F-104:
There's the usual airshow announcer chatter and music, but still, you can hear that awesome sound.
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Sunday, January 31, 2021
5 comments:
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I get it that following Korea the USAF wanted to prioritize high performance, stung that the MiG-15s (built by lousy commies!) showed speed parity and absolute altitude superiority. And, this was one of those era's whose recurring meme was'dogfighting is dead, it is all missiles from now on'. So the plane set many records for speed and altitude performance but was a dud at the air superiority role because, with the razor sharp truncated wing, it took 34 counties to turn around in. NASA used them for special purposes like chase plane (killed the XB-70) and a brief tour in Vietnam but rightfully declined large orders. Lockheed's financial bacon was saved when the new reconstituted Lufftwaffe and the Italian AF ordered it as an anti-shipping strike aircraft. Hard to determine if it would have been successful since the Cold War stayed cold. It was a difficult plane to fly though, with a high landing speed necessitating blown flaps, which dictated ejection on engine failure. So, like the Harrier, the F-104 won a 'widowmaker' reputation. Brilliant work by Kelly Johnson negated by initial USAF specification errors.
ReplyDeleteStill seems odd to see them with 'tip' tanks. I remember them with missiles on the tips and two tanks on inboard pylons.
ReplyDeleteOooh, it's the Lawn Dart! Saying in Germany was that if you wanted a F-104, just buy a big pasture and wait. Sooner or later a Luftwaffe F-104 would end up pointy nosed first in it.
ReplyDeleteGreat looking plane tho!
My recollection was that the Luftwaffe, in particular, took a daylight interceptor and tried to make it into a strike aircraft. That was after large bribes were paid, not only to key German politicians, but to Dutch and Japanese officials, as well.
ReplyDeleteThere also was a joke that the F-104 killed more Luftwaffe pilots than any other American fighter.
Downward ejection seats. Cockpit placard: Prior to Ejection at Low Altitude 1st Roll Inverted
ReplyDelete