Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

The History of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

The Lockheed F-104 was in many ways an engineering marvel, and its legacy suffered so much from multiple internal and external circumstances that the aircraft was given the unfortunate nickname "The Widowmaker." Despite the setback, the aircraft holds records and has many air forces around the world. The starfighter was designed by legendary Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson at his Skunk Works.

From the outset, the F-104 was designed as a daytime supersonic air superiority fighter.

The F-104 Starfighter grew out of Johnson's discussions with USAF pilots and their experiences in the Korean air battle. At that time, the Soviet Union launched its potent small jet fighter - the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 "Fag" - and the USAF and its NATO allies had to accept early and outdated jet fighters until the introduction of the North American F-86 saber.

Although air superiority eventually returned to NATO control, the USAF still did not have a capable and dedicated interceptor platform to effectively counter the new Soviet fighter type. So Johnson set out in 1952 to design a new aircraft entirely based on performance.

The aircraft will combine the smallest (and therefore lightest) airframe with the most advanced technology and most powerful engines. The resulting creation became the basis for the F-104 starfighter.

An early proposal was favored by the U.S. Air Force, which put several other aircraft companies into an open competition. Lockheed's design was approved by the U.S. Air Force, and a contract was awarded in 1953 to produce two prototypes, not designated "XF-104A".

The first of these two prototypes made their maiden flight in February 1954 and was powered by a GE J79 turbojet engine, the availability of which forced these prototypes to be fitted with British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Licensed production versions of the engine, such as the Wright XJ65-W-6 series, have 10,200 pounds of thrust, the level of a General Electric J79, and can be used on the F-104.

However, the new post-war jet engine design was not without its problems, and the project was followed by four years of development. At least 17 YF-104A pre-production aircraft were built for the U.S. Air Force to complete test missions for various problematic systems on the F-104 and to fix some issues before production began.

By 1958, the first F-104A was delivered. These systems differed somewhat from the original design because they had longer airframes and were equipped with 14,800-pound thrust General Electric J79-GE-3 series engines.

After entering service, the starfighter began to consolidate several "firsts" in its career. The aircraft became the first combat platform capable of sustained flight at speeds in excess of Mach 2twice the speed of sound.

It eventually became the first aircraft to hold both world speed and altitude records in the form of the F-104A and F-104C. On May 7, 1958, Major Howard C. Johnson flew the F-104A to break the altitude record, setting the new benchmark at 91,243 feet. An F-104 starfighter followed, setting a new world land speed record on May 18, 1958. The aircraft has a top speed of 1,404.

19 miles per hour. The altitude record was then broken again - this time by an F-104C - with a new maximum altitude of 103,389 feet.

In this record-setting attempt, the starfighter was also the first aircraft to break through the 100,000-foot barrier on its own power (without rocket-assisted propulsion). In doing so, the Starfighter legacy has received the accolades any fighter jet could crave.

From the looks of it, the F-104 starfighter itself is a true aircraft design. The platform features an aerodynamically streamlined fuselage design that contains all major components (weapons, avionics, landing gear, engines, etc.) in a cramped internal layout. Like the fuel, the powerplant takes up most of the interior space, covering about half of the tubular shape.

The front end tapers to a sharp point, while the cockpit tub sits nicely at the front of the design, providing very good visibility when flying or taxiing. The canopy consists of three main parts - the frame front, the port opening center section and the rear.

The single engine was fed by two small semicircular air intakes on either side of the fuselage behind the cockpit. The air intakes are fixed rather than variable, and are fitted with cones to regulate the airflow to the high-speed turbojet.

The landing gear is completely dedicated to the fuselage, with the two main landing gear retracting the fuselage section near the root of the wing and the nose wheel retracting the fuselage section below the cockpit and aft.

Perhaps the most unique element of the starfighter's design is the use of its short, straight wings, measuring only 4 inches at its thickest point. Sweep is only used on the leading edge, and there is a slight deface angle to combat "Dutch roll," an aerial phenomenon that forces the plane to sway or sway from side to side. Flaps were placed on the leading and trailing edges, and all internal mechanics had to fit into this limited space - thus placing important oversized systems in the fuselage.

The wings make up a large portion of the plane's supersonic capabilities, and the edges have been found to be so sharp that they pose a hazard to ground crews servicing the plane, so much so that special protection must be issued for these areas.

The rear wing completes the design and brings its stabilizer to the top edge of the vertical rear wing. The horizontal surface is a little smaller than the main wing itself, forcing engineers to add extra reverse angles to the main wing.

The top-mounted horizontal surface also combats inertial coupling, another dangerous air phenomenon consistent with high-speed flight.

The survival of the Starfighter platform lies in the selection of GE J79 series axial turbojet engines. It relies solely on a single engine for propulsion, which was initially rated at Mach 2.0 sustained flight speed. The engine proved so successful that it could power a number of Cold War aircraft, including the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, North American A-5 Vigilante and Convair B-58 Hustler programs, including the F-104 itself.

The J79 family of turbojets is an evolution of the General Electric J73 family that powers the F-86H Sabers. This powerplant, combined with the light, streamlined shape of the starfighter airframe, ensured proper high performance from the outset.

The operational service of this marriage will ultimately be the determining factor in its success or failure. Among other things, the aircraft was equipped with a tow chute for reducing the landing speed. A grappling hook is also provided in the event of a landing emergency.

Needless to say, this Mach 2 aircraft has a fairly high landing speed.

In terms of weapons, the starfighter was developed with a single standard option, the multi-barreled 20mm M61 Vulcan. The gun is located on the lower left fuselage near the cockpit and is fed from a 725-round drum.

Over the past decade, the weapon has become so expendable that it is considered non-essential. In dedicated variants, this is eliminated entirely in favor of extra fuel, weight savings, or the replacement of space with reconnaissance cameras.

Two-seat starfighters rarely, if ever, carry weapon systems.

Although the wings are relatively thin and large in size, these structures are designed to support external storage. The wingtip positions can be fitted with an AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile for interception or a fuel tank for longer range. Later models had more hardpoint locations, especially along the centerline of the fuselage and under the wings.

The aircraft can generate up to nine hardpoints, greatly increasing its combat load and branching the aircraft from its air superiority roots to more traditional fighter-bomber platforms. Other types of munitions that the starfighter demonstrated throughout its service life included the AIM-7 Sparrow and Selenia Aspide medium-range air-to-air missiles, missile pods, conventional bombs, and even nuclear warhead weapons (the latter limited to centerline placement.) .

Despite being associated with a high accident rate and high pilot attrition, the starfighter was designed with an ejection seat. However, since the aircraft was designed for sustained speeds of 2.0 or higher, it was thought that the ejection seat of choice would not have had time to free the chair and pilot from the high-mounted empennage. Therefore, early starfighters were equipped with a downward ejection seat known as the Stanley C-1.

While this is theoretically possible, especially at the high speeds envisaged, it predictably becomes a fatal problem when pilots are forced to eject at lower altitudes and speeds. The system cannot be left to chance, as the battle dictates when and where the need to disembark. For this reason, Lockheed developed an upward-firing ejection seat called the C-2, but this new seat came with a minimum speed associated with it, which still complicates the action. The whole situation was eventually corrected by installing Martin Baker ejection seats, especially in foreign starfighters.

These seats are capable of forcibly ejecting the seat and pilot from the rear wing, and have no altitude or speed restrictions associated with their design (hence the term "zero-zero"). After saving thousands of lives over the decades, Martin Baker seats have earned the respect of thousands of pilots.

In terms of performance, the F-104 starfighter did not disappoint. The final F-104G could reach a top speed of 1,328 mph and an altitude of 50,000 feet. Since the plane can reach 48,000 feet per minute, the climb speed is excellent. The ferry has a reported range of 1,630 miles, while the combat radius is 420 miles.

General Electric J79-GE-11A series afterburning turbojets produce 15,600 pounds of thrust.

Approximately 153 F-104A variants and 26 F-104B tandem seat trainers were eventually produced. USAF Air Defense Command first received the model in February 1958 through the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron. It is worth noting that these aircraft are not capable of all-weather attack and essentially limited the ability USAFADC could use them in the first place. One model served briefly before being sent to Air National Guard units (the ANG used their starfighters until 1975). Some were shipped overseas to foreign operators who were put to good use in combat.

At least 22 Type A aircraft were retained and converted to be used as radio-controlled drones for testing. In addition to their two-pilot seating arrangement, the F-104B trainer models have larger vertical tail surfaces, no internal artillery and less fuel.

Produced 77 models of the F-104C Tactical Strike Fighter, which were special fighter-bombers in service with the 479th Tactical Fighter Squadron in September 1958 at Tactical Air Command, USAF. The C model features an improved fire control system and centerline hardpoint and two underwing position settings. The formal introduction of nuclear capabilities expanded the lethality of aircraft and the range of USAF firepower. The F-104C also introduced aerial refueling capabilities when it was put into service, which increased the aircraft's range to a certain extent.

Like the previous A model, the C model was soon transferred to ATK units.

The F-104D is a two-seat dual-control trainer based on the single-seat F-104C model, of which only 21 were produced. Likewise, the F-104F is a two-seat model, but based on the F-104D trainer.

These starfighters were equipped with the G-model's upgraded engines, but lacked a radar system, making them non-combat ready. The Luftwaffe produced the F as an intermediate design for training purposes, and only about 30 were eventually produced.

Coincidentally, the F-104G (based on the F-104C series) became the final starfighter model in both quantity and acceptance. It's basically called an "upgraded" starfighter with all-weather and dual-role capabilities.

The aircraft has secured its future with the support of NATO and has been a European staple for decades. This not only increased the use of starfighters around the world, but also ensured some commercial success.

In fact, Lockheed struck a bribe-laden "deal of the century" with the European Starfighter Alliance to ration the planes to participating NATO countries. Licensed production is handled by MBB, Messerschmitt, FIAT, Fokker and SABCA.

The F-104G variant features a reinforced airframe, enlarged vertical stabilizers, upgraded engines, and improved and upgraded electronics packages. Originally designed to Luftwaffe specifications, the model first flew in October 1960. It became the most successful brand in the collection.

The model was also incorporated into the TF-104 trainer and RF-104 reconnaissance platform.

Mitsubishi becomes the global operator and producer of starfighters. This is demonstrated in their F-104J series branding, a special interceptor/air superiority variant that strips its strike fighter capability and is based on the generic F-104G. Standard armament includes a 20mm cannon and up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. There are 210 of these models, 177 from Mitsubishi and 29 from Lockheed.

Several J models became UF-104J radio-controlled drones.