Was the Starfighter a good plane?

Was the Starfighter a good plane?

The wing provided excellent supersonic and high-speed, low-altitude performance, but also poor turning capability and high landing speeds. It was the first production aircraft to achieve Mach 2, and the first aircraft to reach an altitude of 100,000 feet (30,000 m) after taking off under its own power.

How many pilots died in the Starfighter?

116 pilots
From 1961 onwards, Germany acquired 916 Lockheed F-104 Starfighters, of which 292 aircraft crashed and 116 pilots lost their lives.

Was the F-104 a failure?

Often called “the rocket with a man in it,” the F-104 was the first operational aircraft to sustain Mach 2 speed in flight. It suffered from short range, obsolete avionics, high landing speed and, until late 1967, an unreliable engine.

Who invented the Starfighter?

Despite its setbacks, the aircraft was a record-setter and found a home with many an air force around the globe. The Starfighter was conceived of by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, fabled Lockheed engineer at its “Skunk Works” facility.

What is an F-104 Starfighter?

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, supersonic interceptor aircraft which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War.

When was the first jet fighter made?

Initially a day fighter, it was developed into an all-weather fighter in the late 1960s. It was originally developed by Lockheed for the United States Air Force (USAF), but was later produced by several other nations, seeing widespread service outside the United States.

What happened to the Starfighter in the Vietnam War?

Despite its limited combat forays in the Vietnam War, the Starfighter was showcased in other global foreign entanglements. F-104A’s saw combat with Pakistan in the Indo-Pak war of 1965 recording the first reported Mach 2 aircraft kill. By the 1971 conflict, however, the Starfighter was wholly outclassed by Indian MiG-21 “Fishbed” fighters.