Subject: Number 104 in the Series--Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (4 of 20)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 21 Dec 93 17:12:02 GMT

>From [email-masked]

In 1963, three ex-USAF F-104As (56-756, -760, and -762) were taken out 
of storage at Davis Monthan AFB and modified as NF-104A aerospace 
training aircraft.  All of the military equipment was removed and the 
original F-104A vertical fin was replaced by the larger fin that was 
used on the F-104G.  The wingspan was increased by four feet (to 25.94 
feet) and a set of hydrogen peroxide control thrusters were mounted at 
the nose, tail, and wingtips.  A 6000 pound thrust Rocketdyne 
LR121/AR-2-NA-1 auxiliary rocket engine was mounted on the tail above 
the jet exhaust pipe.  This rocket engine could be throttled from 3000 
to 6000 pounds of thrust, and the burn time was about 105 seconds.  

The first NF-104A was delivered on October 1, 1963, with the other two 
following a month later.  They were operated by the Aerospace Research 
Pilot School at Edwards AFB, which was commanded at that time by 
Colonel Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager.  

On December 6, 1963, the first NF-104A set an unofficial world 
altitude record of 118,860 feet for aircraft taking off under their 
own power.  The official record at that time was 113,829 feet, set by 
the Mikoyan/Gurevich Ye-66A, an experimental version of the MiG-21 
Fishbed.  Later, the same NF-104A flown by Major R. W. Smith reached 
an altitude of 120,800 feet.  

On December 10, 1963, the second NF-104A (56-762), with Chuck Yeager 
at the controls, went out of control at an altitude of 104,000 feet 
and fell in a flat spin to 11,000 feet.  Yeager managed to eject 
successfully at that altitude, although he was badly burned on his 
face by the rocket motor of his ejector seat.  The aircraft was 
destroyed in the ensuing crash.  An investigation later showed that 
the cause of the crash was a spin that resulted from excessive angle 
of attack and lack of aircraft response.  The excessive angle of 
attack was not caused by pilot input but by a gyroscopic condition set 
up by the J79 engine spooling after shut down for the rocket-powered 
zoom climb phase.  So it wasn't Chuck's fault.  

In June of 1971, the third NF-104A, with Capt. Howard C. Thompson at 
the controls, suffered an inflight explosion of its rocket motor.  
Although Thompson was able to land safely, the aircraft's rocket motor 
and half its rudder were blown away.  Since the program was about to 
end in any case, this aircraft was retired.  

The number one NF-104A is currently mounted on a pylon and is on 
dislpay in front of the USAF Test Pilot School.  

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.

Joe Baugher		AT&T Bell Laboratories   	
2000 North Naperville Road      Naperville, Illinois 60566-7033