Subject: Number 104 in the Series--Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (9 of 20)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 3 Jan 94 17:12:26 GMT

>From [email-masked]

The F-104G (Lockheed Model 683-10-19) was the European-built version of 
the Starfighter, designed for the air forces of the USA's NATO allies.  

Externally, the F-104G looked quite similar to the earlier F-104C day 
fighter, but differed in being a multi-role, all-weather aircraft 
rather than a daylight strike fighter.  The F-104G had full 
all-weather capability, carrying an Autonetics F15A-41B NASARR (North 
American Search and Ranging Radar) optimized in air-to-air and 
air-to-ground modes to provide airborne target detection and tracking, 
guidance data, terrain avoidance, contour mapping for navigation, 
ground mapping for all-weather bombing, and ranging information for 
bombing computation in visual bombing modes.  The fuselage, wing, and 
empennage were strengthened to enable the aircraft to carry an 
increased offensive weapons load and to handle the stresses of 
low-altitude combat missions flown at high speeds.  Five hardpoints 
were fitted (one on the fuselage centerline, two under the wings, and 
two at the wingtips), enabling up to 4000 pounds of external stores to 
be carried.  The internal fuel tankage was revised to increase the 
total fuel load from 1624 to 1784 US gallons.  The F-104G had the 
enlarged and broader vertical tail of the F-104B/D two-seater, which 
provided a considerable improvement in longitudinal stability.  In 
addition, the F-104G was equipped with the fully-powered rudder of the 
F-104B/D, and the power for the horizontal stabilizer control system 
booster was increased.  The tailplane servo-mechanism was modified to 
afford increased hinge movement as demanded by the increased control 
power required by low-altitude operations at increased gross weights.  
The wheel brakes were improved and were made fully powered and were 
equipped with anti-skid capability.  Combat maneuvering flaps were 
provided, which resulted in a thirty-three percent reduction in 
turning radius at 5000 feet.  The Starfighter had metamorphosed from 
an air-superiority day fighter into a multirole all-weather strike 
fighter.  

European production sites were centered in four groups, based 
generally on geographical location.  The South Group included Dornier, 
Heinkel, Messerschmitt (later reorganized as Messerschmitt- 
Bolko-Blohm, or MBB), and Siebel.  The North Group included Fokker and 
Aviolanda in Holland plus Focke Wulf, Hamburger Flugzeugbau and 
Weserflugzeugbau in West Germany.  The West Group consisted of SABCA 
(Societe Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aeronautiques) and Fairey S.A.  
of Belgium.  The Italian Group consisted of Fiat, Aerfer-Macchi, 
Piaggio, SACA, and SIAI-Marchetti.  

The engine was the General Electric J79-GE-11A, rated at 10,000 
lb.s.t. dry and 15,600 lb.s.t. with afterburning.  The J79 engines 
were coproduced under license by MAN-Turbo in Germany, the Fabrique 
Nationale in Belgium, and Fiat in Italy.  

The NASARR (F15A-41B) fire control system provided radar search for 
air-to-air missions, calculates lead angle of attack for automatic 
missile release and acts in conjunction with the director-type 
gunsight for the M-61 Vulcan cannon.  The director gunsight gives the 
pilot an optical line-of-sight indication, after the NASARR has 
computed the required lead angle.  The caged sight is also used as an 
aiming reference for visual dive-bombing.  The system provides the 
pilot with range information for visual bombing, ground mapping, 
contour mapping for navigation, and terrain avoidance for low-level 
combat missions.  The F-104G was equipped with a Litton LN-3 inertial 
navigator which provided the pilot with continuous optical indication 
of direction and distance to a preselected target.  

The initial production schedule called for 210 aircraft to be built by 
the South Group, 350 by the North Group, 188 by the West Group, and 
199 by the Italian group.  There was lot of cross-flow of components, 
parts, and even complete airplanes between the various Groups.  The 
Luftwaffe eventually received 700 single seaters from five different 
nations.  

In order to assure early service introduction, it was agreed that 
Lockheed was to build the initial lot of F-104Gs while the European 
consortium got up to speed.  Lockheed eventually built 139 F-104Gs, 
which were delivered to the air forces of Germany, Greece, Norway, and 
Turkey, plus pattern aircraft delivered to manufacturers in Belgium 
and Italy.  In addition, Lockheed also built a number of two-seat 
TF-104G combat trainers.  The first Lockheed-built F-104G took off on 
its maiden flight on June 7, 1960.  

The South Group's first F-104G flew on October 5, 1960.  The South 
Group of companies eventually built 210 aircraft, all of them destined 
for the West German Luftwaffe.  

The West Group's first F-104G flew on August 3, 1961.  The South Group 
eventually built 188 aircraft for the Force Aerienne Belge and for the 
Luftwaffe.  

The North Group's first F-104G flew on November 11, 1961.  The North 
Group eventually built 231 aircraft for the Koninklijke Luchtmacht 
(Royal Netherlands Air Force) as well as the Luftwaffe.  

The Italian Group flew its first Starfighter on June 9, 1962, and 
delivered 169 aircraft to Dutch, German, and Italian air forces.  

Once the European F-104G program was well underway, the USAF ordered 
140 F-104Gs to be built by Canadair for various NATO nations under the 
MAP program.  They were intended for Norway, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, 
and Spain.  They followed the Canadian-built CF-104s off the 
production line.  Canadair-built F-104Gs differed from European-built 
versions primarily in the type of NASARR installed--the F-15AM-11 
which is optimized for both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes.  The 
first of these Canadair-built F-104Gs (USAF serial number 62-12302) 
made its maiden flight on July 30, 1963, and deliveries to NATO began 
before the end of the year.  

The ejector seat initially fitted was the Lockheed Model C-2 
upward-firing seat, but beginning in 1967 it was replaced by a 
Martin-Baker Mk GQ7(F) "zero-zero" ejector seat.  

When the F-104G program finally ended with the delivery of the last 
example by MBB in 1973, 1122 aircraft had been built, representing 
nearly 44 percent of Starfighter production.  

Some of the F-104Gs built were purchased with MAP funds and were 
assigned USAF serial numbers for record-keeping purposes even though 
they never carried USAF insignia.  In addition, many F-104Gs owned by 
the West German Luftwaffe actually operated at training bases in the 
USA where they sported USAF insignia and carried USAF serial numbers.  
Here is a list of USAF serial numbers for either category: 

	61-2601/2623 	Lockheed F-104G Starfighter - MAP for Greece 
				and Turkey 
	62-12214/12231 	Lockheed F-104G Starfighter for MAP 
	62-12302/12349 	Canadair-built F-104G Starfighter for MAP.  
	62-12697/12734 	Canadair-built F-104G Starfighter for MAP.  
	63-13229 	Fokker-built F-104G Starfighter for Luftwaffe 
	63-13230/13260 	Lockheed F-104G Starfighter for Luftwaffe 
	63-13261 	Fokker-built F-104G Starfighter for Luftwaffe 
	63-13262/13268 	Lockheed F-104G Starfighter for Luftwaffe 
	63-13269/13273 	Fokker-built F-104G Starfighter for Luftwaffe 
	63-13274 	Lockheed F-104G Starfighter - Pattern aircraft 
				for SABCA 
	63-13275/13278 	SABCA-built F-104G Starfighter for Luftwaffe 
	63-13526 	Messerschmitt-built F-104G for Luftwaffe 
	63-13638/13647 	Canadair-built F-104G Starfighter for MAP.  
	63-13690/13691 	Fokker-built F-104G Starfighter for Luftwaffe 
	64-12745 	Messerschmitt-built Lockheed F-104G Starfighter 
	64-12746 	Fokker-built Lockheed F-104G Starfighter for 	
					Luftwaffe 
	64-12747/12748 	Messerschmitt-built Lockheed F-104G Starfighter 
	64-12749/12754 	Fokker-built Lockheed F-104G Starfighter for 
					Luftwaffe 
	64-17752/17795 	Canadair-built F-104G Starfighter for MAP 
	66-13524/13526 	Messerschmitt-built Lockheed F-104G Starfighter 
				Luftwaffe

Specification of the F-104G: 

One General Electric J79-GE-11A turbojet, 10,000 lb.s.t. dry and 
15,600 lb.s.t. with afterburning.  Maximum speed was 1146 mph at 
50,000 feet, 1328 mph at 35,000 feet.  Stalling speed was 216 mph.  
Initial climb rate was 48,000 feet per minute.  Service ceiling was 
50,000 feet, and absolute ceiling was 90,000 feet.  Normal range was 
1080 miles, and maximum range with four drop tanks was 1630 miles.  
Internal fuel capacity was 897 US gallons, and maximum fuel capacity 
with two wingtip tanks and two underwing tanks was 1784 US gallons.  
Dimensions were wingspan 21 feet 9 inches, length 54 feet 8 inches, 
height 13 feet 6 inches, wing area 196.1 square feet.  Weights were 
13,996 pounds empty, 20,640 pounds combat, 29,038 pounds maximum 
takeoff.  Armament consisted of a single 20-mm M61A1 cannon with 725 
rounds in the fuselage, plus up to four AIM-9B Sidewinder infrared 
homing air-to-air missiles.  Up to 4000 pounds of external ordinance 
(bombs, rockets, napalm, drop tanks) could be carried on underwing and 
underfuselage attachment points.  

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 Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft Armament, Bill Gunston,
    Orion Books, 1988.

    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   	
2000 North Naperville Road      Naperville, Illinois 60566-7033