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#Post#: 4471--------------------------------------------------
New Jets?
DIR By: piedmont2010
Date: May 24, 2013, 2:19 pm
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I would like to get a straw poll from the pilot group. I had an
idea of adding a few classic fighter jet trips, from one
military base to another, various routes. You could fly these
using any good classic jet like the F-104, F8U, F-4E, etc.
What do you think?
[URL=
HTML http://smg.photobucket.com/user/reed0427/media/f104_zpsda9d2560.gif.html]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/reed0427/f104_zpsda9d2560.gif[/URL]
#Post#: 4473--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: asizi
Date: May 24, 2013, 3:02 pm
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Great, I'm on it. ;D
#Post#: 4474--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: SAS0193
Date: May 25, 2013, 1:13 am
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Good idea! I fully support it!
#Post#: 4476--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: Scorpio47
Date: May 25, 2013, 8:03 am
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Excellent idea! Count me in.
BTW I like the F-104 Starfighter, aka widow maker... ;)
#Post#: 4477--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: SAS0193
Date: May 25, 2013, 8:47 am
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Hi Juergen!
Just a short freply to your comment about the F104. Yes, you are
right, the F 104 was known as 'Widow maker' in the German
Airforce. But this did not apply to the F 104 in general but
only to the F104 G (G-for Germany). Thanks to the queer ideas of
the then German Secretary of Defence, the late F. J. Strauss,
motivated by tremendous bribes received from Lockheed, with
Prince Bernhard, husband of the then Dutch Queen Wilhelmina,
right in the middle of the deal, there were so many
modifications made to the German 'G'-version of the F104 to turn
the AC into a 'Jagdbomber' (Bomber-Fighter) that the AC mutated
from the basis concept of a reliable fighter into a monster
which in certain situations was very difficult to handle by the
'Jet Cowboys'. Maybe, you knew this already but I thought I
should mention it.
Cheers; Bernd
#Post#: 4478--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: Scorpio47
Date: May 25, 2013, 9:31 am
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Hi Bernd,
yes, you are right and it was good to recall those years of our
recent history....
The G version was a highly modified design compared to the
original, but nevertheless that sleek aircraft was very hard to
fly due to its tiny wings which did not produce much lift, the
single engine had a tendency to stall and quit if the pilot did
not precisely respect the envelope, if the pilot had to eject in
the early version, he was projected DOWN instead of up, and so
on and so forth.
I always liked the looks of the Starfighter, never sat in one of
course ;D, but I have flown the versions from Captainsim and
Cloud9 and not too long ago the one from Skunk Works. They are
all very sensitive, but the most difficult one to fly and land
is the one by Cloud9 in my opinion. Unfortunately there is no
updated version for FSX, but the FS2004 model works also in FSX,
but is difficult to install (also due to their purchasing
system...).
I would appreciate it very much if we had some flights for that
beautiful fighter aircraft and look forward to fly high and FAST
:)
Cheers from rainy Antwerp to sunny Portugal!
Juergen
#Post#: 4480--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: SAS0193
Date: May 25, 2013, 11:38 am
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Hi Juergen!
I fully agree with your comment on the F104G. You better handled
the thrust levr very very carefully! Less than 70 % thrust and
you were in for an engine stall. And, since the German Airforce
followed this idiotic concept of low flying, i.e. 600 ft and
less you could figure out your chance to restart the engine in
case of a stall as well as your survival chance in case you had
to bail out at this altitude! In both cases next to zero! And
this was it what finally lead to baptizing the F104G
"Witwenmacher" (Widow maker) and that she did: producing widows
in great numbers!
Regards from sunny Portugal to rainy Antwerp!
Cheers; Bernd
#Post#: 4481--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: piedmont2010
Date: May 25, 2013, 2:35 pm
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The percentage of F-104's lost in non-combat accidents was one
of the highest ever. A General once flew one and remarked that
it was a great airplane to fly, but he'd never want to take one
in to combat. The turning ability was just not there with those
short wings.
#Post#: 4484--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: Scorpio47
Date: May 26, 2013, 7:39 am
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That is unfortunately true... :(
As far as I am aware, the Germans lost 279 planes between 29
March 1961 and 26 April 1989, 108 German pilots lost their lives
as well as 8 U.S. Air Force pilots....
So, it seems the sleek plane had earned its reputation....
However, there was one German pilot with 3814 hours in the F-104
and he still holds that world record. After his career as
Starfighter pilot he transferred to the Tornado in 1983.
His name is Major Söldner.
If you read German, there is a good internet site available
here:
HTML http://www.cactus-starfighter-staffel.de/public/index.html
Have a great Sunday and new week ahead!
Cheers
Juergen
#Post#: 4486--------------------------------------------------
Re: New Jets?
DIR By: SAS0193
Date: May 26, 2013, 9:55 am
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Hi Jürgen,
another interesting vomment. Major (later OTL- Lt.Col.) Karl
Söldner indeed accumulated altogether 3814 F-104 hours. But
there is also a Fregattenkapitän (Cmdr. German Navy) Jürgen
Vollmer who isn't much behind Söldner with 3521 hours in the
Starfighter-cockpit.Would you mind to lift the secret if this is
you??? Which would explain your interest in this particular
aircraft.
Cheers; Bernd ;D ;D ;D
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