frank theriault wrote:
On 3/14/06, Scott Loveless <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Wonderful photos, Walter. The F-16, since it's introduction, has
always been my favorite modern fighter. And who doesn't like a
Mustang?
As for the Starfighter, this is my favorite fighter of all time. It's
simply an elegant bird - meat and potatoes, no frills. I find it hard
to believe, though, that this is the last flying 104. If my memory
hasn't completely deserted me, wasn't the CF-104 a Canadian variation?
If that's the case, it seems reasonable that this is the last flying
Canadian Starfighter. But the Italian air force saw fit to upgrade
and maintain their 104 fleet until the Eurofighter was available. I
think they were flying them until 2000 or 2001. There has to be at
least a few of those still in working order being used for training,
in private collections, etc.
You are certainly right about the CF104 being Canadian made. In fact
it was made at Canadair (now Bombardier Aerospace) in Montreal. When
I was a kid, we lived about a mile from the factory at the time they
were making these bad boys, and they literally flew right over our
house.
The one in the pic (which was at the Canadian International Airshow
here in Toronto on Labour Day Weekend) is a two seat trainer version.
I know that some Canadair-made CF 104s were sold to Germany, where
they became known as the widow-maker, due to their propensity to
plummet to the ground just before landing. An uncle who used to be in
the RCAF told me that was because the German pilots kept trying to
flare out on approach, rather than "fly" them right in - that's why
they needed chutes, because they were designed for very fast landing
speeds.
Whether that's true or not, I don't know; my uncle wasn't a pilot, so
this is at least second-hand info.
I agree with you, the Starfighter is the coolest looking jet fighter
ever. It was limited in it's uses (although it did those things it
was designed for very well), but it sure was cool looking!
cheers,
frank
Frank,
That's an interesting origin for the Widowmaker nickname, but somewhat
incorrect. The F-104 got the nickname early in it's US service for being
quite dangerous to land, rather than in its later German service. Rather
like the F4U Corsair was known as the Ensign Eliminator for being
dangerous to land and taxi because you can't actually see the ground due
to the huge nose.
Still, the Starfighter was a beautiful bird.
-Adam
