Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

Role: Single-seat multi-purpose combat aircraft

DESIGN FEATURES: Cantilever mid-wing monoplane. Bi-convex supersonic wing section with a thickness/chord ratio of 3.36 per cent. Anhedral 10 degrees. No incidence. Sweepback 18 degrees 6' at quarter-chord. Leading-edge nose radius of 0.41 mm (0.016 in) and razor-sharp trailing-edge. Narrow-chord ventral fin on centreline and two smaller lateral fins under fuselage to improve stability.

STRUCTURE: All-metal structure with two main spars, 12 spanwise intermediate channels between spars and top and bottom one-piece skin panels, tapering from thickness of 6.3 mm (0.25 in) at root to 3.2 mm (0.125 in) at tip. Each half-wing measures 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in) from root to tip and is a separate structure cantilevered from five forged frames in fuselage. The fuselage is an all-metal monocoque structure. Hydraulically operated aluminium airbrake on each side of rear fuselage. The tail unit is a T-type cantilever unit with 'all-flying' one-piece horizontal tail surface hinged at mid-chord point at top of the vertical fin and powered by a hydraulic servo. Tailplane has a similar profile to wing and is all-metal.

LANDING GEAR: Retractable tricycle type with Dowty patent liquid-spring shock absorbers on main units, oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers on nose unit. Hydraulic actuation. Mainwheels raised in and forward. Steerable nosewheel retracts forward into fuselage. Mainwheel legs are hinged on oblique axes so that the wheels lie flush within the fuselage when retracted. Mainwheels size 26 x 8.0, with Goodrich tyres size 26 x 8.0 Type VIII (18 ply rating), pressure 11.93 bars (173 lb/sq in). Nosewheel tyre size 18 x 5.5 Type VII (14 ply rating). Bendix hydraulic disc brakes with Goodyear anti-skid units. Arrester hook under rear of fuselage. Braking parachute in rear fuselage.

POWER PLANT: One General Electric J79-GE-19 turbojet engine, rated at 52.8 kN (11,870 lb st) dry and 79.62 kN (17,900 lb st) with afterburning. Electrical de-icing elements fitted to air intakes. Most of the aircraft's hydraulic equipment mounted inside large engine bay door under fuselage to facilitate servicing. Internal fuel in five bag-type fuselage tanks with total standard capacity of 3392 litres (896 US gallons; 746 Imp gallons). Provision for external fuel in two 740 litre (195 US gallon; 162 Imp gallon) pylon tanks and two 645 litre (170 US gallon; 142 Imp gallon) wingtip tanks.

ACCOMMODATION: Pressurised and air-conditioned cockpit well forward of wings. Canopy hinged to starboard for access. Martin-Baker IQ-7A zero/zero ejection seat.

ARMAMENT: Nine external attachment points, at wingtips, under wings and under fuselage, for bombs, rocket pods, auxiliary fuel tanks and air-to-air missiles. Normal primary armament consists of two Raytheon AIM-7 Sparrow III air-to-air missiles under wings and/or two Sidewinders under fuselage and either a Sidewinder or 645 litre (170 US gallon; 142 Imp gallon) fuel tank on each wingtip. Alternatively, an M-61 20 mm multi-barrel rotary cannon can be fitted in the port underside of the fuselage instead of the AIM-7 missile control package. Max external weapon load 3402 kg (7500 lb).

Aircraft Measures:
Length: 16.69 m (54 ft 9 in)
Height: 4.11 m (13 ft 6 in)
Wingspan without tip tanks: 6.68 m (21 ft 11 in)
Weight empty: 6700 kg (14,900 lb)
Max T-O weight: 14,060 kg (31,000 lb)

Aircraft Performance:
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.2
Service Ceiling: 17,680 m (58,000 ft)
Range: 2,454 miles
Thrust:11,870 lb

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