What missiles did the F-104 have?

What missiles did the F-104 have?

Designed as a supersonic superiority fighter, the F-104 was produced in two major versions. Armed with a six-barrel M-61 20mm Vulcan cannon it served as a tactical fighter and, equipped additionally with heat-seeking Sidewinder missiles, as a day-night interceptor.

Are there any F-104s still flying?

D-8114 Royal Netherlands Air Force – on Volkel Airbase, restoration for display during the Airforce days set on June 14 & 15 2019 Volkel Airbase. D-8245 Royal Netherlands Air Force – gateguard at the Nationaal Militair Museum, Soesterberg. D-8268 Royal Netherlands Air Force – gateguard at Deltion College, Zwolle.

Was the F-104 A good fighter?

The F-104 had good acceleration, rate of climb, and top speed, but its sustained turn performance was poor. A “clean” (no external weapons or fuel tanks) F-104 could sustain a 7-g turn below 5,000 feet with full afterburner.

Was the F-104 used in Vietnam?

The F-104 saw its first combat action during the Vietnam War with US Air Force fighter pilots operating the single seat “C” variant. The aircraft was chosen to undertake a variety of sorties but was used primarily for air superiority roles and air support missions. As a fighter plane, the F-104 scored no aerial kills.

How fast is the F-104 Starfighter?

1,688 mphLockheed F-104 Starfighter / Top speed

How fast did an F-104 go?

Can the F-104 dogfight?

All of this means that, while an F-104 could lose a dogfight, it could always get out of one by out-climbing or out-speeding its opponent. The only remotely comparable aircraft anywhere is an F-15, which is still the best all-around jet fighter in any air force.

Why did the F-104 have such small wings?

These thin wings were an early solution to the problem of something called “transonic drag rise”. Effectively, this is a phenomenon where the drag of an airplane increases rapidly as it approaches the speed of sound , even more so than you would expect.

How fast is a f16?

Airspeed: 1,319 mph (2123 km/h) at 39, 870 ft (12,000 m). Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,420 m). Range: 575 miles (925 km); Maximum Range: 1,260 miles (2027 km).

What is the fastest U.S. military plane?

SR-71 Blackbird
The SR-71 Blackbird remains the fastest operational military aircraft in history to this day, despite leaving service more than two decades ago, but its Lockheed predecessor in the A-12 was actually faster.