I flew the Zipper for 3 1/2 years and 730 hours. Loved almost every minute of it. 95000 in a zoom, 2,2Mach, flew a cross country at 2.0 and 73000. As for dogfighting, with maneuver flaps it could out turn an F4. None of the century series could beat it in using the vertical, especially when we got a new mod engine with 18,900 pounds of thrust. Brake release to 45000 was 90 seconds. It was like owning the sharpest sword in the world with no scabbard - you better know what you were doing.
I am proud of my grandpa' he was one of denmarks fastest pilots in this jet.. But he is very sick and may die in like 3 days.. there is a chance of survival, he have saved more than 100 people in a helicopter, he is allmost 80 years old but he wanna do every thing himself like he was 50 or something like that... this man means allot to me, he is a nice person and funny to talk to.. hes pilot name was "guy" and was wery known in the army, even after 20 years hes friends can remember him :' )
@PedexProductions Salute your grandpa from the norwegian starfighterpilots, and congratulate him on surviving the widowmaker of them all. Tell him the only fitting way he could go, is max speed in a starfighter. Slingshot it out of orbit, and let the starfighter drift into eternity with him, where he belongs.
Is the F-104 howling and growling an inlet phenomena or coming from the J-79 directly ? The new F-35 Lightening II had a significant inlet howl during testing (that may have been corrected by now).
@149PCE The howl is caused internaly by the J79 itself. The howl is thought to be caused by airflow in the exhaust section being disturbed by the bypass flaps.
F-104 was made as a high altitude interceptor, specifically for height, speed & climb performance...not good for low-speed tight turning & dogfighting. The wing shape was developed specifically for supersonic efficiency. High wing-loading, so low speed flying was tough. Plane was pretty unforgiving with pilot error too from what I read. Awesome vid
This is the most awesome sounding fighter ever! I get an adrenaline rush every time I watch this video! I want to see some of these babies at an airshow sometime. I will go completely nuts!
Someone connected with the development of the Starfighter (and I'm not sure who but it may have been Chuck Yeager who test flew it ) said: "That's not a plane ... it's a missile with a man in it ! "
@winterstellar Yeah me too! my favourite jet..We used them as well RCAF...I love that unique howl...our f18 replaced them and our CF 105'S which my cousin flew as a weapons instructor before his career with the Snowbirds..
Pakistan Air Force Had These starfighters In The 1965 War Against India These Fighters And The F-86 Sabre Made A Dangerous partnership Indian air force lost about 110 Jet Fighters Indians had there Russian and European made hawker hunters and Mig-21 The Sabre and Starfighter where two deadly weapons from the USA indian Air Force Had No Chance.
@Tippet76 to own and operate a military jet like this, it helps to have your own active oil well to pay for it all. These are ex-military to be specific. I believe these jets were operational in the 60s. Extremely fast though for their time.
My grandpa worked at GE and made engines for these things. He also said that the wings were so streamlined that if u leaned up on them u could get cut.!
the F-104 it was a dificult airplane, did not forgive mistakes, especially when take off and landing, wen first time was introduced in Greek H.A.F. service in 60s they start to have accidents very shortly, and become on the newspaper the 'windomaker' e.t.c. the H.A.F. make new strict rules on the dangerus parts of the flight file, especially on take off/landing stage and force the pilots to strictly follow them, the result was to reach normal level of loses like the other types of plains
F-104 Widowmaker, yes, famous plane. In Germany out of 900 planes almost 300 - 30% - were lost in accidents, killing more than 100 pilots. The unsafest fighter ever built on Earth. Canadian Air forces lost more than 100 of them in crashes - 46% of what they had.
That`s what those wings are so thin, small and sharp for...
@Durmanstainer It was rarely the aircrafts fault but rather the role it was doing, low level work at high speeds with no terrain avoidance radar will do that. most navigation in the early days was done with a map folded up in their flight suit. with one crew member doing the flying, navigating, target aquisition and watching for enemy threats he would just be overtaxed, not much room for error at 600 knots at 100 ft.
I remember hearing these all the time as a kid in germany... still gives me chills.... so cool... back then they were doing low altitude high speed passes... you'd never hear em coming... if you got lucky you'd see them as a little spec and got to cover your ears in time... most of the time it was just loud as .... out of nowhere... so awesome...
Since there seem to be quite a few people on here who know something about wings being attached to the fuselage: Just exactly how are the wings of a B52H attached to the fuselage? Seems like I've watched them take off a million times (former SSgt, 379th BW (Heavy), SAC 1968-1972.
It seems to me that there must be some VERY long and strong bolts to do this. Would appreciate any info if possible.
"Widowmaker" With a stall speed of 210mph, it's best to keep the 104 in full throttle and never bleed off your speed in a turn. Bleed off your speed only when you're going to land.
Also called "The Widowmaker, Ground Nail, and Flying Coffin" because almost 40% of them were lost in peacetime training. The F-104 was a beautiful machine, but unforgiving of the slightest error. Exceeding the envelope and tumbling out of the sky was all to easy. While it flew high and fast in a straight line, it had a very limited application. Still all too cool an airplane.
That sound...that howl. That takes me back to my teenage years, growing up in Germany. If the Canadians flew over in their Starfighters, you certainly knew it was them by the sound. You sure as hell didn't see them: they were out of sight before you even realised they were passing!
...Which is exactly what I just said. "It's a fuselage with wings attached to it." I meant that the F-104, F-16, etc, are NOT "thru-spar" wings. I guess I did say it awkwardly. In any case, what I meant is that although SOME planes (even military planes) still use through-spar wings, the majority of modern fighters DO NOT use it. The F-104 was advanced for it's time, but these days you see it a lot. I get what you mean. In any case, it doesn't really matter...it WAS a missile with a man in it!
@Stover36 No, they aren't quite that sharp, but if you hit your head against one, it will leave a nasty cut on your scalp (split your skull if it's hit hard enough). That's why they have to put protective guards over the leading edges while on the ground, so some ground crewman won't end up needing 50 stitches in his scalp!
Crikey, I've sure posted a lot of comments on here, huh? But just one more!
I always found it interesting how the F-104's sideways-opening canopy opens to the LEFT. That means the pilot climbs in from the right side...which is VERY unusual for an airplane. Ever since WWI, planes have been entered from the left side. They say the practice was a leftover from the Cavalry...the troopers and horses were trained to mount from the left. I wonder why the F-104 is different? Like I said, it's rare.
@Cliner98 Yeah...but that's about all it's good for, going fast and climbing really (really!) quickly. They found out eventually that there are much better features to have other than the ability to go Mach 2+. Planes like the F-16 and F/A-18 are much more agile, longer-ranged, can carry more payload and have far better radars. Even planes that can go Mach 2, like the F-15 and the ex-F-14 very rarely do so. For the F-104, no point in being able to catch an enemy if you can't shoot him down!
@1bearcatf8f Umm...maybe I'm missing something, but aren't the wings on MOST planes attached to the fuselage? ;)
LOL, I think I know what you mean...you're talking about the mid-mounted wings, right? Actually that wasn't what made it "a missile with a man in it"...it was the fact that the wings were very small, with almost no sweep, plus the stiletto-fuselage. It's T-tail helped, since it sort of visually separated the stabs from the fuselage. But definitely unique, and definitely cool.
@1bearcatf8f Uh...I guess I'm not sure what you're talking about. My point was that ALL planes wings are attached to the fuselage...obviously. I just know that the F-104's wings were "mid-mounted", meaning that they were attached at mid-diameter of the fuselage...as opposed to "low-mounted", like a P-51, F-4 Phantom, or Eurofighter. The other type is "high-mounted" (aka "shoulder-mounted"), like a Harrier, or Cessna. The fuselage and small mid-mounted wings made it look like a missile.
@justforever96 Ugh ill say this again the wings where bolted onto the fuslage yes there mid mounted that has nothing to do with what i was talking about.
@1bearcatf8f Um...okay. Then I'll say THIS again...almost ALL planes have wings that are bolted onto the fuselage. So, WTF is your point? That's like saying "hey, the Starfighters wheels rolled on bearings!". Yeah, sure, they do, but so don't ALL wheels. Why mention it at all? There are MUCH more interesting aspects of the F-104's construction...like that the wings were only 4 inches thick at the thickest point, or that the aileron jacks had to be designed 1" thick to fit.
@justforever96 Ugh most planes wings arnt bolted to the fuslage,They built the F-104s fuslage without putting the wings on then they attached them on the sides,Modurn planes has the fuslage and wings combined together making them blended wing,So read up on planes next time and be nice.
@1bearcatf8f Sorry, I'm not trying to be a jerk...but you're wrong. I read about planes a lot, believe me, and just because an F-16 (for example) is a blended-wing design doesn't mean that the wings aren't bolted on. The fuselage formers are "eye-shaped" in cross-section. Where they taper to the thickness of the wings (the "corner of the eye"), THAT'S where the wings are bolted on...basically, the fuselage is just "squashed". They need to be removable for repair, transport, etc.
@1bearcatf8f CONT.- I'm sure there are exceptions, but very few planes other than high-wing jobs like the Harrier have wings that are made as 1 piece, let alone built as one with the fuselage. Even big boys like the 747 have their wings bolted to the center-box section of the spar. So the only difference between an F-16 and F-104 (in wing attachment, anyway!) is that the -104 has ring-shaped formers, while the F-16 has eye-shaped formers, and the fuselage provides part of the lift.
@justforever96 ugh your not understanding what i mean buy the F-104 wings are bolted on,There litterly just attached onto the fuslage.And most fighters have the wings attached to either the top part or the lower part of the fuslage.
@1bearcatf8f Yes...like I said, if it's not bolted to the top or the bottom of the fuselage, it's called a "mid-mounted wing". You said that wasn't what you're talking about.
This is a mid-mounted wing: -0-
This is a low-mounted wing: _0_
Flip that upside down, and you get a high-mounted wing.
The F-104 looks like a missile, since it's just a tube with wings sticking out of the center of the fuselage at 9:00 and 3:00. Ditch the dihedral, put two more on at 12:00 and 6:00, you have a missile.
@1bearcatf8f So, then what the hell ARE you talking about. It's mid-wing. The wings are bolted on. They are not blended with the body. They have no sweep to speak of. They have slight anhedral (not dihedral, sorry), i.e. they slant downwards. Are you talking about the fact that they are about in the center, FRONT to REAR (not TOP to BOTTOM)? Because if that's not it, then I can't imagine what you could be trying to say. In any case, perhaps you should brush up on your terminology?
@1bearcatf8f I'm honestly not TRYING to be a jerk...I'm really just curious what you are talking about. I just listed off all the things I thought it could be. What you said first:
"...a missle with a man in it,The wings are attached on the fuslage itself..."
Okay, but you're not talking about HOW the wings are attached.
"...Thie F-104 wings where bolted onto the fuslage..."
What am I missing about "bolted to the fuselage"? You said that like three times.
@justforever96 Dude i told you like 6 times the wings arnt stuck into the fuslage like most planes,there litterly put on the fuslage Like you would do on a missile or small rocket.Thats what the design had and thats what i belive if you think differently then look it up yourself.
@1bearcatf8f Thank you. You could have said it a hell of a lot more clearly in the first place. But it's really still nothing unusual...some planes have spars that runs through the fuselage, making the wing more-or-less one piece; it's called "through-spar" construction. Modern jet fighters rarely do so. Like I was saying about the F-16...it's a fuselage, with wings attached to the outer edges...same thing. And I still say that's not why they call it "missile with a man in it".
@justforever96 Dude i made it clear the first 7 times pal.Sorry if you dont get it the next few times,The F-104s wings are just bolted to the sides of the fuslage no spars from one side to the next,there just like fins being bolted onto a missile.
@1bearcatf8f I just don't get it. Even if you just have trouble saying what you mean, how many different ways can I interpret that? You could always just say it out loud instead of telling me that I'm "not understanding"...I freely admit that. Apparently you're not talking about how the wings are attached. You're not talking about them being mid-mounted, and you're not talking about them being half-way to the nose. Help me out here! If it was just a dumb post, just say so; I make them a lot.
The F-104's were not the only planes that made the howling sound. The F-4 Phantoms also made howling sounds. I used to watch the Navy Phantoms doing touch-and-go's alot of times from the backyard when I was ten.
@HawgRyder1 Really? I can't claim to have ever heard either one in person, but I have never heard the F-4 howl quite like that in any videos. I know the J79 had a very distinctive sound, but I thought the F-104 made it's own special noise...seems like I heard somewhere that it had to do with it's intakes, or something. Of course, if you've heard it yourself, I can't say your wrong, just that it's news to me!
@Bayonet100 Well, the thing was that the USAF was in need of a plane that was actually an effective combat jet...if they were concerned with looking really cool, then I'm sure the F-104 would have been around longer. As it is, they could only afford so many jets, so they chose ones that weren't so limited in what they could do. The F-104 was a pure interceptor, designed to get up and smoke Russkie bombers in record time...but that's about all it did well (besides being very impressive!)
@CaptainTattyBoJangle Isn't the "Vulcan" a 20mm cannon? The Starfighter is powered by the J79 turbojet, same as the F-4 Phantom. I've never heard anyone call it a "Vulcan" before, that's for sure.
@rattinox What do you mean by "dash 19"? These are ex-Canadian "CF-104's", with Orenda "J79-OEL-7" engines, which are license-built J79's...aka J79-GE-7, in the F-104C, D, and F. The only F-104 to use the J79-GE-19 was the Aeritalia's (Spanish AF) F-104S. However, it is a technicality, since as far as I know, all J79's in F-104's of all types sound about the same! As for Kelly Johnson being a relative, that's pretty cool...I love the P-38! Best I can claim is Winston Churchill. =P
@RichardHammond11 What does "Yes there is, I think it's called an F4U corsair." mean? What is that in response to? I don't see any comment in the first 5 pages that has anything to do with any WWII fighters...
@Flugzeugfan100 What is a J79-JT-11D? I've never heard of it. There's the old JT-11D engine, but that's much different. As far as I know these planes are ex-Canadian CF-104's powered by Orenda J79-OEL-7, a.k.a. license-built -GE-7's. The F-104G is powered by the J79-GE-11A, which is built by various European companies...is the "JT" a code for a certain company? Wikipedia says the Japanese F-104J is powered by the "-IHI-11A", built by "Ishikawajima-Harima Industries"...is that a similar deal?
Germany at that time bought a barely tested aircraft. They had not enough groundpersonal and not enough hangars. Many F-104 had to stand outside. The F-104 at that time had some problems and wasn't easy to fly. These are some reasons for all these crashes. Only a few years later, these problems were resolved and the F-104 has been improved. then the star fighter flew much better and the number of accidents decreased.
Beautiful plane. Funny thing is, the americans really didn't like it!. The Germans made heavy use of it and suffered many accidents. The Italians used it until very recently and Spain had a few given to play with them, having the credit of being the only nation that operated the type without losses.
Spectacular. Heard this sound for 10 years while my husband (Flash) flew this fantastic jet in Canada, Germany and Phoenix. Absolutely wonderful to see and hear this video. Thanks for the upload!!!
In the early to mid 80s, I grew up near Selfridge ANG base that flew F-4C/Ds... and those made a similar howl. I notice that neither those ANG F-4's from the 1980s or these particular F-104's ever got the smokeless version of the J79. Unforunately enough, on a clear day you could see these thigns coming long before you'd hear them... Fishing in Lake Huron a few times when they flew over doing manuevers or whatever... You's see the smoke from miles and miles as they approached :)
Starfighters were very tricky on takeoff and landing, the small, thin wings didn't make alot of lift at low speeds so landing speeds were high like the mig-21. Also the wings would cover the high tail in turbulant air at high angles of attack causing the plane to pitchup.
@ajgolden66 very true, and that pitch up was the cause of many deaths! The small wings did have blown flaps though which helped, but drop that engine below 80% RPM and you're in serious trouble!
@ajgolden66 the wings arent there to make the lift. they are so small and thin that I cant understand why the hell this starfighter is acutally flying.
Greetings! For anyone interested, we just re-activated the 69th Fighter Squadron here at Luke AFB, within the 944th Fighter Wing, USAF Reserve. Formally known as the 69th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, the 69th was here at Luke from Oct69 to Mar83, as an F-104G training unit for our West German allies. As such, the 69th was part of the "Cactus Air Force", and was, I believe, the last USAF unit to fly the F-104. Zippers Forever!!! Cheers!
@mrkeel2 My dad was one of the original 104 IP's at Luke AFB (1964?). He flew the zipper for about 6 years and was ops officer of the 69th when he retired in 1970. He absolutely loved the 104. The only other A/C he held in high regard was the F-86. I consider myself to be very privileged to have grown up the sounds of J-79s in flight.
@PorkIsHalal - The '104 was (is) a very "hot" aircraft and demanded constant attention to fly. As such, I believe the high accident rate the a/c suffered was due mainly to "pilot error" rather than a/c malfunction. As opposed to the original misson of the a/c, which was high altitude interception of enemy bombers, the low altitude tactical mission profiles flown by (mainly) NATO air forces was inherently more dangerous. (More next mail)....
@PorkIsHalal - That being the case, many of the '104 accidents were "impact with the ground", i.e. pilots flying into the ground. I should corret myself a bit and say the a/c could be a bit tempremental, causing a good number of accidents, but stand by the assertion that many accidents were caused by pilot error. I had a great uncle whose son-in-law was killed in an F-104 flying out of Webb AFB, Big Spring, TX, probalby due to pilot error. Cheers!
italian air force was the last air force that use this fighter...near my city there was a military airport and the sound of starfighter engine was the track of my life
@Phantomias1313 I don't know, but i made myself the very same quastion. Anyway you've got good ear. I think we are right. Too peculiar sound to be confused and Lucas used to reproduce real sounds (in fact altered with electronic filters which is the case I guess even for f-104/TIE fighter)
Do the twin engines of the F-4 create some kinda noise cancellation? Just like justforever96 said, it does not sound even close to how that single J79 sounds.
Wow! I....uh....wow! That was cool. LOL, I forgot the all about good old song of the J79. For some reason it sounds even better in the F-104 than the F-4. What a scream!
When I was at Sembach AB, West Germany Late 1970's they used to buzz the base during NATO Exercises and slam their afterburners. Very special sound.
Bullhunter57 1 week ago
It makes me feel nostalgic, my country was the last in the world to keep them operational in the air force.
ElementoVolatile 2 weeks ago
The great thing is that when these aircraft are referenced, they are referred to as 'ships' rather than 'planes' or 'aircraft'
purplehayabusa 2 weeks ago
one person is a global warming douche
pencon61 3 weeks ago
Awesome !
MP44StG44Page 1 month ago
One person is a global warming freak ..
pencon61 1 month ago
I flew the Zipper for 3 1/2 years and 730 hours. Loved almost every minute of it. 95000 in a zoom, 2,2Mach, flew a cross country at 2.0 and 73000. As for dogfighting, with maneuver flaps it could out turn an F4. None of the century series could beat it in using the vertical, especially when we got a new mod engine with 18,900 pounds of thrust. Brake release to 45000 was 90 seconds. It was like owning the sharpest sword in the world with no scabbard - you better know what you were doing.
WaltBJ1 2 months ago 4
I am proud of my grandpa' he was one of denmarks fastest pilots in this jet.. But he is very sick and may die in like 3 days.. there is a chance of survival, he have saved more than 100 people in a helicopter, he is allmost 80 years old but he wanna do every thing himself like he was 50 or something like that... this man means allot to me, he is a nice person and funny to talk to.. hes pilot name was "guy" and was wery known in the army, even after 20 years hes friends can remember him :' )
PedexProductions 2 months ago
@PedexProductions Salute your grandpa from the norwegian starfighterpilots, and congratulate him on surviving the widowmaker of them all. Tell him the only fitting way he could go, is max speed in a starfighter. Slingshot it out of orbit, and let the starfighter drift into eternity with him, where he belongs.
theycamein 2 months ago
1 person is a douche
joed88 3 months ago 13
@joed88 they certainly are !!! what is there not to like about this vid??!
lordofbore 3 months ago
Is the F-104 howling and growling an inlet phenomena or coming from the J-79 directly ? The new F-35 Lightening II had a significant inlet howl during testing (that may have been corrected by now).
149PCE 3 months ago
@149PCE The howl is caused internaly by the J79 itself. The howl is thought to be caused by airflow in the exhaust section being disturbed by the bypass flaps.
Nuclearbones 3 months ago
@Nuclearbones - sounds plausible to me - thanks man
149PCE 2 months ago
F-104 was made as a high altitude interceptor, specifically for height, speed & climb performance...not good for low-speed tight turning & dogfighting. The wing shape was developed specifically for supersonic efficiency. High wing-loading, so low speed flying was tough. Plane was pretty unforgiving with pilot error too from what I read. Awesome vid
generfeld 3 months ago
This is the most awesome sounding fighter ever! I get an adrenaline rush every time I watch this video! I want to see some of these babies at an airshow sometime. I will go completely nuts!
hankyhoyo 3 months ago
only thing that can come close is the a10
himmler251 4 months ago
Sounds Exactly like Luke skywalkers Figter
FilRuss101 4 months ago
that unique sounds makes me shiver always.
This time I am glad to be born at a time which allowed me to have experienced this sound life on stage.
Thx for the vid
grazyarnie 4 months ago
Have these ever been in combat?
Reconseal4050 5 months ago
@Reconseal4050 yeah i think one of em intercepted an russian bomber, not sure... i need to get back to the museum :/
TheSovietdino 4 months ago
@Reconseal4050 The flew during Vietnam.
skipplet 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
"Aerodynamics? We don' need no STEENKEENG AERODYNAMICS!!"
SCE2AUX 6 months ago
nothing like the screech of a j-79
crotchboots 6 months ago 11
this, and phantom are my favourites
painxxxl 6 months ago
grew up with this type & the F-4 Phantom . . . boys!
fuelyournews 6 months ago
Someone connected with the development of the Starfighter (and I'm not sure who but it may have been Chuck Yeager who test flew it ) said: "That's not a plane ... it's a missile with a man in it ! "
losteroni 6 months ago
With a better air-frame and reviewed anti-vibrations systems we could still be dreaming.
ALB437 6 months ago
They sound like a thunder clap, wanting to break the sound barrier.
carsearch2001 6 months ago
Kelly Johnson was a god.
dorkf1sh 6 months ago
I am suprised these planes never see Vietnam War
humpingbird 7 months ago
@humpingbird They did see limited action in Vietnam. Look it up.
sidefx996 6 months ago
The Eurofighter is Louder ;)
BEATLEFIELD10000 7 months ago
starfighter!!! power brute!!!!
cartrachito 7 months ago
I need an origami Starfighter. This is my 2nd favorite plane, 1st being the F/A-18D.
I love this thing.
BlueRaptorTiger 7 months ago
Wow, it looks and sounds like something out of Star Wars....
MEATYOKERRable 7 months ago
I think the B-52 beats that sound but only by a little bit
LAFD27explorer 7 months ago
lol can't really compare the 2...totally different planes
Brian79camino 7 months ago
Comment removed
johncirri 8 months ago
I would love to see these in formation with three EE Lightnings what a sight and sound that would be !!!
great vid !!!
lordofbore 8 months ago
sounds like a formula one car in formation
snipestarone 8 months ago
I remember these from my childhood. Our airforce used to fly them before they changed to F-16s. I loved the sound of them!: )
winterstellar 8 months ago
@winterstellar NL zeker:)
keffje007 8 months ago
@winterstellar Yeah me too! my favourite jet..We used them as well RCAF...I love that unique howl...our f18 replaced them and our CF 105'S which my cousin flew as a weapons instructor before his career with the Snowbirds..
RFKFANTS67 7 months ago
This jet always seems alot bigger when it's on the ground
AtopaMesa 8 months ago
Pakistan Air Force Had These starfighters In The 1965 War Against India These Fighters And The F-86 Sabre Made A Dangerous partnership Indian air force lost about 110 Jet Fighters Indians had there Russian and European made hawker hunters and Mig-21 The Sabre and Starfighter where two deadly weapons from the USA indian Air Force Had No Chance.
Makaveli175 8 months ago
F-104s have a very unique sound different from other fighters
RottenAce 8 months ago
I prefer the TU22 but the F104 is a close second :-)
tgindonesia 9 months ago
I used to own a Starfighter it went really fast in a straight line didn't manuever for shit.
TheJomogogo 9 months ago
@TheJomogogo How do you buy a military aircraft? I'm not doubting you, I'm just interested.
Tippet76 8 months ago
@Tippet76 to own and operate a military jet like this, it helps to have your own active oil well to pay for it all. These are ex-military to be specific. I believe these jets were operational in the 60s. Extremely fast though for their time.
Sodiumreactor 7 months ago
Cool vid thanks for posting,But the EE lightning was a much better aeroplane.............................
lordofbore 9 months ago
You can only love those old school 50s jets! Gosh I miss them in danish airspace. Thanks for the video. Greetings from Scandinavia.
AmdiT 9 months ago
Shivers all over my Spine !!!!!!!!
pluimerj 9 months ago
Sivers all over my spine!!!!!
pluimerj 9 months ago
My grandpa worked at GE and made engines for these things. He also said that the wings were so streamlined that if u leaned up on them u could get cut.!
greeneups 10 months ago
Sounds like something out of Star Wars...
SGH28N 10 months ago
What a machine.
hughesinterprises 10 months ago
F104, the missile w/ a man in it.
niflap 10 months ago
If I could pick any fun thing to do on earth, this would be it:D
777Tribulation 10 months ago
Beautiful sound!
DeltaKLMPilot 10 months ago
There's nothing like that howling sound!!!
Torrespinaphoto 10 months ago
despite their terrible rep for crashing so much, these are prolly my favorite fighters =P
zombiekillar1234 10 months ago
the F-104 it was a dificult airplane, did not forgive mistakes, especially when take off and landing, wen first time was introduced in Greek H.A.F. service in 60s they start to have accidents very shortly, and become on the newspaper the 'windomaker' e.t.c. the H.A.F. make new strict rules on the dangerus parts of the flight file, especially on take off/landing stage and force the pilots to strictly follow them, the result was to reach normal level of loses like the other types of plains
petros311 10 months ago
F-104 Widowmaker, yes, famous plane. In Germany out of 900 planes almost 300 - 30% - were lost in accidents, killing more than 100 pilots. The unsafest fighter ever built on Earth. Canadian Air forces lost more than 100 of them in crashes - 46% of what they had.
That`s what those wings are so thin, small and sharp for...
Durmanstainer 11 months ago
@Durmanstainer It was rarely the aircrafts fault but rather the role it was doing, low level work at high speeds with no terrain avoidance radar will do that. most navigation in the early days was done with a map folded up in their flight suit. with one crew member doing the flying, navigating, target aquisition and watching for enemy threats he would just be overtaxed, not much room for error at 600 knots at 100 ft.
denmalski 9 months ago
these things were deathtraps , people should be booing
biggrigga 1 year ago
@biggrigga Though they did have some problems, the extent of which they struck was some what over stated.
Hawkeye323232 1 year ago
@biggrigga
Kelly Johnson was a genius, these things sold like hot cakes. We only used them a little while though, thank God.
scrateshooter 11 months ago
is it S or CF ?
grny73 1 year ago
@grny73 I'm almost positive Starfighters Inc. flies CF-104s.
AmericanAviator 11 months ago
I remember hearing these all the time as a kid in germany... still gives me chills.... so cool... back then they were doing low altitude high speed passes... you'd never hear em coming... if you got lucky you'd see them as a little spec and got to cover your ears in time... most of the time it was just loud as .... out of nowhere... so awesome...
Larryud45 1 year ago
That sound is just awesome!!!
planejunky 1 year ago
It's the sound of madness. :)
HawgRyder1 1 year ago
I must say that is the sickest engine whine I have ever heard!
SlicertekPictures0 1 year ago
sounds like the speeder bike from starwars ep 6
southsidedude101 1 year ago
The gorgeous howl, absolutely a beauty of a plane.
CrotchRocket78 1 year ago
Awesome sound !
meklopfklopf 1 year ago
Since there seem to be quite a few people on here who know something about wings being attached to the fuselage: Just exactly how are the wings of a B52H attached to the fuselage? Seems like I've watched them take off a million times (former SSgt, 379th BW (Heavy), SAC 1968-1972.
It seems to me that there must be some VERY long and strong bolts to do this. Would appreciate any info if possible.
JIM30747 1 year ago
I've got a fever baby. And, the only prescription is for more Starfighter.
Cahulawassee 1 year ago 18
"Widowmaker" With a stall speed of 210mph, it's best to keep the 104 in full throttle and never bleed off your speed in a turn. Bleed off your speed only when you're going to land.
RacerXGTO 1 year ago
The f-104 has a nickname called a man in a missile since the plane has tiny wings
GibsonLee606 1 year ago
@GibsonLee606
Also called "The Widowmaker, Ground Nail, and Flying Coffin" because almost 40% of them were lost in peacetime training. The F-104 was a beautiful machine, but unforgiving of the slightest error. Exceeding the envelope and tumbling out of the sky was all to easy. While it flew high and fast in a straight line, it had a very limited application. Still all too cool an airplane.
TheJomogogo 1 year ago
@TheJomogogo 0_o
GibsonLee606 1 year ago
they were at max G
godfree2canada 1 year ago
That sound...that howl. That takes me back to my teenage years, growing up in Germany. If the Canadians flew over in their Starfighters, you certainly knew it was them by the sound. You sure as hell didn't see them: they were out of sight before you even realised they were passing!
DWGarvin 1 year ago
...Which is exactly what I just said. "It's a fuselage with wings attached to it." I meant that the F-104, F-16, etc, are NOT "thru-spar" wings. I guess I did say it awkwardly. In any case, what I meant is that although SOME planes (even military planes) still use through-spar wings, the majority of modern fighters DO NOT use it. The F-104 was advanced for it's time, but these days you see it a lot. I get what you mean. In any case, it doesn't really matter...it WAS a missile with a man in it!
justforever96 1 year ago
I heard that the Starfighter's wings were so sharp that you could cut your fingers. Is that true?
Stover36 1 year ago
@Stover36 No, they aren't quite that sharp, but if you hit your head against one, it will leave a nasty cut on your scalp (split your skull if it's hit hard enough). That's why they have to put protective guards over the leading edges while on the ground, so some ground crewman won't end up needing 50 stitches in his scalp!
justforever96 1 year ago
Crikey, I've sure posted a lot of comments on here, huh? But just one more!
I always found it interesting how the F-104's sideways-opening canopy opens to the LEFT. That means the pilot climbs in from the right side...which is VERY unusual for an airplane. Ever since WWI, planes have been entered from the left side. They say the practice was a leftover from the Cavalry...the troopers and horses were trained to mount from the left. I wonder why the F-104 is different? Like I said, it's rare.
justforever96 1 year ago
Yep, the dash 19's were Italian S versions only. And smog-belchers, too.
But any version of the StarFighter is a thing of sleek muscle and grace.
rattinox 1 year ago
@Cliner98 Yeah...but that's about all it's good for, going fast and climbing really (really!) quickly. They found out eventually that there are much better features to have other than the ability to go Mach 2+. Planes like the F-16 and F/A-18 are much more agile, longer-ranged, can carry more payload and have far better radars. Even planes that can go Mach 2, like the F-15 and the ex-F-14 very rarely do so. For the F-104, no point in being able to catch an enemy if you can't shoot him down!
justforever96 1 year ago
nice memories guys...ciao from Italy
nasmiramar 1 year ago
What a scandal that this beautiful aircraft killed so many German pilots -
because it was misused as a bomber - due to Franz-Josef-Strauß - the German defense minister - Lockheed paid billions - a shame !!
Germany bought nearly 1,000 aircrafts - hundreds crashed - but Lockheed - before that deal nearly bankrupt - was saved !
bobu46 1 year ago
What a scandal that this beautiful aircraft killed so many German pilots -
because it was misused as a bomber - due to Franz-Josef-Strauß - the German defense minister - Lockheed paid billions - a shame !!
bobu46 1 year ago
What a beautiful bird. Too bad it had all kinds of problems
heavybubble41 1 year ago
i grew up in northern alberta, and the f-104 was the main jet that flew overhead....widowmaker as the pilots here called it....
calvinhobbescinnamon 1 year ago
Much rather see these guys than the Blue Angels or thunderbirds.
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago 15
Now i know why people call it a missle with a man in it,The wings are attached on the fuslage itself its over all a weird plane but still cool
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f Umm...maybe I'm missing something, but aren't the wings on MOST planes attached to the fuselage? ;)
LOL, I think I know what you mean...you're talking about the mid-mounted wings, right? Actually that wasn't what made it "a missile with a man in it"...it was the fact that the wings were very small, with almost no sweep, plus the stiletto-fuselage. It's T-tail helped, since it sort of visually separated the stabs from the fuselage. But definitely unique, and definitely cool.
justforever96 1 year ago
@justforever96 no????? Thie F-104 wings where bolted onto the fuslage.
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f Uh...I guess I'm not sure what you're talking about. My point was that ALL planes wings are attached to the fuselage...obviously. I just know that the F-104's wings were "mid-mounted", meaning that they were attached at mid-diameter of the fuselage...as opposed to "low-mounted", like a P-51, F-4 Phantom, or Eurofighter. The other type is "high-mounted" (aka "shoulder-mounted"), like a Harrier, or Cessna. The fuselage and small mid-mounted wings made it look like a missile.
justforever96 1 year ago
@justforever96 Ugh ill say this again the wings where bolted onto the fuslage yes there mid mounted that has nothing to do with what i was talking about.
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f Um...okay. Then I'll say THIS again...almost ALL planes have wings that are bolted onto the fuselage. So, WTF is your point? That's like saying "hey, the Starfighters wheels rolled on bearings!". Yeah, sure, they do, but so don't ALL wheels. Why mention it at all? There are MUCH more interesting aspects of the F-104's construction...like that the wings were only 4 inches thick at the thickest point, or that the aileron jacks had to be designed 1" thick to fit.
justforever96 1 year ago
@justforever96 Ugh most planes wings arnt bolted to the fuslage,They built the F-104s fuslage without putting the wings on then they attached them on the sides,Modurn planes has the fuslage and wings combined together making them blended wing,So read up on planes next time and be nice.
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f Sorry, I'm not trying to be a jerk...but you're wrong. I read about planes a lot, believe me, and just because an F-16 (for example) is a blended-wing design doesn't mean that the wings aren't bolted on. The fuselage formers are "eye-shaped" in cross-section. Where they taper to the thickness of the wings (the "corner of the eye"), THAT'S where the wings are bolted on...basically, the fuselage is just "squashed". They need to be removable for repair, transport, etc.
justforever96 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f CONT.- I'm sure there are exceptions, but very few planes other than high-wing jobs like the Harrier have wings that are made as 1 piece, let alone built as one with the fuselage. Even big boys like the 747 have their wings bolted to the center-box section of the spar. So the only difference between an F-16 and F-104 (in wing attachment, anyway!) is that the -104 has ring-shaped formers, while the F-16 has eye-shaped formers, and the fuselage provides part of the lift.
justforever96 1 year ago
@justforever96 ugh your not understanding what i mean buy the F-104 wings are bolted on,There litterly just attached onto the fuslage.And most fighters have the wings attached to either the top part or the lower part of the fuslage.
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f Yes...like I said, if it's not bolted to the top or the bottom of the fuselage, it's called a "mid-mounted wing". You said that wasn't what you're talking about.
This is a mid-mounted wing: -0-
This is a low-mounted wing: _0_
Flip that upside down, and you get a high-mounted wing.
The F-104 looks like a missile, since it's just a tube with wings sticking out of the center of the fuselage at 9:00 and 3:00. Ditch the dihedral, put two more on at 12:00 and 6:00, you have a missile.
justforever96 1 year ago
@justforever96 Ugh dude i already know the mid wing low wing high wing crap already.Its obvious to tell on the F-104.
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f So, then what the hell ARE you talking about. It's mid-wing. The wings are bolted on. They are not blended with the body. They have no sweep to speak of. They have slight anhedral (not dihedral, sorry), i.e. they slant downwards. Are you talking about the fact that they are about in the center, FRONT to REAR (not TOP to BOTTOM)? Because if that's not it, then I can't imagine what you could be trying to say. In any case, perhaps you should brush up on your terminology?
justforever96 1 year ago
@justforever96 Ok everything you said had nothing to do with what i told you to begin with.Btw you dont need to be an ass got it?
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f I'm honestly not TRYING to be a jerk...I'm really just curious what you are talking about. I just listed off all the things I thought it could be. What you said first:
"...a missle with a man in it,The wings are attached on the fuslage itself..."
Okay, but you're not talking about HOW the wings are attached.
"...Thie F-104 wings where bolted onto the fuslage..."
What am I missing about "bolted to the fuselage"? You said that like three times.
Continued....
justforever96 1 year ago
@justforever96 Dude i told you like 6 times the wings arnt stuck into the fuslage like most planes,there litterly put on the fuslage Like you would do on a missile or small rocket.Thats what the design had and thats what i belive if you think differently then look it up yourself.
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f Thank you. You could have said it a hell of a lot more clearly in the first place. But it's really still nothing unusual...some planes have spars that runs through the fuselage, making the wing more-or-less one piece; it's called "through-spar" construction. Modern jet fighters rarely do so. Like I was saying about the F-16...it's a fuselage, with wings attached to the outer edges...same thing. And I still say that's not why they call it "missile with a man in it".
justforever96 1 year ago
@justforever96 Dude i made it clear the first 7 times pal.Sorry if you dont get it the next few times,The F-104s wings are just bolted to the sides of the fuslage no spars from one side to the next,there just like fins being bolted onto a missile.
1bearcatf8f 1 year ago
@1bearcatf8f I just don't get it. Even if you just have trouble saying what you mean, how many different ways can I interpret that? You could always just say it out loud instead of telling me that I'm "not understanding"...I freely admit that. Apparently you're not talking about how the wings are attached. You're not talking about them being mid-mounted, and you're not talking about them being half-way to the nose. Help me out here! If it was just a dumb post, just say so; I make them a lot.
justforever96 1 year ago
The F-104's were not the only planes that made the howling sound. The F-4 Phantoms also made howling sounds. I used to watch the Navy Phantoms doing touch-and-go's alot of times from the backyard when I was ten.
HawgRyder1 1 year ago
@HawgRyder1 Really? I can't claim to have ever heard either one in person, but I have never heard the F-4 howl quite like that in any videos. I know the J79 had a very distinctive sound, but I thought the F-104 made it's own special noise...seems like I heard somewhere that it had to do with it's intakes, or something. Of course, if you've heard it yourself, I can't say your wrong, just that it's news to me!
justforever96 1 year ago
F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!! I still can't believe that the USAF dumped these from the active inventory after only ten years...
Bayonet100 1 year ago
@Bayonet100 Well, the thing was that the USAF was in need of a plane that was actually an effective combat jet...if they were concerned with looking really cool, then I'm sure the F-104 would have been around longer. As it is, they could only afford so many jets, so they chose ones that weren't so limited in what they could do. The F-104 was a pure interceptor, designed to get up and smoke Russkie bombers in record time...but that's about all it did well (besides being very impressive!)
justforever96 1 year ago
The missile with a man it in.
capenafuerte 1 year ago
you cant beat the sound of a Vulcan powering up at the start of the runway
now thats a howl
CaptainTattyBoJangle 1 year ago
@CaptainTattyBoJangle Isn't the "Vulcan" a 20mm cannon? The Starfighter is powered by the J79 turbojet, same as the F-4 Phantom. I've never heard anyone call it a "Vulcan" before, that's for sure.
justforever96 1 year ago
Nope, nothin' on Earth or Sky like the howl of a dash 19. Just shivvers me bones!
The hand of Fate, in a way, 'cuz Kelly Johnson is a relative of mine.
rattinox 1 year ago
@rattinox What do you mean by "dash 19"? These are ex-Canadian "CF-104's", with Orenda "J79-OEL-7" engines, which are license-built J79's...aka J79-GE-7, in the F-104C, D, and F. The only F-104 to use the J79-GE-19 was the Aeritalia's (Spanish AF) F-104S. However, it is a technicality, since as far as I know, all J79's in F-104's of all types sound about the same! As for Kelly Johnson being a relative, that's pretty cool...I love the P-38! Best I can claim is Winston Churchill. =P
justforever96 1 year ago
Yes there is, I think it's called an F4U corsair.
RichardHammond11 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@RichardHammond11 What does "Yes there is, I think it's called an F4U corsair." mean? What is that in response to? I don't see any comment in the first 5 pages that has anything to do with any WWII fighters...
justforever96 1 year ago
I was moved to tears by her good old sound.
akagokiburi 1 year ago
I love the sound of J79 JT-11D
Flugzeugfan100 1 year ago
@Flugzeugfan100 What is a J79-JT-11D? I've never heard of it. There's the old JT-11D engine, but that's much different. As far as I know these planes are ex-Canadian CF-104's powered by Orenda J79-OEL-7, a.k.a. license-built -GE-7's. The F-104G is powered by the J79-GE-11A, which is built by various European companies...is the "JT" a code for a certain company? Wikipedia says the Japanese F-104J is powered by the "-IHI-11A", built by "Ishikawajima-Harima Industries"...is that a similar deal?
justforever96 1 year ago
they have that cool howling sound when they go subsonic
theopenJ 1 year ago
I love the sound of J-79 engines
Flugzeugfan100 1 year ago
I love the J79 Howel the F22 Raptor does the same thing.
Jhorak101 1 year ago
The vulcan sound beats the Starfighter by miles but i like the sound of the starfighter
TheFighterpilot93 1 year ago
This aircraft was developed in just two years.
Germany at that time bought a barely tested aircraft. They had not enough groundpersonal and not enough hangars. Many F-104 had to stand outside. The F-104 at that time had some problems and wasn't easy to fly. These are some reasons for all these crashes. Only a few years later, these problems were resolved and the F-104 has been improved. then the star fighter flew much better and the number of accidents decreased.
Scheltokeeper 1 year ago
Beautiful plane. Funny thing is, the americans really didn't like it!. The Germans made heavy use of it and suffered many accidents. The Italians used it until very recently and Spain had a few given to play with them, having the credit of being the only nation that operated the type without losses.
komepollass 1 year ago
Spectacular. Heard this sound for 10 years while my husband (Flash) flew this fantastic jet in Canada, Germany and Phoenix. Absolutely wonderful to see and hear this video. Thanks for the upload!!!
skisandhorses 1 year ago
Great aircraft, but difficult to master.
1100HondaCB 1 year ago
We need them here in Kansas at an airforce airshow,
kirkconway 1 year ago
@kirkconway Couldnt agree more! Would love to hear one! Perhaps at McConnell this year....i need to stop daydreaming, ;)
mytmousemalibu 1 year ago
My dad was in the air force and I remember hearing this sound all day and night. Love it.
beerrunner81 1 year ago
it almost sounds like a tie fighter lol it sounds like a wolf!
TheBlanco951 1 year ago
Amazing! I only got to see these guys once, at Oceana in '08, and they didn't fly due to the weather. Damn shame they're off the airshow circuit now!
Skyfire1977 1 year ago
In the early to mid 80s, I grew up near Selfridge ANG base that flew F-4C/Ds... and those made a similar howl. I notice that neither those ANG F-4's from the 1980s or these particular F-104's ever got the smokeless version of the J79. Unforunately enough, on a clear day you could see these thigns coming long before you'd hear them... Fishing in Lake Huron a few times when they flew over doing manuevers or whatever... You's see the smoke from miles and miles as they approached :)
shock1974 1 year ago
@shock1974 no smoke when they are in burner :)
azraelspectre 1 year ago
WOW! Great sound quality and great vid! Thanks!
zzjoerdo 1 year ago
i wasnt aware this many starfighters are still flyable in the states.. awesome vid
erad5 1 year ago
Yes - Great sound !!!!.
1Bandit455 1 year ago
that's a really cool profile view @ 1:03.
Alexsy82 1 year ago
Love that sound. It kinda reminds me of the Tie fighters off of star wars.
recruit71 1 year ago
The howl of an F104, has to be the best sound in aviation!!
muffcrusher 1 year ago
That was not a sound, it was an awful scream.
Januacaeli 1 year ago
Starfighters were very tricky on takeoff and landing, the small, thin wings didn't make alot of lift at low speeds so landing speeds were high like the mig-21. Also the wings would cover the high tail in turbulant air at high angles of attack causing the plane to pitchup.
ajgolden66 1 year ago 2
@ajgolden66 very true, and that pitch up was the cause of many deaths! The small wings did have blown flaps though which helped, but drop that engine below 80% RPM and you're in serious trouble!
planejunky 1 year ago
@ajgolden66 the wings arent there to make the lift. they are so small and thin that I cant understand why the hell this starfighter is acutally flying.
Morisson555 11 months ago
@Morisson555 its all engine, with a little bit of wind to help turn =)
CrotchRocket78 11 months ago
Greetings! For anyone interested, we just re-activated the 69th Fighter Squadron here at Luke AFB, within the 944th Fighter Wing, USAF Reserve. Formally known as the 69th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, the 69th was here at Luke from Oct69 to Mar83, as an F-104G training unit for our West German allies. As such, the 69th was part of the "Cactus Air Force", and was, I believe, the last USAF unit to fly the F-104. Zippers Forever!!! Cheers!
mrkeel2 2 years ago
@mrkeel2 My dad was one of the original 104 IP's at Luke AFB (1964?). He flew the zipper for about 6 years and was ops officer of the 69th when he retired in 1970. He absolutely loved the 104. The only other A/C he held in high regard was the F-86. I consider myself to be very privileged to have grown up the sounds of J-79s in flight.
usm7j 1 year ago
I wonder why so many users call them Flying Coffin
PorkIsHalal 2 years ago
Because a lot of pilot's die with the f-104. It is naturally unstable. Sfe to say it is also nicknamed the "widow-maker"
Airsz 2 years ago
@PorkIsHalal - The '104 was (is) a very "hot" aircraft and demanded constant attention to fly. As such, I believe the high accident rate the a/c suffered was due mainly to "pilot error" rather than a/c malfunction. As opposed to the original misson of the a/c, which was high altitude interception of enemy bombers, the low altitude tactical mission profiles flown by (mainly) NATO air forces was inherently more dangerous. (More next mail)....
mrkeel2 2 years ago
@PorkIsHalal - That being the case, many of the '104 accidents were "impact with the ground", i.e. pilots flying into the ground. I should corret myself a bit and say the a/c could be a bit tempremental, causing a good number of accidents, but stand by the assertion that many accidents were caused by pilot error. I had a great uncle whose son-in-law was killed in an F-104 flying out of Webb AFB, Big Spring, TX, probalby due to pilot error. Cheers!
mrkeel2 2 years ago
Thanks for your invaluable information.
That clarifies a lot for me.
Cheer~!
PorkIsHalal 2 years ago
small wings for speed make it unstable
741852963a 1 year ago
You gotta hear an F-4 with the blown flaps and slats going. It sounds like Satan's organ. Very creepy.
GoSlash27 2 years ago
Thats just what i wanted to say. When i was young the US Army often did manouver with the F4 where i lived. I will never forget that sound ^^
intergrell 2 years ago
italian air force was the last air force that use this fighter...near my city there was a military airport and the sound of starfighter engine was the track of my life
barge12345 2 years ago 9
@barge12345 hey dude pakistan had also use thz plane for your kind information
saad19971 1 year ago
fighter noise is the sound of freedom
barge12345 2 years ago
Hello! Can it be, that George Lucas had plagiated these sounds for his TIE-fighters? D)
Phantomias1313 2 years ago 6
@Phantomias1313 I don't know, but i made myself the very same quastion. Anyway you've got good ear. I think we are right. Too peculiar sound to be confused and Lucas used to reproduce real sounds (in fact altered with electronic filters which is the case I guess even for f-104/TIE fighter)
X8Mori 1 year ago
Do the twin engines of the F-4 create some kinda noise cancellation? Just like justforever96 said, it does not sound even close to how that single J79 sounds.
I ask you, what plane sounds better than this?
mindeloman 2 years ago
Wow! I....uh....wow! That was cool. LOL, I forgot the all about good old song of the J79. For some reason it sounds even better in the F-104 than the F-4. What a scream!
justforever96 2 years ago
cool ive the airfix modle of this its awsome
eliseley 2 years ago
The fabulous "howl of wolves" by the J79 turbo-jet. I still have strong memories of the F-104 Starfighter. Our German Air Force had 916 airplanes!
cyberarmy007 2 years ago 13
@cyberarmy007 and killed lots of its pilots in Germany!!!
leguandennis 1 year ago