Subject: Number 104 in the series--Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (3 of 20)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 20 Dec 93 17:26:50 GMT

>From [email-masked]

The F-104A (company designation Model 183-92-02) was the initial 
production version of the Starfighter.  In an order 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 stressed for 7.33-G maneuvers.  An aft-mounted 
ventral 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.  

The landing speed of the F-104A was only five percent higher than that 
of earlier fighters owing to its boundary layer control system.  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 fully down at 45 degrees.  Highly-compressed air 
from the 17th compressor stage of the engine is ducted into the wing 
and over the upper flap surfaces out of slots lined up along the 
trailing edge flap hinge line.  This air flow reduces turbulence in 
the boundary layer due to flow separation thus reducing the stalling 
speed.  

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 so that when 
the flaps are fully up, aileron travel is 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 set of speed 
brakes was located on the sides 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 were involved in a protracted series of flight 
tests during which changes and improvements were progressively 
introduced.  

The first F-104A entered service on January 26, 1958, two years later 
than originally planned, 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.  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 acquire 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.  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.  However, the safety 
record of the F-104A continued to compare unfavorably with other 
"Century Series" fighters.  

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.  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.  Consequently, the downward ejection 
system was quite unpopular with F-104A pilots and was replaced in the 
field by a more conventional upward-firing ejector seat, also designed 
by Lockheed.  

In October 1958, twelve F-104As of the 83rd FIS 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.  

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 originaly 
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.  

Many ADC F-104As were retrofitted with the more powerful J79-GE-19, 
rated at 17,900 lb.st. with afterburner.  

In December of 1958, an F-104A set three time-to-climb records: 3000 
meters (9842 feet( in 41.35 seconds, 15,000 meters (49,212 feet) in 
131.1 seconds, and 25,000 meters (82,020 feet) in 266.03 seconds.  

As one might have surmised, 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 
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.  They 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 FIS at Homestead AFB in Florida and the 
331st FIS at Webb AFB in Texas.  For some odd reason, these two 
squadrons exchanged their all-weather F-102s and F-106s for day-only 
F-104As, which would seem at first sight to make no sense.  These 
F-104As remained in service for several years.  The last 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.  

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.  

The only combat seen by the F-104A was in foreign hands.  Ten ex-USAF 
F-104As were transferred to the Pakistani Air Force in 1960.  Before 
delivery, these aircraft were retrofitted with the more powerful 
J79-GE-11A engine rated at 15,800 lb.s.t.  with afterburner.  These 
aircraft took part in both the August 1965 and December 1971 wars 
between Pakistan and India.  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.  

By the end of the second conflict with India, only seven Pakistani 
Starfighters were still operational.  The Pakistan Air Force then 
received ten F-104As on temporary loan from Jordan.  These aircraft 
were returned to Jordan in 1972 when Pakistan phased out its last four 
aircraft.  

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.  They were 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 mid-1969, the USA resumed the supply of 
Starfighters to Jordan, and thirty-two refurbished F-104As and four 
two-seat F-104Bs were delivered.  The Starfighters remained in service 
in Jordan for nearly fifteen years, being finally replaced by Dassault 
Mirage F1CJs in 1982-83.  

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.  
Further ex-USAF F-104As and Bs were later transferred to the RoCAF, 
bringing the total to 25 and 2, respectively.  RoC serials were 
4210/4225 and 4101/4102.  These aircraft were later supplemented by 
F-104Gs, TF-104G, and RF-104Gs.  

In 1960, 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.  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 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.  

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: 

56-730/736 	Lockheed F-104A-1-LO Starfighter 
56-737/747 	Lockheed F-104A-5-LO Starfighter 
56-748/763 	Lockheed F-104A-10-LO Starfighter 
56-764/788 	Lockheed F-104A-15-LO Starfighter 
56-789/825 	Lockheed F-104A-20-LO Starfighter 
56-826/877 	Lockheed F-104A-25-LO Starfighter 
56-878/882 	Lockheed F-104A-30-LO 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.  Maximum speed was 1037 mph at 
50,000 feet.  Stalling speed was 198 mph.  Initial climb rate was 
60,395 feet per minute.  Combat ceiling was 55,200 feet and service 
ceiling was 64,795 feet.  Normal range was 730 miles, and maximum 
range with external drop tanks fitted was 1400 miles.  Internal fuel 
capacity was 897 US gallons, and maximum fuel capacity with two 
wingtip tanks and two underwing tanks was 1627 US gallons.  Dimensions 
were wingspan 21 feet 9 inches, length 54 feet 8 inches, height 13 
feet 5 inches, wing area 196.1 square feet.  Weights were 13,184 
pounds empty, 17,988 pounds combat, 22,614 pounds gross, 25,840 pounds 
maximum takeoff.  Armament consisted of a single 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.  Alternatively, these 
wingtip shoes could carry a 141.5 or a 166.5 Imp.gall. droptank.  

Sources:

    The Lockheed F-104G/CF-104, Gerhard Joos, Aircraft in Profile No.
    131, Doubleday, 1969.  

    The World's Great Interceptor Aircraft, Gallery Books, 1989.

    Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, Steve Pace, Motorbooks International, 
    1992.

    Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute
    Press, 1987.

    The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.

    The World's Fighting Planes, William Green, Doubleday 1968.

    American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Third Enlarged Edition, Doubleday,
    1982.

Joe Baugher		AT&T Bell Laboratories   	
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