The Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (CF-111, CL-90) is a modified version of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter supersonic fighter aircraft built in Canada by Canadair under licence. It was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft, despite being designed as an interceptor. It served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and later the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) until it was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet in 1987.

Design and development In the late 1950s, Canada redefined its role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with a commitment to a nuclear strike mission. At the same time, the RCAF began to consider a replacement for the Canadair F-86 Sabre series, which had been used as a NATO day fighter.Bashow 1990, p. 8. An international fighter competition involved current types in service as well as development, including the Blackburn Buccaneer, Dassault Mirage IIIC, Fiat G.91, Grumman Super Tiger, Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, Northrop N-156 and the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Although the RCAF had preferred the F-105 Thunderchief equipped with an Avro Canada Orenda Iroquois engine, eventually the choice for a strike-reconnaissance aircraft revolved around cost as well as capability.McIntyre 1985, p. 6.

A Canadian government requirement for an aircraft that could be manufactured in Canada under licence also favoured the Lockheed proposal, due to a collaboration with Canadair based in Montreal. On 14 August 1959, Canadair was selected to manufacture 200 aircraft for the RCAF under licence from Lockheed, which also gave the Canadian company a contract to manufacture wingsets, tail assemblies, and rear fuselage sections for 66 F-104Gs destined for the West German Air Force.Baugher, Joe. "Canadair CF-104 Starfighter." American Military Aircraft, 6 October 2003. Retrieved: 1 May 2011.

Canadair's internal designation for the aircraft was CL-90; the RCAF initially designated it the CF-111, then the CF-104. Based on the F-104G, the CF-104 was optimized for the nuclear strike/reconnaissance role, fitted with R-24A NASARR equipment for the air-to-ground mode, and could carry a ventral reconnaissance pod with four Vinten cameras. Other differences included retaining the removable refuelling probe, replacing the fuselage-mounted 20 mm (.79 in) M61A1 cannon with an additional fuel cell), and fitting the main undercarriage members with longer-stroke liquid springs and larger tires. The first flight of a Canadian-built CF-104 (s/n 12701) occurred on 26 May 1961.Stachiw 2007, p. 30. Canadair ultimately made 200 CF-104s for the Canadian military and 140 F-104Gs for Lockheed.Pickler and Milberry 1990, p. 186.

Operational history

The CF-104 entered Canadian service in March 1962. Originally designed as a supersonic interceptor aircraft, it was used primarily for low-level strike and reconnaissance by the RCAF. Eight CF-104 squadrons were originally stationed in Europe as part of Canada's NATO commitment. This was reduced to six in 1967, with a further reduction to three squadrons in 1970.Greenhous and Halliday 1999, p. 152. Up to 1971, this included a nuclear strike role that would see Canadian aircraft armed with US-supplied nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict with Warsaw Pact forces. During its service life the CF-104 carried the B28, B43 and B57 nuclear weapons.

When the CAF later discontinued the strike/reconnaissance role for conventional attack, the M61A1 was refitted, along with U.S. Mk. 82 Snakeye "iron" bombs, British BL755 cluster bombs and Canadian-designed CRV7 rocket pods. Although Canadian pilots practised air combat tactics, the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles were never carried operationally by Canadian Starfighters (however, examples provided to other air forces, such as Norway and Denmark, did carry Sidewinders on a twin-rail centreline station and the wingtip rails). The CF-104D two-seater did not normally carry any armament except for a centreline practice-bomb dispenser.

In the 25 years that Canada operated the CF-104, there were 110 class A accidents that killed a total of 37 pilots. Most were in the early part of the program, centring on teething problems. Of the 110 accidents, 21 were attributed to foreign object damage, all but seven were bird strikes; 14 were due to in-flight engine failures; six were caused by faulty maintenance, and nine involved mid-air collisions. Thirty-two aircraft struck the ground while flying low in poor weather. Of the 37 deaths, four were attributed to system failures; all of the others were attributed to some form of pilot inattention.

The accident rate of the CF-104 compares favourably to its predecessor, the F-86 Sabre. In only 12 years of operation, the F-86 had 282 class A accidents, losing 112 pilots. The Sabre was also a simpler aircraft, normally flown at higher altitudes.Bashow 1990, p. 96.

The CF-104 was nicknamed the "Widowmaker" by the press, but not by the pilots and crews of the aircraft. David Bashow wrote, "I never heard a pilot call it the Widowmaker", and quoted Sam Firth as saying, "I have never heard a single person who flew, maintained, controlled, or guarded that aircraft of any force (and that includes the Luftwaffe) call it the Widowmaker". The pilots did refer to it, in jest, as the "Aluminium Death Tube", "The Lawn Dart" and "The Flying Phallus" but generally called it the 104 (one oh four) or the Starfighter.Bashow 1990, p. 92–93.

Low-level attack runs in the CF-104 were done visually at 100 feet AGL and at speeds up to 600 kts. Normal attack speed was 540 kts or 1000 km/hr. Low-level evasive maneuvers could increase speeds to supersonic.Bashow 1990, p. 119.

The aircraft was very difficult to attack owing to its small size, speed, and low altitude capability. Dave Jurkowski, former CF-104 and CF-18 pilot, said, "Because of our speed, size and lower level operations, no Canadian Zipper driver was ever 'shot down' by either air or ground threats in the three Red Flag Exercises in which we participated."Bashow 1990, p. 138.

The CF-104 was very successful in operational exercises held by NATO. The Canadians first took part in the AFCENT Tactical Weapons meet in 1964 and did so every year after that. This meet was a competition between squadrons from Belgium, France, Germany, the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands. Scores were based on several factors. Bomb accuracy, time on target, navigation, mission planning and aircraft serviceability. Pilots were chosen at random from the various squadrons to accurately represent operational capabilities.Bashow 1990, p. 47.

AFCENT Tactical Weapons Meet (strike era) 1964: (first participation) Best team went to the two Canadians.Bashow 1990, p. 33. 1965: Best Nation went to the Canadians, Top individual score went to F/L Frioult of 427.Bashow 1990, p. 37. 1966: RCAF was second best Nation, Top individual score went to F/L Morion of 421.Bashow 1990, p. 38. 1967: RCAF best team, McCallum and Rozdeba received awards 1968: Second Best Team (427)Bashow 1990, p. 52. 1970: Canadians were 1st in strike event.Bashow 1990, p. 58.

AFCENT Tactical Weapons Meet (attack era) biennial schedule. 1974: (first participation) Top attack pilot Canadian Larry CrabbBashow 1990, p. 78. 1976: 1CAG - Highest scoring nationBashow 1990, p. 79. 1978: The meet was renamed the Tactical Air Meet the scoring was marred by squabbles and announced a tie.Bashow 1990, p. 81. 1980: The Canadians did "well" 1982 onward: The meet was changed to a non-competitive setup.

Royal Flush A competition for Recce squadrons. The Canadians first took part in 1966 and managed the following awards:Bashow 1990, p. 51.

1968: First place. 1969: First and Second place (441, 439) 1970: 439 won the day competition; Canada did not participate in the night event, as the RCAF lacked night vision equipment at the time.

Tiger Meet A competition between NATO squadrons with cat mascots.

1979: Silver Tiger Trophy 1981: Silver Tiger Trophy 1985: Silver Tiger Trophy

In the late 1970s, the New Fighter Aircraft program was launched to find a suitable replacement for the CF-104, as well as the McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo and the Canadair CF-5. The winner of the competition was the CF-18 Hornet, which began to replace the CF-104 in 1982. All of the CF-104s were retired from service by the Canadian Forces by 1987, with most of the remaining aircraft given to Turkey.

Variants

CF-104Single-seat fighter-bomber version for the RCAF. CF-104D Two-seat training version for the RCAF.

Operators

Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian Forces

Royal Danish Air Force

Royal Norwegian Air Force

Turkish Air Force

Accidents and incidents On 22 May 1983, during an airshow at the Rhein-Main Air Base, a Canadian CF-104 Starfighter crashed onto a nearby road, hitting a car and killing all passengers, a vicar's family of five. The pilot was able to eject.Richardson, W. John and Tim West. "The Canadair CF-104." ejection-history.org, 2010. Retrieved: 21 March 2011.

Aircraft on display

Canada F-104A, Royal Canadian Air Force 12700 used as a pattern aircraft for the CF-104 model - Canada Aviation and Space Museum"Lockheed F-104A Starfighter." Aviation.technomuses.ca (Canada Aviation and Space Museum), 4 March 1954. Retrieved: 6 January 2013. CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 12702 - pedestal monument, Cold Lake South, Alberta located in Joe Heffner Memorial Park. CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 12703 - Canadian Starfighter Museum CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 12704 - Fuselage only - restoration project Montreal Aviation Museum - Restoration not yet started

CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 104783 - Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 104784 - CFB St-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu CF-104D, Canadian Armed Forces 104646 at the National Air Force Museum of Canada, CFB Trenton CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force 104731 - British Columbia Aviation Museum CF-104 and CF-104D RCAF 104756 and 104641 - Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario. 104756 is in Tiger Meet colours. This aircraft was originally 12790."Canadair CF-104 Starfighter." Warplane.com (Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum). Retrieved: 6 January 2013. CF-104, Canadian Armed Forces 104774 at CFB Valcartier CF-104D RCAF 104651 Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton, Alberta CF-104D 645- Canadian Museum of Flight, Langley Regional Airport"Lockheed CF-104 Starfighter." The Canadian Museum of Flight via Canadianflight.org, 20 June 2008. Retrieved: 5 August 2013. CF-104, Royal Canadian Air Force - Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskawin, Alberta.

Denmark CF-104 Royal Danish Airforce R-814 104814, Display. Egeskov Castle, Denmark

Germany CF-104, Canadian Armed Forces 104785, pedestal mount, Söllingen, Germany.,"CF-104 104785" Formerly the pedestal mount at CFB Baden-Soellingen.

Hungary CF-104 Turkish Air Force 63-893 on display at Szolnok Aviation Museum in Szolnok."F-104G (CF-104G), gift of the Turkish Air Force." repulomuzeum.hu. Retrieved: 17 February 2008.

Norway

CF-104D RNoAF 717 - Displayed on a pedestal outside Flyhistorisk Museum, Sola near Stavanger."CF-104." (Norwegian language). Sola Museum. Retrieved: 22 October 2008. CF-104D RNoAF 730 - Displayed at the Flyhistorisk Museum, Sola near Stavanger. CF-104 RNoAF 755 - At Kjeller, Lillestrøm.Oppdrag utført - Norges luftmilitære kulturarv (Glenne, Roar. 2012) CF-104D RNoAF 766 - Displayed on pedestal in front of Kjeller Air Station, Lillestrøm. CF-104 RNoAF 801 - Displayed at the Norwegian Air Museum in Bodø. CF-104 RNoAF 836 - Given to Bardufoss High School. Displayed outside Bardufoss Air Station. CF-104 RNoAF 882 - Displayed as gatekeeper at Volvo Arero Norway, Kongsberg. CF-104 RNoAF 886 - Forsvarets Flysamling Gardermoen CF-104 RNoAF 889 - At Torp Airport, Sandefjord.

Surviving aircraft Norway