text:
|F-104 Starfighter
|A U.S. Air Force Lockheed F-104A-10-LO Starfighter
|Interceptor aircraft, fighter-bomber
|National origin
|United States
|First flight
|4 March 1954
|20 February 1958
|2004 (Italy)
|Primary users
|United States Air Force
German Air Force
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Turkish Air Force
|Number built
|Unit cost
US$1.42 million (F-104G)[1]
|Developed from
|Lockheed XF-104
|Lockheed NF-104A
Canadair CF-104
Aeritalia F-104S
CL-1200 Lancer and X-27
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it was operated by the air forces of more than a dozen nations from 1958 to 2004.
The F-104 served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units until 1975. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flew a small mixed fleet of F-104 types in supersonic flight tests and spaceflight programs until 1994.[2] USAF F-104Cs saw service during the Vietnam War, and F-104A aircraft were deployed by Pakistan briefly during the Indo-Pakistani wars. Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) F-104s also engaged the People's Liberation Army Air Force (China) over the disputed island of Quemoy. The operational service of the Starfighter ended with its retirement by the Italian Air Force in May 2004.
A total of 2,578 Starfighters were eventually produced, mostly by NATO members.[3] A set of modifications produced the F-104G model, which won a NATO competition for a new fighter-bomber. Several two-seat trainer versions were also produced, the most numerous being the TF-104G. The ultimate production version of the basic fighter model F-104 was the F-104S all-weather interceptor designed by Aeritalia for the Italian Air Force and equipped with radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow missiles. An advanced F-104 with a high-mounted wing, known as the CL-1200 Lancer, did not proceed past the mock-up stage. The poor safety record of the Starfighter brought the aircraft into the public eye, especially in German Air Force service. The subsequent Lockheed bribery scandals surrounding the original purchase contracts caused considerable political controversy in Europe and Japan.
- 1 Development
- 2 Design
- 3 Operational history
- 4 Flying the F-104
- 5 World records
- 6 Variants
- 7 Production summary table and costs
- 8 Operators
- 9 Aircraft on display
- 10 Specifications (F-104G)
- 11 Notable appearances in media
- 12 Nicknames
- 13 See also
- 14 References
- 15 External links
Development[edit | edit source]
Background and early development[edit | edit source]
Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, the chief engineer at Lockheed's Skunk Works, visited Korea in December 1951 and spoke with fighter pilots about what sort of aircraft they wanted. At the time, the U.S. pilots were confronting the MiG-15 with North American F-86 Sabres, and many of the American pilots felt that the MiGs were superior to the larger and more complex American design. The pilots requested a small and simple aircraft with excellent performance.[4] Armed with this new-found information, Johnson immediately started the design of such an aircraft, following his return to the United States. In March, his team was assembled; they studied several aircraft designs, ranging from small designs at 8,000 lb (3,629 kg), to fairly large ones at 50,000 lb (23,680 kg). In order to achieve the desired performance, Lockheed chose a minimalist approach: a design that would achieve high performance by wrapping the lightest, most aerodynamically efficient airframe possible around a single powerful engine. The engine chosen was the new General Electric J79, an engine of dramatically improved performance compared to contemporary designs. The small L-246 design powered by a single J79 remained essentially identical to the L-083 Starfighter as eventually delivered.[4]
The design was presented to the Air Force in November 1952, and they were interested enough to create a General Operating Requirement for a lightweight fighter to replace the North American F-100. Three companies replied to the requirement: the Republic AP-55, an improved version of its prototype XF-91 Thunderceptor; the North American NA-212, which would eventually evolve into the F-107; and the Northrop N-102 Fang, another J79-powered design. Although all were interesting, Lockheed had an insurmountable lead, and was granted a development contract in March 1953 for two prototypes, these were given the designation "XF-104".[5]
Work progressed quickly, with a mock-up ready for inspection at the end of April, and work starting on two prototypes late in May. Meanwhile, the J79 engine was not ready; both prototypes were instead designed to use the Wright J65 engine, a licensed-built version of the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire. The first prototype was completed by early 1954 and first flew on 4 March at Edwards AFB. The total time from design to first flight was only about two years.[citation needed]
When the USAF revealed the existence of the XF-104, they only gave a vague description of it, similar to the secret F-117A in the 1980s. But surprisingly, artists working for various magazines came up with drawings very close to the actual design. A drawing in the Popular Mechanics, August 1954 edition was very close to the actual design.[6]
The prototype had hopped into the air on 18 February but it was not counted as a first flight, on the first official flight it had experienced landing gear retraction problems. The second prototype was destroyed a few weeks later during gun-firing trials but in November 1955 the prototype was accepted by the USAF. The J65 with afterburner did not allow the aircraft to reach its design speed. Directional stability issues needed to be corrected and additional fuel carried.[citation needed]
Further development[edit | edit source]
Based on the XF-104 testing and evaluations, the next variant, the YF-104A, was lengthened to 54 ft 8 in (16.66 m) and fitted with a General Electric J79 engine, a modified landing gear and modified air intakes.[citation needed]
The first YF-104A flew on 17 February 1956 and with the other 16 trials aircraft were soon carrying out aircraft and equipment evaluation and tests. Modifications were made to the aircraft including airframe strengthening and a ventral fin was added. Problems were encountered with the J79 afterburner and delays were caused by the need to add Sidewinder missiles, but by January 1958 the first operational squadron was formed.[citation needed]
A total of 2,578 F-104s were produced by Lockheed and under license by various foreign manufacturers.[3]
Design[edit | edit source]
Airframe[edit | edit source]
The F-104 featured a radical wing design. Most jet fighters of the period used a swept-wing or delta-wing planform. This allowed a reasonable balance between aerodynamic performance, lift, and internal space for fuel and equipment. Lockheed's tests, however, determined that the most efficient shape for high-speed, supersonic flight was a very small, straight, mid-mounted, trapezoidal wing. The new wing design was extremely thin, with a thickness-to-chord ratio of only 3.36% and an aspect ratio of 2.45. The wing's leading-edges were so thin (0.016 in/0.41 mm) and sharp that they presented a hazard to ground crews, and protective guards had to be installed during ground operations. The thinness of the wings required fuel tanks and landing gear to be placed in the fuselage. The hydraulic cylinders driving the ailerons had to be only 1 inch (25 mm) thick to fit. The wings had both leading- and trailing-edge flaps. The small, highly-loaded wing resulted in an unacceptably high landing speed, so a boundary layer control system (BLCS) of blown flaps was incorporated, bleeding engine air over the trailing-edge flaps to energize airflow over the flaps and thus improve lift. The system was a boon to safe landings, although it proved to be a maintenance problem in service, and landing without the BLCS could be a harrowing experience.[7]
The stabilator (horizontal tail surface) was mounted atop the fin to reduce inertia coupling. Because the vertical fin was only slightly shorter than the length of each wing and nearly as aerodynamically effective, it could act as a wing on rudder application, rolling the aircraft in the opposite direction of rudder input. To offset this effect, the wings were canted downward, giving 10° anhedral.[7]
The Starfighter's fuselage had a high fineness ratio, i.e., it was slender, tapering towards the sharp nose, and had a small frontal area. The fuselage was tightly packed, containing the radar, cockpit, cannon, fuel, landing gear, and engine. This fuselage and wing combination provided extremely low drag except at high angle of attack (alpha), at which point induced drag became very high. As a result, the Starfighter had excellent acceleration, rate of climb and potential top speed, but its sustained turn performance was poor. A later modification on the F-104A/B allowed use of the takeoff flap setting to M0.8/550 knots, which materially improved maneuverability. It was sensitive to control input, and extremely unforgiving of pilot error.[citation needed]
Engine[edit | edit source]
The F-104 was designed to use the General Electric J79 turbojet engine,[8] fed by side-mounted intakes with fixed inlet cones optimized for supersonic speeds. Unlike some supersonic aircraft, the F-104 did not have variable-geometry inlets. Its thrust-to-drag ratio was excellent, allowing a maximum speed well in excess of Mach 2: the top speed of the Starfighter was limited more by the aluminum airframe structure and the temperature limits of the engine compressor than by thrust or drag (which gave an aerodynamic maximum speed of Mach 2.2). Later models used improved versions of the J79, improving both thrust and fuel consumption significantly.[citation needed]
Ejection seat[edit | edit source]
Early Starfighters used a downward-firing ejection seat (the Stanley C-1), out of concern over the ability of an upward-firing seat to clear the "T-tail" empennage. This presented obvious problems in low-altitude escapes, and some 21 USAF pilots failed to escape their stricken aircraft in low-level emergencies because of it. The downward-firing seat was soon replaced by the Lockheed C-2 upward-firing seat, which was capable of clearing the tail, although it still had a minimum speed limitation of 104 mph (170 km/h). Many export Starfighters were later retro-fitted with Martin-Baker Mk.7 zero-zero ejection seats, which had the ability to successfully eject the pilot from the aircraft even at zero altitude and zero airspeed.[9]
Avionics[edit | edit source]
The initial USAF Starfighters had a basic AN/ASG-14T ranging radar, TACAN, and an AN/ARC-34 UHF radio. The later international fighter-bomber aircraft had a much more advanced Autonetics NASARR radar, an advanced Litton LN-3 Inertial Navigation System, a simple infrared sight, and an air data computer.[citation needed]
In the late 1960s, Lockheed developed a more advanced version of the Starfighter, the F-104S, for use by the Italian Air Force as an all-weather interceptor. The F-104S received a NASARR R21-G with a moving-target indicator and a continuous-wave illuminator for semi-active radar homing missiles, including the AIM-7 Sparrow and Selenia Aspide. The missile-guidance avionics forced the deletion of the Starfighter's internal cannon. In the mid-1980s surviving F-104S aircraft were updated to ASA standard (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma, or Weapon Systems Update), with a much improved, more compact FIAR R21G/M1 radar.
Armament[edit | edit source]
The basic armament of the F-104 was the 20 mm (.79 in) M61 Vulcan Gatling gun. This weapon frequently had shell ejection problems resulting in avionic problems and crashes. The Starfighter was the first aircraft to carry the new weapon, which had a rate of fire of 6,000 rounds per minute. The cannon, mounted in the lower part of the port fuselage, was fed by a 725-round drum behind the pilot's seat. It was omitted in all the two-seat models and some single-seat versions, including reconnaissance aircraft and the early Italian F-104S; the gun bay and ammunition tank were usually replaced by additional fuel tanks. The gun's location was advantageous as gun-flash was not in the pilot's line of sight, therefore not robbing him of night-adjusted vision. Two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles could be carried on the wingtip stations, which could also be used for fuel tanks. The F-104C and later models added a centerline pylon and two underwing pylons for bombs, rocket pods, or fuel tanks. The centerline pylon could carry a nuclear weapon; a "catamaran" launcher for two additional Sidewinders could be fitted under the forward fuselage, although the installation had minimal ground clearance and made the seeker heads of the missiles vulnerable to ground debris. The F-104S models added a pair of fuselage pylons beneath the intakes available for conventional bomb carriage. The F-104S had an additional pylon under each wing, for a total of nine.[citation needed]
Operational history[edit | edit source]
U.S. Air Force[edit | edit source]
The F-104A initially served briefly with the USAF Air Defense Command / Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) as an interceptor, although neither its range nor armament were well-suited for that role. The first unit to become operational with the F-104A was the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 20 February 1958, at Hamilton AFB, California. After just three months of service, the unit was grounded after a series of engine-related accidents. The aircraft were then fitted with the J79-3B engine and another three ADC units equipped with the F-104A. The USAF reduced their orders from 722 Starfighters to 155.[10] After only one year of service these aircraft were handed over to ADC-gained units of the Air National Guard, although it should be noted that the F-104 was intended as an interim solution while the ADC waited for delivery of the Convair F-106 Delta Dart.[11]
During the Berlin Crisis of 1961 President John F. Kennedy ordered 148,000 United States National Guard and reserve personnel to active duty on 30 August 1961, in response to Soviet moves to cut off allied access to Berlin. 21,067 individuals were from the Air National Guard (ANG), forming 18 fighter squadrons, four reconnaissance squadrons, six transport squadrons, and a tactical control group. On 1 November 1962, the USAF mobilized three more ANG fighter interceptor squadrons. In late October and early November, eight of the tactical fighter units flew to Europe with their 216 aircraft in "Operation Stair Step". Because of their short range, 60 F-104As were airlifted to Europe in late November, among them the 151st FIS and 157th FIS. The crisis ended in the summer of 1962 and the personnel returned to the United States.[12]
The subsequent F-104C entered service with USAF Tactical Air Command as a multi-role fighter and fighter-bomber. The 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George AFB, California, was the first unit to equip with the type in September 1958. Although not an optimum platform for the theater, the F-104 did see limited service in the Vietnam War. Again, in 1967, these TAC aircraft were transferred to the Air National Guard.
Vietnam War[edit | edit source]
Commencing with the Operation Rolling Thunder campaign, the Starfighter was used both in the air-superiority role and in the air support mission; although it saw little aerial combat and scored no air-to-air kills, Starfighters were successful in deterring MiG interceptors.[13] Starfighter squadrons made two deployments to Vietnam, the first being from April 1965 to November 1965, flying 2,937 combat sorties. During that first deployment, two Starfighters were shot down by ground fire. One was shot down by a Shenyang J-6 when the F-104 strayed into Chinese airspace, and two F-104s were lost to a mid-air collision while searching for the missing jet.[14][15][16] The 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed to Vietnam in April 1965 through July 1965, losing one Starfighter; and the 436th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed to Vietnam in July 1965 through October 1965, losing four.[17]
Starfighters returned to Vietnam when the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed from June 1966 until July 1967, in which time they flew a further 2,269 combat sorties, for a total of 5,206 sorties. Nine more F-104s were lost: two F-104s to ground fire, three to surface-to-air missiles, and the final four losses were operational (engine failures). The Starfighter units rotated and/or transitioned to F-4 Phantoms in July 1967, having lost a total of 14 F-104s to all causes in Vietnam.[18][19] F-104s operating in Vietnam were upgraded in service with APR-25/26 radar warning receiver equipment, and one example is on display in the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan.[20][page needed]
|F-104 Model
|Cause of Loss/Remarks
|476th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS)
|Shot down by enemy ground fire while providing close air support (CAS).[21]
|436th TFS
|Downed by ground fire while on a CAS mission.[22]
|435th TFS
|Downed by Chicom MiG-19 (J-6) 30mm cannon fire while on a MIGCAP mission.[23]
|436th TFS
|Mid air collision while conducting air search for earlier Chicom downed F-104C.[23]
|435th TFS
|(2) F-104Cs downed by SA-2 surface to air missiles (SAMs) while on MIGCAP mission.[24]
|435th TFS
|Downed by Anti-Aircraft Artillery fire (AA) while on reconnaissance mission.[25]
|435th TFS
|Downed by SA-2 SAM at 10,000 feet while on reconnaissance mission.[26]
|435th TFS
|Downed by ground fire during reconnaissance mission.[27]
|435th TFS
|Operational Loss; crashed while landing.[28]
|435th TFS
|Operational Loss; engine failure.[29]
|435th TFS
|Operational Loss; engine failure.[30]
|435th TFS
|Operational Loss; engine failure.[31]
The USAF was less than satisfied with the Starfighter and procured only 296 examples in single-seat and two-seat versions. At the time, USAF doctrine placed little importance on air superiority (the fighter-to-fighter mission), and the Starfighter was deemed inadequate for either the interceptor (meaning fighter-to-bomber) or tactical fighter-bomber role, lacking both payload capability and endurance compared to other USAF aircraft. Its U.S. service was quickly wound down after 1965. The last F-104As in regular USAF service were re-engined with more powerful and more reliable J79-GE-19 engines in 1967.[citation needed] The last USAF Starfighters left service in Regular Air Force in 1969. It continued in use with the Puerto Rico Air National Guard until 1975.[20]
The last use of the Starfighter in U.S. markings was training German pilots for the West German Air Force, with a wing of TF-104Gs and F-104Gs based at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Although operated in USAF markings, these aircraft (which included German-built aircraft) were owned by Germany. They continued in use until 1983.[32]
India-Pakistan Wars[edit | edit source]
At dawn on 6 September 1965, Flight Lieutenant Aftab Alam Khan of Pakistan claimed an Indian Dassault Mystère IV over West Pakistan and damaged another, marking the start of aerial combat in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It is claimed as the first combat kill by any Mach 2 aircraft, and the first missile kill for the Pakistan Air Force. Indian sources dispute this claim.[33][page needed] The PAF lost one F-104 Starfighter during the 1965 operations, scoring two kills in return. One of the F-104 Starfighter's victims was a Breguet Alize aircraft which belonged to the Indian Navy, which was shot down when a Starfighter was returning home from an aborted mission.[citation needed]
The Starfighter was also instrumental in intercepting an Indian Air Force Folland Gnat earlier, on 3 September 1965. F-104s were vectored to intercept the Gnat flying over Pakistan, returning to its home base. The F-104s, closing in at supersonic speed, caused the Gnat pilot, Squadron Leader Brij Pal Singh, to lower the undercarriage and land at a nearby disused Pakistani airfield to surrender.[citation needed] The IAF Gnat is now displayed at the PAF Museum, Karachi.[34]
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, two F-104As were lost in combat against the IAF Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s.[35] One of the F-104s, flown by Wing Commander Middlecoat, was shot down over the Gulf of Kutch, who successfully ejected over shark-infested waters, but was never found.[36][37] According to a Western military analyst, the Indian MiG-21s had won the much anticipated air combat between the MiG-21 and the F-104 Starfighter.[38]
1967 Taiwan Strait Conflict[edit | edit source]
On 13 January 1967, four Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force F-104G aircraft engaged a formation of 8 MiG-19s of the People's Liberation Army Air Force over the disputed island of Quemoy. Maj Shih-Lin Hu and Capt Bei-Puo Shih each shot down one MiG-19. This marked the first F-104 combat victory in the world. One F-104 did not return to base and its pilot was listed as MIA.[39]
Other international service[edit | edit source]
At the same time that the F-104 was falling out of U.S. favor, the German Air Force was looking for a foreign-designed multi-role combat aircraft to operate in support of a missile defense system.[40] The Starfighter was presented and reworked to convert it from a fair-weather fighter into an all-weather ground-attack, reconnaissance, and interceptor aircraft, as the F-104G. This was chosen over the English Electric Lightning, Grumman F11F Super Tiger, and Northrop N-156.[41] The aircraft found a new market with other NATO countries, and eventually a total of 2,578 of all variants of the F-104 were built in the U.S. and abroad for various nations. Several countries received their aircraft under the U.S.-funded Military Aid Program (MAP). The American engine was retained but built under license in Europe, Canada, and Japan. The Lockheed ejector seats were retained initially but were replaced later in some countries by the safer Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seat.
The so-called "Deal of the Century" produced substantial income for Lockheed. However, the resulting Lockheed bribery scandals caused considerable political controversy in Europe and Japan. In Germany, the Minister of Defence Franz Josef Strauss was accused of having received at least US$10 million for West Germany's purchase of the F-104 Starfighter in 1961.[42] Prince-consort Bernhard of the Netherlands was accused of having received more than US$1 million in bribes.
The international service of the F-104 began to wind down in the late 1970s, being replaced in many cases by the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it remained in service with some air forces for another two decades. The last operational Starfighters served with the Italian Air Force, which retired them on 31 October 2004.[citation needed]
Use as space launch platform[edit | edit source]
In 2011, 4Frontiers Corporation and Starfighters Inc, (a private F-104 operator) began working together on a project to launch suborbital sounding rocket from F-104s flying out of Kennedy Space Center. First launches were expected to occur in 2012. According to their website the project seems to be stalled.[43][dated info][44]
Flying the F-104[edit | edit source]
The Starfighter was the first combat aircraft capable of sustained Mach 2 flight, and its speed and climb performance remain impressive even by modern standards. Equipped with razor-edged thin blade supersonic wings (visible from the cockpit only in the mirrors), it was designed for optimum performance at Mach 1.4. If used appropriately, with high-speed surprise attacks and good use of its exceptional thrust-to-weight ratio, it could be a formidable opponent. It was exceptionally stable at high speed (600+ kts) at very low level, making it a formidable tactical nuclear strike-fighter. However, when lured into a low-speed turning contest with conventional subsonic opponents (as Pakistani pilots were with Indian Hunters in 1965) the outcome of dogfights was always doubtful. The F-104's large turn radius was due to the high speeds required for manoeuvring, and its high-alpha stalling and pitch-up behavior was known to command respect.[45]
Takeoff speeds were in the region of 219 mph (352 km/h), with the pilot needing to swiftly raise the landing gear to avoid exceeding the limit speed of 299 mph (481 km/h). Climb and cruise performance were outstanding; unusually, a "slow" light illuminated on the instrument panel at around Mach 2 to indicate that the engine compressor was nearing its limiting temperature and the pilot needed to throttle back. Returning to the circuit, the downwind leg could be flown at 242 mph (389 km/h) with "land" flap selected, while long flat final approaches were typically flown at speeds around 207 mph (333 km/h) depending on the weight of fuel remaining. High engine power had to be maintained on the final approach to ensure adequate airflow for the BLC (Boundary Layer Control) system; consequently pilots were warned not to cut the throttle until the aircraft was actually on the ground. A drag chute and effective brakes shortened the Starfighter's landing roll.[46]
Safety record[edit | edit source]
The safety record of the F-104 Starfighter became high-profile news, especially in Germany, in the mid-1960s. In West Germany it came to be nicknamed Witwenmacher ("The Widowmaker"). Some operators lost a large proportion of their aircraft through accidents, although the accident rate varied widely depending on the user and operating conditions; the German Air Force lost about 30% of aircraft in accidents over its operating career,[47] and Canada lost over 50% of its F-104s.[48] The Spanish Air Force, however, lost none.[49][50]
The Class A mishap rate (write off) of the F-104 in USAF service was 26.7 accidents per 100,000 flight hours as of June 1977,[51] (30.63 through the end of 2007[52]), the highest accident rate of any USAF Century Series fighter. By comparison, the rate of the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was 14.2/100,000[51] (13.69 through 2007[52]), and the mishap rate for the North American F-100 Super Sabre was 16.25 accidents per 100,000 flight hours.[53]
Notable U.S. Air Force pilots who lost their lives in F-104 accidents include Brigadier General Barnie B. McEntire, Lieutenant Colonel Raymond A. Evans,[54] Major Henry J. Schneckloth, Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., and Captain Iven Kincheloe. Civilian (former USAAF) pilot Joe Walker died in a midair collision with an XB-70 Valkyrie while flying an F-104. Chuck Yeager was nearly killed when he lost control of an NF-104A during a high-altitude record-breaking attempt. He lost the tips of two fingers and was hospitalized for a long period with severe burns after ejecting from the aircraft.[55]
On 2 November 1959, an F-104 crashed into a house in suburban Dayton, Ohio, killing two young girls and critically burning their mother; the pilot had ejected to safety a half-mile away from the crash site.[56]
General characteristics[edit | edit source]
The F-104 series all had a very high wing loading (made even higher when carrying external stores), which demanded that sufficient airspeed be maintained at all times. The high angle of attack area of flight was protected by a stick shaker system to warn the pilot of an approaching stall, and if this was ignored, a stick pusher system would pitch the aircraft's nose down to a safer angle of attack; this was often overridden by the pilot despite flight manual warnings against this practice. At extremely high angles of attack the F-104 was known to "pitch-up" and enter a spin, which in most cases was impossible to recover from. Unlike the twin-engined McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II for example, the F-104 with its single engine lacked the safety margin in the case of an engine failure, and had a poor glide ratio without thrust.[citation needed]
Early problems[edit | edit source]
The J79 was a new engine that continued to be developed during the YF-104A test phase and in service with the F-104A. The engine featured variable incidence compressor stator blades, a design feature that altered the angle of the stator blades automatically with altitude and temperature. A condition known as "T-2 reset", a normal function that made large stator blade angle changes, caused several engine failures on takeoff. It was discovered that large and sudden temperature changes (from being parked in the sun prior to getting airborne) were falsely causing the engine stator blades to close and choke the compressor. The dangers presented by these engine failures were compounded by the downward ejection seat which gave the pilot little chance of a safe exit at low level. The engine systems were subsequently modified and the ejection seat changed to the more conventional upward type. Uncontrolled tip-tank oscillations sheared one wing off of an F-104B; this problem was apparent during testing of the XF-104 prototype and was eventually resolved by filling the tank compartments in a specific order.[57]
Later problems[edit | edit source]
A further engine problem was that of uncommanded opening of the variable thrust nozzle (usually through loss of engine oil); although the engine would be running normally at high power, the opening of the nozzle resulted in a drastic loss of thrust. A modification program installed a manual nozzle closure control which reduced the problem. The engine was also known to suffer from afterburner blow out on takeoff or even non-ignition resulting in a major loss of thrust, which could be detected by the pilot—the recommended action was to abandon the takeoff. The first fatal accident in German service was caused by this. Some aircrews experienced uncommanded "stick kicker" activation at low level when flying straight and level, so F-104 crews often flew with the system deactivated. Asymmetric flap deployment was another common cause of accidents, as was a persistent problem with severe nose wheel "shimmy" on landing which usually resulted in the aircraft leaving the runway and in some cases even flipping over onto its back.[58][page needed]
German service[edit | edit source]
The introduction of a highly technical aircraft type to a newly reformed air force was fraught with problems. Many pilots and ground crew had settled into civilian jobs after World War II and had not kept pace with developments, with pilots being sent on short "refresher" courses in slow and benign-handling first generation jet aircraft. Ground crew were similarly employed with minimal training and experience, which were the consequence of a conscripted military with high turnover of servicemen. Operating in poor North West European weather conditions (vastly unlike the fair weather training conditions at Luke AFB in Arizona) and flying at high speed and low level over hilly terrain, a great many accidents were attributed to controlled flight into terrain or water, (CFIT). German Air Force losses totaled 110 pilots.[59] Also, a contributing factor to this was the operational assignment of the F-104 in German service: it was mainly intended for the fighter-bomber use, as opposed to the original design of a high-speed, high-altitude fighter/interceptor. This not only meant providing for the usual low-level missions, but also led to the installation of additional avionic equipment in the F-104G version, such as the INS system, whose additional weight hampered the flying abilities of the plane even further and was said to add far more distraction to the pilot. In contemporary German magazine articles highlighting the Starfighter safety problems, the aircraft was portrayed as "overburdened" with technology, which was considered a latent overstrain on the aircrews.[60]
In 1966 Johannes Steinhoff took over command of the Luftwaffe and grounded the entire F-104 fleet until he was satisfied that problems had been resolved or at least reduced. In later years, the German safety record improved, although a new problem of structural failure of the wings emerged. Original fatigue calculations had not taken into account the high number of g-force loading cycles that the German F-104 fleet was experiencing, and many airframes were returned for depot maintenance where their wings were replaced, while other aircraft were simply retired. Towards the end of Luftwaffe service, some aircraft were modified to carry an ADR or "black box" which could give an indication of the probable cause of an accident.[61] Erich Hartmann, the world's top-scoring fighter ace, commanded one of Germany's first jet fighter-equipped squadrons[62] and deemed the F-104 to be an unsafe aircraft with poor handling characteristics for aerial combat. To the dismay of his superiors, Hartmann judged the fighter unfit for Luftwaffe use even before its introduction.[63]
Normal operating hazards[edit | edit source]
The causes of a large number of aircraft losses were the same as for any other similar type. They included: bird strikes (particularly to the engine), lightning strikes, pilot spatial disorientation, and mid-air collisions with other aircraft. A particularly notable accident occurred on 19 June 1962 when a formation of four F-104F aircraft, practicing for the type's introduction-into-service ceremony, crashed together after descending through a cloud bank. Three Germans and one American pilot were killed, and the four aircraft destroyed. This accident was explained as probable spatial disorientation of one of the (trainee) wingmen,[64][verification needed] and formation aerobatic teams were consequently banned by the Luftwaffe from that day on.[65]
World records[edit | edit source]
The F-104 was the first aircraft to simultaneously hold the world speed and altitude records. On 7 May 1958 U.S. Air Force Major Howard C. Johnson, flying YF-104A 55-2957, broke the world altitude record by flying to 91,243 feet (27,811 m) at Edwards AFB.[66] On 16 May 1958, U.S. Air Force Capt Walter W. Irwin flying YF-104A 55-2969 set a world speed record of 1,404.19 mph over a 15/25 kilometer course at Edwards AFB.[66] Flying F-104A 56-0762 over NAS Point Mugu, California U.S. Air Force Lt William T. Smith and Lt Einar Enevoldson set several time-to-climb records on 13 and 14 December 1958:[66]
- 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in 41.85 seconds
- 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) in 58.41 seconds
- 9,000 metres (30,000 ft) in 81.14 seconds
- 12,000 metres (39,000 ft) in 99.90 seconds
- 15,000 metres (49,000 ft) in 131.1 seconds
- 20,000 metres (66,000 ft) in 222.99 seconds
- 25,000 metres (82,000 ft) in 266.03 seconds
On 14 December 1959, U.S. Air Force Capt "Joe" B. Jordan flying F-104C 56-0885 at Edwards AFB set a new world altitude record of 103,389 feet (31,513 m). He also set 30,000 metres (98,000 ft) time-to-climb record of 904.92 seconds.[66] (The T-38 took the lower-altitude records in Feb 1962 and soon after that all the time-to-climb records went to the F-4.[67]) U.S. Air Force Maj Robert W. Smith, flying NF-104A 56-0756, set an unofficial world altitude record of 118,860 feet (36,230 m) on 15 November 1963. On 6 December 1963 he flew the same aircraft to another unofficial altitude record of 120,800 feet (36,800 m).[66] Jacqueline Cochran flew TF-104G N104L to set three women's world's speed records. On 11 May 1964, she averaged 1,429.3 mph over a 15/25 km course, on 1 June she flew at an average speed of 1,303.18 mph over a 100-km closed-circuit course, and on 3 June she flew at an average speed of 1,127.4 mph over a 500-km closed-circuit course.[66] Lockheed test pilot Darryl Greenamyer built a F-104 out of parts he had collected. The aircraft, N104RB, first flew in 1976. On 2 October 1976, trying to set a new low-altitude 3-km speed record, Greenamyer averaged 1,010 mph at Mud Lake near Tonopah, Nevada. A tracking camera malfunction eliminated the necessary proof for the official record. On 24 October 1977 Greenamyer flew a 3 km official FAI record flight of 988.26 mph.[68]
On 26 February 1978, Greenamyer made a practice run for a world altitude record attempt. After the attempt, he was unable to get a lock light on the left wheel; after multiple touch-and-go tests at an Edwards Air Force Base runway, he determined that it was not safe to land. He ejected, and the N104RB crashed in the desert.[69]
Variants[edit | edit source]
- Two prototype aircraft equipped with Wright J65 engines (the J79 was not yet ready); one aircraft equipped with the M61 cannon as an armament test bed. Both aircraft were destroyed in crashes.[citation needed]
- 17 pre-production aircraft used for engine, equipment, and flight testing. Most were later converted to F-104A standard.[citation needed]
- A total of 153 initial production versions were built.[8] The F-104A was in USAF service from 1958 through 1960, then transferred to ANG until 1963 when they were recalled by the USAF Air Defense Command for the 319th and 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadrons. Some were released for export to Jordan, Pakistan, and Taiwan, each of whom used it in combat. In 1967 the 319th F-104As and Bs were re-engined with the J79-GE-19 engines with 17,900 lbf (79.6 kN) of thrust in afterburner; service ceiling with this engine was in excess of 73,000 ft (22,250 m). In 1969, all the F-104A/Bs in ADC service were retired. On 18 May 1958, an F-104A set a world speed record of 1,404.19 mph (2,259.82 km/h).[70]
- Three demilitarized versions with an additional 6,000 lbf (27 kN) Rocketdyne LR121/AR-2-NA-1 rocket engine, used for astronaut training at altitudes up to 120,800 ft (36,820 m).[71]
- A total of 22 F-104As converted into radio-controlled drones and test aircraft.
- Tandem two-seat, dual-control trainer version of F-104A, 26-built.[8] Enlarged rudder and ventral fin, no cannon and reduced internal fuel, but otherwise combat-capable. A few were supplied to Jordan, Pakistan, and Taiwan.
- Fighter-bomber versions for USAF Tactical Air Command, with improved fire-control radar (AN/ASG-14T-2), centerline and two wing pylons (for a total of five), and ability to carry one Mk 28 or Mk 43 nuclear weapon on the centerline pylon. The F-104C also had in-flight refuelling capability. On 14 December 1959, an F-104C set a world altitude record of 103,395 ft (31,515 m), 77 built.
- Dual-control trainer versions of F-104C, 21 built.[8]
- Dual-control trainer version of F-104J for Japanese Air Self-Defense Force, 20 built by Lockheed and assembled by Mitsubishi.
- Dual-control trainers based on F-104D, but using the upgraded engine of the F-104G. No radar, and not combat-capable. Produced as interim trainers for the German Air Force. All F-104F aircraft were retired by 1971; 30 built.
- 1,122 aircraft of the main version produced as multi-role fighter-bombers. Manufactured by Lockheed, and under license by Canadair and a consortium of European companies which included Messerschmitt/MBB, Dornier, Fiat, Fokker, and SABCA. The type featured strengthened fuselage and wing structure, increased internal fuel capacity, an enlarged vertical fin, strengthened landing gear with larger tires, and revised flaps for improved combat maneuvering. Upgraded avionics included a new Autonetics NASARR F15A-41B radar with air-to-air and ground mapping modes, the Litton LN-3 Inertial Navigation System (the first on a production fighter), and an infrared sight.
- 189 tactical reconnaissance models based on F-104G,[8] usually with three KS-67A cameras mounted in the forward fuselage in place of cannon.
- 220 combat-capable trainer version of F-104G;[8] no cannon or centerline pylon, reduced internal fuel. One aircraft used by Lockheed as a demonstrator with the civil registration number L104L, was flown by Jackie Cochran to set three women's world speed records in 1964. This aircraft later served in the Netherlands. A pair of two-seat TF-104Gs and a single-seat F-104G joined the Dryden inventory in June 1975.
- Projected export version based on a F-104G with simplified equipment and optical gunsight. Not built.
- Specialized interceptor version of the F-104G for the Japanese ASDF, built under license by Mitsubishi for the air-superiority fighter role, armed with cannon and four Sidewinders; no strike capability. Some were converted to UF-104J radio-controlled target drones and destroyed. Total of 210 built, three built by Lockheed, 29 built by Mitsubushi from Lockheed built components and 178 built by Mitsubishi.[8]
- Three F-104Gs were delivered to NASA in 1963 for use as high-speed chase aircraft. One, piloted by Joe Walker, collided with an XB-70 on 8 June 1966.
- 246 Italian versions were produced by FIAT (one aircraft crashed prior to delivery and is often not included in the total number built). Forty aircraft were delivered to the Turkish Air Force and the rest to the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana).[72] The F-104S was upgraded for the interception role having NASARR R-21G/H radar with moving-target indicator and continuous-wave illuminator for SARH missiles (initially AIM-7 Sparrow), two additional wing and two underbelly hardpoints (increasing the total to nine), more powerful J79-GE-19 engine with 11,870 lbf (53 kN) and 17,900 lbf (80 kN) thrust, and two additional ventral fins to increase stability. The M61 cannon was sacrificed to make room for the missile avionics in the interceptor version but retained for the fighter-bomber variants. Up to two Sparrow; and two, theoretically four or six Sidewinder missiles were carried on all the hardpoints except the central (underbelly), or seven 750 lb (340 kg) bombs (normally two–four 500–750 lb/227–340 kg). The F-104S was cleared for a higher maximum takeoff weight, allowing it to carry up to 7,500 lb (3,400 kg) of stores; other Starfighters had a maximum external load of 4,000 lb (1,814 kg). Range was up to 780 mi (1,250 km) with four tanks.[73]
- (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma – "Weapon Systems Update") – 150 upgraded F-104S with Fiat R21G/M1 radar with frequency hopping, look-down/shoot-down capability, new IFF system and weapon delivery computer, provision for AIM-9L all-aspect Sidewinder and Selenia Aspide missiles. It was first flown in 1985.[8]
- (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma/Modificato – "Weapon Systems Update/Modified") – 49 airframes upgraded in 1998 to ASA/M standard with GPS, new TACAN and Litton LN-30A2 INS, refurbished airframe, improved cockpit displays. All strike-related equipment was removed. The last Starfighters in combat service, they were withdrawn in December 2004 and temporarily replaced by the F-16 Fighting Falcon, while awaiting Eurofighter Typhoon deliveries.
- 200 Canadian-built versions, built under license by Canadair[8] and optimized for both nuclear strike and 2-stage-to-orbit payload delivery, having NASARR R-24A radar with air-to-air modes, cannon deleted (restored after 1972), additional internal fuel cell, and Canadian J79-OEL-7 engines with 10,000 lbf (44 kN)/15,800 lbf (70 kN) thrust.
- 38 dual-control trainer versions of CF-104, built by Lockheed, but with Canadian J79-OEL-7 engines.[8] Some later transferred to Denmark, Norway, and Turkey.
Production summary table and costs[edit | edit source]
|MBB [a]
|Messerschmitt [a]
|TF-104G (583C to F)
|TF-104G (583G and H)
|Total by manufacturer
Note: [a] "Messerschmitt" merged later to "Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) later a part of EADS.
Note: [b] One aircraft crashed on test flight and is not included.
Source: Bowman, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter[74]
|Unit R&D cost
|Flyaway cost
|1.7 million
|2.4 million
|1.5 million
|1.5 million
|1.42 million
|1.26 million
|Modification costs by 1973
|Cost per flying hour
|Maintenance cost per flying hour
Note: Costs in 1960 United States dollars and have not been adjusted for inflation.[1]
Operators[edit | edit source]
According to the FAA there are 10 privately owned F-104s in the U.S.[75] The Starfighters, a civilian demonstration team in Florida, operates three ex-Canadian Military CF-104 Starfighters (1 CF-104D and 2 CF-104s).[76] Another, 5303 (104633), civil registry: N104JR is owned and operated by a private collector in Arizona.[77]
The F-104 was operated by the militaries of the following nations:
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- Germany
- Greece
- Italy
- Japan
- Jordan
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Pakistan
- Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Spain
- Turkey
- United States
Aircraft on display[edit | edit source]
Since being withdrawn from service the Starfighter has been preserved in museums and is a popular gate guardian.
Specifications (F-104G)[edit | edit source]
|Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Cutaway
|Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Cutaway from Flightglobal.com
Data from Quest for Performance[78]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 54 ft 8 in (16.66 m)
- Wingspan: 21 ft 9 in (6.36 m)
- Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.09 m)
- Wing area: 196.1 ft² (18.22 m²)
- Airfoil: Biconvex 3.36% root and tip
- Empty weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)
- Loaded weight: 20,640 lb (9,365 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 29,027 lb (13,170 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × General Electric J79-GE-11A afterburning turbojet
- Dry thrust: 10,000 lbf (48 kN)
- Thrust with afterburner: 15,600 lbf (69 kN)
- Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0172
- Drag area: 3.37 sq ft (0.31 m²)
- Aspect ratio: 2.45
- Maximum speed: 1,328 mph (Mach 2.01, 1,154 kn, 2,137 km/h)
- Combat radius: 420 mi (365 nmi, 670 km)
- Ferry range: 1,630 mi(1,420 nm, 2,623 km)
- Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 48,000 ft/min (244 m/s)
- Wing loading: 105 lb/ft² (514 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.54 with max. takeoff weight (0.76 loaded)
- Lift-to-drag ratio: 9.2
- Guns: 1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) T171 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatling cannon, 725 rounds
- Hardpoints: 7 with a capacity of 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) and provisions to carry combinations of:
- Missiles: 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinder
- Other: Bombs, rockets, or other stores
Notable appearances in media[edit | edit source]
The Starfighter was featured in music and film. The German controversy over the Starfighter's contract and its toll on pilots inspired a rock concept album by Robert Calvert of Hawkwind, called Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters. It repeated the commonplace grim joke in Germany that the cheapest way of obtaining a Starfighter was to buy a small patch of land and simply wait.[79] After Kai-Uwe von Hassel succeeded Strauss as minister of defence, his son Oberleutnant Joachim von Hassel died in a Starfighter crash. This event was the topic of the Welle: Erdball song, "Starfighter F-104G".
Stock footage of F-104s was used when a U.S. Air Force F-104 intercepted the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek first season episode, "Tomorrow is Yesterday". In the remastered version of the episode, the stock footage was replaced by computer-generated imagery. The 1964 movie The Starfighters, about the training and operations of F-104 crews was subsequently featured in episode No. 612 of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The film starred future U.S. Congressman Robert Dornan.
An F-104G Starfighter in the guise of an NF-104A was featured in the 1983 film The Right Stuff. The appearance was based on an accident involving Chuck Yeager in an NF-104A on 10 December 1963.
Italian Air Force F-104 Starfighters starred in several episodes of the 1989 Italian public television RAI Due fiction series, "Aquile", narrating the story of an improbable group of Italian Air Force cadets going through the training in the Accademia Aeronautica of Pozzuoli (Naples).[80]
Nicknames[edit | edit source]
The Starfighter was commonly called the "missile with a man in it"; a name swiftly trademarked by Lockheed for marketing purposes. The term "Super Starfighter" was used by Lockheed to describe the F-104G in marketing campaigns, but fell into disuse. In service, American pilots called it the "Zipper" or "Zip-104" because of its prodigious speed. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force called it Eiko ("Glory"). A less charitable name appeared, "The Flying Coffin" from the translation of the common German public name of Fliegender Sarg. The F-104 was also called Witwenmacher ("Widowmaker"), or Erdnagel ("ground nail") – the official military term for a tent peg.[81] The Pakistani AF name was Badmash ("Hooligan"), while among Italian pilots its spiky design earned it the nickname Spillone ("Hatpin"), along with Bara volante ("Flying coffin"). In the Canadian Forces, the aircraft were sometimes referred to as the "Widowmaker",[82] or the "Lawn Dart".[83]
The engine made a unique howling sound at certain throttle settings which led to NASA F-104B Starfighter N819NA being named Howling Howland.[81]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Zero length launch
- North American Eagle
- Lockheed XF-104
- Lockheed NF-104A
- Canadair CF-104
- Aeritalia F-104S
- CL-1200 Lancer and X-27
- Lockheed U-2
- Dassault Mirage III
- English Electric Lightning
- Grumman F-11 Tiger
- Saunders-Roe SR.177
- Sukhoi Su-15
- List of fighter aircraft
- List of military aircraft of the United States
References[edit | edit source]
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Knaack 1978.
- ↑ "F-104 Starfighter." NASA, 1 February 2005.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Matricardi 2006, p. 129.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bowman 2000, p. 26.
- ↑ Bowman 2000, p. 32.
- ↑ "Air Force Puts Supersonic XF-104 Through Its Paces." Popular Mechanics, August 1954, p. 104.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bowman 2000, p. 28.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 Donald, David, ed. "Lockheed F-104 Starfighter". The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. New York: Barnes & Nobel Books, 1997. ISBN 0-7607-0592-5.
- ↑ "Ejection seats of the F-104." ejectionsite.com. Retrieved: 6 February 2008
- ↑ Käsmann 1994, p. 84.
- ↑ Bowman 2000, p. 39.
- ↑ "ANG Heritage: Missions, Wars and Operations." ang.af.mil. Retrieved: 8 August 2010.
- ↑ Thompson 2004, p. 155.
- ↑ Smith and Herz p. 29-35, 67, 68
- ↑ Windle and Bowman p. 38, 39
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 23 (photo).
- ↑ Thompson 2004, p. 157.
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 269.
- ↑ "F-104C "60910" 479th TFW USAF based at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand heads into Vietnam 1966, loaded with 2 M-117 750 lbs (340 kg) iron bombs, the maximum load at that time." 916-starfighter.de. Retrieved: 6 February 2008.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Hobson 2001
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 24.
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 25.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Hobson 2001, p. 32.
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 69.
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 72.
- ↑ Hobson p. 75
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 78.
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 85.
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 86.
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 87.
- ↑ Hobson 2001, p. 100.
- ↑ Fricker and Jackson 1996, p. 74.
- ↑ Jagan and Chopra, 2006.
- ↑ Tufail, Air Commodore M. Kaiser. "Run… It's a 104." Jang News. Retrieved: 9 April 2012.
- ↑ Mohan, P.V.S. Jagan. [1]/Appendix3.html "Aircraft Losses in Pakistan- 1971 War (PAF, Army Aviation, and Civilian aircraft Casualties)."] bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved: 27 June 2010.
- ↑ "Indian Air Force: Down the Memory Lane." Indian MoD. Retrieved: 29 July 2008.
- ↑ Jagan Mohan and Chopra 2005, p. 336.
- ↑ Coggins 2000, p. 21.
- ↑ Bowman 2000, p. 165.
- ↑ "Wingless Deterrent." Flight 14 February 1958, p. 95, via flightglobal.com. Retrieved: 27 June 2010.
- ↑ "First Things First: On Not seeing the Sales Trees for the Reorganization Woods." Flight 17 January 1958, p. 72, via flightglobal,com. Retrieved: 27 June 2010.
- ↑ "The Lockheed Mystery." Time magazine, 13 September 1976. Retrieved: 6 February 2008.
- ↑ "Star Lab suborbital launch vehicle: Official unveilong and flight test, October 27, 2011." Star Lab suborbital launch vehicle. Retrieved: 10 August 2013.
- ↑ "Vintage fighters return as launch platforms." citizensinspace.org, 20 March 2012.
- ↑ Yeager and Janos 1985, pp. 278–279.
- ↑ Bowman 2000, pp. 40, 43.
- ↑ Fricker and Jackson 1996, p. 92.
- ↑ Fricker and Jackson 1996, p. 78.
- ↑ Fricker and Jackson 1996, p. 97.
- ↑ "Spanish F-104 history." aire.org. Retrieved: 9 August 2009.
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 Bowman 2000, p. 21.
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 USAF Safety & Inspection Center
- ↑ Jenkins 2005, p. 46.
- ↑ Daily Review (Hayward, California), 4 March 1958.
- ↑ Yeager 1985, pp. 278–284.
- ↑ "Two children die as airplane slams into house after pilot bales out." Ocala Star-Banner, 3 November 1959.
- ↑ Drendel 1976, p. 22.
- ↑ Bowman 2000
- ↑ "Too gung-ho." New Scientist, Vol. 199, No. 2666, 26 July 2008, p. 17.
- ↑ "Trost vom General." Der Spiegel, 13 October 1965.
- ↑ Reed 1981, p. 46.
- ↑ Weal 1995, p. 164.
- ↑ Toliver and Constable 1985, pp. 285–286.
- ↑ Colonel Bruce Jones, USAF (retired)
- ↑ Kropf 2002, Ch. 10.
- ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 66.4 66.5 "The Starfighter: World Milestones." 916-starfighter.de. Retrieved: 10 August 2011.
- ↑ The T-38 time-to-climb records are ID numbers 8718, 8604, 8599, and 8719 in the FAI database. http://www.fai.org
- ↑ "F-104." International F-104 Society. Retrieved: 13 July 2011.
- ↑ Lednicer, David. "Lockheed F-104A Starfighter aircraft." airliners.net, 22 May 2005. Retrieved: 14 July 2011.
- ↑ "F-104 Starfighter." Federation of American Scientists, 29 June 1999. Retrieved: 17 May 2011.
- ↑ Air and Space Magazine: Sky High aritcle.
- ↑ Matricardi 2006, p. 130.
- ↑ Sgarlato 2004
- ↑ Bowman 2000, Appendix II.
- ↑ "FAA Registry." Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: 23 June 2011.
- ↑ "Starfighters F-104 Demo Team web site." starfighters.net. Retrieved: 6 February 2008.
- ↑ Baugher, Joe. "Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter". American Military Aircraft: Canadair CF-104D Starfighter, 20 January 2003. Retrieved: 24 February 2009.
- ↑ Loftin, LK, Jr. "NASA SP-468: Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft." NASA. Retrieved: 22 April 2006.
- ↑ Bashow 1990, p. 93. Quote: "...just buy an acre of land anywhere in Germany, Sooner or later..."
- ↑ "Aquile" IMDb. Retrieved: 17 May 2011.
- ↑ 81.0 81.1 Bashow 1986, p. 16.
- ↑ "Cold Lake Airforce Museum." Cold Lake Airforce Museum. Retrieved: 8 August 2010.
- ↑ "CF-104 Starfighter." canadianmilitary.page. Retrieved: 24 September 2010.
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- Bashow, David L. Starfighter: A Loving Retrospective of the CF-104 Era in Canadian Fighter Aviation, 1961–1986. Stoney Creek, Ontario: Fortress Publications Inc., 1990. ISBN 0-919195-12-1.
- Bashow, David L. "Starwarrior: A First Hand Look at Lockheed's F-104, One of the Most Ambitious Fighters ever Designed!" Wings, Vol. 16, no. 3, June 1986.
- Bowman, Martin W. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press Ltd., 2000. ISBN 1-86126-314-7.
- Coggins, Ed. Wings That Stay on. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 2000. ISBN 978-1-56311-568-4.
- Donald, David, ed. Century Jets. Norwalk, Connecticut: AIRtime Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-880588-68-4.
- Drendel, Lou. F-104 Starfighter in action, Aircraft No. 27. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1976. ISBN 0-89747-026-5.
- Fricker, John and Paul Jackson. "Lockheed F-104 Starfighter". Wings of Fame, Volume 2, 1996, pp. 38–99. London: Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-874023-69-7.
- Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Great Book of Fighters. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-1194-3.
- Higham, Robin and Carol Williams. Flying Combat Aircraft of USAAF-USAF (Vol.2). Manhattan, Kansas: Sunflower University Press, 1978. ISBN 0-8138-0375-6.
- Hobson, Chris. Vietnam Air Losses, USAF, USN, USMC, Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2001. ISBN 1-85780-115-6.
- Jackson, Paul A. German Military Aviation 1956–1976. Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1976. ISBN 0-904597-03-2.
- Jagan, Mohan P.V.S. and Samir Chopra. The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965. New Delhi: Manohar, 2006. ISBN 81-7304-641-7.
- Jenkins, Dennis R. "Hun Heaven, The Super Sabre Dance." Wings Magazine, Vol. 35, No. 12, December 2005.
- Jenkins, Dennis R. and Tony R. Landis. Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-58007-111-6.
- Käsmann, Ferdinand C.W. Die schnellsten Jets der Welt (German language) Planegg, Germany: Aviatic-Verl., 1994. ISBN 3-925505-26-1.
- Kinzey, Bert. F-104 Starfighter in Detail & Scale. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB books, 1991. ISBN 1-85310-626-7.
- Knaack, Marcelle Size. Encyclopedia of USAF Aircraft and Missile Systems: Vol. 1, Post-WW II Fighters 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. ISBN 0-912799-59-5
- Kropf, Klaus. German Starfighters. Hinckley, Leicestershire, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-85780-124-5.
- Matricardi, Paolo. Aerei militari: Caccia e ricognitori, Volume 1. Milan: Mondadori Electa, 2006. No ISBN.
- Nicolli, Ricardo. "Starfighters in the AMI". Air International, Volume 31, No. 6, December 1986, pp. 306–313, 321–322.
- Pace, Steve. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1992. ISBN 0-87938-608-8.
- Pace, Steve. X-Fighters: USAF Experimental and Prototype Fighters, XP-59 to YF-23. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1991. ISBN 0-87938-540-5.
- Reed, Arthur. F-104 Starfighter – Modern Combat Aircraft 9. London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1981. ISBN 0-7110-1089-7.
- Sgarlato, Nico. "F-104 Starfighter" (in Italian). Delta editions, Great Planes Monograph series, February 2004.
- Smith, Philip E. and Peggy Herz. Journey Into Darkness: the Gripping Story of an American Pow's Seven Years Trapped Inside Red China During the Vietnam War. New York: Pocket Books, 1992. ISBN 0-671-72823-7.
- Stachiw, Anthony L. and Andrew Tattersall. CF-104 Starfighter (Aircraft in Canadian Service). St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada: Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2007. ISBN 1-55125-114-0.
- Thompson, J. Steve with Peter C. Smith. Air Combat Manoeuvres: The Technique and History of Air Fighting for Flight Simulation. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-903223-98-7.
- Thompson, Warren. "Starfighter in Vietnam". International Air Power Review. Volume 12, Spring 2004. Norwalk, Connecticut, USA: AirTime Publishing. 2004. ISBN 1-880588-77-3.
- Toliver, Raymond F. and Trevor J. Constable. Holt Hartmann vom Himmel! (in German) Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag, 1985. ISBN 3-87943-216-3
- Upton, Jim. Warbird Tech – Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2003. ISBN 1-58007-069-8.
- USAF Class A mishap rates through the end of 2007. Kirtland AFB, New Mexico: USAF Safety and Inspection Center, 2007.
- van der Zeeuw, Ton. "Lockheed F-104G Starfighter." Vliegend in Nederland 2 (in Dutch). Eindhoven, Netherlands: Flash Aviation, 1987. ISBN 978-90-71553-03-5.
- Weal, John. "Jagdeschwader 'Richthofen': Phoenix Twice Risen". Wings of Fame, Volume 1, 1995, pp. 142–165. London: Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-874023-68-9.
- Yeager, Chuck and Leo Janos. Yeager, An Autobiography. New York: Bantam Books, 1985. ISBN 0-553-05093-1.
- Windle, Dave and Bowman, Martin. Profiles of Flight, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, Interceptor/Strike/Reconnaissance Fighter. (2011) Pen and Sword, Great Britain. ISBN 978-1-84884-449-0.
External links[edit | edit source]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to F-104 Starfighter.
- Lockheed XF-104 to F-104A, F-104B/D, F-104C, and F-104G pages on USAF National Museum site
- Baugher's F-104 Index Page variants and operators
- The International F-104 Society
- "Super Starfighter" a 1961 Flight article
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


text:
Ten Megaton Acceptance
- Kenny Luck Every Man Ministries
- 2008 12 Sep
Jesus did not blend with contemporary religious expression simply because he made His grace available to all, not some. To be this way meant he could not be codependent with culture, racial caricature, tradition, or the pseudo-holy practices of exclusion in order to deliver God's grace on earth. The criteria was this: as long as there was honesty of need on the other side, He would jump in the boat and make it over to that person's shore, wherever that led.
"Jesus unplugged" is a story of grace in motion—dangerously attractive, inviting, and controversial. God's vision for us is that we act like our big brother. If you are like me, this means I have to let go of my fears and let Jesus take over. I am not a radical, go-out-of-my-way connector with people not like me. I like sanitized and tidy, but I know that's not going to cut it. I must study Him, watch Him and seek to agent His grace. When I look closely at the Gospels I am convicted because this is what I see: nothing stopped the God-man from giving acceptance and affirmation to people who got used to feeling excluded. He went to them and they went to Him. In every case grace and people collided beautifully. I, too, want the excluded to feel Him when they collide with me.
How about you?
Pure Grace
Reject or accept. Avoid or engage. Steer clear or draw near.
This is the language of inclusion and exclusion. Think junior high. Think picking teams on the play ground as a little boy. The emotions connected are real and raw. I don't know who makes it onto to your private quarantine list. Maybe it's a homosexual co-worker, an obese neighbor, an alcoholic uncle, a race of people, senior citizens, or your "out there" son-in-law. Just think of anyone you shy away from for any reason, those you are afraid of, or those who give you a "fever" emotionally. How has God called you to relate to them? Watch and learn:
"While Jesus was in one of the towns a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, 'Lord if you are willing you can make me clean.' Jesus reached out and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left him," (Luke 5:12-13 NIV).
Think of a dish forgotten in the back of your refrigerator that you have left there for a few weeks. It's gone bad and is covered with fuzzy stuff. Think about your reaction when you lifted the foil. Did you make a face? This man—this leper—was visibly shocking from a physical perspective. Imagine a man "covered" with leprosy. Got it? Your natural reaction to this human mildew would be the same—your face would contort and recoil. That's what this man experienced on a daily basis in first century Palestine. He was so ashamed of his appearance he could not look Jesus in the face. Ask yourself: what is a man with leprosy most hungry for? Look at what the God-man gave him first and you have found your answer. Notice He didn't heal him physically first. He touched him! Imagine you are this man as you see and sense Jesus about to do the unthinkable. "Is He extending his arm? No, no it can't be!" Imagine the safe and soft landing Jesus hand makes on the shoulder of this man who has not experienced positive human touch in years or, perhaps, decades.
For this man, touch is the grace of God, touch is acceptance, and touch is affirmation of dignity. Jesus is healing his heart and saving him already by simply touching him. The grace of God is pouring over this man and not a word is said. Jesus first communication does not produce the physical healing. It produces the acceptance of the man as a person worth healing. What must have been flowing through the leprous man's head upon feeling the mighty touch of acceptance and upon hearing the words of physical acceptance: "I am willing." I can see eyes locking and a silent acknowledgment between the two men. The message is simple: you are touchable, you are acceptable, and you are not alone my brother. Ten megatons of grace have been detonated in a man's heart. The actual physical healing is just the mushroom cloud which evidences the internal explosion.
His critics accused Jesus of being comfortable with sinners. If they said that about Christ and Christ lives in you, then it makes sense to assume that Christ followers should be good at this. What exactly is this again? Being expressive agents of God's grace; allowing the Holy Spirit to use us to help others feel acceptance by God; and having the faith and courage to affirm people apart from their sin as those worthy of the Father's love. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth," (John 1:14 NIV). Jesus was an ambassador of the grace of God. We cannot compartmentalize this most radical and transforming aspect of Jesus' character away from our journey as God's man. Jesus is good at being generously accepting. His unequivocal desire is that he wants his men to be good at it too.
Kenny Luck is the Men's Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. He is also the Founder and President of Every Man Ministries which helps churches worldwide develop and grow healthy men's communities. Please visit www.everymanministries.com for more information.

subset: commoncrawl


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An Angry Hearing On The Hill For 'Cockamamie' Twitter-like Network
The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, was on Capitol Hill today. Rajiv Shah was there to discuss his agency's $20 billion budget request. But lawmakers were more interested in a program that ran out of money two years ago. It was a secretly funded text messaging service similar to Twitter used by tens of thousands of Cubans. Critics accuse USAID of using the social networking site as a tool to destabilize that country's communist regime. And one of the harshest critics: the chairman of the committee Shah sat before today. NPR's David Welna has the story.
DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: Vermont Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy has been fuming about a program he says he knew nothing about ever since the Associated Press reported last week that USAID covertly set up a Twitter-like service in Cuba and ran it for nearly four years. Leahy chairs the appropriations panel that funds USAID and he had sharp questions for Shah, the agency's administrator.
SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY: Whose idea was this?
RAJIV SHAH: The program was designed in 2007 and 2008, at that timeframe. That said, the legislation that crafts the purpose of the program...
LEAHY: No. Whose idea was it for this specific program? I've read the legislation. The legislation doesn't say anything about setting up cockamamie idea in Cuba with Twitter accounts and all on something that the Cubans would be so easy to discover. Whose idea was this specific program to go to Cuba? Who? It's a simple question.
SHAH: Sir, the program was in place before I arrived.
WELNA: Shah took over at USAID four years ago. He acknowledged that the 68,000 Cubans who used the Twitter-like program known as ZunZuneo never were told who was behind it. Nebraska Republican Mike Johanns told Shah he could not imagine why USAID should even be involved in such a program.
SENATOR MIKE JOHANNS: To me, it seems crazy. It just seems crazy that you would be in the middle of that. That's just my observation.
WELNA: And Leahy pointed out to Shah that USAID is now seen as engaging in secret activities with political aims.
LEAHY: Doesn't that taint all USAID employees around the world as spies? I mean, we're already getting emails from USAID employees all over the world, current and past, saying, how could they do this and put us in such danger?
SHAH: Sir, we support civil society.
WELNA: One sad result of that policy, Leahy noted, is the 15-year prison sentence that a USAID contractor is serving in Cuba after being arrested more than four years ago while trying to set up an online network for Jews in Havana.
LEAHY: U.S. citizen Alan Gross remains in solitary confinement in his fifth year capacity solely because he was carrying out a USAID program which was dumb in its inception.
WELNA: Among those attending the hearing was Peter Kornbluh, a Cuba expert with the nongovernmental National Security Archive. He says the foreign aid agency started in the Kennedy administration seems to be going back to its old ways.
PETER KORNBLUH: In the 1960s, USAID was used as a front for the Central Intelligence Agency. Now, it appears to be a compliment or supplement to those types of covert operations.
WELNA: Still, some in Congress applaud USAID's efforts in Cuba. New Jersey's Bob Menendez is the Cuban-American chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ: At the end of the day, just giving people the opportunity to communicate with the outside world and with each other is, in my mind, a fundamental element of any democracy program that we would be promoting.
WELNA: No one, though, has proposed reviving the program in Cuba. David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.
Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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Cousins helps Kings beat Cavs to end 4-game skid
DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, and the Sacramento Kings snapped a four-game losing streak with a 124-118 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.
Jimmer Fredette and Cousins both scored eight points in the fourth quarter for the struggling Kings, who had allowed nearly 118 points per game during the losing streak and had three losses of 20 points or more.
Marcus Thornton had 20 points and Tyreke Evans added 18 for the Kings. Fredette had 16 points, John Salmons 14 and rookie Thomas Robinson tied a career high with 12 points and added seven rebounds.
Reserve Dion Waiters scored a career-high 33 points for the Cavaliers, who have lost three straight and eight of 10. CJ Miles scored 17 points and Tristan Thompson had 17 points and 15 rebounds. Kyrie Irving had 15 points, but shot 6 of 19 and had six turnovers.
Waiters made two straight 3s, cutting the Kings lead to three points. After the Kings made a free throw, Waiters missed at the other end and Cousins secured the rebound and was fouled. His two free throws sealed the victory.
Irving made two free throws and a jumper to get the Cavaliers within five, but he lost the ball on consecutive possessions and the turnovers led to fastbreak layups byThornton and Cousins, giving the Kings a 116-107 lead with 1:29 to go.
Rumors continue regarding the sale of the Kings. The Maloof ownership is reportedly on the verge of selling the team to a Seattle-based ownership group that would move the team to Seattle next season.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is searching for a local group that will buy the team and keep it in Sacramento.
Evans made his first start since missing 16 games, including 11 straight, with a sore left knee. Evans, who played in a reserve role the previous three games, got going early, scoring seven points in the game's first four minutes.
Evans made all six field-goal attempts, including two 3-pointers, and converted four of four free throws.
Fredette converted a three-point play, then added two free throws following a hard foul near mid-court. Fredette's five straight points put the Kings ahead 106-98 with 5:31 remaining. Fredette was finished. He made consecutive 3-points to give Sacramento a nine-point lead with just over four minutes left.
Waiters scored seven points in a short span to keep the Cavaliers close in the fourth quarter. His driving layup with 6:42 left cut the Sacramento lead to 101-98.
Ineffective in the first half, Thompson was a major factor in the third quarter when the Cavaliers outscored the Kings 30-24. The Cavaliers' second-year forward had 11 points and seven rebounds in helping Cleveland pull to within 93-87 entering the fourth.
Cousins scored 14 points and eight rebounds in the opening half when the Kings led 69-57. Evans had 12 points and the bench contributed 31 points in helping the Kings shoot 56 percent.
Miles had 14 points and Waiters added 12 in the first half for Cleveland.
Notes: Cousins was called for a technical foul in the third quarter after committing his first foul of the game. Less than a minute later, Cousins was called for a controversial flagrant 1 foul against Zeller. ... Making a rare early appearance, Robinson had six points in the first quarter, highlighted by a dunk off a lob pass with one second left in the period. . Former King Omri Casspi had a strong second quarter off the bench, scoring 10 points. . Sacramento had its entire roster available, which hasn't been the case for much of the season due to injuries and suspensions.


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Since Google first laid out their plans for WebRTC, I was excited that there was going to be a next evolution of browser based communication. Before this, Adobe had actually built a pretty amazing framework for real time communications, which gave you webcam and microphone access right from the browser, support for the H.264, G.711 and Speex codecs, as well as a new low-latency UDP based protocol, RTMFP. However, Adobe failed to iterate on the technology, build a devoted developer community, open source the framework (when they actually did do it, it was too little too late), and ultimately get any real buy-in that this could be a disruptive communications framework – even though it basically did everything that WebRTC does.
Regardless, Google has now provided the world with the promise of open communications straight out of the browser, and Firefox has jumped on this wagon pledging their full support. There has been a huge amount of buzz around this technology, and everyone from chat sites to telecom carriers are trying to get a handle on the disruption that is heading our way.
However, as a developer of browser based, real-time communication platforms for the past several years, I feel like I've developed a bit of a 6th sense for the challenges that come with delivering enterprise grade reliability out of the browser – and I'm concerned about WebRTC's ability to deliver on this promise. Specifically, our recent experience with implementing WebRTC based audio showed us how different Chrome's implementation of the spec was from Firefox's, and how this can lead to some serious reliability challenges.
Chrome's implementation has been extremely smooth, which makes perfect sense for obvious reasons. However, Firefox's implementation in 22 and 23 is almost completely unusable for reliable communications. It suffers from a lack of echo cancellation which can manifest itself as howling feedback, and a bug that results in an ever growing lag that can only be fixed by hanging up your call and reconnecting. For that reason, even though WebRTC is available on Firefox, we cannot roll it out to our users at this time, until these critical issues are resolved.
It's obvious that WebRTC is still an extremely young technology, being iterated on very quickly by the browser manufacturers. However, the world is eager dive in and realize the benefits that are being promised, and this can't be done unless there's a very high quality standard being enforced. As the browser becomes a critical piece of communication infrastructure, any bug released can cripple communications around the world. Additionally, as communication vendors move into the browser, their business models, customer satisfaction levels, and revenues all depend on the proper and flawless implementation of this standard.
It's inevitably challenging to roll out a disruptive new standard like WebRTC. Working as a community to deliver the highest quality WebRTC stack possible, validated with best-practice QA procedures, will help speed adoption of this important new standard by those of us creating the future communication and collaboration platforms built on it.
The promise of WebRTC is there. We're excited and ready to innovate.


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Biomagnetism: Magnetic Fields Produced by the Human Body
David Cohen, MIT
Friday, November 7, 2008, 3:30pm
Spanos Auditorium
This seminar is part of the Jones Seminars on Science, Technology, and Society series
Biomagnetism is the phenomenon where magnetic fields are produced by the living things, especially by the human body; (different from magnetic fields applied to the body, called magnetobiology). The body's magnetic fields are very weak, and are measured with the sensitive detector called a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device), usually in a magnetically shielded room, which excludes most external disturbances. There are about 160 laboratories around the world where fields from various parts of the body are measured; most measure the magnetic field from the brain, called the magnetoencephalogram, or MEG. The MEG shows complementary information to the electroencephalogram (EEG), and is producing valuable new information about the normal human brain. It also shows promise in clinical diagnosis of brain abnormalities. Thus, Biomagnetism is a promising new window into the human body generally, and into the brain, in particular. Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth is now acquiring a MEG system, and exciting developments are expected.
About the Speaker
David Cohen pioneered the study of Biomagnetism (magnetic fields produced by the body), where he made many of the first measurements. In 1969 Cohen built an elaborate shielded room at MIT, but still needed a more sensitive detector. James Zimmerman had just developed an extremely sensitive detector called the SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device). Cohen and Zimmerman set up this detector in the new room to look at the body's heart signal - the magnetocardiogram (MCG). For the first time the signals were clear, and their resulting report, called the magna carta of biomagnetism, ushered in a new era in biomagnetism. Cohen then measured the first clear signal from the brain or magnetoencephalogram (MEG). Cohen continuously worked in biomagnetism throughout his career, authored many publications, mostly concerning the MEG, and has been called "the father of the MEG". He remains active, is on the faculty at the Harvard Medical School, and is a mentor in the MEG group at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, which is located at Massachusetts General Hospital.


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Fall Managed Care Forum
Nov. 13-14, 2014
Bellagio Hotel
Las Vegas Nevada
Click here to visit the conference website.
Click Here to view our Complimentary Online CME/CEU Webcasts
Otezla® (apremilast) is approved for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy. Please click here for more information.


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Shadow Boxing Men's Tee
During the release of ShadowBoxing I was just returning back to martial arts and boxing. It felt like the perfect name for this period of time, fighting back my own demons, mastering my shadows. Most times, art is a superlative metaphor for the struggle of the human condition. I hope that the music I create helps you get through your rounds of sparring with added determination and strength.


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It's Shrove Tuesday - aka Pancake Day. Here's the time Top Gear met LA ex-gang members seeking redemption through cars…
"I'm Frosty. I'm gonna introduce you to my homeboys. They used to be knuckleheads like me, messing around with gangs, drugs and guns. Now we're into the lowriders, man. Old Memories Car Club. That's how we kick it"
Frosty is a poppet. He dangles an arm, etched with gang tattoos, from the window of his Dodge and dives towards East Los Angeles with the silk-wrung confidence of someone that knows every inch of these streets. When we arrive at a park in the San Gabriel Valley, the Listerine-blue ocean and valet parking of beachside LA hang lost in the rear-view mirror. There's a Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan parked under trees limp from the sun. Its running boards are an inch from the ground, and it's involuntary-noise spotless. Like it's passed through a Stargate from 1948.
"Welcome to the hood."
Pictures: Robert Yager
This feature first appeared in Top Gear magazine


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PHOTO: Alessandra Ambrósio Models $2.5 Million Bra
The Angel will wear the piece during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show next month
Russell James for Victoria's Secret
Supermodel Alessandra Ambrósio was sitting home breastfeeding her 3-week-old son Noah when the phone rang and she got the surprise of her life.
"I just wanted to scream," admits the mother of two, recalling the moment she was asked to model the coveted 'Fantasy Bra' in the upcoming Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. "But I won't lie, I was really worried," she admits."I was in total mother mode."
As soon as her doctor gave her the green light to work out, Ambrósio, 31, also mother to daughter Anja, 4, got to work shedding the baby weight. Starting with yoga and walking, the model turned up her routine after 60 days and added daily sessions of pilates and spin for cardio.
And while in L.A. for the summer, the brunette beauty also took advantage of the great outdoors. "I was playing a lot of volleyball on the beach, swimming and running after my kids. And breastfeeding always helps," she says with a laugh.
But keeping healthy during her pregnancy was key; she stuck to fresh green juices, kale salads and fish, a diet she's continued with the occasional splurge of pizza or ice cream. "My daughter loves cupcakes so we'll share … but only sometimes!"
There's less than one month to go until she hits the VS runway donning the $2.5 million Floral Fantasy gift set, which includes a Very Sexy push-up bra handset with amethysts, sapphires, rubies and diamonds (plus a removable 20-carat white diamond in the center), and the matching belt, adorned with more than 5,200 precious gems.
"It was perfect for me," Ambrósio says of the set, designed by Long Island's London Jewelers (who did last year's bra, modeled by Miranda Kerr). "I felt they made it for me. It's very romantic."
And now that she feels so ready for the big day, nerves aren't even an issue. "I'm pretty calm," she says. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Don't miss Ambrósio on the runway at the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, airing Dec. 4 on CBS.
–Jennifer Garcia


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(Brought in Perl and some prose from Python plugins)
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Revision as of 01:49, 17 September 2011
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- 1.1 Ada
- 1.2 autoconf-archive
- 1.3 be
- 1.4 btparser
- 1.5 caribou-devel
- 1.6 cddlib-static
- 1.7 emacs-ecb
- 1.8 frama-c
- 1.9 GCC Python Plugins
- 1.10 jruby
- 1.11 libpipeline
- 1.12 osm-gps-map-devel
- 1.13 Perl 5.14
- 1.14 qwtpolar-devel
- 1.15 shunit2
- 1.16 Static Analysis of CPython Extensions
- 1.17 why-emacs
- 1.18 wso2
Warning - Beat Converted
The contents of this beat have been converted to Publican and sent for translation. The official Fedora 25 documentation now contains the information that was on this page.
If you have changes or corrections please file a bug. Use the product Fedora Documentation, component release-notes.
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Ada is a modern programming language designed for large, long-lived applications – and embedded systems in particular – where reliability and efficiency are essential. It was originally developed in the early 1980s (this version is generally known as Ada 83) by a team led by Dr. Jean Ichbiah at CII-Honeywell-Bull in France. The language was revised and enhanced in an upward compatible fashion in the early 1990s, under the leadership of Mr. Tucker Taft from Intermetrics in the U.S. The resulting language, Ada 95, was the first internationally standardized (ISO) Object-Oriented Language. Under the auspices of ISO, a further (minor) revision was completed as an amendment to the standard; this version of the language is known as Ada 2005. Work is currently in progress on some additional features (including support for program anotations) and is expected to be completed in 2012.
Fedora 16 includes the latest open-source Ada development tools.
- Fedora 16 includes full stack of tools for Ada Development: Compiler (gcc-gnat), Project Builder (gprbuild), IDE (GPS) and some others
- Ada bindings for most popular tools such as: GTK, Qt, zeromq, Databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite) etc
The GNU Autoconf Archive is a collection of more than 450 macros for GNU Autoconf that have been contributed as free software by friendly supporters of the cause from all over the Internet. Version 2011.04.12 is now included in Fedora 16. Refer to http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf-archive/index.html for the project details.
Bugs Everywhere is a "distributed bugtracker", designed to complement distributed revision control systems. By using distributed revision control as a backend for bug state, we gain several convenient features:
- Bugs and code that live on branches are tracked together—when a branch is merged, both the code changes and bug changes that the branch contains are merged alongside each other. We no longer have to be confused about whether a fix that is applied to the development branch but not yet present in the production branch means that our bug is "fixed".
- Users can fully modify bug state while offline, unlike with many centralized bugtrackers.
- When a user checks out your source code, she gets the current bug state for free.
- We can still provide access to a friendly web interface for users—in this model, a web interface becomes just another client that merges with the main repository.
Fedora 16 includes version 1.0.1.
btparser is a backtrace parser and analyzer, which works with backtraces produced by the GNU Project Debugger. It can parse a text file with a backtrace to a tree of C structures, allowing the developer to analyze the threads and frames of the backtrace and work with them. The project's trac page may be found at https://fedorahosted.org/btparser/.
Caribou is a text entry and UI navigation application being developed as an alternative to the Gnome On-screen Keyboard. The overarching goal for Caribou is to create a usable solution for people whose primary way of accessing a computer is a switch device.
The initial goal is to make an in-place on-screen keyboard suitable for people who can use a mouse but not a hardware keyboard. This on-screen keyboard may also be useful for touch screen or tablet users. http://live.gnome.org/Caribou.
cddlib is a C library implementing of the Double Description Method of Motzkin et al. for generating all vertices (i.e. extreme points) and extreme rays of a general convex polyhedron. http://www.ifor.math.ethz.ch/~fukuda/cdd_home/.
emacs-ecb is an Emacs-based code browser. It displays a number of informational windows that allow for easy source code navigation and overview:
- A directory tree,
- a list of source files in the current directory (with full support and display of the VC-state),
- a list of functions/classes/methods/... in the current file, (ECB uses the CEDET-semantic, or Imenu, or etags, for getting this list so all languages supported by any of these tools are automatically supported by ECB too)
- a history of recently visited files (groupable by several criterias),
- a direct and auto-updated ecb-window for the semantic-analyzer for some intellisense,
- the Speedbar
- output from compilation (the compilation window) and other modes like help, grep etc. or whatever a user defines to be displayed in this window.
More information may be found at http://ecb.sourceforge.net/.
frama-c is a C source code analysis tool, which may be used standalone, or integrated with Emacs. frama-c includes a source browser, and can calculate simple metrics such as sloc, call depth and cyclomatic complexity for a project. It can also generate simple call graphs. Various assertions about the code may be tested, and the code may be validated against a number of theorems. frama-c accepts user written plugins for additional custom analyses. More information on frama-c may be found at http://frama-c.com/.
GCC Python Plugins
GCC plugins that embed Python 2 and Python 3 are now available, enabling developers to more easily hook into GCC's inner workings (e.g. to add new compiler warnings). See the Feature Page for more details.
jruby is a Java implementation of the Ruby language, offering Ruby programmers the platform independence of Java. Version 1.6.2 of jruby is new to Fedora 16. The project page may be found at http://jruby.org.
libpipeline provides a set of functions for manipulating pipelines of subprocesses in a flexible and convenient way. http://libpipeline.nongnu.org/.
osm-gps-map-devel, a Gtk+ widget (and Python bindings) that when given GPS co-ordinates, draws a GPS track, and points of interest on a moving map display. Downloads map data from a number of websites, including openstreetmap.org. http://nzjrs.github.com/osm-gps-map/.
Perl 5.14
Fedora 16 ships with Perl 5.14, which boasts Unicode version 6 compatibility, more reliable and consistent exception handling, improved IPV6 support, and performance and memory handling improvements. For the full list of changes (including syntax changes), please see the official Perl documentation: http://perldoc.perl.org/perl5140delta.html.
qwtpolar-devel is a library for plotting polar graphs. http://qwtpolar.sourceforge.net/.
shunit2 is a unit test framework for shell scripts similar to PyUnit or JUnit. http://code.google.com/p/shunit2/.
Static Analysis of CPython Extensions
Fedora now ships with a gcc-with-cpychecker variant of GCC, which adds additional compile-time checks to Python extension modules written in C, detecting various common problems (e.g. reference counting mistakes).
why-emacs is an Emacs add on for the Why software verification tool. http://why.lri.fr/. Why supports a number of theorem provers including Ergo, haRVey and Zenon, as well as a number of others.
New to Fedora 16, the WSO2 Web Services Framework for C++ is an enterprise grade C++ library for providing and consuming Web Services in C++. Fedora includes version 2.1.0 of the framework. Documentation may be found at http://wso2.org/project/wsf/cpp/2.0.0/docs/.


text:
Blackwing Third Man Records - Records Black Pencil
Regular price $5.25
Shipping calculated at checkout.
12 in stock
Looking for one of all three? Please go here and purchase the trio set.
Custom Blackwing created for Third Man Records.
- Black finish
- Balanced core (~2-3B)
Single pencils available here.
Third Man Records empty pencil boxes available here.
Cool stuff to add with this pencil:
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text:
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Welcome to our Website with Me Amou, and i'm reviewers for this film, now i am going to talk about Life Is Beautiful Produced by Melampo Cinematografica, Miramax, StudioCanal in the Italy with the duration
Watch Life Is Beautiful (1997) : Full Movie Online FREE HD A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While locked up he tries to convince his son that the whole thing is just a game.
Who's The Cast on Film Life Is Beautiful 1997??
When Life Is Beautiful to release? ? RELEASE on Dec 20, 1997 at Italy
Country: Italy
Production Co:Melampo Cinematografica, Miramax, StudioCanal
Quality: HD
Release: Dec 20, 1997
View: 9391


text:
Band of Brothers
RF Ohl and Blue Moon Brewing Company present the 2018 Deck Party Series with free live entertainment on the patio!
6:30pm until 9:00pm - Rain or Shine!
Sponsor Blue Moon will be on-site with fun promotions on the following dates:
Thursday June 14th- Ostrich Hat 6:30-8:30
Thursday July 5th- Craig Thatcher 6:30-8:30
Thursday August 9th- Becky and the Beasts 6:30-8:30
Thursday August 23rd- Band of Brothers 6:30-8:30
Thursday August 30th- Craig Thatcher 6:30-8:30
Enter to win a free Lennox Ductless System (HVAC) courtesy of Sponsor RF Ohl at any deck party!
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Showtime 6:30 PM


text:
Milwaukee-based Baird says it has recruited close to 250 advisors over the past two years or so, and its veteran reps have been boosting average fees and commissions by about 12.5% in 2010 and 2011, putting its year-over-year performance ahead of some larger rivals.
The employee-owned broker-dealer now includes about 700 financial advisors, says Matthew Curley (left), national sales director and COO of Baird's private-wealth management operations. "We've just wrapped up another good year in terms of recruiting veteran advisors – not just high-quality people and teams, but also very successful advisors in terms of their production level," he said in a recent interview with AdvisorOne.
Baird added nine financial advisors in the first seven weeks of 2012, after bringing on 65 reps and three branch managers in 2011. "The hires in 2011 were just shy of about $600,000 in average production," noted Curley, a former-Smith Barney advisor. "We've been doing a great job at recruiting."
As for assets under management, the Baird advisors were at about $97 million per rep in late 2011 and should be above that in early 2012, given current market conditions, says Curley. "The top 25% of our advisors are over $100 million in average assets," he said.
As for the performance of the roughly 600 advisors who've been with Baird for over a year (or same-store reps), they have grown their yearly fees and commissions at 12.5% in both 2010 and 2011 "despite the challenging markets," the executive said. "We've embarked on programs to support advisors in growing their business and clients."
Baird's attractiveness, he explained, "comes down to our unique structure: We're not a regional, wirehouse or publicly held. We're somewhat in between, since we're owned by our associates. We can make the right long-term decisions, which resonates with clients, and for our associates, the structure gives them a wealth-building opportunity."
Recent recruits have been tapped in Sarasota, Fla.; Boulder, Colo.; and Raleigh, N.C. "We're off to a good start this year," Curley said.
Baird's recruiting package includes "an upfront payment as well as bonuses based on certain factors as advisors transition," he noted. "We point to the overall wealth opportunities for advisors, such as Baird stock and the attractive compensation and profit-sharing program."
Still, there's lots of competition for wirehouse and other advisors, including pressure from firms such as RBC and Barclays Wealth, which are affiliated with large global banks. How does Baird position itself against such rivals?
"We have all the capability of larger firms, but access to people and their active interest in the advisor's success," said Curley. "This is one of our differentiators."
One recent program Baird has launched for FAs focuses on performance coaching and best practices in cooperation with CEG Worldwide. The firm pays half the cost of the coaching and reimburses advisors for all of it if they meet certain targets.
Advisors are also given exposure to best practices at the firm's national summits, held last year at three different locations. "We have panels with top-advisor teams that share what's worked for them and client-success stories, for instance," Curley said. "Advisors often learn the most from their peers, and we want to create an environment to share what is working for them."
This year, Baird aims to hire another 65 reps. It is also expanding a program for reps to become Chartered Private Wealth Advisors through a partnership with the University of Chicago.
"When it comes to recruiting, we can't emphasize enough the uniqueness of our story, which resonates with advisors coming from larger firms and who tell us they cannot justify leaving their current firm in order to go to another large firm," Curley said.
"They want something different, and there are not a lot of options," he noted. "And there is no other option like Baird. We've been around for 90-plus years, are based on Midwest values and offer tremendous wealth-building opportunities."
He admits that the firm isn't for everyone, especially those reps looking for larger upfront packages. "Those coming to Baird come for all the right reasons," Curley said.