Canadair CF-104 Starfighter

CF-104 Starfighter
An RCAF CF-104 in flight
General information
Type	Interceptor aircraft, Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer	Canadair
Designer	Lockheed Corporation
Status	Retired
Primary users	Royal Canadian Air Force Royal Danish Air Force Royal Norwegian Air Force Turkish Air Force
Number built	200
History
Introduction date	March 1962
First flight	26 May 1961
Retired	1995 (Turkish Air Force)
Developed from	Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

The Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (CF-111, CL-90) is a modified version of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter supersonic fighter aircraft built in Canada by Canadair under licence. It was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft, despite being designed as an interceptor. It served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and later the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) until it was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet in 1987.

Design and development

In the late 1950s, Canada redefined its role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with a commitment to a nuclear strike mission. At the same time, the RCAF began to consider a replacement for the Canadair F-86 Sabre series, which had been used as a NATO day fighter. An international fighter competition involved current types in service as well as development, including the Blackburn Buccaneer, Dassault Mirage IIIC, Fiat G.91, Grumman Super Tiger, Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, Northrop N-156 and the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Although the RCAF had preferred the F-105 Thunderchief equipped with an Avro Canada Orenda Iroquois engine, eventually the choice for a strike-reconnaissance aircraft revolved around cost as well as capability.

A Canadian government requirement for an aircraft that could be manufactured in Canada under licence also favoured the Lockheed proposal, due to a collaboration with Canadair based in Montreal. On 14 August 1959, Canadair was selected to manufacture 200 aircraft for the RCAF under licence from Lockheed, which also gave the Canadian company a contract to manufacture wingsets, tail assemblies, and rear fuselage sections for 66 F-104Gs destined for the West German Air Force.

Canadair's internal designation for the aircraft was CL-90; the RCAF initially designated it the CF-111, then the CF-104. Based on the F-104G, the CF-104 was optimized for the nuclear strike/reconnaissance role, fitted with R-24A NASARR equipment for the air-to-ground mode, and could carry a ventral reconnaissance pod with four Vinten cameras. Other differences included retaining the removable refuelling probe, replacing the fuselage-mounted 20 mm (.79 in) M61A1 cannon with an additional fuel cell), and fitting the main undercarriage members with longer-stroke liquid springs and larger tires. The first flight of a Canadian-built CF-104 (s/n 12701) occurred on 26 May 1961. Canadair ultimately made 200 CF-104s for the Canadian military and 140 F-104Gs for Lockheed.

Operational history

The CF-104 entered Canadian service in March 1962. Originally designed as a supersonic interceptor aircraft, it was used primarily for low-level strike and reconnaissance by the RCAF. Eight CF-104 squadrons were originally stationed in Europe as part of Canada's NATO commitment. This was reduced to six in 1967, with a further reduction to three squadrons in 1970. Up to 1971, this included a nuclear strike role that would see Canadian aircraft armed with US-supplied nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict with Warsaw Pact forces. During its service life the CF-104 carried the B28, B43 and B57 nuclear weapons.

When the CAF later discontinued the strike/reconnaissance role for conventional attack, the M61A1 was refitted, along with U.S. Mk. 82 Snakeye "iron" bombs, British BL755 cluster bombs and Canadian-designed CRV7 rocket pods. Although Canadian pilots practised air combat tactics, the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles were never carried operationally by Canadian Starfighters (however, examples provided to other air forces, such as Norway and Denmark, did carry Sidewinders on a twin-rail centreline station and the wingtip rails). The CF-104D two-seater did not normally carry any armament except for a centreline practice-bomb dispenser.

In the 25 years that Canada operated the CF-104, there were 110 class A accidents that killed a total of 37 pilots. Most were in the early part of the program, centring on teething problems. Of the 110 accidents, 21 were attributed to foreign object damage, all but seven were bird strikes; 14 were due to in-flight engine failures; six were caused by faulty maintenance, and nine involved mid-air collisions. Thirty-two aircraft struck the ground while flying low in poor weather. Of the 37 deaths, four were attributed to system failures; all of the others were attributed to some form of pilot inattention.

The accident rate of the CF-104 compares favourably to its predecessor, the F-86 Sabre. In only 12 years of operation, the F-86 had 282 class A accidents, losing 112 pilots. The Sabre was also a simpler aircraft, normally flown at higher altitudes.

The CF-104 was nicknamed the "Widowmaker" by the press, but not by the pilots and crews of the aircraft. David Bashow wrote, "I never heard a pilot call it the Widowmaker", and quoted Sam Firth as saying, "I have never heard a single person who flew, maintained, controlled, or guarded that aircraft of any force (and that includes the Luftwaffe) call it the Widowmaker". The pilots did refer to it, in jest, as the "Aluminium Death Tube", "The Lawn Dart" and "The Flying Phallus" but generally called it the 104 (one oh four) or the Starfighter.

Low-level attack runs in the CF-104 were done visually at 100 feet AGL and at speeds up to 600 kts. Normal attack speed was 540 kts or 1000 km/h. Low-level evasive maneuvers could increase speeds to supersonic.

The aircraft was very difficult to attack owing to its small size, speed, and low altitude capability. Dave Jurkowski, former CF-104 and CF-18 pilot, said, "Because of our speed, size and lower level operations, no Canadian Zipper driver was ever 'shot down' by either air or ground threats in the three Red Flag Exercises in which we participated."

The CF-104 was very successful in operational exercises held by NATO. The Canadians first took part in the AFCENT Tactical Weapons meet in 1964 and did so every year after that. This meet was a competition between squadrons from Belgium, France, Germany, the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands. Scores were based on several factors. Bomb accuracy, time on target, navigation, mission planning and aircraft serviceability. Pilots were chosen at random from the various squadrons to accurately represent operational capabilities.

Variants

CF-104

Single-seat fighter-bomber version for the RCAF.

CF-104D

Two-seat training version for the RCAF.

Operators

 Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force
• Canadian Forces

 Denmark

• Royal Danish Air Force

 Norway

• Royal Norwegian Air Force

 Turkey

• Turkish Air Force

Accidents and incidents

• On 22 May 1983, during an airshow at the Rhein-Main Air Base, a Canadian CF-104 Starfighter crashed onto a nearby road, hitting a car and killing all passengers, a vicar's family of five. The pilot was able to eject.

Aircraft on display

Canada

• F-104A, Royal Canadian Air Force 12700 used as a pattern aircraft for the CF-104 model - Canada Aviation and Space Museum
• CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 12702 - pedestal monument, Cold Lake South, Alberta located in Joe Heffner Memorial Park.
• CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 12703 - Canadian Starfighter Museum
• CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 12704 - Fuselage only - restoration project Montreal Aviation Museum - Restoration not yet started

• CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 104783 - Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum
• CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 104784 - CFB St-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu
• CF-104D, Canadian Armed Forces 104646 at the National Air Force Museum of Canada, CFB Trenton
• CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 104731 - British Columbia Aviation Museum
• CF-104 and CF-104D RCAF 104756 and 104641 - Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario. 104756 is in Tiger Meet colours. This aircraft was originally 12790.
• CF-104, Canadian Armed Forces 104774 at CFB Valcartier
• CF-104D RCAF 104651 Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton, Alberta
• CF-104D 645- Canadian Museum of Flight, Langley Regional Airport
• CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force - Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskawin, Alberta.

Surviving aircraft

Specifications (CF-104)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 54 ft 6 in (16.7 m)
• Wingspan: 21 ft 9 in (6.63 m)
• Height: 13 ft 5 in (4.08 m)
• Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,300 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 29,038 lb (13,171 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Orenda J79-OEL-7 afterburning turbojet, 10,000 lbf (44 kN) thrust dry, 15,800 lbf (70 kN) with afterburner

Performance

• Maximum speed: 1,146 mph (1,844 km/h, 996 kn)
• Range: 1,630 mi (2,630 km, 1,420 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)

Armament

• Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.79 in) M61A1 Vulcan cannon
• Other: External bombs, rockets and missiles

Badges

• 
  CF-104 Crest worn by aircrew and ground crew in the mid-1970s

See also

Related development

• Aeritalia F-104S Starfighter
• Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• English Electric Lightning
• Sukhoi Su-15

Related lists

• List of aircraft of Canada's air forces
• List of fighter aircraft
• List of Lockheed F-104 Starfighter operators