F-4 Aftermath

[A-26Invader]

After I get the F-4 and the Star Fighter, I don't think I will be flying anything else. I honestly don't need anything else, my hanger would be set. If A2A were to produce a B-24 or B-25/29, but the odds are slim with those. The B-24 has a higher chance then the other 2. I think that the F-4 will be enough for me to just get used to and fly over and over again like using a lawn mower. And I'm interested in the Star Fighter project, 'Cause I've never seen one up close.

[pjc747]

Wow, I can't wait to fly the F-104 Starfighter. I'm not from that age of the Starfighter, but the mystique has always keep me interested, such a beautiful, fast aircraft. Can't wait for accusim and standard to come out. I've made 3 F-104 models and they all hand from my ceiling in faded glory.

[badaboom]

I'm also very excited with the upcoming A2A Aircraft,At first I really wasn't much interested in The Spitfire,I was more looking forward to The P-51.That quickly changed after release!!! The MkII is all I fly now!

I'm very interested to see how A2A will model the dynamics of a turbine jet engine,If it's half as good as The V-12 Merlin it will be Phenomenal!!! The F-104 and Phantom will ROCK!!

[A-26Invader]

I'm not to interested in the spit. I've flown it before on a friends comp and I flew it for a while. But I never got that spark, every pilot has a spark when they fly their aircraft. I wasn't too happy with it. Plus I grew up around the American stuff, B-17 and the B-24. (Mostly Bombers) The only time I get to see a spit is at airshows, I hardly get to see them up close. Maybe that's why I never really liked the spit. But the F-4 look's like it might be my final and last aircraft being added to my hanger.

[Ishigami]

A2As F-4 Phantom II is currently my second most anticipated FSX addon. The first one is the TacPack by VRS because It will probably change the way I experience FSX.

And I think the two blue tone camouflage worn by the F-4EJ and the F-2 are amongst the sexiest paint jobs ever conceived by an aircraft:



If it is not included by A2A then I will do one!

It will be my first product by A2A and I'm looking forward to it.

[VulcanB2]

The F-4 has an interesting wing.

I hope A2A manage to model the blown air over the wing! Where have we seen that before...?

Best regards,
Robin.

[pjc747]

The F-4 Phatnom will be pretty neat, and loud. The F-104 will be knock your socks off fast as well

[alehead]

I can honestly say I would be frightened by sitting behind the controls of an accusimmed F-104...

Too many telegrams home to Mum...

They didn't nickname it the Widowmaker for nothing...

I'll climb into my Spit now...

Andrew

[VulcanB2]

The F-104 had the predecessor to HOTAS - HOEHAS. Hands On Ejection Handle and Stick!

The millisecond the engine begins an uncommanded spool-down you pull that handle!!!!!

If you think of the F-104 not as an aircraft, but as a guided missile, then you'll stand a chance of surviving it.

http://www.starfighter.no/web/hi-alt.html

Trivia: The leading edges are so sharp that ground crews would put protective bump strips on them when on the ground as you could easily cut yourself if you brushed against them.

Best regards,
Robin.

[pjc747]

Yes. Funny thing, or not so funny, the pilot ejected downwards instead of upward like all other fighters... However I can't wait to fly this plane, I've been wanting one forever. I have two F-104 models on my ceiling and am just intrigued by it. Those graceful lines, little wings and high speeds. Dangerous but a little boy's dream (if you're a little boy in the 60's)

[MAGGIEMAE]

Yes. Funny thing, or not so funny, the pilot ejected downwards instead of upward like all other fighters...


Only the originals most had upwards ejecting seats

[MAGGIEMAE]

The millisecond the engine begins an uncommanded spool-down you pull that handle!!!!!


Generally correct but my father had a partial engine failure and just stuck the nose down and landed Mind you it was a Edward's Air Force Base where he was doing his checkout

[Seria17hri11er]

I too am looking forward to the F-4 and F-104. Do you know:
That the F-4 is aerodynamically dirty
The F-4 was originally not equipped with any forward firing gun for dog fighting; the MiG's used this to their advantage
The F-104 is extremely difficult to land, requiring extremely subtle throttle manipulations. You can't drop her on the deck; chopping the throttle or even reducing throttle as much as 5% N1 over the runway threshold and you will pancake her.
When you drop the flaps on the F-104 bleed air from the engine is actually ported out the side of the aircraft and directed into the flaps to increase lift.

"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" -Wikipedia
As someone else noted earlier, she most certainly was a widowmaker.

"The safety record of the F-104 Starfighter became high-profile news especially in Germany in the mid-1960s, and lingers in the minds of the public even to this day. 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 Luftwaffe lost about 30% of aircraft in accidents over its operating career,[30] and Canada lost over 50% of its F-104s.[31] The Spanish Air Force, however, lost none.[32][33] The Starfighter was a particular favorite of the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force), although the AMI's accident rate was far from the lowest of Starfighter users.

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,[34] (30.63 through the end of 2007[35]), the highest accident rate of any USAF Century Series fighter. By comparison, the rate of the F-102 Delta Dagger was 14.2/100,000[34] (13.69 through 2007[35]), and the mishap rate for the F-100 Super Sabre was 16.25 accidents per 100,000 flight hours.[36]

Notable U.S. Air Force pilots who lost their lives in F-104 accidents include 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." -Wikipedia

[MAGGIEMAE]

(Canada lost over 50% of its F-104s.[31])

Not correct Canada had 200 single seaters and 22 dualies and lost 37 pilots. I am not sure about the loss number but I think it was around 76 aircraft.

[seaniam81]

(Canada lost over 50% of its F-104s.[31])

Not correct Canada had 200 single seaters and 22 dualies and lost 37 pilots. I am not sure about the loss number but I think it was around 76 aircraft.

Now you know why it's called "Wrongpedia" lol.

My current flight instructor is an ex-RCAF who flew CF-104's among other things, and he swears buy the 104.