Lockheed F-104 Starfighter: The Flying Coffin 

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These comments, unfortunately, repeat several myths about the F-104. For one thing, it is an excellent dogfighter when flown by someone who knows how to work the vertical. Pilots of other fighters in dissimilar aircraft exercises often accused the F-104 of cheating, since it kept going up and down instead of making turns like a 'real' airplane. One F-8 pilot reported following a smoke trail to track down an F-4 (which used the same J-79 engine) and realizing he was in trouble when the F-104 flying close formation with the F-4 pulled up into a climb the F-8 couldn't match. He was still trying to spot the smaller plane when it made a diving attack from behind and scored a simulated kill. With the G-model takeoff flaps the F-104 could outturn an F4. T/O flap limit speeds were then M0.8 or 550 KIAS, whichever was reached first. As for climb, a strictly standard F104A/J-79-19 in combat configuration could reach 45000ft. 90 seconds after brake release. None of the nicknames listed were actually used by F-104 pilots, especially "Widowmaker." This was given to it by others, largely due to the unfortunate German accident rate early in the plane's deployment there. (Note that during this same period Spain lost *none* of its F-104s.) Once Germany changed its training program, their accident rate for the F-104 dropped to well within the same range as that for other jet fighters of the period. Pilots called it the Zipper. The problem with the F104G and the Luftwaffe was a combination of shorter runways (8000 ft) than the pilots had trained on at Luke AFB (11000 ft), much worse weather (Luke is in the desert), and lack of experience of the pilots and of the mechanics. At this time the economy of Germany was swiftly improving and many LW mechanics separated from the service to go to work in industry at much higher levels of pay. Note that the Belgians seldom had an accident although their weather is generally as bad as Germany's. - Walt Bjorneby, 730 hours of F104 time.

Here in Germany we had saying: If you wanna own a F104 just wait a few days one will sooner or later fall from the sky into your backyard :D

Here in Italy the 104 is a very respected machine, we used it till 2005

It’s also the only USAF aircraft to have intercepted the Starship Enterprise

media: this is a groundbreaking aircraft pilots: I hope you don't mean that literally

My father flew the F-104 from 1958 to 1966 including a deployment with the Black Aces of the 436th TFS in Vietnam. He never spoke a harsh word about the aircraft. In fact, he often told me it was superior to many other jet aircraft he had flown over his extensive career with the USAF. In short, I agree with the comments below that in the hands of the right pilot, it was a magnificent plane indeed.

There was an entire movie devoted to this plane. It was called, "The Starfighters" and stars real Air Force personnel instead of actors -- and it shows. Also includes lots and lots of stock footage, mostly of mid-air refueling. It was featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and I highly recommend it! Very, very funny!

No supersonic ( or subsonic ) fighters from the 1950's had a particularly amazing safety record. They were all bloody deathtraps. The 104 was particularly awkward if the engine failed, not just because you'd got no power and it glided like a brick, but because the engine failure also removed the boundary layer control from the flaps. The landing speed was insane without it working. The published engine out procedure assumed you could arrive at the runway with 10,000 feet altitude to spare, and if you couldn't manage that then it was best to use the Martin Baker option instead. There were so many other aircraft of the era with flaws that could kill the unlucky or inattentive, like the Mig-19 that would blow up for no apparent reason ( if it's flight controls hadn't lawn darted you first ), the BAC Lightning which loved to catch fire and the F-101 Voodoo that enjoyed nothing better than uncontrollable pitch ups. Even 1970's combat aircraft like the Sepecat Jaguar had their quirks, like departing controlled flight if they were given pitch and roll inputs at the same time. Military aviation in the golden age of jets was dangerous, no matter which aircraft you were wobbling about in.

I remember seeing/hearing a 104 flying at an airshow when I was a kid. It looks like a straight up space ship cosplaying as a fighter jet.

“Hans, You know that purpose built interceptor the US have given us” “Ja” “Why dont we use it as a ground attacker” “Helmut, you’re a genius”

WHOA, you missed a big point. I had the thrill of seeing two 104's flying for the Bundesluftwaffe (West German AF) during a maneuver as a tank commander in the early 1980's (I assume a reserve unit due to the date). The West Germans deployed the F104's as JABO's (tactical fighter bomber), not high-level interceptors. This put the aircraft outside it's envelope for stall speed. This is well documented. Due to the scandal and cost the Bundesluftwaffe tried to make it work. Imagin needing a tractor to plow a field and you get a Ferrari instead. Seeing it at low level in that iconic German splinter camouflage, emblazoned with an Iron Cross was a thrill. Didn't hear of any crashes that day so I guess they made it home. Hey if you can sell KEEP's I guess the West Germans can use an F104 like a Stuka.

In 1971 in Ramstein Germany we walked up on top of a plane bunker to watch a pre show practice of two German F104s doing head on last minute turn slide byes at very low level above the runway . They spotted our little crowd of pilots and airmen turned and buzzed us at tree top level and sent us diving and tumbling down the grassed topped revetment. And some people say the Germans don't have a sense of humor. It was a thoroughly beautiful plane.

When i started working at Lockheed on the YF-22, there were a few very old engineers still around that worked on the Starfighter. They had great stories.

The early downward firing ejector seat was because they weren't good enough yet to ensure the pilot would clear the tail. As soon as they could, they changed over. Also, Michael Collin's favorite plane he flew.

Also, one of the more interesting things about the F-104 is that it begat the U-2. Which was a 104 with glider wings.

A magnificent aircraft. I flew 1600hrs in it. Fantastic shape, super reliable J79 jetengine and an impressive sound. I flew 2200 hrs in the F16 after that, a very capable aircraft, better than the Starfighter but the Starfighter is still in my dreams.

My father, RCAF Captain Clifford John (HANK) HENRY said this was the finest aircraft he ever flew. He also said it was not for inexperienced pilots and that most pilots were afraid of the 104. He said it was an honest aircraft, but for a lack of attention, it would honestly kill you. It was like a F-1 racing car, get behind the flight envelope and you were in trouble. It was seldom employed in roles for which it was designed and yet it did everything that was ever asked of it. While it was never in a major air to air confrontation, and thus does not have a high ratio of kills, it was a very hard aircraft to beat, as many an adversary discovered. In all the NATO competitions never was a 104 'shot down' or intercepted before it reached its' target. In the hands of a pilot such as my father, the 104 could dog fight with the best of them and usually won.

Proof that the great Kelly Johnson wasn't copying off of area 51 tech. He was one of the finest minds of the 20th century. 🙏RIP Mr. Johnson🙏

Saw a fleet of Canadian CF-104s at an airshow in 1978, right at the time that Star Wars was the biggest thing...I was 7...this this was fast and loud, looked freaking cool, and was called "Starfighter"....how could I not love it.

Pilots: Can’t you make it faster? Kelly Johnson: Hold my beer …

The Starfighter was developed as a stripped down, high performance, interceptor to shoot down attacking Soviet bombers, and for that, it was a brilliant design. What gave it a bad reputation was the decision to use it as an air superiority fighter. Even so, Taiwan used it with success against Chinese MiGs.

Air Force: "We need you to fly this new airplane." Me: "What's it called?" Air Force: "It's been nicknamed the 'Missile With The Man In It'." 25 year old me: "AWESOME, sign me up." 39 year old me: "What else do you have?"

I'm Italian, AMI (Italian air force) had 104 for decades and I used to see them passing above my house daily for years. they were perfect interceptors for Italy as they can scramble in 5 minutes, take-off and intercept quickly anything entering the airspace. as far as I know at least one Italian starfighter pilot managed to "kill" a F-15 eagle in dogfight simulation.

Some of the Italian pilots in the F-104S were among the sharpest and most efficient pilots! Intercepts and intrusions were difficult to counter and almost impossible to avoid thanks to the speed and small size.The Canadians also used the CF-104 very well. Kelly Johnson designed it after speaking to pilots about Korean War experiences - they got what they asked him for! (edit: Glad you mentioned the perfect record in Spanish service!)

Also the coolest missile with a seat as standard ever!!!!🤣

From when aircraft were beautiful.... Kelly Johnson knew what he was doing! 😎🥰😍

In the 1970s while flying an F-4 on a Mach 2 run in the Edwards high speed air corridor we had just barely reached M2 when we were passed by 2 F-104s in formation! Very hard to see (while in afterburner) and by using high speed slashing attacks, the 104 was a formidable adversary. While serving as a Supervisor of Flying (SOF) I was in the tower at Luke AFB when a German student took off and then found the aircraft was stuck in afterburner. He was able to keep the aircraft below landing gear extension speed by constantly pulling hard Gs to bleed off airspeed, but that was using a lot of fuel. Finally he was able to get the aircraft on final approach and configured to land. He shut off the engine a couple of miles out was able to slow the aircraft enough to dead stick it on the ground successfully. Mad respect for my German F-104 pilot friends. Any red-blooded fighter pilot who ever looked at that glistening needle, or heard the signature J-79 howling shriek in the landing pattern and didn’t secretly want to fly that beast, well…

When I was a kid, the city I lived in put a F-86 Sabre in the park for kids to enjoy. It's engine was removed so we could crawl through the empty fuselage from front to back. There was no thought of safety and it was awesome. It was filled with sharp edges. It is such a contrast to the umbrella safety supplied to today's youth. I feel sad for the kids of today. We didn't live in fear back then.

I loved to watch the CF-104 at various air shows, and at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta while I was an Air Cadet in 1981. There's nothing like the eerie howl of the J79. Great video, Simon. I had no idea of the sordid history of this aircraft.

My great grandfather was one of the mechanics that worked on that project. He was very proud to be a part of something like that

In 1958 I bought my first plastic model kit. With my own money. It was an F-104 Starfighter by Revell. $0.79 ! None of THIS covered negative history was included. I though I'd picked a real winner as my favorite. I still admire this bird, and am amazed it has enough lift with such small wings. But it IS a beautiful machine!

My all-time most favorite jet aircraft and it still irks me to no end they keep calling her the flying coffin. The design was way ahead of its time and although I've never flown her myself I spent a whole lot of time at 31Tiger Sqn in Kleine Brogel in the 70's and 80s among the pilots flying her. I learned a lot about her from them, many of whom are still alive after more than 6000 hours flying her... 6000 hours with no problems... They are still my friends and retired with great memories of the highlight of their career. True, she was not easy to fly but everyone seems to forget why they had so many crashes in Germany. Because of the same reason you don't take a 13 yr old kid out of his Go Kart, strap him in a Formula 1 bolide and say OK, kid, take it for a spin around the Nurburgring. The German Air Force rushed pilots from their outdated F-84 F Thunderstreak developed in the Korean War era onto the more advanced Starfighter to fill their many squadrons in record time because of politics, hence inexperienced pilots having to fly a jet way ahead of their capabilities and experience. And that's why so many young pilots crashed because they couldn't handle it.... Let's end this bad reputation of a magnificent aircraft.

The F-105 Thunderchief looks like it lost weight.

To be fair, the F-104 was designed to be a high-speed, high-level interceptor, where it excelled with fewer problems. However, some customers like Germany and Canada decided they also needed to use it as a low-speed, low-level fighter-bomber where it was dangerously ill-fitted to perform. This misuse alone probably accounted for most of the crashes.

I saw the 104 live in Norway in 2018. That was some experience. The noise was incredible, and it looks amazingly timeless and fast still. If I remember correctly, I believe we had far more accidents with the previous fighters like the F-84 and F-86.

Canada had approximately 200 CF 104’s, built by Canadair as a slightly modified variant, and the Canadian press in the 60’s nicknamed them the widow maker due to the number of accidents. My school was in the path of a military runway and my days in class were mostly spent looking out the window watching CF104’s and Voodoo’s landing and taking off so I recall them quite well. Don’t recall what we were taught so well, but it passed the day.

Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters released an album many years ago. It's the light-hearted tale of how Germany adopted the Lockheed F-104 'fair-weather fighter' and turned it into a strategic nuke bomber, the F-104-G. All you needed was lots and lots of bomb racks on those tiny highly-loaded wings. Who needs lift or stability when you have a 190+ knot take-off speed? This plane killed more skilled German pilots than the P-51...kidding! From the album: "Does anyone want to buy a Starfighter? Don't bother. Buy an acre of ground, and wait."

I remember seeing the Starfighter for the first time in "The Right Stuff" and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. And after 30 years I still think it is amazing, despite the shortcomings. Great video, thanks!

Is worth pointing out that the Spanish Air Force used the F-104 in a very limited capacity. I knew personally people that served there in the 80's and even then the story was told that all interceptor squadrons of the Air Force were quite keen to switch to the Mirage III even if they hated the Mirage handling, cause at minimum the aircraft "was not trying actively to kill you", and that is a quote from someone i knew that sadly passed away flying an A/F-18 Hornet, I still remember learning about it and having a freaking rage tirade against the poorly managed military here in Spain. You are Missed, Grumpy. That's why Spain always tries to go now with double engine, proven aircraft. But even that will not save you if the freaking runways are let to crack and the planes maintenance is sub par.

You forgot to mention the 3 NF104s used by the USAF for training astronauts back in the early 60's . Chuck Yeager established some records in one of them until his accident after it failed to recover from a flat spin and he got burned rather badly after being clobbered in the face with the hot end of the ejection seat and the pure oxygen environment in his helmet erupted in flames . It was featured in the classic early 80's movie "The Right Stuff " . After the accident the last remaining NF104 was withdrawn from the program and now sits on a pole outside one bases in the US

The safety record has to be taken in context… most of the century series were death traps. The F-100 was no slouch on killing pilots.

My dad flew an f104 in the early 80s before switching to an f-18 while in the Canadian air force.

For whoever winds up reading this: This story is a perfect example of a history making piece of hardware being in the perfect position in history and culture to reveal the best and worst in human nature. The best tools and weapons in the world are the ones that our best people use to do things that average people cannot. There will always be hard choices to make in any endeavor of real value, and knowing in the middle of it the difference between right and wrong is really hard sometimes. Let this story be a reminder to us all of the value of discipline and the diligent development of informed appreciation of the dangers and needed competence involved in accomplishing whatever we plan to do (like driving, using power tools, conducting business, managing a home, etc.)

I went to air shows with my dad as a child and this is easily the loudest thing I have ever heard. Nothing else even comes close. What I remember most is, it had such tiny wings, they were more like fins... which explains the noise... the thing had to fly so fast to stay in the air.

The "Missile with a Man in It" has held a place in my heart as one of my go to favorite aircraft of all time since I first saw it when I was 7 years old. I first heard about it when I was doing a report on my life hero, Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager. He described an unofficial flight of his breaking FL100 over Edward's AFB and wrestling with the Reaction Control System when he lost control, entered a flat spin and had to eject, burning off some finger tips in the process.

Greece and Italy where also major users of the Starfighter with very few incidents.

For all her mistakes and failures, the F-104 is still one of the most elegant and beautifull jet fighters ever build.

Thanks for this informative video. I was fortunate to spend a year with these iconic planes on my remote isolated tour in the Republic of Turkey in 1971-72. Properly used, properly maintained, and properly flown, these planes were magnificent 50 years ago, and are still world classics today.

My suggestion for another video: Vulcan, NOT the bomber, the M61 Vulcan 20mm autocannon. 1 minute of the video you could only tell all airplanes which where equipped with it. This is (or was) the norm cannon for American fighters for about 60 years

Still one of the coolest looking fighters ever.

F 104....the most beauty in the skys. Was nice to work on it.

Yeah we know how much they struggle but damn it it’s actually a really really good jet. It’s actually considered by Air Force pilots in the United States as the most beautiful fighter in their arsenal. If you watched “High Flight” then you know what I mean. It’s literally a work of art and still flies today. It literally reached out its wing “and touched the face of god” That’s why we call it the star fighter for a reason. ITS SOO BEAUTIFUL!!!!

The Canadian Forces Lawn Dart. An epic aircraft for sure.

A good 50 some odd years ago when I started flying an old pilot who had flown the F-104, when asked about the difficulty flying it, gave me a pearl of wisdom that I found useful. He said it pretty much flew like any other airplane if you flew it by the numbers. You have to give that one some thought but it certainly makes sense.

Truth is that it wasnt the best airplane therefore in Luftwaffe and other countries they tried to give it a role that wasnt fit the aircraft, they tried to make it a strike plane while it was a fighter. That with the lack of proper measures and training lead to numerous distasters. In Greece (Hellenic Airforce) Using the plane from 1964 till 1993 (!) with if i remember correct 6 accidents 3 of them fatal only! But when the first 3 occured then HAF changed the way the pilots where trained in it and took drastic measures to safety flying it and keeping it as a day only air fighter and not for strike missions at all. Last F-104G's actually given in Greece by Luftwaffe in 1984 and most of them where disassempled for parts for the active ones. There is no f-104 anymore flying but we do have some in museums ;) Cheers! PS. I had a friend pilot in them! He told me that besides guts this plane needed respect. Keep up the good work... Can you do one for the F-4s as well?

I remember ground support calling it "The Flying Dart" which if you flamed out would actually prove the point! However I also remember that they were very popular and there would always be a crowd people waiting for one to land or take off, that bird was a true Star.

Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters is a 1974 satirical concept album by Robert Calvert, the former frontman of British space-rock band Hawkwind. It consists of a mixture of songs and comic spoken interludes.

I'm not sure where your team is researching these videos, but there are some differences from what I've read and what you're script focuses on. For one thing, Kelly Johnson and others stated that the primary reason for the design choices was their discussion with fighter pilots and the key phrase they used was "Speed is life." Hence the desire for a sweeping fast interceptor with an extremely fast gun. This would help against fast maneuvering aircraft as they could extend and rejoin rather than get tangled in a dogfight. The tactics developed for the aircraft were similar to the concept of the Me-163 with the intent of slashing through the formation of enemy aircraft while climbing, realigning for a second pass. Below in the comments is a great comment by Walt Bjornby who had reason to know. Early development and deployment of aircraft often lead to high loss rates and the employment of a brand new gun system did indeed cause a few losses too. (The most famous video of an A-10 ejection is actually due to a gun issue causing loss of both engines during the test program- Maj Gen Frances Gideon explains here- www.moody.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/212562/former-safety-chief-gives-a-10c-drivers-hard-learned-history-lesson/) The loss you focused on with the formation crash of the German display team can happen to any aircraft, e.g. the Thunderbird's Diamond crash. As to the seat, as I mentioned in my response to your other video on bad aircraft (thanks for doubling down on the -104 btw) you are correct about the catapult issues, however this didn't cover my comment about how an ejection using an upward seat in that low altitude area would also likely have issues. That region of flight where firing a seat into the ground is high risk was out-of-the-envelope for parachute deployment for any backpack parachute equipped seat without a rocket at the time. Ejection seats used a delay mechanism in the parachute for the seat/man separation and for delays to allow the pilot to slow down so the parachute wouldn't be damaged during opening or create such a high opening shock that it would injure the pilot. For low altitude use the pilot had to attach a "Zero Lanyard" to the lap belt to force the chute to open with zero delay. This had to be removed at typically 10000ft for the delay to be active. Parachutes of that type open based more on distance than speed (although speed increases distance). I am an ejection seat historian and would defer to a parachute expert for a better explanation, but in general this means that it takes about eight times the diameter for a round parachute to open. If a typical C-9 parachute canopy is used as was common that is a 28ft diameter that would then require 224ft of distance to open properly. That doesn't include deceleration time to a safe landing speed by the way. To get this distance and add safety margin an ejection wasn't recommended below 500ft. Upward or downward seat wouldn't matter that much at 500ft or above. One reason this became a major focus of the lore of the F-104 was that Iven Kincheloe was a very well known pilot and had a great career ahead of him when he ejected and was killed. www.thisdayinaviation.com/26-july-1958/ The ejection was witnessed and of course people were horrified by him hitting the ground. It was a terrible mishap, as is the loss of any person. It did lead to the perception that the seats were more dangerous although his chance of survival in an upward seat without rocket at the time would have been no better than marginal. Today we are used to seeing amazing seats that do remarkable things (ask me about the 4th Generation seat someday....) The other thing to mention is that downward seats are still in service to this day. The B-52 still includes two downward seats in the cockpit. B-47, B-45, X-3 and others were so equipped as well. The F-104 was the only fighter/interceptor to enter service with them though. In most cases seats are upgraded and improved over their lifespans based on experiences with them, and the F-104 series of Lockheed seats was no exception. At the time the ICESC industry investigation into supersonic seats was underway and the 'D' seat was envisioned for the Starfighter. It was initially designed as a downward seat until the Navy RAPEC and Talley Rocket Catapults were developed. Of course those ROCATs (the term for a combined rocket and catapult that could fit in the same space as the original catapult tubes) were immediately worked into the designs of ejection seats and the F-102 and F-104 were among the first to receive them in service. Kevin Coyne- The Ejection Site - www.ejectionsite.com

In 1972 at Decimommanu in Sardinia I used to love seeing a finger-four formation of Luftwaffe F104s come into the break over the runway. The amazing noises that the engines made with the flap blowing were amazing and wonderful to hear! I was shown over a F104G by a German pilot and he though it was the greatest aircraft ever. I do remember that the leading edges of the wings had guards fitted to stop you removing the top of your head!

1:24 can’t forget the most feared nickname of all… The Terror Pencil

Just remember that the Italians were flying it into the mid 2000s. From what I've heard, Italian pilots who transitioned to the F-16 were disappointed because they felt that their new aircraft didn't have the "sportscar" handling and maneuverability of the 104.

Canada used the fighter exclusively in the low level nuclear attack role. Its actual mission profile was a one way suicide run from Canadian bases in France and Germany into the heart of tank alley, dropping their nuclear B-61 payloads then continuing on to a safe zone with forced ejection and hoping the war ends in a few days before they die of exposure. They later switched to conventional weapon loads which mean't they had to now attack in multi-ship formations in order to produce enough battle damage. Flying in groups of up to 12 ships mean't the last guy in line was mince meat by the time he started his low level run.

I was fortunate enough to sit inside the cockpit of a Canadian F104 at a museum in Calgary. I have so much respect for the brave stick jockeys of the time that attempted to tame this absurd fucking beast of a plane.. this thing is an absolute monster

Remember seeing one of these at St Mawgan air shows in the 80s. I love anything loud and fast so loved it as a child. The English Electric Lightning and Phantoms were soooo much louder though lol. Not forgetting the Vulcan

If you haven’t already done a video about it yet, I’d like you to delve into the history of the Grumman’s F-14 Tomcat. It’s my all time favourite fighter aircraft. 😎👍🏻

German zero length launchers did nothing to help the accident rate. Add to that the weather; Army helicopters needed 500 and 1 for visual flight. The Luftwaffe used 300 and a half. There is only one thing scarier than having a 104 pass on each side of you while flying down a valley in really poor visibility. That is having ONE 104 scoot by because you KNOW there is an unseen wingman out there somewhere. If you fly into his wake turbulence at least you know you missed him. Assuming, of course, that you don’t loose control of your helicopter. I came really close a couple of times.

I;ve seen the F104 fly when I worked for NATO in Italy in the mid-80s. Say what you want about the jet is was a great weapon in the right hands. I saw one experienced (in war games) Italian F104 pilot take out two USAF F15s.One sweep at full speed, two missle triggers and both USAF jets we're out of the battle. Of course the F104 had to return to base with almost no fuel. None the less brilliant flying by the pilot and valuable lesson for the USAF pilots.

I didn’t fly the F-104 but flew with pilots who did. These were US and German Pilots. The main issue with the F-104 was training. Remember the first F-104 flew just 9 years after WW2. It’s first squadron was in 1958, 13 years after prop fighters were king. The German Pilots who flew this aircraft in the 80’s were carefully selected and trained to fly this amazing aircraft. The Italians and Spanish absolutely loved their F-104’s. One German Captain I flew with also flew F-4’s. Like every fighter pilot I’ve known.. they were just grateful that someone was willing to pay them to fly. I’ve flown a couple of new airliners. Even with all the testing, the first 5-8 years see a lot of issues that are irritating and must be addressed. Ultimately the US quickly replaced the F-104 because they had better options. The F-4 was operational in 1961 and quickly became the workhorse of the IS Air Force and Navy. NASA went on to operate the F-104 until 1994. Currently there are several F-104 flying in Florida under the private firm Starfighter at NASAs space center.

my dad flew these and I can tell you from his experience they don't glide when they run out of fuel he did make it back to the base and managed to belly flop it on to the runway ripping most of the bottom half of the plane off and breaking his back if he hadn't lifted his legs up he probably would have had his feet ripped off he stayed in a full body cast for almost a year. later in his career he had a similar incident in Vietnam with an f4c he wasn't hurt in that one but they don't glide very well either. the story is my father had from being in the Air Force from 1955 up to about 1976 he could have wrote a book I tried to get him to do it and he never did I tell people all the time when they ask well what did he fly if it had wings he flew everything from fighters early in his career to see 141's and c-130s later in his career.

'I lost my hair by the time I was 25' Amen to that brother, mine started falling off at 20...

I had a good friend of mine who was a RCAF production test pilot on the F-104. When the aircraft came off the production line at Canadair he would test fly the aircraft to make sure it flew well. Then it would be shipped off to the squadrons. He had one F-104 that just went crazy on him. He regained control and flew it back to Canadair. Canadair completely tore that bird down and found nothing wrong with it. They re-assembled it, and a second test pilot took it up. The plane did the same thing to him as it did to my friend. This pilot also was able to regain control of the aircraft and fly it home. The aircraft was then just scrapped. No way was Canadair sending that particular F-104 off for some young fighter pilot to fly.

The distinctive howl of the J79 is unmistakable❤

Being schooled in a similar science ballistics I'm more leaning towards the designers did not chant the proper incantations and appease the proper gods.

I love the F104 Starfighter, thank you for the video.

I once met a retired Canadian RCAF pilot who flew these in Germany during the Cold War in the nuclear strike and photo reconnaissance role. He called them the 'Lawn Dart of Death.'

I have a soft spot for the F-104. So many famous aircraft were labeled FLYING COFFINS or WIDOW MAKERS but proved to be very successful. The Starfighter was used with great success by many Countries for many years. It was designed for a single purpose, as an interceptor, but as usual, the USAF wanted to use it as a multi purpose aircraft, which it did to some success, but was a handful in that role, and generally not so well suited. Germany had a serious loss rate due to poor training and using the aircraft in a role for which it was not suited, with modifications that only added to its poor handling. Other Countries had no similar loss rate.

Most of the problems with the starfighter were due to aftermarket alterations; especially in germany. A truely outstanding and groundbreaking aircraft.

Also it just breaks apart when subjected to a 23rd century tractor beam.

It was by far my favorite aircraft to fly. The low level role in the mountains of Germany with frequent bad weather was demanding. We kicked a lot of butt with the zip. Over target plus or minus one second time of day was common. 10 seconds was a failed ride! The vast majority of our squadron members loved the aircraft. 100 20mm canon rounds per second is nothing to sneeze at. It has to be seen to be appreciated. No one stopped is before we reached the target. Your take on the 104 is the common lay person narrative. Talk to some zip pilots!

Other cool features: -The C2 seat could only be launched safely at speeds above 111km/h - The gears would lock up at 420km/h which is 20km/h faster than the takeoff speed -Landing without engine power was basically impossible because the plane needs BLC to fly -The plane had a habbit of engine failures

I know the F105 Thundercheif was not a super popular aircraft but my dad was involved with them in Vietnam. I would love to see a video on it. Thanks, I love you videos

There was a joke in my country: What is the cheapest way to get a starfighter? You buy a plot of land and wait.

Bob Calvert (using Hawkwind as his backing band) did a great satirical concept album: Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters (1974) about the troubled aircraft and the corruption behind its foreign sales. One the songs is called 'Ejection' lol! The album also features Brian Eno, Vivian Stanshall and Arthur Brown.

My father's cousin Capt. Gerard Power was killed in a CF-104 Starfighter crash in 1978 while training in C.F.B Lahr. He was only 31. My family lived there as well at the time but my father was army.

I recommend Tu-22 bomber, the “Man-Eater” similar, not in role but in disasters Soviet plane.

Simon endorsing keeps: "I guide others to a treasure i cannot possess"

When I was 4 or 5 years old my Dad was stationed at Shepard AFB in Texas F-104's would come overhead in pairs or finger 4's right as they broke the sound barrier. Looking up at the brightly polished aircraft as that BaBoom shook my body is still one of the coolest memories of my childhood. L0L Silver jets bright blue sky big boom.

I grew up in the ‘60s, and the Starfighter was my absolutely favorite fighter jet. It looked like it should be in space, fighting among the stars. It was only when I saw, “The Right Stuff,” did I begin to question whether or not it was a great plane. It was not. It killed a lot of people. Chuck Yeager was fortunate to live, but ended up with severe burns. Still, it stands as the coolest looking fighter jet ever produced. Oh, and I would trade my full head of 68 year old hair, for your beard, and yeah, you said F-105 at 1:33, but who’s counting?

One of my memories, for jet planes, as a kid (I was a plane fanatic, and still), is that of it's design. Unfortunately, I've never seen one of these fly. There's one that I know of, that still exists, that enthusiasts can see. It's at a 'Great Adventure', theme park in Jackson, N J., USA. Well, as of the mid- 2000's, at least. Don't know if it's still exists, presently, but every time we (my wife & I), went there, I was sure to check it out, to my wife's chagrin.

Despite being a 1950's fighter, it still looks modern! The F-104 had such a high accident rate because performance was prioritized over safety way back then.

The protective guards for the wing was to protect the critical profile of the airfoil. A small nick or deformation of the leading edge had tremendous affect on airflow. The trailing edge of the wing had a much sharper edge than the leading edge.

This comment section is a pleasure to read and that's (sadly) an extremely rare experience. Within this section, there are several comment writers who certainly seem to know what they are talking about (something one attains when flying a particular aircraft for several thousand hours) and they have some reasonable things to say in push-back against this highly negative, yet entertaining, video about the Starfighter. I highly suggest reading them. I was glad for their pushback because as a kid the F-104 was my favorite airplane. It was the first airplane model I glued together and hung from my bedroom ceiling after seeing (and hearing and feeling) it fly over my neighborhood back in the 60's. I can still remember the powerful rush of emotions as it shrieked over head. "WOW" was my only conscious thought. When I stopped gasping and resumed normal breathing, my next thought was: "THAT'S the most beautiful airplane I've ever seen." That thought remains true to this very day.

"it´s like put a F1 engine on a Go-Kart and go for a spin" somebody in Russia: that´s a deal !

I've got a Megaprojects topic for you: The laying of the telegraph cable that connected Europe and North America. No, not the one that was (eventually, after many attempts) laid across the floor of the Atlantic; the *other* one. There was also a connection being laid between eastern Russia and northwestern Canada, that was to be laid across the Bering Strait, the narrow gap, just below the Arctic Circle, between the two continents. At its narrowest point, it's only about 83 km (52 miles) wide, and at its deepest, only 90 m/300', and on average just 50 m/160'. On paper, despite the route being longer, it is *far* more practical than trying to lay a cable across an entire *ocean* (especially considering that at least one attempt at the Atlantic crossing had already failed at the time); one side just runs from San Francisco up the coast of British Columbia, Canada, and west across what is now Alaska (but was then Russian territory); and the other hooks into wires Russia was already laying from Moscow into Siberia, to continue them east along the Russian peninsula, meeting in the middle. However, the terrain through what is now British Columbia and Alaska proved to be *far* more arduous and dangerous than expected, and progress was slow. When part of the route was used as a trail to the Klondike gold fields some thirty years later, few of those using it ever reached their destination. When the news finally arrived that the Atlantic crossing had finally succeeded, the overland project was abandoned, leaving stacks of logs for telegraph cables, and giant spools of the cables themselves, decaying in the perpetual damp of the coastal rainforest of Canada's northwest. However, the attempt, which had headed north from its main office in New Westminster, NC, near the US border, did succeed in opening up the areas through which it passed to communication with the larger settlements further south; established several settlements, naming many of them, and renaming many local geographical features, after the project or members thereof; and provided information on the natural resources of the area which may have given the US the final push to purchase the Russian Territory from Russia, creating what is now Alaska, and the Panhandle, where the US managed to also annex the northern half of BC's coast from Britain, in a half-successful attempt to link that region back to the rest of the US with an overland route. Whether or not any of that is a positive or not may be up for debate. The diaries of the telegraph workers have proven useful in confirming land claims of the First Nations the project met along the way, however. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian%E2%80%93American_Telegraph

Fyi the Speed of the F104G (German version) was limited to Mach 2.0 due to the design of the Air Inlets. At higher speed the supersonic shock did enter the Air inlet causing huge problems to the Air flow. In the improved Italian F104S version, the Air Inlets were modified and made bigger and farther with respect to the inlet cone. This allowed to raise the speed limit to Mach 2.2 thanks to the improved J79-GE19 engine (18300 lbs max thrust with AB) and their Stainless steel structure which allowed to resist to 120+ Celsius temperature due to the increased friction. Great machine !

One reason for the high crash rate in Germany was flying it at tree top level. Back in the late 1960s, I spent time in a little German town called Bad Boll. Regularly the German air force F-104s were screaming over at tree top height and playing dodge-em with whatever. They were practicing a ground attack role with an airplane made to dogfight in the stratosphere. During my time there, it was common and you could count the rivets when they came overhead. If the pilots hadn't been superbly skilled, there would have been a lot more crashes.

I’d love to see you do an in depth video on the F-20 ‘Tigershark’. According to many, an outstanding fighter developed from the F-5 Tiger. It was so good that it gave the F-16 a run for its money.

When I was in the Air Force in the early 80s, one of the nicknames was “Earth Nail” or “Lawn Dart”. I watched the West Germans do amazing things with this aircraft during the mid 80s

Saw one of these at a museum in Connecticut, it’s crazy how long it is and how stubby the wings are. Crazy plane, Nice presentation!