Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>F-104>HA1006
F-104S Starfighter ,MM6930 9-99, 9 Stormo, 10 Gruppo, Grazzanise, Italy
General Background
The F-104 Starfighter was a revolutionary design with short razor-sharp wings. It was the first aircraft to be able to maintain Mach 2 not just in short bursts. The Starfighter shattered speed and rate of climb records that still are impressive today. This extremely high speed earned the plane the nickname "The Missile With A Man In It". Because of financial considerations 15 or more countries purchased the F-104. The Starfighter flew with the USAF in 1958 and the last airplane was decommissioned in Italy in 2004.
The Aircraft
In 2003 to celebrate the last Starfighter in Italian service and being the last operational F-104 in the world, F-104S/ASA-M c/n: 783-1230 s/n MM6930 was painted Ducati red. The Ducati Motorcycle Company paid for an air show to celebrate the F-104 in Italian service and the pilot was a Ducati fan so the plane was numbered 999 after Ducati’s new super bike model “999”. The “Prancing Horse” has been the insignia of the 91st Italian Squadriglia and made famous by WWI Ace Francesco Baracca who was killed during WWI.
Specifications :
| Engine: | 1 X General Electric J79-GE-19 turbojet |
| 11,870 lb.s.t. dry and 17,900 lb.s.t. with afterburner | |
| Performance: | |
| Maximum speed: | 1450 mph at 36,000 feet |
| 913 mph (Mach 1.2) at sea level | |
| Stalling speed: | >196 mph |
| Take-off distance: | Carrying 2 X AIM-7 Sparrows 2700 feet |
| Initial climb rate: | 55,000 fpm |
| Service ceiling: | 58,000 feet |
| Normal range: | 1550 miles |
| Maximum range: | 4 drop tanks 1815 miles |
| Dimensions: | |
| Wingspan: | 21 feet 11 inches |
| Length: | 54 feet 9 inches |
| Height: | 13 feet 6 inches |
| Wing area: | 196.1 square feet |
| Armament: | 1 X 20mm M61A1 rotary cannon with 750 rounds |
| 2 X AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared homing air-to-air missiles | |
| 2 X AIM-7 Sparrow semi-active radar homing air-to-air missiles | |
| Or replace Sparrows with 2 X Selenia Apside radar homing air-to-air missiles | |
| Up to 7500 pounds of bombs, rockets, napalm tanks, and fuel tanks can be carried on nine hard-points (four underneath the wing, two at wingtips, one centerline, and one at each fuselage side) | |
| Fuel: | |
| Standard internal fuel capacity: | 896 US gallons |
| Additional fuel for extended range: | Two 195-US gallon under-wing tanks |
| Two 170-US gallon wingtip tanks | |
| One 121-US gallon auxiliary tank in the ammunition bay |