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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
HA1045
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