, the 20-mm cannon of the single-seater had to be removed, some internal electronics had to be relocated, the internal fuel capacity had to be reduced from 897 to 752 US gallons, and the nosewheel once again had to be made to retract rearwards. However, the provision for two underwing and two wingtip drop tanks was retained, boosting total fuel capacity by 730 US gallons. The armament was limited to a pair of wingtip-mounted AIM-9B Sidewinders, although the AN/ASG-14T-1 fire control system was retained.
The first of an initial batch of six F-104Bs (serial number 56-3719) took off on its maiden flight on January 16, 1967. It had been literally built by hand out of an F-104A airframe, and the larger area vertical tail, the automatic pitch control system, and the fire control system of later F-104Bs were not installed. It was unofficially designated YF-104B, although it was later brought up to production F-104B standards. This airplane was later used to test Lockheed's downward-firing ejection seat that was initially fitted to the F-104A.
The initial batch of F-104Bs had the same vertical tail as did the F-104A single seater. However, the B did not have the ventral fin that was fitted to the A. During early flight testing, the F-104Bs exhibited an annoying tendency to snake back and forth during flight, indicating that a larger keel area was required. Twenty subsequent F-104B production versions (from FY 1957 batches) were fitted with the F-104A's ventral fin and were given considerably larger vertical fin area and a broad-chord, fully power- assisted rudder extending well beyond the end of the tail pipe. The area of the vertical fin of the F-104B was now fully 25 percent larger than that of the F-104A.
Like the F-104A, the B was initially powered by the J79-GE-3A, but this engine was later replaced by the more reliable J79-GE-3B as it became available.
Provisions were made for the possibility of removing the rear seat of the F-104B, fitting the 20-mm rotary cannon, and flying the aircraft as a single-seater if the need arose. However, I don't know if this was ever done in practice.
The first recipient of the F-104B was the 83rd FIS at Hamilton AFB in California, which took on its first aircraft in early 1958. Subsequently, all three F-104A ADC squadrons received the F-104B. The F-104B was assigned to operational units, at a rate of four aircraft per squadron. If required, they could be used for tactical operations. The last of 26 F-104B was delivered in November of 1958, against 106 originally ordered in 1957.
The performance of the F-104B was almost identical to that of the F-104A, but the lower internal fuel capacity reduced its effective range considerably.
Along with the F-104A, ADC F-104Bs were transferred to the Air National Guard in 1960. ANG squadrons operating the F-104A/B were called up to active duty during the Berlin crisis of 1961 and deployed to Europe. When the ANG squadrons reverted to state control in 1962, their F-104A/Bs were retained by the USAF and turned back over to the ADC. The last F-104B left ADC service in 1969.
In 1960, the Pakistan Air Force received two ex-USAF F-104Bs along with ten F-104As to equip one squadron. These aircraft took part in both the August 1965 and December 1971 wars with India. At least two F-104Bs were delivered to the Republic of China Air Force on Taiwan. In the spring of 1967, three F-104Bs were turned over to the Royal Jordanian Air Force along with two single-seat F-104As. At least two are on display in museums. F-104B 53-1303 was handed over to NASA as 819 in December of 1959. Others ended up in the boneyards at Davis-Monthan AFB.
Serials of the F-104B: 56-3719/3724 Lockheed F-104B-1-LO Starfighter c/n 283-5000/500557-1294/1302 Lockheed F-104B-5-LO Starfighter c/n 283-5006/5014 1294,1296,1298/1300 sold to Taiwan 1301 at Florence, SC. Space Museum.57-1303/1311 Lockheed F-104B-10-LO Starfighter c/n 283-5015/5023 1303 to NASA in 1958 as NASA 819. 1303 sold to Jordan 1303 on display at McClellan AFB, CA 1309 to Pakistan in 196157-1312/1313 Lockheed F-104B-15-LO Starfighter c/n 283-5024/5025 1313 to Pakistan in 1961.
Specification of the F-104B:
One General Electric J79-GE-3A/3B turbojet, 9600 lb.s.t. dry and 14,800 lb.s.t. with afterburning.
Performance: Maximum speed 1145 mph at 65,000 feet. Stalling speed 198 mph. Initial climb rate 64,500 feet per minute. Service ceiling 64,795 feet. Normal range 460 miles. Maximum range with two wingtip drop tanks 1225 miles.
Fuel: Internal fuel capacity was 752 US gallons, and maximum fuel capacity with two wingtip tanks and two underwing tanks was 1482 US gallons.
Dimensions: Wingspan 21 feet 9 inches, length 54 feet 8 inches, height 13 feet 5 inches, wing area 196.1 square feet. Weights: 13,727 pounds empty, 17,812 pounds combat, 24,912 pounds maximum takeoff.
Armament: Armament consisted of a pair of wingtip-mounted AIM-9B Sidewinder infrared homing air-to-air missiles. In an emergency, the rear seat could be removed and the 20-mm M61A1 cannon of the single seat version could be fitted.
Service history of F-104A/B
PAKISTAN:
The only combat seen by the F-104A/B was in foreign hands. Ten ex-USAF F-104As and two F-104Bs were transferred to the Pakistani Air Force in 1961. They were provided to Pakistan in response to proposed Indian Air Force Mach 2 fighter acquisition, later to be fulfilled by acquisition of the Soviet MiG 21. India had actually attempted to buy 36 F-104s from the US in in September of 1961 in response to Chinese border attacks, but had been rebuffed.
The Pakistani F-104s were supplied to No 9 Squadron based at Sargodha, replacing the piston-engined Hawker Furys previously serving with this squadron. They were initially delivered without their Vulcan cannon, which were fitted later. Some reports indicate that before delivery, these aircraft were retrofitted with the more powerful and stall-free J79-GE-11A engine rated at 15,800 lb.s.t. with afterburner. In addition, a retractable hook was fitted beneath the rear fuselage to engage emergency runway arrestor wires.
By the time of the 1965 war with India, such was the fearsome reputation of the F-104 that during an early encounter between a pair of PAF Starfighters with IAF Folland Gnats, one of these dimunitive Indian fighters immediately surrendered, lowering its wheels and landing at the nearest Pakistani airfield without a shot being fired. On September 6, a PAF F-104A flying at 600 knots shot down an IAF Mystere IVA with a Sidewinder missile, and next day another IAF Mystere was shot down by the Vulcan cannon of another F-104. However, the F-104 pilot making the kill make the mistake of slowing down to dogfight with another IAF Mystere, which out-turned him and scored cannon hits on his F-104, forcing him to eject.
The F-104A was able to make at least one successful non-visual interception of a high-flying IAF Canberra, which took place on September 21.
The first encounter in history between Mach 2 fighters took place on September 11, 1965. A single PAF F-104A encountered four IAF MiG-21s from Halwara. The F-104 managed to escape by exiting the combat at tree-top height and Mach 1.1, which the MiG-21s were unable to match. No blood was drawn during this encounter.
When it found itself confronted with the Indian Air Force's dimunitive Folland Gnats, the Pakistani F-104As often found themselves outmaneuvered. This was especially true if the Starfighter pilot chose not to use his Mach 2 speed advantage and decided instead to engage in low-speed dogfights with his opponents. In addition, since most of the air-to-air fighting occurred at low altitudes, the Starfighter's Sidewinder air-to-air missiles were often unable to distinguish between target aircraft and ground clutter and a lot of missiles missed their targets. However, the Starfighter's afterburner enabled it to break off combat at will and get out of trouble in a hurry.
During the 1965 war with India, the PAF F-104s flew 246 sorties, including 42 at night and claimed four IAF aircraft destroyed for the loss of two F-104As. Two F-104As were delivered from Taiwan as attrition replacements following the 1965 war.
A US arms embargo imposed on both India and Pakistan after the 1965 war had prevented further PAF expansion, and by the early 1970s the PAF's Mach 2 fighter strength was down to only seven single-seat Starfighters with No. 9 Squadron, plus a single Mirage III unit.
War between Pakistan and India broke out again on December 7, 1971. By this time the Indian MiG force was formidable, with eight squadrons operationally ready. During the 1971 war with India, No 9 Squadron of the Royal Jordanian Air Force with about 10 F-104As was transferred to Pakistan to help out. It is not certain if the Jordanian F-104As were actually used in combat and if they were, whether they were flown by Pakistani or Jordanian pilots.
Both sides have published wildly differing figures for air victories and losses during this war, although it appears that the F-104 came off second-best in the few encounters that occurred with IAF MiG-21s--with the F-104s scoring no confirmed victories and suffering at least two losses. Indian air historians claim that five PAF Starfighters were lost in combat, and they also claim that two Jordanian Starfighters were shot down by MiG-21s on the last day (December 17) of the 1971 war. The PAF has admitted that two PAF Starfighters were lost in combat with IAF MiG-21s during the 1971 war, plus another one lost to ground fire. According to Pakistani sources, nine IAF MiG-21s were shot down on the Western front, with two of them being shot down by PAF fighters (one by an Chinese-built F-6 and another by a F-86 Sabre). The PAF has admitted that the maneuverability of the F-104 was poor during close-in combat and that the F-6 and F-86 were far better in a dogfight.
These losses would have left the PAF with only four of its original F-104As, although these may have supplemented by retention of some of the RJAF F-104As after the end of the war. No. 9 Squadron of the PAF continued to operate these F-104As until re-equipping with Mirage 5PAs in 1975. F-104A 56-0798 still sits on display at Sargodha. This was an ex-RoCAF machine.
JORDAN:
A total of 36 early-model Starfighters were promised to Jordan in April of 1966. In the spring of 1967, two F-104As and three F-104Bs were transferred to the Al Quwwat Aljawwiya Almalakiya Alurduniya, or Royal Jordanian Air Force.
The Jordanian Starfighters were quickly withdrawn to Turkey two days before the outbreak of the June 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and the Arab states of Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Consequently, Jordanian Starfighters sat out the conflict.
In late 1968, the RJAF resumed Starfighter training in the USA, and In mid-1969, the USA resumed the supply of Starfighters to Jordan. Eighteen refurbished F-104As and four two-seat F-104Bs were delivered. In 1969, President Nixon approved the delivery of 18 additional F-104As to Jordan from Nationalist Chinese surplus stocks following their replacement by F-104Gs.
The F-104s served with No. 9 Squadron at Prince Hassan Air Base and with No 25 Squadron at Mwaffaq Salti. No 9 Squadron was transferred to Pakistan to help out in the 1971 war with India, and is believed to have suffered several combat losses, although the number of aircraft lost is uncertain.
The F-104A/B remained in service in Jordan for nearly fifteen years, being finally replaced by Dassault Mirage F1CJs in 1982-83.
NATIONALIST CHINA:
The Starfighter first operated from Formosa when the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron was temporarily deployed to the Republic of China during the Quemoy crisis. It is believed that the aircraft of this unit were transferred to the Republic of China air force in 1960-61, although the exact number is uncertain. Most sources indicate that the number of ex-USAF F-104As and Bs transferred to the RoCAF were 25 and 2, respectively. RoC serials were 4210/4225 and 4101/4102. During the years 1964 through 1969, these aircraft were supplemented by deliveries of later Starfighter versions such as F-104Gs, TF-104G, and RF-104Gs. In 1969, 18 of these early-model RoCAF F-104As were transferred to Jordan.
NF-104A aerospace trainer
In 1963, three ex-USAF F-104As (56-756, -760, and -762) were taken out of storage at Davis Monthan AFB and modified as NF-104A aerospace training aircraft. All of the military equipment was removed and the original F-104A vertical fin was replaced by the larger fin that was used on the F-104G. The wingspan was increased by four feet (to 25.94 feet) and a set of hydrogen peroxide control thrusters were mounted at the nose, tail, and wingtips. A 6000 pound thrust Rocketdyne LR121/AR-2-NA-1 auxiliary rocket engine was mounted on the tail above the jet exhaust pipe. This rocket engine could be throttled from 3000 to 6000 pounds of thrust, and the burn time was about 105 seconds.
The first NF-104A was delivered on October 1, 1963, with the other two following a month later. They were operated by the Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB, which was commanded at that time by Colonel Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager.
On December 6, 1963, the first NF-104A set an unofficial world altitude record of 118,860 feet for aircraft taking off under their own power. The official record at that time was 113,829 feet, set by the Mikoyan/Gurevich Ye-66A, an experimental version of the MiG-21 Fishbed. Later, the same NF-104A flown by Major R. W. Smith reached an altitude of 120,800 feet.
On December 10, 1963, the second NF-104A (56-762), with Chuck Yeager at the controls, went out of control at an altitude of 104,000 feet and fell in a flat spin to 11,000 feet. Yeager managed to eject successfully at that altitude, although he was badly burned on his face by the rocket motor of his ejector seat. The aircraft was destroyed in the ensuing crash. An investigation later showed that the cause of the crash was a spin that resulted from excessive angle of attack and lack of aircraft response. The excessive angle of attack was not caused by pilot input but by a gyroscopic condition set up by the J79 engine spooling after shut down for the rocket-powered zoom climb phase. So it wasn't Chuck's fault.
In June of 1971, the third NF-104A, with Capt. Howard C. Thompson at the controls, suffered an inflight explosion of its rocket motor. Although Thompson was able to land safely, the aircraft's rocket motor and half its rudder were blown away. Since the program was about to end in any case, this aircraft was retired.
The number one NF-104A is currently on display on top of aa pylon in front of the USAF Test Pilot School.
F-104C strike fighter
The F-104C (Lockheed Model 483-04-05) was the tactical strike version of the Starfighter. It was designed to meet the needs of the Tactical Air Command (TAC), which had earlier found the F-104A to be unacceptable because of its low endurance and its inability to carry significant offensive payloads.
The choice of the F-104C by the TAC after it had found the F-104A to bu unsuitable seems sort of odd, but the TAC felt that it needed a supersonic tactical strike fighter to fill the void between the forthcoming F-100C and the Mach 2-capable Republic F-105 Thunderchief. On March 2, 1956, a contract was approved for the initial procurement of 56 F-104Cs. The order was later increased to 77 when a second order for 21 more F-104Cs was approved on December 26, 1956. Planned orders for another 363 F-104Cs were later cancelled when the USAF terminated all of its Starfighter production plans.
The first F-104C, unofficially designated YF-104C, took off on its maiden flight on July 24, 1958. The F-104C was powered by a General Electric J79-GE-7 engine rated at 10,000 lb.s.t. dry and 15,800 lb.s.t. with afterburner. This thrust was almost a thousand pounds greater than the -3A/3B of the F-104A/B. This increase in power was made possible by increasing the diameter of the turbine by 3 inches.
The F-104C could also be equipped with a fixed but removable inflight refuelling probe attached to the port side of the fuselage.
The F-104C was designed mainly for delivery of Mk 12 and later US tactical nuclear weapons, which it could carry on a centerline pylon attachment which had a 2000-pound capacity. This centerline pylon could also carry a 225-US gallon droptank.
The F-104C was equipped with the improved AN/ASG-14T-2 fire control system which replaced the F-104A's AN/ASG-14T-1. It made the F-104C capable of operating in clear night as well as day conditions, although the F-104C was not truly capable of all-weather operations.
The F-104C was equipped to carry bombs or rocket pods on underwing and fuselage points. For nuclear strike, an MK-28 "special store" could be carried on a pylon underneath the fuselage. The upward-firing Lockheed C-2 rocket-boosted ejector seat was standard. The internal 20-mm rotary cannon of the F-104A was retained, as well as the ability to carry a Sidewinder air-to-air missile on each wingtip. However, the 20-mm cannon was not actually installed until 1964, when the improved M61A1 became available.
The first F-104Cs began to reach the TAC in September of 1958. It served with four squadrons (434th, 435th, 436th, and 476th) of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing based at George AFB. It was primarily intended for nuclear strike, but it could also carry out ground attack missions with conventional weapons.
On December 14, 1959, an F-104C flown by Captain Joe B. Jordan boosted the world's altitude record to 103,389 feet. This was the first time that an aircraft taking off under its own power exceeded the 100,000-foot mark. During the flight, the aicraft also reached a speed of Mach 2.36 and established a time-to-height record to 30,000 meters (98,425 feet) of 15 minutes 4.92 seconds from brake release.
In October 1961, the F-104C was subjected to Project Grindstone, a program in which the Lockheed factory modernized the fighter. Among the changes made was the addition of hardpoints which enabled another pair of Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to be mounted underneath the fuselage. The aircraft was also given the ability to carry and deliver a larger variety of air-to-ground weapons, including 2.75-inch rockets, napalm, and gravity bombs.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, the 479th TFW's F-104Cs were deployed to Key West, Florida to protect against Cuban or Russian aircraft trying to attack targets in the United States. These planes would also have carried out air strikes against targets in Cuba in case an invasion proved to be necessary. Fortunately, the crisis was peacefully resolved.
The F-104C had a number of operational problems with various components. The major offender was the J79-GE-7 engine--forty serious mishaps occurred over a five-year period, destroying 24 aircraft and killing 9 pilots. This led to Project Seven Up, a General Electric modification program for the engine which began in May of 1963 and ended in June of 1964.
In April of 1965, a single squadron of the 479th TFW deployed with their F-104Cs to Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam. Their job was to fly MiG combat air patrol (MiGCAP) missions to protect American fighter bombers against attack by North Vietnamese fighters. They flew these missions armed with their single M61A1 20-mm cannon and four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Unfortunately, the range of the F-104C was too short to make it a useful escort fighter, a fact which the North was soon to discover. All they had to do was wait for the F-104s to turn back before launching their own fighters in safety.
The 479th had a bad day on September 20, 1965, when F-104C pilot Major Philip E. Smith was shot down over Hainan Island by a pair of Chinese MiG-19s (F-6s). His navigation system had failed while he was on MiGCAP over the Gulf of Tonkin and he had gotten lost. He ejected and was taken prisoner. While the rest of the squadron was out looking for Major Smith, two other F-104s had a midair collision while returning to their base and both their pilots were killed. A week later, another F-104C was shot down by enemy AAA, and its pilot was killed.
After these four losses, the remnants of the 479th were rotated back to George AFB. However, a new contingent of F-104Cs returned to Vietnam in May of 1966. This time, all four squadrons of the 479th TFS were involved and were assigned to the Udorn base in Thailand. These F-104Cs were soon involved in airstrikes against targets in both South and North Vietnam, exchanging its role of air superiority for that of ground attack. The Starfighter took part in *Operation Bolo*, which was a successful attempt to lure North Vietnamese fighters into combat. However, the F-104s failed to engage whereas F-4 Phantoms scored heavily.
The F-104C was not very well suited for the ground attack role, having a relatively low range and being incapable of carrying an adequately large offensive load. As a result, the Air Force decided to replace these F-104Cs by more efficient McDonnell F-4D Phantoms starting in July of 1967. The 479th was then rotated back to George AFB for the last time.
I don't believe that the F-104C ever destroyed a single enemy fighter during its tour of duty in Southeast Asia. In addition to the MiG loss over Hainan, two F-104s fell to SAMs, six to AAA and six were lost to non-combat causes.
Following the withdrawal of the F-104C from Southeast Asia in 1967, surviving F-104Cs were transferred to the 198th TFS of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. The F-104Cs replaced that unit's elderly F-86H Sabre fighter-bombers. This ANG unit operated the Starfighter until it converted to LTV A-7Ds in July of 1975.
Serials of F-104C Starfighter: 56-0883/0938 Lockheed F-104C-5-LO Starfighter c/n 383-1171/1226 0886 at Holloman AFB. 0890 at McGhee-Tyson Airport painted as 56-0880. 0891 at Phoenix Airport, AZ. 0892 at Luke AFB, AZ. 0898 at Kalamazoo, MI. Museum. 0901 at Windsor Locks, CT, Bradley INTL Airport. 0910 on display at Wings over the Rockies Aviation and Space Museum, CO 0912 at Sheppard AFB, TX. 0914 on display at WPAFB Museum, Dayton, OH. 0919 at Tyndall Air Park, FL. 0926 at North Dakota ANG, Fargo, ND. 0929 at Lackland AFB, TX. 0932 at Tinker AFB Air Park, OK. 0933 at Liberal Air Museum, Liberal, KS. 0934 at George AFB 0936 at Edward J. Peterson Space Command Museum, CO, marked as 56-0808. 0938 at Kessler AFB Air Park, MS 57-0910/0930 Lockheed F-104C-10-LO Starfighter c/n 383-1227/1247 0915 at Lackland AFB, TX. 0916 at Hampton, VA marked as "67-917" 0920 at McEntyre AFB, SC. 0929 at Puerto Rico University57-0931/1293 Cancelled contract (believed for F-104C)
Specification of the F-104C:
One General Electric J79-GE-7 turbojet, 10,000 lb.s.t. dry and 15,800 lb.s.t. with afterburning.
Performance: Maximum speed 1150 mph at 50,000 feet. Stalling speed 196 mph. Initial climb rate 54,000 feet per minute. Service ceiling 58,000 feet. Normal range 850 miles. Maximum range with four drop tanks was 1500 miles.
Fuel: Internal fuel capacity was 897 US gallons, and maximum fuel capacity with two wingtip tanks and two underwing tanks was 1627 US gallons. A 225 US gallon drop tank could be carried underneath the fuselage. A 195 US gallon drop tank could be carried on each of the underwing pylons, plus a 170 US gallon drop tank at each wingtip.
Dimensions: wingspan 21 feet 9 inches, length 54 feet 8 inches, height 13 feet 6 inches, wing area 196.1 square feet. Weights: 12,760 pounds empty, 19,470 pounds combat, 22,410 pounds gross, 27,853 pounds maximum takeoff.
Armament: One 20-mm M61A1 cannon with 725 rounds in the fuselage, plus a pair of wingtip-mounted AIM-9B Sidewinder infrared homing air-to-air missiles. Up to 2000 pounds of external ordinance (bombs, rockets, napalm, drop tanks) could be carried on underwing and underfuselage attachment points. Later, an additional pair of Sidewinder missiles could be carried underneath the fuselage.