Canadair CF-104 Starfighter explained

The Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (CF-111, CL-90) is a modified version of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter supersonic fighter aircraft built in Canada by Canadair under licence. It was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft, despite being designed as an interceptor. It served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and later the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) until it was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet in 1987.

Design and development

In the late 1950s, Canada redefined its role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with a commitment to a nuclear strike mission.[1] [2] At the same time, the RCAF began to consider a replacement for the Canadair F-86 Sabre series that had been utilized as a NATO day fighter.[3] An international fighter competition involved current types in service as well as development, including the Blackburn Buccaneer, Dassault Mirage IIIC, Fiat G.91, Grumman Super Tiger, Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, Northrop N-156 and the Republic F-105 Thunderchief.[3] Although the RCAF had preferred the F-105 Thunderchief equipped with an Avro Canada Orenda Iroquois engine, eventually the choice for a strike-reconnaissance aircraft revolved around cost as well as capability.[4]

A Canadian government requirement for an aircraft that could be manufactured in Canada under licence also favoured the Lockheed proposal, due to a collaboration with Canadair based in Montreal. On 14 August 1959, Canadair was selected to manufacture 200 aircraft for the RCAF under licence from Lockheed. In addition, Canadair was contracted to manufacture wingsets, tail assemblies and rear fuselage sections for 66 Lockheed-built F-104Gs destined for the West German Air Force.[5]

Canadair's internal designation was CL-90 while the RCAF's version was initially designated CF-111, then changed to CF-104. Although basically similar to the F-104G, the CF-104 was optimized for the nuclear strike/reconnaissance role, fitted with R-24A NASARR equipment dedicated to the air-to-ground mode only as well as having provision for a ventral reconnaissance pod equipped with four Vinten cameras. Other differences included retaining the removable refuelling probe, initial deletion of the fuselage-mounted 20 mm (.79 in) M61A1 cannon (replaced by an additional fuel cell) and the main undercarriage members being fitted with longer-stroke liquid springs and larger tires. The first flight of a Canadian-built CF-104 (s/n 12701) occurred on 26 May 1961.[6] The Canadair CF-104 production was 200 aircraft with an additional 140 F-104Gs produced for Lockheed.[7]

Operational history

The CF-104 entered Canadian service in March 1962. Originally designed as a supersonic interceptor aircraft, it was used primarily for low-level strike and reconnaissance by the RCAF. Eight CF-104 squadrons were originally stationed in Europe as part of Canada's NATO commitment. This was reduced to six in 1967, with a further reduction to three squadrons in 1970.[8] Up to 1971, this included a nuclear strike role that would see Canadian aircraft armed with US-supplied nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict with Warsaw Pact forces. During its service life the CF-104 carried the B28, B43 and B57 nuclear weapons.[9]

When the CAF later discontinued the strike/reconnaissance role for conventional attack, the M61A1 was refitted, along with U.S. Mk. 82 Snakeye "iron" bombs, British BL755 cluster bombs and Canadian-designed CRV-7 rocket pods. Although Canadian pilots practised air combat tactics, the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles were never carried operationally by Canadian Starfighters (however, examples provided to other air forces, such as Norway and Denmark, did carry Sidewinders on a twin-rail centreline station and the wingtip rails). The CF-104D two-seater did not normally carry any armament except for a centreline practice-bomb dispenser.

There were 110 class A accidents in the 25 years that Canada operated the CF-104 resulting in 37 pilot fatalities. Most of these were in the early part of the program centring on teething problems. Of the 110 class A accidents, 21 were attributed to foreign object damage (14 of which were bird strikes), 14 were due to in-flight engine failures, six were as a result of faulty maintenance and nine involved mid-air collisions. Thirty-two aircraft struck the ground flying at low level in poor weather conditions. Of the 37 fatalities, four were clearly attributable to systems failures; all of the others were attributable to some form of pilot inattention.

The accident rate of the CF-104 compares favourably to its predecessor, the F-86 Sabre. In only 12 years of operation the F-86 had 282 class A accidents with a loss of 112 pilots. The Sabre was also a simpler aircraft and was normally flown at higher altitude.[10] The CF-104 was nicknamed the "Widowmaker" by the press but not by the pilots and crews of the aircraft. David Bashow states on page 92 of his book "I never heard a pilot call it the Widowmaker". Sam Firth is quoted on page 93 in Bashow's book "I have never heard a single person who flew, maintained, controlled, or guarded that aircraft of any force (and that includes the Luftwaffe) call it the Widowmaker". The pilots did refer to it, in jest, as the "Aluminium Death Tube", "The Lawn Dart" and "The Flying Phallus" but generally called it the 104 (one oh four) or the Starfighter.[11]

Low level attack runs in the CF-104 were done visually at 100 feet AGL and at speeds up to 600 km. Low level evasive maneuvers could increase speeds to supersonic.[12]

The aircraft was very difficult to attack owing to its small size, speed, and low altitude capability. Dave Jurkowski, former CF-104 and CF-18 pilot is quoted "Because of our speed, size and lower level operations, no Canadian Zipper driver was ever 'shot down' by either air or ground threats in the three Red Flag Exercises in which we participated."[13]

The CF-104 was very successful in operational exercises held by NATO. The Canadians first took part in the AFCENT Tactical Weapons meet in 1964 and did so every year after that. This meet was a competition between squadrons from Belgium, France, Germany, the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands. Scores were based on several factors. Bomb accuracy, time on target, navigation, mission planning and aircraft serviceability. Pilots were chosen at random from the various squadrons to accurately represent operational capabilities.[14]

AFCENT Tactical Weapons Meet (strike era)

AFCENT Tactical Weapons Meet (attack era)

biennial schedule.

Royal Flush

A competition for Recce squadrons. The Canadians first took part in 1966 and managed the following awards:[23]

Tiger Meet

A competition between NATO squadrons with cat mascots.[24]

In the late 1970s, the New Fighter Aircraft program was launched to find a suitable replacement for the CF-104, as well as the McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo and the Canadair CF-5. The winner of the competition was the CF-18 Hornet, which began to replace the CF-104 in 1982. All of the CF-104s were retired from service by the Canadian Forces by 1987, with most of the remaining aircraft given to Turkey.

Variants

See main article: List of Lockheed F-104 Starfighter variants.

CF-104:Single-seat fighter-bomber version for the RCAF.
  • CF-104D: Two-seat training version for the RCAF.

    • Operators

    See main article: List of F-104 Starfighter operators.

    Accidents and incidents

    Aircraft on display

    Canada

    Denmark

    Germany

    Hungary

    Norway

    Surviving aircraft

    Norway

    United States

    Canada

    References

    Bibliography

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Canadair CF-104 Starfighter. 7 January 2014. Canadian Wings. 2012.
    2. Web site: Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter. 7 January 2014. Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. 2014.
    3. Bashow 1990, p. 8.
    4. McIntyre 1985, p. 6.
    5. Baugher, Joe. "Canadair CF-104 Starfighter." American Military Aircraft, 6 October 2003. Retrieved: 1 May 2011.
    6. Stachiw 2007, p. 30.
    7. Pickler and Milberry 1990, p. 186.
    8. Greenhous and Halliday 1999, p. 152.
    9. Book: Canadian Nuclear Weapons: The Untold Story of Canada's Cold War Arsenal. registration. 91–116. John Clearwater. 1998. Dundurn Press. 1-55002-299-7. 19 December 2016.
    10. Bashow 1990, p. 96.
    11. Bashow 1990, p. 92–93.
    12. Bashow 1990, p. 119.
    13. Bashow 1990, p. 138.
    14. Bashow 1990, p. 47.
    15. Bashow 1990, p. 33.
    16. Bashow 1990, p. 37.
    17. Bashow 1990, p. 38.
    18. Bashow 1990, p. 52.
    19. Bashow 1990, p. 58.
    20. Bashow 1990, p. 78.
    21. Bashow 1990, p. 79.
    22. Bashow 1990, p. 81.
    23. Bashow 1990, p. 51.
    24. Web site: Nato Tiger Meets . www.NatoTigers.org . 2014-06-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140704085115/http://www.natotigers.org/tigermeet/index.php . 2014-07-04 .
    25. Richardson, W. John and Tim West. "The Canadair CF-104." ejection-history.org, 2010. Retrieved: 21 March 2011.
    26. http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/collections/artifacts/aircraft/LockheedF-104AStarfighter/ "Lockheed F-104A Starfighter."
    27. Web site: Google Maps . 2023-01-10 . Google Maps . en.
    28. Web site: Canadian Starfighter Museum . Canadianstarfightermuseum.ca . 2014-04-19.
    29. June 2021. Trails Starfighter Moves to Montreal. Aeoplane. 8.
    30. Web site: CF-104 Starfighter - Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum.
    31. Web site: CF-104 "Starfighter" - Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec. roadsideattractions.ca. 22 June 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161013055328/http://roadsideattractions.ca/popfiles/stjean.html. 13 October 2016.
    32. Web site: Starfighter . National Air Force Museum of Canada . National Air Force Museum of Canada . airforcemuseum.ca. 2 June 2017.
    33. Web site: 2023-07-06 . VIDEO: Fastest aircraft to serve Canadian Forces on route to North Saanich - Vancouver Island Free Daily . 2023-07-06 . www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com . en-US.
    34. http://www.warplane.com/pages/aircraft_cf104.html "Canadair CF-104 Starfighter."
    35. Web site: Preserved in Canada. International F-104 Society. en-US. 2019-10-09.
    36. Web site: Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter. albertaaviationmuseum.com. 5 July 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170110030124/https://www.albertaaviationmuseum.com/starfighter#!starfighter. 10 January 2017.
    37. http://www.canadianflight.org/content/lockheed-cf-104-starfighter "Lockheed CF-104 Starfighter."
    38. Web site: Aviation . 2023-01-10 . reynoldsmuseum.ca . en.
    39. https://www.google.com/maps/place/F-104+Starfighter+RCAF/@48.7796653,8.0581564,17.58z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x47b8d484e2c46e31:0x42760fc4a2a7430!2sSolingen,+Germany!3b1!8m2!3d51.1652199!4d7.0671161!3m4!1s0x4796e7358022db8b:0x493d5548edaf386f!8m2!3d48.7797421!4d8.0616682 "CF-104 104785"
    40. http://www.repulomuzeum.hu/Leltar/Leltarfotok/F-104TR.htm "F-104G (CF-104G), gift of the Turkish Air Force."
    41. http://www.flymuseum-sola.no/sider/hoved.html "CF-104." (Norwegian language).
    42. Oppdrag utført - Norges luftmilitære kulturarv (Glenne, Roar. 2012)
    43. Web site: Her flyr Eskil "The Widowmaker" for første gang på 33 år. NRK. 28 September 2016 . 2016-09-29.
    44. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=104RB "N-Number Inquiry Results Registration N104RB Serial number 104632."
    45. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=104RN "N-Number Inquiry Results Registration N104RN Serial number 104759."
    46. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=104RD "N-Number Inquiry Results Registration N104RD Serial number 104780."

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