Profile – Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

In 1952, with the Korean·war at its height, Johnson was part of a commission invited to examine the operational problems being encountered by American combat pilots. The commission visited 21 air bases and sort the opinions of numerous airmen including such aces as Colonel Francis S. (Gabby) Gabreski. Johnson came away convinced that, instead of a complex new fighter carrying sophisticated and heavy devices, there was a very real need for a lightweight high-performance aircraft that would give American pilots the initiative in terms of height, speed and dogfighting ability.

The Lockheed Model 83, Johnson’s preliminary response, coded L-246 by Lockheed’s California Division, was officially submitted in December 1952, to the USAF which knew it as the prototype XF-104 StarFighter (later written as Starfighter). In March, 1953, Lockheed received official notice to proceed with the building of two XF-104s and a flight test programme to prove the prototype. The first XF-104, USAF No. 53-37786, began taxi tests at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in February 1954, with test pilot Tony Le Vier at the controls. On the 28th he made a “skip-off” for a distance of 300 feet (90m) but the official first take-off was not until March 4. Powered by a Curtiss-Wright J65 (Sapphire) engine inside its rocket-like body, the XF-104’s flight went smoothly but this was not the power plant Johnson needed for his machine to show its full potential. Subsequent tests saw the XF-104 achieving Mach 1. 3, already Mach 0. 3 faster than the other Century series US fighters which were its rivals, but to capitalize on the Mach 2 capability of the airframe more power was needed.

The USAF placed a pre-production order for 15 Model 183’s, or YF-104A’s, to be powered by the General Electric J79-GE-3 engine which, as events were to show, had not been fully corrected of faults. The new engine was fed through fixed-geometry multi-shock intakes, visually apparent by the half-cone in front of each enlarged inlet, with a bleed system that matched airflow requirements to the aircraft’s flight speed and altitude. It was 5ft 9ins (1. 75m) longer to accommodate five fuel cells and had been given a forward-retracting nose gear to replace the rearward retracting equipment of the XF models.

The first YF-104A, No. 55-2955, was rolled out at Burbank on December 23, 1955. It first flew at Edwards AFB on February 17 the following year but test pilot Herman “Fish” Salmon had to cut the flight short because of engine trouble. Nevertheless, the J79 engine soon proved capable of pushing the Starfighter to its design limits. Mach 2 was achieved for the first time on April 27, 1955, but during the extensive testing programme insisted upon by the USAF, there were several accidents. The second XF-104 and three YF-104A were lost but Tony Le Vier saved a fourth YF-104A by managing a dead-stick landing after the engine had been saturated by kerosene from a fuel tank punctured by one of the plane’s own shell cases which had accidentally entered one of the intakes. The most serious problem encountered was a stable super-stall pitch-up which was not completely rectified until late 1957 while another cause for concern was the fact that, when they were scrapped under some flight conditions, the wing tip tanks would strike the fuselage or tail.

In 1955, the USAF ordered 155 Starfighters for the Tactical Air Command (TAC) and on April 17, 1956, Lockheed organised a huge ceremony to unveil to the press its previously classified fighter for the first time. The chosen machine was 55-2971 but because the aircraft’s inlet geometry was still secret these were covered by large streamlined fairings which some wit dubbed “Flight Falsies”. The first two F-104A’s were the 16th and 17th of the VF series.

Much detailed data for the Starfighter had been gathered from Lockheed’s X-7 programme. The X-7 was the world’s first airbreathing, full-scale research missile designed at the outset to test ramjet power plants at speeds in excess of Mach 3. During the flight test programme which began on April 26, 1951, and extended over five years exploring such things as aerodynamics, thermodynamics, special fuels and construction materials, extensive knowledge of powerplant and airframe performance at speeds of over 2,000 m. p. h. (3,200 km/h) was obtained. The fuselage of the X-7A-1 was cylindrical with a conical nose and a ground-penetration nose spike. It incorporated a sharply tapered trapezoidal mid-wing with a 4% thickness/chord ratio. This thin, straight wing was used to avoid problems such as “Dutch Roll” sometimes encountered when using swept and delta wings. Such a wing was used on the Starfighter.

The F-104’s wing looked something like a small razor blade, broad and thin, extending only 7½ feet (2. 25m) from its root to its tip. Its thickness ratio was an unheard-of 3. 36% which gave a depth at the root of only 4. 2 inches (106mm) thinning to 1. 96 inches (48mm) at the tip. With its 10° negative dihedral to nullify roll forces generated by the vertical tail, the wing, which had no centre section or carry-through structure, was fastened to the body by heavy-duty aluminium alloy wing root attachment members to five fuselage mainframes. Angled back at 26°, the leading edge was so sharp that the ground crew covered it with felt pad guards during maintenance although it is not recorded if the claim that it could cut a steak was ever actually tested. An electronic actuator hinged this edge downwards for take-off and landing. Because of the wing’s thin cross-section nothing major such as fuel tanks or the undercarriage could be stored inside. The main wheels were made to retract into the fuselage with a sideways twist. A landing, take off and manoeuvring flap was fitted to the back part of the wing’s trailing edge and outside this, extending to the wing-tip, there was a conventional aileron made of steel. To activate the aileron a “piccolo” actuator was devised containing a row of 1 O small hydraulic rams in a solid aluminium block and fitted within the available space of 1. 1 inch (28mm).

The fuselage was designed to be made in three main parts.

Firstly, the forward fuselage contained the cockpit with its integrated ejection seat system, nose wheel support structure, electronics compartment and a revolutionary new gun, the Vulcan M61 Cannon, developed by General Electric which could spew out 6,000 rounds per minute from six 20mm barrels. It had a slight droop for maximum pilot visibility. The mid-fuselage contained all five internal fuel tanks and was built up on the five forged mainframes tied into a forged kelson assembly which supported the landing gear loads. Further fuel could be carried in wing-tip tanks, (these could be substituted for two AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles) and underwing pylon tanks. Both the forward and mid-fuselages were built in two sections to facilitate the installation of equipment. Finally, the aft fuselage housed the engine and carried the tail loads into the mid-fuselage. To plate this area stainless steel and titanium skins capable of withstanding the high engine temperatures were used. The drag landing parachute was installed in a compartment at the base of the fuselage.

A one piece tailplane construction was adopted located almost at the top of the vertical fin, 11 inches (280mm) from the upper edge. The entire stabiliser moved in effect making it a flying tail.

Believing that ejecting over the tall T-shaped tail at high speed would be dangerous, the ejector seat was designed to fire downwards – a lethal idea at low level! This meant that overall weight could be further reduced by using a non-jettisonable canopy.

Although the Starfighter was a visual-contact day fighter, late in 1956 it was equipped with the MA-10 avionic system which incorporated an ASG-14 gunsight ranging radar and an infrared detector for sighting at night.

It was finally cleared for USAF service on January 26, 1958, and the first aircraft were delivered to the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Wing (FIW), US Air Defence Command, at Hamilton AFB near San Francisco. Unfortunately, trouble with the J79-GE-3A engine persisted causing flame-outs, rough running and backfires which resulted in a number of crashes. Faced with deciding between a dead-stick landing and a bail-out at altitude, the pilots almost invariably chose the latter because of the downward-firing ejector seat. In April, 1958, all F-104As were grounded pending introduction of the improved 3B version of the J79 turbojet.

Meanwhile, aircraft still at Lockheed were kept flying and began setting records. On May 7, 1958, Major H. C. Johnson pushed the World’s Absolute Height Record up to 91,243 feet (27. 811m) and on May 16, over Southern California, Captain W. W. Irvin boosted the World’s Absolute Speed record to 1,403. 79 m. p. h. (2,259. 18 km/h). In Project “Quick Trip”, there was also a series of time-to-height records established to various altitudes over Point Magu Naval Air Station, California.

Although airborne again with its J79-GE-3B engine, the USAF became increasingly disenchanted with its F-104A’s because of its limited capability. The RF-104A reconnaissance version was cancelled. Next in line was the Model 238 or F-1048 tandem trainer which had a reduced fuel capacity, no armament and several other changes which included a larger fin and powered rudder. Twenty-six were accepted.

The first version of the Starfighter to break from the lightweight interceptor role was the F-104C powered by a J79-GE-7 engine with a larger diameter turbine which delivered greater thrust and lowered fuel consumption. There were 77 produced. Deliveries began to the 831st Air Division, TAC, in October, 1958. This fighter-bomber incorporated operative flap blowing, a removable inflight-refueling probe and could carry a range of underwing stores including two Sidewinder missiles, two LAU-3/A launcher pods containing nineteen 2. 75in (70mm) rockets or two 1,000lb (454kg) bombs. The F-104A had weighed 11,660lb (5290kg) normal and 17,320lb (7,860kg) loaded; the F-104C weighed 20,500lb (9,300kg) normal and 23,590lb (7. 860kg) loaded. ‘C’ models equipped the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at George AFB from October 16, 1958, until 1965 and subsequently saw limited service over Vietnam. An F-104C piloted by Captain J. B. Jordan recaptured the Absolute Height Record by reaching a distance of 103,389 feet (31,513m) on December 14, 1959.

To train the pilots for the F-104C, Lockheed built the F-104D, a tandem-seat trainer that provided inflight refuelling and external stores but the cannon was removed. Like the F-1048 it had an enlarged powered rudder. A total of 22 were produced while 20 F-104 DJ’s were made for Japan and 30 similar F- 104F were constructed for the Luftwaffe.

In 1959, the F-104A was withdrawn from first-line duty with the USAF though many continued to serve with the National Guard. a few of these were fitted with the more powerful J79-GE-19 turbojet in 1968. Many of these ‘A’ models were converted into other sub-types while surplus aircraft were supplied to other countries, 25 went to Taiwan, 36 to Jordan, 12 to Pakistan and 1 went to Canada. Twenty-four became QF-104A target drones and 3 were converted to rocket-boosted NF-104A research vehicles for NASA astronaut training.

The Super Starfighter

By mid-1957 it had become obvious that the F-104 was not going to be ordered in the large numbers initially expected and with some foresight Lockheed had, as early as 1956, already commenced a project to see what could be done with an aircraft that outwardly would be almost identical to the F-104A but would no longer be a small, light day fighter it would be a complex attack aircraft capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons to hit pinpoint targets using advanced all-weather navigation and weapon delivery systems. This F-104-7 project was structurally new with 36 heavy-press forgings, more than 60 no-draft precision forgings and composite skin panels. In some parts the airframe was made twice as strong thus allowing the fitting of the more powerful J79-GE-11A engine. The plane also had greater fuel carrying capacity, the broad vertical tail of the two-seaters, increased tailplane power, Spraymat electrically larger main tyres, improved brakes with anti-skid control, a new canopy with a Lockheed C-2 upward firing ejection seat (at last!), restressed weapons pylons and a larger drag chute. As well, it carried a tonne of new electronic equipment such as an Autonetics F15A NASARR multi-mode main radar, Lockheed infra-red seeker sight, M-2 weapon-delivery computer, Litton LN-3 lightweight inertial navigation system and the Minneapolis-Honeywell stick-steering autopilot. Towards the end of 1958 this machine was redesignated F-104G (for Germany).

Germany was the key which Lockheed had to turn if it was to obtain new orders. The Federal German Government not only wanted an advanced weapons system capable of flying missions in all types of weather, it also wanted to expand its growing industry. The F-104 Super Starfighter, as it was dubbed, was selected over such formidable rivals as Britain’s English Electric P. 1 Lightning, France’s Dassault Mirage III and the Grumman G-98 Super Tiger. On March 18, 1959, a contract was signed for licence production and a joint F-104G development programme. Much coveted new orders followed swiftly. Canada signed for licence production on September 17, Japan on January 29, 1960, the Netherlands on April 20, Belguim on June 20 and Italy on March 2, 1961. The USAF placed an order for its Military Aid Programme (MAP) to other countries on February 18, 1961, and followed with a second MAP order on June 8, 1962.

A huge European manufacturing programme was created consisting of Arge Nord (Aviolanda, Focke-Wulf Fokker, Hamburger and Weser) which made 255 for the Luftwaffe and 95 for the Netherlands; Arge Sud (Dornier, Heinkel, Messerschmitt and Siebel) which built 210 for the Luftwaffe; a West Group in Belgium (Avions Fairey and SABCA) which built 99 for Belgium and 89 for the Luftwaffe; and an Italian group (Aerfer, Fiat, Macchi, Piaggio, SIAI-Marchetti and SAGA) which built 154 for Italy, 25 for the Netherlands and 50 for Germany.

Although initially called the Super Starfighter, Lockheed gave each foreign version of the machine a different code. The West German, Dutch and Belgium single-seat aircraft was the F-104G, the West German two-seat was the F-104F, the Canadian single seat was the CF-104, the Canadian two-seat was the CF-104D, the Japanese single-seat was the F-104J, the Japanese two-seat was the F-104DJ and the Dutch and Belgium two-seat modified to carry equipment normally installed in West German, Dutch and Belgium single-seat aircraft was the TF-104G.

The F-104G first flew on October 5, 1960, at Lockheed, and was the first of 96 to be supplied to the Luftwaffe by the parent company.

The Canadair-built CF-104S (designated the CL-90) had their differences. Whereas the F-104G was a multi-mission aircraft with its NASARR programmed for both air-to-air and air-to ground modes, the CF-104 was equipped with R. 24A NASARR dedicated to the air-to-ground mode. A Vicon photoreconnaissance pod was installed on the fuselage centre-line behind the nose gear and this housed four 70mm Vinten cameras. The Canadians made 200 CL-90s and sent 121 sets of wings, aft fuselages and tails to Europe, 40 sets to Lockheed, 40 sets to Japan and also produced 11O MAP aircraft built to F-104G standard.

Japan was more interested in the earlier F-104C fitted with NASARR dedicated to the air-to-air mode. Designated F-104J (for Japan) three were supplied by Lockheed and a further 207 were built by Mitsubishi, assisted by Kawasaki. These were armed with the standard Vulcan M. 61 cannon and had provision to carry 4 Sidewinders. The JAF also received 20 Lockheed-built F-104DJ trainers.

Lockheed had also hoped to interest Australia in the F-104 and an evaluation team was sent to California but the RMF finally decided in favour of France’s Dassault Mirage Ill.

Excessive Losses

The production programme for the F-104G was the largest international fighter project in history, all achieved because of German acceptance but it was also in Germany where things began to turn sour. German Starfighters started falling out of the sky at an alarming rate which in 1963 reached a paralysing 139 aircraft lost per 100,000 flight hours (there was the old joke that if you wanted your own Starfighter all you had to do was to buy a block of land and wait for one to crash onto it!). As late as 1965 one Starfighter crashed approximately every ten days and in many instances the pilot· was killed. In reply to growing complaints from Germany, the USAF quickly pointed out that no such losses had occurred within its MAP training scheme. As fate. Would have it a week after making this statement, Canadian-built F-104G, No. 62 12312, crashed into the rear of a supermarket well short of the runway of Luke AFB, Arizona.

In Autumn 1966, the Luftwaffe approached Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) to find out if other air forces were having similar problems. It was found that although the loss rate was higher in general with second-generation jet aircraft, the other 14 air forces operating the Starfighter had not encountered the same difficulties.

A thorough investigation showed that there were several causes, a major one being created by the Luftwaffe’s own history. The German Air Force ceased to exist in 1945 and was not recreated until 1956 so there was a 10 year age gap both in aircrew and maintenance personnel. The majority were young men short of experience who were expected to fly and maintain one of the world’s “hottest”, most demanding and most complex aircraft. At the other end of the spectrum, many Luftwaffe senior officers were WW2 veterans but they had virtually no jet experience at all! Other air forces were not faced with this type of problem.

A safety feature the Germans wanted was the introduction of British-built Martin-Baker ejector seats. In spite of its proven reliability and better pilot survival rate, Lockheed and USAF pressure succeeded in preventing this until 1967, when Martin Baker GQ-7 seats were finally installed, first in the Italian and then the German Starfighters. Meanwhile, Denmark had already quietly fitted the British seats anyway.

To rectify the Luftwaffe’s other problems an intensive training programme was introduced. The results were dramatic. Within 6 months the situation had completely changed so that its loss rate fell into line with those experienced by other air forces.

Projected Developments

Over 25 developments of the F-104G were planned but did not eventuate. Among these, project ZELL (Zero Length Launch) tested the feasibility of rocket launching F-104s from forward area sites. The aircraft was fitted with a North American Aviation Rocketdyne motor on a cradle which was jettisoned by the pilot immediately after lift-off. A number of successful launches were made but the project never proceeded further.

A V/STOU104 was to have been fitted with wing-tip engine pods holding Rolls Royce RB181 lift engines.

The CL-1200 Lancer, or X-27, was conceived as an advanced lightweight fighter having foreign sales potential as the logical replacement for the F-104. The X027 project failed to obtain enough Congressional and Department of Defence support for a prototype contract and it never proceeded beyond the full-scale mock-up stage.

An ‘A’ model derivative already mentioned, the NF-104A (or F-104N) was designed as an aerospaceJrainer able to hurtle to 60,000 feet (18,300m) using the main engine and afterburner and then cut in a 6,000lb (2,720kg) booster rocket motor which was fitted to the tail. An unofficial world altitude record of 118,860 feet (36,174m) was achieved on November 15, 1963, from a ground take-off at Edwards AFB by Major Robert W. Smith. Shortly afterwards, veteran test pilot Chuck Yeager, then commander of the Aerospace Research Pilot’s School (ARPS), attempted an official height record but failed when the wing-tip hydrogen peroxide thrusters used for manoeuvring in the stratosphere refused to function and the plane fell into a spin, Efforts to regain control were unsuccessful and he had to eject at 12,000 feet (3,650m).

The final and probably most potent version of the Starfighter was the F-104S built by the Italians. Designed as an all-weather Interceptor, the “S” model incorporated numerous improvements including a new R21G/H multi-mode radar and radar-guided Aspide or Sparrow missile armament as well as Sidewinders. Powered by the uprated J79-GR-19 engine with 17,900Ib (8,120kg) thrust, it had better take-off, climb, acceleration and combat performance than the ‘G’ model. Lockheed and Aeritalia combined for the developmental work but all production took place in Italy. When production ceased in March 1979, 206 had been made for Italy and 40 for Turkey. The type’s main external distinguishing feature was a pair of small canted ventral fins one on each side of the main ventral fin.

Combat

At the time of writing, Starfighters had seen action with 3 of the 15 air forces using the type: the USAF, the Chinese Nationalist Air Force (CNAF) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

American F-104Cs were deployed in limited numbers in MIGCAP sorties above B-52 bombers raiding North Vietnam but encountered no enemy aircraft. Later, they were employed on tree-top ground support strike missions and during the orie tour the 3 squadrons of the 479th Wing flew 2,269 sorties involving 8,820 lying hours losing only 3 aircraft to AA fire.

The CNAF and PAF received their aircraft under the MAP programme. CNAF Starfighters are believed to have been employed against MiGs off Taiwan on several occasions.

The PAF employed its squadron of F-104A’s during the_ 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. According to reports, one Indian Air Force (IAF) Gnat pilot surrendered his aircraft to an F-104 and landed it undamaged at a disused Pakistan airfield. In air-to-air combat, 2 Dassault Mysteries were claimed for the loss of one F-104. Starfighters were also employed as night fighters in an attempt to stop IAF Canberra sorties. The Canberras proved very elusive but at least one was claimed destroyed by an F0104 armed Sidewinder. A short-of-fuel F-104 encountered 4 MiG-21 but it was able to outdistance them at a low level by bringing in full afterburner and then zooming to 25,000 feet (7,600m) tb conserve remaining fuel. Generally, it was found that the Starfighters had a dramatic speed advantage over the older IAF Hunters and Mysteries but these were more manoeuvrable.

The Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 saw the Indian army overrun East Pakistan in a lightning campaign. According to Indian sources, there were 4 clashes in December between IAF MiG- 21’s and PAF early model Starfighters and in all cases the MiG- 21’s emerged victorious.

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At its peak, the Lockheed F-104 production programme involved 21 major aircraft companies, 7 engine manufacturers and 31 electronics firms in 7 countries. The controversy which followed it because of its early poor safety record with the Luftwaffe has caused many to overlook the fact that it has served faithfully in so many air forces for so many years.