Lockheed-Martin F-104 Starfighter

F-104A Starfighter

Evolved in response to a Korean War US Air Force requirement for a fast-climbing interceptor, the Starfighter was designed with a barrel-like fuselage containing the avionics, pilot, afterburning turbojet and fuel, and with unswept but diminutive flying surfaces of exceptionally low thickness/chord ratio. The XF-104 prototype first flew in March 1954 on the power of a 10,200 lb. (4,627 kg) thrust Wright XJ65-W-6, but four years of testing and evaluation followed before the F-104A entered service with a fuselage lengthened by 5' 6" (1.7 m) and power provided by the 14,800 lb. (6,713 kg) afterburning thrust General Electric J79-GE-3A turbojet.

Production amounted to 153 aircraft, and a few of these elderly fighters (armed with a single 20 mm M61A1 cannon and two AIM9 Sidewinder) remain in service as interceptors with the Taiwanese air force.

F-104D Starfighter

The F-104D Starfighter is a two-seat conversion trainer variant of the F-104C tactical strike version, and powered by the 15,800 lb. (7,167 kg) afterburning thrust J79-GE-7 turbojet.

F-104G Starfighter

The earlier Starfighter versions had not been very successful in US service, but with the development of the F-104G variant the type became a major commercial and military success, for this multi-role fighter was accepted for widespread European service. Features of the design were a strengthened structure, an enlarged empannage and other aerodynamic improvements, advanced avionics, superior weapons capability (in terms of quantity and type), and a more powerful engine.

1,127 of this model were built, mostly in Europe, the number being swelled by 200 basically similar CF-104 aircraft (J79-OEL-7 turbojet and inflight refueling capability) built under license in Canada by Canadair and 210 F-104J aircraft mostly built under license in Japan by Mitsubishi.

Interesting Fact

On May 18, 1958, an F-104A set a world speed record of 1,404.19 mph, and on December 14, 1959, an F-104C set a world altitude record of 103,395 feet. The Starfighter was the first aircraft to hold simultaneous official world records for speed, altitude and time-to-climb.

Technical Description

		Full name				Lockheed-Martin F-104 Starfighter
		Type				Multi-role combat aircraft
		Origin				USA
		Length				54' 9" (16.69 m)
		Wing span				21' 11" (6.68 m)
		Height				13' 6" (4.11 m)
		Empty Weight				14,903 lb. (6,760 kg)
		Max Take Off Weight				31,000 lb. (14,060 kg)
		Powerplant				One 17,900 lb. (8,119 kg) afterburning thrust General Electric J79 GE-19 turbojet
		Speed				Mach 2.2
		Range				Combat radius 777 miles (1,250 km) with maximum fuel
		Armament				4,310 lb. (1,955 kg) of mixed ordinances including AIM-9 Sidewinder, Kormoran and Penguin anti-ship missiles, AGM-65 Maverick, clusterbombs and LAU rocketpods
		Crew				1
		Unit cost				Currently unavailable

Sources

F/A-18

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