Canadair CF-104 Starfighter survivors in Canada:
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104731).
(stemcat5 Photo)
Victoria, British Columbia. Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104731), C/N 683A-1031. This aircraft flew with No. 417 Squadron, CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. 104731 was flown in the squadron’s 1972 display team at Moose Jaw air show. She was flown in solo displays in 1975 by F/L Dave Leach, RAAF. Still with this unit in 1983. * Mounted on pedestal at CFB North Bay, Ontario shortly after being struck off. On display at Comox Museum in 2005.
(Rick Odermatt Photo)
CFB Cold Lake Alberta, Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104702), mounted on a pylon. Joe Hoffner Memorial Park at Grand Centre, Cold Lake, Alberta.
(Author Photo, 1977)
(Krystal Wilson Photo)
CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 12872), (Serial No. 104872), previously painted silver, now painted in dark cam, mounted on a concrete pylon at 4 Wing. This is a composite aircraft currently erroneously marked as (Serial No. 104880), (Serial No. 12880). There are four CF-104 Serial Numbers that are involved, including 12803, 12816, 12872 and 12880. The first one, (Serial No. 12803), crashed on its acceptance test flight 4 Sep 1962 and became Ground Trainer 685B. Next, (Serial No. 12816) caught fire in Zweibrucken, Germany, on 24 Jul 1963 during a run-up with the tail removed and was written off. On 11 Mar 1974, (Serial No. 12872) crashed while with 417 Sqn. The real (Serial No. 12880) became training aid 650C in Baden-Sollingen when it was retired in 1983 and it seems it was scrapped sometime after that in Germany.
(wildewoodke Photo)
Innisfail, Alberta, Canadian Military Members Memorial, Lockheed F-104F, C/N 5070, ex-German Air Force, 29+17, painted as a CF-104, mounted on a pylon.
R-AM, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104763). With No. 417 Squadron at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, when it was with the Deadeye Zip team of 1979. Special red white and blue paint scheme for Squadron stand-down, from July 1983. Still in this scheme when it arrived at CFD Mountain View, Ontario for storage and eventual disposal. On display at the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta in 1995, reported on loan from government. Also was a Pedestal Monument, at CFB Edmonton, dates unknown.
(Mike Kaehler Photo)
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, RCAF (Serial No. 12703), unveiled on 12 July 2018, Canadian Starfighter Museum, St. Andrews Airport, Manitoba.
(Author Photo)
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104753), camouflage, mounted on a pylon, Air Force Heritage Museum and Air Park, CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba.
AFHM&AP, CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104753). With No. 417 TF (OT) Squadron at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. Flew lead in squadron’s 1977 air display team, pilot was Capt. J.D. Bradshaw. Later served with 10 Field Technical Training Unit at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, probably as a training aid. Reported preserved at the Air Force Heritage Museum and Airpark in Winnipeg.
(Nino Blazanovic / ConcordeNick ArtPhotos)
Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 12703). This was the first Canadair-built Starfighter to fly from Cartierville, Quebec.
(Author Photo)
Base Borden Military Museum, CFB Borden, Ontario. Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, (Serial No. 104792), 794B, previously RCAF (Serial No. 12792), mounted on a pylon, CFB Borden, Ontario. 104792 flew with the Canadian Air Group at CFB Baden-Soellingen until she was struck off. She became a repair instructional airframe. She was placed on display at CFB Borden, Ontario c2006.
(DND Photo)
Canadian Air Land Sea Museum (CALSM), Markham, Ontario. Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter Mk. 1 (Serial No. 104644). She was taken on strength 17 May 1962, and flew with No. 6 Strike/Recon OTU CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. Instructional airframe 417, CFB Cold Lake, CA 852 C. To the CALSM 30 June 2007.
(Paradie Photo)
Canadian Air Land Sea Museum (CALSM), Markham, Ontario. Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter (Serial No. 8-658), ex-Turkish Air Force.
(aeroprints Photo)
Canada Air and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario. Lockheed F-104A Starfighter, RCAF (Serial No. 12700/104700). Transferred to the National Air Museum in 1969, as RCAF 12700. Serial No. remarked while in the museum, not clear if it was still on DND books at the time. Sometimes reported as a CF-104A, but this was unofficial.
NAFM, CFB Trenton, Ontario, Canadair CF-104G Starfighter (Serial No. 104646).
BADM, CFB Bagotville, Québec, Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104704). At Aerospace Engineering and Test Establishment, CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, in 1975, still in AETE markings in 1983. Became repair instructional hrs airframe 820C. Still at Cold Lake in 1995. Later to static display at Suffield, Alberta. CF-104 construction number 1004, serial number 12704, built by Canadair, first flight 14 August 1961, taken on service by the RCAF as CF-104 serial number 12704 on 12 October 1961. It was assigned initially to CEPE, which later was merged with several other units as AETE and it spent its entire career with the test units, re-serialized as 104704 effective June 2, 1970. It became instructional hrs airframe “820B” (date unknown), and was reclassified as 820C on 18 October 1983 then became an ABDR training aid on 20 December 1989. It went to the CFB Cold Lake fire dump (noted in April 1995) and was SOS on 2 May 1996. It went to CADC in 1996, and then to CFB Suffield, Alberta as “contaminated scrap” for ABDR at CFB Suffield, Alberta. It then was used for ABDR at CFB Suffield and then became a range target at CFB Suffield. At some point, it was moved to the Bagotville Air Defence Museum (CFB Bagotville), (date Unknown) where it is stored in derelict condition, February 2002. Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104774), two hulks, one to be restored.
(Lucky Al Photo)
CFB St Jean, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104784). This Starfighter flew with 1 Canadian Air Group at CFB Baden-Soellingen, Germany. It became a Pedestal Monument at CFB Lahr, Germany. It was brought back to Canada and placed on display at College Militaire Royal at St. Jean, Québec, c2006.
(Author Photos)
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104774), 5 Area Support Group (5 ASG), LFQA, CFB Valcartier, Quebec.
(Author Photo)
Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum, Goffs, Nova Scotia. Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (Serial No. 104783). This Starfighter flew with No. 417 Squadron, CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, with the squadron’s “Deadeye Whiskey” display team in 1972. It later flew with the “Deadeye Zip” team of 1976, and with the “Alberta Arrows” team in 1977. 104783 spent its entire career at CFB Cold Lake. It went into storage at CFD Mountain View, Ontario in 1988. It was delivered to Halifax by truck in June 1989. Preserved, it is currently on display inside the Atlantic Canada Aviation & Space Museum, near the Halifax Stanfield International Airport at Goffs, near the Halifax.
Lockheed CF-104D Starfighters preserved in Canada
(Leonard J. DeFrancisci Photo)
Canadian Forces College, 215 Yonge Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario. Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter (Serial No. 104652). This aircraft flew with the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment during its entire service life until retired in 1984.
(NHL4Hamilton Photo)
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Mount Hope, Ontario. Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter (Serial No. 104641), painted as (Serial No. 12641), c/n 563A-5311, mounted on a pylon.
(Aldo Bidini Photo)
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Mount Hope, Ontario. Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter, RCAF (Serial No. 12641), c/n 563A-5311, mounted on a pylon.
(Graeme Hayes Photos)
KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, British Columbia. Lockheed CF-104D RCAF (Serial No. 12633), later (Serial No. 104633), Reg. No. N104.
(KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence Photo)
KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, British Columbia, Lockheed CF-104D RCAF (Serial No. 12633, 104633), Reg. No. N104.
(Mike Kaehler Photo)
Canadian Museum of Flight, Langley, British Columbia. Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter, RCAF (Serial No. 12645), CAF (Serial No. 104645), CAF Instructional airframe, (Serial No. 878C), CAF ABDR (Serial No. 212AC). 104645 spent its flying career at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta, before becoming a battle-damage repair airframe at Mountain View, Ontario, near CFB Trenton.
(Author Photos)
National Air Force Museum of Canada, CFB Trenton, Ontario. Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter, CAF (Serial No. 104646). This dual-seat Starfighter served with the No. 6 Operational Training Unit in Cold Lake, Alberta, during the 1960s. The ‘X’ marking on the tail indicates that it was also operated by Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment, a unit that evaluates safety and effectiveness of air force aircraft. When 104646 flew from Cold Lake to Trenton in 1983, it was the last Starfighter to fly in Canada. It was stored at the Mountainview storage facility before it was acquired by the museum. (NAFMC)
(Richard Filiatrault)
Alberta Aviation Museum, Edmonton, Alberta. Lockheed F-104D Starfighter, Royal Netherlands Air Force (Serial No. D-5805), painted as CAF (Serial No. 104651). The real 104651 crashed on 24 Jun 1980 due to an engine bird strike. Both pilots, one a Canadian Captain and the other a German exchange Pilot, successfully ejected and survived. They were present at the Museum’s revealing of the restored aircraft.
Lockheed CF-104D Starfighters preserved overseas
(Richenza Photo)
Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter (Serial No. 104648). Air Park. Zruč-Senec in the Pilsen-Sever district, Pilsen region. Czech Republic.
(blumenbiene Photo)
Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter (Serial No. 104648). Air Park. Zruč-Senec in the Pilsen-Sever district, Pilsen region. Czech Republic.
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter survivors outside of Canada:
Aalborg AB, Denmark (Serial No. 104825).
Aalborg AB, Denmark (Serial No. 104832), RDAF No. 723 Squadron and No. 726 Squadron.
Aalborg AB, Denmark (Serial No. 104771).
Aalborg, Denmark Danish Science and Technical Museum (Serial No. 104888).
Billund, Denmark (Serial No. 104657).
Billund, Denmark (Serial No. 104846).
Billund, Denmark (Serial No.), Danish Air Force Museum (DAFM).
Skrydstrup, Denmark, Central Workshop (Serial No. 104662).
North Zealand Aviation Museum (NZAM), Slaerup, in Denmark (Serial No. 104814).
Kjeller, Norway (Serial No. 104766), mounted on a pylon.
Flesland Air Station Defence Museum, Bergen, Norway, Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) CF-104 (Serial No. 104801).
Norwegian Technical Museum (NTM), RNoAF (Serial No.).
Oslo, Norway, Air Force Museum (Serial No.).
Oslo School of Trade, Norway (Serial No.).
Ana Jet Us, Erhac, Turkey (Serial No. 104795).
Turkish Military Museum, Istanbul (Serial No.).
Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter, Reg. No. N104RB), USA, still flying.
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, Reg. No. N104RN), USA, still flying.
RCAF members and their Canadian families living in Germany during the 1960s were well aware of the Starfighter and the hazards associated with living near an airbase where crashes were often a routine occurrence. For the German people, the “Starfighter crisis” developed into a political issue, as many of the F-104 Starfighters acquired for the German Air Force crashed after being modified to serve for Luftwaffe purposes – specifically for terrain, weather, and ground mechanic support issues. In Luftwaffe service, 292 of the 916 Starfighters crashed, claiming the lives of 115 pilots and leading to cries that the Starfighter was fundamentally unsafe, from the West German public, which referred to it as the Witwenmacher (widow-maker), fliegender Sarg (flying coffin), and Erdnagel (ground nail).
Steinhoff and his deputy Günter Rall noted that the non-German F-104s proved much safer – Spain, for example, lost none in the same period. The Americans blamed the high loss rate of the Luftwaffe F-104s on the extreme low-level and aggressive flying of German pilots rather than any faults in the aircraft. Steinhoff and Rall immediately left their daily work and went to America to learn to fly the Starfighter under Lockheed instruction and noted some specifics in the training (a distinct lack of mountain and foggy-weather training), combined with handling capabilities (sharp start high G turns) of the aircraft that could create accident situations.
Steinhoff and Rall immediately changed the training regimen for the F-104 pilots, and the accident rates quickly fell to those comparable or better than other air forces. They also brought about the high level of training and professionalism seen today throughout the Luftwaffe, and the start of a strategic direction for Luftwaffe pilots to tactically and combat train outside Germany. However, the F-104 never lived down its reputation as a widow-maker and was replaced much earlier by the Luftwaffe than other national air forces. (Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftwaffe