F-104 Starfighter

Summary:
The F-104 is a versatile multi-role fighter with exceptional flight performance in
both rapid climb and supersonic speed. This fighter was designed against the MiG-15
from previous engagements in the Korean War to fill a perceived need for a
replacement to the F-86 sabre. This aircraft was built in 1958 and became a widely
adopted fighter aircraft around the world with around two thousand built. This aircraft
feature revolutionary high speed and high altitude performance with spectacular rate of
climb ability comparable to modern aircraft.

1. Design Objectives
The design objectives for the F-104 were to make a simple but highly effective
dogfighter for use by the US Airforce. Initial designs were made from pilots requests for
a smaller aircraft with better performance. Design was further spurred by the dwindling
confidence in the F-86 Sabre in dogfights against the MiG-15 over Korea. Designers
looked into many different designs ranging from small 8000 pound vehicles to 50000
pound heavy aircraft designs in order to maximize performance. This led to an aircraft
design focused heavily on aerodynamic efficiency with low weight and experimental
new wing and engine designs.

2. List of Performance Characteristics

Maximum speed: 1,328 mph (Mach 2.01)
Combat radius: 420 mi (365 nmi)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft

Rate of climb: 48,000 ft/min

Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)
Loaded weight: 20,640 lb (9,365 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 29,027 lb (13,170 kg)
Powerplant: 1 General Electric J79-GE-11A
Thrust with afterburner: 15,600 lbf (69 kN)
Aspect ratio: 2.45
Wing loading: 105 lb/(sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.54 mtow (0.76 loaded)
Lift-to-drag ratio: 9.2

3. Important Dates
The F-104 design was started in December 1951 at Lockheed Skunkworks by
Kelly Johnson with the design being presented to the Air force in November 1952 who
proceed to create a requirement for the new aircraft. In March 1953, the Lockheed
design was authorized to have 2 design prototypes built with the first prototype flight
with an older engine on March 4, 1954. The final aircraft design was first flown on
February 17, 1956.
4. 3 View Drawing

5. What made it unique and a success

The F-104 was a unique aircraft due to its radically different design. The aircraft
wings were of a new trapezoidal design with a very thin wing for exceptional supersonic
performance. Seeking minimal drag, engineers opted for a high fineness ratio with very
thin wings which had knife sharp leading edges. This aircraft thinness also forced the
designers to place the fuel tanks, single engine, and landing gear inside the fuselage.
These design choices coupled with the new J79 turbojet engine led to an aircraft with
amazing acceleration, rate of climb, and speed performance. This aircraft was also the

first to get the world speed and altitude records for flight with the aircraft reaching one
hundred and three thousand feet and having a time to climb to eight two thousand feet
be a quick 266 seconds.

6. Engine Type
The F-104 is powered by the General Electric J79-GE-11A, an axial flow turbojet
designed for good performance at Mach 2. The engine is capable of producing about
ten thousand pounds of thrust up to 15600 pounds with the inclusion of an afterburner.
The engine cost was around 620 thousand dollars. The engine had a 17 stage
compressor with a pressure ratio of 13.5:1 with a weight of 3850 pounds.

7. Different models and features

The first production model the F-104A, was made for the US Air force and was in
service from 1958 to 1960 and had a re-engine in 1969 to increase maximum thrust to
17 thousand pounds. The second US model was the NF-104A with an additional six
thousand pounds of thrust for use in astronaut training. The F-104B was a two seat
trainer and the F-104C was a converted fighter-bomber. Numerous other variants were
produced for sale in other countries with the main variant being the F-104G which had a
strengthened fuselage and enhanced avionics.

8. Numbers Produced
The F-104 had a total of 2578 aircraft produced. With 19 test aircraft, 2 XF-104
prototypes and 17 YF-104A pre-production flight testing. The first version the F-104A

had 153 made with an additional 26 two person trainers (F-104B). The fighter-bomber
version the F-104C had 77 built in 1959 with 21 additional 2 person trainers. The
primary version the F-104G had 1122 aircraft produced configured as multi-role strike
aircraft with enhanced combat maneuvering.

9. Purchase Price and Operating Cost

The unit cost for an F-104G was 1.4 million US dollars with a flying cost of 655
dollars plus 395 dollars for maintenance per flight hour, in 1960. Which normalized to
today, is 11 million per plane with 11 thousand dollars per fight hour.

10. Sources
"Lockheed F-104 Starfighter." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 25 May 2015.
Laurence, Loftin. "The Evolution of Modern Aircraft." NASA. Web. 25 May 2015. .
Peitzmeier, Hubert. "916 Starfighter." Starfighter. Web. 25 May 2015.