@Nerfenthusiast In the early 50's technology was moving pretty fast. The Starfighter represented the cutting edge of aircraft design, especially in terms of performance. Tensions with the Soviets and the threat of nuclear war made it imperative to utilize science as quickly as possible. In this case, it created a jet dangerously ahead of its time. Pilots weren't ready to handle that much speed, leaders weren't clear minded enough to utilize the jet properly and finally, designers had sacrificed too much practicality for the plane to be safe.

I know, it’s pretty cool. And the X-15 flew 5 miles above the official limit of OUTER SPACE @@Nerfenthusiast

the f-15 can shoot down a satalite and it did once @shipster

it was also notorious for its terrible safety record there was even a joke that the best way to get your own was to wait for one to crash near you @F104Deathtrap

Make one to run on my Ipotato mini 4

@RedRoosterII They had to make quite a few sacrifices to achieve mach 2 performance, engines back then weren't nearly as powerful as what is available today and a lot of the design knowledge we take for granted had to be learned the hard way.

@RedRoosterII It was literally the first combat plane that could hit mach 2 in level flight. In an era when speed was everything, she was the fastest. It just so happened that WW3 never happened and for that we should all be grateful.

@RedRoosterII These planes were literally the best in the world when they were designed. Unfortunately, they were very difficult to learn, and used in ways they were never intended. A high altitude interceptor makes a very poor ground attack platform, and the bleeding edge fighter technology of the early 1950's was incredibly short lived. There are a lot of good ideas in this design, the M-61 Vulcan, Boundary Layer Control System, and J-79 engine, for instance.

Not sure
@HistoricBirds

Thanks!!!
@ThePrototype

100

why is the cleaver missile blue in the sp generated pics?

@shipster Yeah, anti satellite missiles are a thing. The Foxes are well suited to the task because of their speed and altitude capabilities The Foxbat had awesome speed and height, whereas the Foxhound has a much better sensor array.

I was watching a documentary on the MiG-31 and some Russian news people or something mounted cameras on the wings and vertical stabilizers and it was saying that it could shoot down bloody satellites! But I agree that the F-104 was a very influential aircraft and one-of-a-kind (at least when it was made). @F104Deathtrap

Point taken @F104Deathtrap

@shipster I love the Foxbat. She was my first upload, and probably my favorite Sov jet. But let's be fair here! The Mig-25 wasn't ready for service until 1970, 16 years after the F-104 first took flight. That's a whole generation of aircraft, like comparing a Yak-3 with a Mig-15.

The Soviet fighters designed at the same time as the Starfighter were the Mig-19 "Farmer" and the Su-9 Fishpot. But neither of these planes hold up very well in terms of performance. Eventually, the Soviets developed the excellent Mig-21 Fishbed and the upgraded Sukhoi Su-9 (known as the Su-11) which were more than a match for the Starfighter, but by then the USA had gone all-in for the F-4 Phantom, which was the top dog untill the Foxbat came online in 1970.

Agreed, the thing Is though, the MiG-25 and 31 were equally good if not better, they had/have less confirmed deaths upon landing and whatnot, better payload, etc. The starfighter was a great new concept, but the Russians beat it in its own game. The MiG-31 can shoot satellites out of the sky for crying out loud!
@F104Deathtrap

@shipster It was a successful high altitude interceptor. She also made an excellent experimental craft. Let's be clear, the very first mach 2 fighter is nothing to sneeze at. She was born from a time when the future seemed to be high and fast and wars could be won in a single day. It just turned out that such a time didn't last very long.

The real problems emerged from Lockheed (and the US government) aggressively forcing this plane into roles it was unfit for and pilots that weren't prepared for her.

I agree, the F-104 is actually a plane that the Russian counterpart is safer to fly, and that says a lot.
@F104Deathtrap

Sweet replica of the deathtrap that is the F-104. I like how the thing is still termed "successful".

@KerlonceauxIndustries SR is the best maker on this site. The F-104 was the most innovative plane on earth when they built it, but Lockheed was corrupt and bribed officials to buy Starfighters for roles it wasn't designed for. The Germans alone lost 115 officers to accidents. Overall, one out of every 3 F-104's built was destroyed in an accident.

@KerlonceauxIndustries It's like they said in Germany: the cheapest way to get a 104 is to buy a few acres of countryside and wait for one to crash.

Why is the clever blue on the website generated pics?

@MrJackpot External tanks are provided - just attach them.

Great aircraft, great control. My only complaint is that it's fuel economy is laughable. It's not a great exploration plane. Should pretty mucn only be used for dogfights and taking on the ice base assault.