Air Power Series>1:72
die-cast display
model>F-104>HA1065
CF-104
Starfighter 104733, 1 Canada
Air Group, Canadian Armed
Forces, West Germany, 1976
General
Background
The
RCAF received their first
CF-104 in March 1962.
Although originally designed
as a supersonic interceptor
the Canadian Air Force used
it primarily for low level
strike and reconnaissance.
The Canadian version of the
F-104 was capable of
carrying a ventral mounted
Vinten Vicon pod with 4
cameras inside for
reconnaissance picture
taking. On September 4, 1963
number 12900 was the 200th
and final CF-104 produced
and entered service on
January 10, 1964. The CF-104
retired from service in 1985
when it was replaced by the
CF-18 Hornet. Over the 25
years of active service 110
aircraft were lost to
accidents earning it
nicknames like "Widow Maker"
and "Lawn Dart". The RCAF
CF- 104 probably had the
most flying time of any
variant with an average of
6,000 hours per plane over
their life time compared to
the Luftwaffe's 3,000 hours.
The
Aircraft
Built
as a CF-104 by Canadair with
a s/n 12733 and given the
RCAF serial 12733, it joined
the Canadian Armed Force at
Baden-Solingen Germany in a
nuclear role. In 1971 the
CF-104 became a ground
attack aircraft. In 1986 the
CF-104 was being replaced by
the CF-18 Hornet so some
aircraft were scrapped or
placed in storage until they
were sold to other
countries. In 1986 CF-104
104733 was sent to Turkey
where it became 62-733 and
flew until 1996 when it was
preserved at Askeri Muzesi,
Harbiye, Istanbul.
Specifications:
| Manufacturer: | Canadair |
| Designation: | originally a super-sonic interceptor but adapted for low level strike and reconnaissance |
| Crew: | 1 x pilot - “D” variant 2 crew |
| Dimensions: | |
| Wingspan: | 21’ 11” |
| Length: | 54’ 9” |
| Height: | 13’ 6” |
| Wing area: | 196.1 sq. ft |
| Powerplant: | 1 x Orenda Engines J79-OEL-7, 10,000 lb. s.t. dry / 15,800 lb. s.t. with after burner |
| Performance: | |
| Maximum speed: | |
| Dash: | 1,550 mph (mach 2.35) @ 40,000’ |
| 915 mph (mach 1.2) @ sea-level | |
| Climb to 30,000’: | 1.5 minutes |
| Service ceiling: | 50,000 ft (12,000 m) |
| Range: | 1,630 mi (1,420 nm, 2,630 km) |
| Weights: | |
| Empty: | 13,909 lbs. |
| Clean: | 21,005 lbs |
| Maximum take-off: | 28,891 lbs |
| External stores: | |
| 5 hard points: | 1 x under the fuselage, 1 x under each wing, 1 x at each wing tip |
| Armament: | |
| External bombs and missiles such as: | Napalm bomb |
| Cluster bomb | |
| BL755 cluster bomb | |
| 1 x 19 rocket rocket-pod | |
| Mk. 82 bomb | |
| MN1A practice bomb dispenser | |
| 1 x M61A1 Vulcan | |
| 1 x 20mm cannon added to later versions. |