For those of you curious what that little hatch was that kept popping open on the side, it's called a blow-in door, and it provides additional air to the engine under certain conditions. edit: apparently the small square door that everyone keeps noticing is used to prevent differential pressure building up between the engine compartment and outside. Thanks @EnglishTurbines for the info!
The small square one is to prevent a pressure differential between outside the aircraft and the engine compartment. Air bleeds in to prevent a vacuum building...It's not for cooling or any other reason. ...🤔😏🇬🇧
I would love a ride in one of these. It would be an honor to throw-up. Kudos to the channel for keeping the audio raw and not adding garbage music to it! 🙂
I duno , have you ever listened to captain lockeed and the star fighters ? Few records on that album that I’d love to listen to strapped into that baby 😂😎
@@royharkins7066 Starfighters Aerospace. @PiercarloCiacchi is a pilot and director of flight operations. Their site doesn't say they take people for joy rides, but it doesn't say they _don't_ take people for joy rides, so I'm guessing it is just a matter of availability (their time, your cash).
When I was a kid we lived next to a Naval Air base in Virginia Beach in the 50s and 60s. I got to see the prop planes and jets. I would lay in bed at night and listen to the howl of these F-104s and other Jets. The sound and rumbles helped me fall asleep.
We lived in Navy housing near Oceana NAS, saw a lot aircraft traffic including a crash on final approach by a jet, don’t know what happened but saw the pilot eject and floating down where he landed about a 1/4 mi away. In about 10 min there were all kinds of Navy vehicles headed to where the plane went down. I was only about 7-8 years old then.
No F-104's at Oceana. That was an Air Force aircraft, not Navy. More likely Grumman F-11-F Tiger or McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom. I lived in VA Beach at 45th and Atlantic in the 50's and 60's. This was the dawn of the supersonic age and the jets out of Oceana would routinely break the sound barrier and rattle our windows. We didn't mind at all. It was the sound of freedom.
@@brucel4677 I lived on Bells rd across from that base from age 5 to 10. From 1957 to 1962. Felt the rattle of windows many times as well. I remember going to sleep listening to that howl many nights.
the Starfighter's rate of climb has always been one of the most valued attributes of the 104's interceptor pilots, 2' from brake release to reach 33,000 feet ( 10,000 m), still amazing performance today. Greetings from a great Italian fan of the Spillone!
@@gonebabygone4116 The 60,000 number is a peak number - the plane can't maintain that during the whole climb. That number also doesn't include the time spent accelerating down the runway. The F104's peak climb rate probably is probably 40 or 50 thousand.
@@taotoo2 Various sources say 48k - 50k feet/minute for the F-104. F-16 empty/full weights are similar. F-104 had 15,600 pounds thrust with afterburner. F-16 has 17,800 dry and 29,000+ with afterburner. The 5th gen trade some of that juice for silence, lower top speed, but mach 2+ has proven excessive.
The F-104 was certainly Mach 2 capable, but it could never cruise at that speed. Basically when reaching Mach 2 (or a little above) you are very low on fuel and the next move is to start a descent for landing. Oh yeah, this is only achievable when clean (no missiles or wing tanks).
Around the same time, the F104 set the world altitude record at 103,000 feet, which stood for nearly 40 years until some kind of a Russian MiG broke it.
@@cll1639 That was Iven Kincheloe who flew 103,000 ft. He was considered the first man in outer space. He later died in the F104 as he took off as a chase plane for another F104.
@@jeffalexander544 Thanks for the reply. I loved the F104; thought it was the best looking jet of all time back when I was a kid. But from what I've heard, it was a double-barrel handful to fly...little more than a J79 engine with a couple of canards hung on it. Sorry to hear about Kincheloe.
I have seen the results of metal fatigue in everything from large thick steel to small copper multi-strand wire breaking at termination points. It amazes me to see how much flexing that jets body is doing, and has been for many years. Tribute to designers that it is still flying.
This aircraft has been criticized because it supposedly can't dogfight. We really don't know, but it was designed as a fast, time to altitude interceptor and that is what it does very well. I believe it was well ahead of it's time and it fulfilled it's intended design parameters. Bravo Kelley Johnson!
The F-104S was the absolute BEST at what it did, and if it was supportable today, would still be in use. The early Mercury and Gemini flight were paced and filmed in their ascent by F-104s...
Funny how that camera view makes a tiny “wing” look big. I’ve always loved the F-104. A rocket of a jet with wings. Imagine if it had a modern 20-25,000 LB thrust engine!
That is a beautiful jet with a very original paint scheme. Good thinking on somebodies head. Thanks for sharing this! It made my evening RU-vid visit worth doing!
An example of genius engineering that was ahead of the technology. This could still be in service if it had computer aided fly by wire. The F-104 was great at smooth flight and demonstrations it was “twitchy” in chaotic situations.
I read that one or two of the florida starfighters will come to the airshow near rome for the 100th birthday of the italian airforce. Will you fly one?
@@PiercarloCiacchi I hope to be there, too! I already greeted the Stafighter many years ago during the official AMI show for its retirement: I was pretty sad. But now, I am excited to let my son hear the "sound of freedom" that may times scared me when I was young! Thank you!!!
Thing that impressed me the most is that in a supersonic turn, it will turn INSIDE a F-15's turn radius. Once subsonic the 15 will hammer it in a turn. I talked with one of the F-117 test pilots who was a F-104 driver, for what it was, it was and is impressive.
There are two openings in the back of the plane, one almost circular that closes at the beginning of the clip and a rectangular one that keeps opening and closing all the time. What are they for?
The pilot in this video does a full walkaround of the aircraft. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_p5qKcWR4Is.html The ducts are around 35:00 mark.
Don't know for sure, but guessing they're cooling -- pretty sure the oil cooler is back near that rearmost rectangular one -- and/or bleed-air related; the jet has several subsystems that are operated by air that's "bled" from the J79 to operate stuff like the a/c, canopy seal, demist/rain clearing, gun purge, etc. Someone qualified will be along shortly :)
@@Wikkus yes, almost....I was just trying to explain that to another friend here above...I will copy it here as well, hopefully it is clear enough lol. Kinda of yes! So, LONG STORY SHORT, the engine is fit in the airframe in such a way that there is a small space between the 'head" of the engine and the actual "air intake tube", so air can actually bypass the whole engine and exit around the exhaust nozzles. And yes that is for cooling the engine compartment. Those small doors, are spring loaded in the "closed" position, those allow for a relief and extra air at LOW AIRSPEED, believe it or not, at low airspeeds (below 350 Knots approx), the pressure build up in the air intake (because of the speed of the aircraft) is actually LOWER than the actual "demand" of air from the engine. So the engine is trying to suck so much air that it ends up sucking air also from the engine compartment...so every time that is the case, those doors are naturally opened (by the lower pressure) allowing fresh air to enter the engine compartment. Curiously, that air travels forward to the "head" of the engine and get sucked in the first stage of the compressor.... I hope i was able to explain the trick a little bit...
Called Blow-in doors. Here’s the explanation Some inlets incorporate blow-in doors to provide additional airflow during high thrust conditions at takeoff. Inlet efficiency is generally characterized by stagnation pressure recovery - a measure of the available energy in the air that actually makes it into the compressor.
I grew up with the Century Series Fighters coming on line. I loved them all but my favorite was the F-100 Super Sabre. Don't know why, just a pretty airplane. Had plastic models of them all!
It's because it's designer was North American. Edgar Schmued was the head designer of the North American P-51 Mustang, F-82 Twin Mustang, F-86 Sabre, and F-100 Super Sabre. He later worked for Northrup heading engineering teams that designed the F-5 and T-38 Talon trainer
An F-104 was the first jet I really felt pounding my chest on a low pass + climb, that you never forget... It literally is a rocket with two tiny wings 🙂
I remember seeing these around 1980 at Luke. The last of the USAF jets were painted up for the German Air Force just as they were departing for the last time.
Chuck Yeager did that in an NF-104A, a variant of the F-104 that was used for high-altitude testing, if I remember correctly. And he got it into a flat spin and bailed out. He climbed straight up, as high as he could get it to go, then lost control.
That really happened. Nov 1st, 1963. He lost the aircraft, but broke an altitude record and one speed-at-altitude record in the process. There were a number of science and engineering related facts learned from that event. Very useful flight and crash.
@@lexluthermiester Interestingly, he did it "off the books," so to speak. He broke the rules and took the plane for a 'joy ride' cuz he was pissed that he wasn't chosen for the Mercury program. He didn't file a flight plan, and flew without permission. At least according to the film adaptation of the event.
@@-108- That was a movie, written for drama. In reality, it was a fully approved flight, it just wasn't a "planned" test flight. Hollywood embellished on that fact a bit.
@@-108-: Never get your "facts" from Anything, out of Hollywood. In the wrong situation, it could cost you your life. In the 60s. I got better info from comic books.
We grew up hearing the B52’s while SAC. I miss the days. They used to train pilots in water landings by parachute barge then. Right off Turkey point. Good memories.
Kinda of yes! So, LONG STORY SHORT, the engine is fit in the airframe in such a way that there is a small space between the 'head" of the engine and the actual "air intake tube", so air can actually bypass the whole engine and exit around the exhaust nozzles. And yes that is for cooling the engine compartment. Those small doors, are spring loaded in the "closed" position, those allow for a relief and extra air at LOW AIRSPEED, believe it or not, at low airspeeds (below 350 Knots approx), the pressure build up in the air intake (because of the speed of the aircraft) is actually LOWER than the actual "demand" of air from the engine. So the engine is trying to suck so much air that it ends up sucking air also from the engine compartment...so every time that is the case, those doors are naturally opened (by the lower pressure) allowing fresh air to enter the engine compartment. Curiously, that air travels forward to the "head" of the engine and get sucked in the first stage of the compressor.... I hope i was able to explain the trick a little bit...
The F-104 Starfighter was referred to as the Widow maker, due to so many accidents. 292 of 916 units were lost due to crashes. Not this guy though...very likely this jet has updated avionics.
1:43 is that the shock wave that would make prop fighters lose aileron authority? The supersonic air over the wing during subsonic flight? If it is, it's amazing to actually see it.
Always thought the F-104 was one of the most ridiculous-looking fighters ever. It's an engine strapped to tiny wings. It's amazing it flew at all, let alone went into mass-production and adoption.
I was just trying to explain that to another friend here above...I will copy it here as well, hopefully it is clear enough lol. Kinda of yes! So, LONG STORY SHORT, the engine is fit in the airframe in such a way that there is a small space between the 'head" of the engine and the actual "air intake tube", so air can actually bypass the whole engine and exit around the exhaust nozzles. And yes that is for cooling the engine compartment. Those small doors, are spring loaded in the "closed" position, those allow for a relief and extra air at LOW AIRSPEED, believe it or not, at low airspeeds (below 350 Knots approx), the pressure build up in the air intake (because of the speed of the aircraft) is actually LOWER than the actual "demand" of air from the engine. So the engine is trying to suck so much air that it ends up sucking air also from the engine compartment...so every time that is the case, those doors are naturally opened (by the lower pressure) allowing fresh air to enter the engine compartment. Curiously, that air travels forward to the "head" of the engine and get sucked in the first stage of the compressor.... I hope i was able to explain the trick a little bit...
@@PiercarloCiacchi Thanks - a simple solution. This design to bypass the engine and go straight to the exhaust nozzles seems similar to the SR 71 engine design for high speed flight above Mach 1.
