Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>F-104>HA1045
F-104S ASA-M Starfighter MM6934/9-31, 10° Gruppo/9° Stormo Grazzanise AB, October 2004
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
F-104S Starfighter MM6934 was delivered to the Italian Air Force in September 1978 and
assigned to the 36th Wing. In June 1984 MM6934 was assigned to 5 ° Stormo as 5-37. In April
2000 the aircraft was converted into an ASA-M and after several more moves the aircraft was
assigned to 10° Gruppo/9° Stormo on November 11, 2001. On October 11, 2004 MM6934 of 9°
Stormo completed its final flight as 9-51 having flown 3,836 hours. In 2014 the aircraft became a
monument located at Grazzanise.
Specifications :
| Weight | |
| Empty: | 14,900 lbs |
| Combat: | 21,690 lbs |
| Maxium take-off: | 31,000 lbs |
| Dimensions | |
| Length: | 54 feet 9 inches |
| Height: | 13 feet 6 inches |
| Wingspan: | 21 feet 11 inches |
| Wing Area: | 196.1 square feet |
| Performance | |
| Max. 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 |
| Engine: | 1 X General Electric J79-GE-19 turbojet 11,870 lb.s.t. dry and 17,900 lb.s.t. with afterburner |
| 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 |