F-104 Starfighter

Following interviews with Korean War fighter pilots in 1951, Lockheed lead designer Kelly Johnson opted for a departure from increasingly large and complex fighters, instead pursuing a simple, lightweight aircraft designed for maximum altitude and climb performance. This design, designated Temporary Design Number L-246, quickly materialized into the prototype Starfighter, with Lockheed designating it as Model 083. Johnson presented his concept to the United States Air Force on 5 November 1952, leading to a development contract awarded on 12 March 1953 for two prototypes, designated "XF-104". The first XF-104 took flight on 4 March 1954, powered by a Wright J65 engine, due to the unavailability of the intended General Electric J79 turbojet. After initial testing, the next variant, the YF-104A, featured the intended General Electric J79 engine, along with modified landing gear, and air intakes, being notably longer to accommodate the larger engine. The first production F-104A was delivered to the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Wing on 28 January 1958. In response to a 1957 German Air Staff Paper, Lockheed redesigned the airframe significantly, resulting in the F-104G "Super Starfighter", featuring a more powerful J79-11A engine, a larger tail, improved flaps, electric de-icing, and upgraded avionics, primarily with the Autonetics F15A NASARR radar and the LN-3 inertial navigation system.

The Starfighter's airframe was primarily constructed of duralumin, complemented by stainless steel and titanium in critical areas. Its design diverged sharply from contemporary fighters, featuring a fuselage approximately two and a half times longer than its wingspan and radically thin, straight, trapezoidal wings positioned further back. These wings, with a thickness-to-chord ratio of just 3.36%, provided exceptional supersonic and high-speed, low-altitude performance. However, this design also resulted in high landing speeds, necessitating the development of a boundary layer control system (BLCS) to mitigate these issues. The stabilator was mounted atop the fin to reduce inertia coupling and improve roll control during high-G maneuvers.

The basic armament of the F-104 was the 20 mm M61 Vulcan autocannon. As the first aircraft to carry the weapon, testing revealed issues with the initial version, as the Gatling-mechanism cannon suffered problems with its linked ammunition feed system. A linkless ammunition feed system was developed for the upgraded M61A1 installed in the F-104C. The cannon, mounted in the lower part of the port fuselage, was fed by a 725-round drum behind the pilot's seat. The cannon was omitted in all two-seat models and some single-seat versions including reconnaissance aircraft, with the gun bay and ammunition drum typically 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 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. The two F-104S variants added a pair of fuselage pylons beneath the intakes for conventional bomb carriage and an additional pylon under each wing, for a total of nine. Early Starfighters were also capable of carrying and launching a single MB-1 (AIR-2A Genie) rocket-powered nuclear missile using an extending trapeze launcher.

The F-104 Starfighter served in various capacities across different air forces, often adapted to meet specific national needs. In August 1958, just months after its USAF activation, it was deployed to Taiwan during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, serving as a deterrent against Chinese MiG fighters, although no direct engagements occurred. During the Berlin Crisis of 1961, F-104s were airlifted to Europe, where they demonstrated superior reaction times and acceleration during practice intercepts. The Vietnam War saw the F-104C used by the USAF in both air superiority and air support roles, successfully deterring MiG interceptors and supporting EC-121D Warning Star aircraft. Beyond the United States, the Starfighter was adopted by fifteen NATO and allied air forces. West Germany selected it as their primary fighter aircraft in 1958, followed by Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, and Italy. These nations formed a construction consortium to manufacture the F-104G under license. Despite its widespread use, the F-104 had a notable safety record, particularly in Luftwaffe service, where 292 aircraft were lost between 1961 and 1989. The final production version, the F-104S, an all-weather interceptor, was retired from Italian military service in 2004, marking the end of its widespread military application.

Main Variants:

• XF-104: This was the prototype, equipped with Wright J65 engines while waiting for the J79 to be ready, and two were built.

• YF-104A: A pre-production variant used for engine, equipment, and flight testing, with 17 built and the first flight occurring on February 17, 1956.

• F-104A: The initial production single-seat interceptor version, very similar to the YF-104A, totaling 153 aircraft.

• F-104G: The most-produced version, this was a multi-role fighter-bomber with a total of 1,127 aircraft built and strengthened fuselage, wing, and empennage structures.

• F-104S: The final production version was built by FIAT with upgrades for the interception role including the NASARR R-21G/H radar, two additional wing and underbelly hardpoints, and the more powerful J79-GE-19 engine.

Belgium • Canada • Germany • Denmark • Spain • Greece • Italy • Jordan • Japan • Netherlands • Norway • Pakistan • Turkey • Taiwan • United States

Missiles payload:

• Air-to-Air Short-Range Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder