F-104A

F-104A

F-80C-10

F-104C

F-104A

F-80C-10

F-104C

USA

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
9.7	9.3	9.7

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:160 000

Purchase:450 000

Show in game

This page is about the jet fighter F-104A. For other versions, see F-104 Starfighter (Family).

Description

The F-104A Starfighter is a rank VI American jet fighter with a battle rating of 9.7 (AB/SB) and 9.3 (RB). It was introduced in Update "Starfighters".

General info

Flight performance

A F-104A Starfighter breaks the sound barrier at sunset

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 10,668 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	2,104	2,079	18900	32.4	33.0	190.9	182.9	1,180
Upgraded	___	___		__._	__._	__._	__._

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	546	2,350	833	444	~12	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 720	< 950	< 800	N/A

Survivability and armour

In terms of armour, there is no armour on the F-104A. Since the F-104A relies on high speed, it wouldn't need armour as that would reduce the speed and maneuverability of the plane.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The F-104A is armed with:

• 1 x 20 mm M61 cannon, chin-mounted (750 rpg)

Suspended armament

The F-104A can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles

Usage in battles

The F-104A is a high speed, high altitude fighter-bomber / interceptor. It performs well on high altitude flights meant to intercept fighters and mainly bombers at high altitudes. When the F-104A is fighting at low altitudes with a slower plane, the pilot should consider a hit and run technique to out-speed and return to the target to avoid getting shot back.

The F-104A has a decent stock turn time of 33 seconds which is the average or decent turn time of most supersonic jets on rank VI for Russian jets. The F-104A will have difficulties when trying to hit an enemy less than 1 or 2 kilometers away using the 20mm M61 cannon since this cannon will take some time to warm-up before shooting and turn fights will also be difficult due to high speed maneuvers causing an average 8 or more Gs rendering the pilot unconscious for most of the time.

Using the F-104A's M61 cannon against helicopters would be very easy since they're slow and most of the time are in constant direction and speed, while you are attacking from the side or back with speeds almost or higher than mach 1, the helicopter won't notice until you strafe at them.

Sitting at BR 9.7, it would only take a few time to be up-tiered to jets that carry both flares and more AAMs than you, since the F-104A isn't carrying any flares, you would have to rely on the planes decent maneuverability, and high speed, and maybe turn off the afterburner and maybe even the engine to reduce the incoming AAMs chance to hit the plane, always remember the insane climb rate for the plane, this means you can also face the incoming AAM at the sun even when the sun is at a steep angle, this in turn would spend more fuel since you would need to use afterburners to efficiently climb at steep angles, out-running short-range anti-air missiles are tricky since some go mach 1.7, while others go mach 2.5, do not expect all missiles to be out-runned.

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair			Offensive 20 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe		AIM-9B
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 20 mm cannons
IV	G-suit		Cover

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good top speed for its rank
• Great rate of climb; even the F-4 Phantom may struggle to match it
• Decent high-speed maneuverability, in spite of its tiny wings
• 20 mm Vulcan gun can really do some serious damage
• Has access to AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
• Good roll rate for a jet

Cons:

• Lousy low-speed maneuverability
• Only one secondary weapon load
• Can't carry bombs
• Relatively low ammo count for the Vulcan; trigger discipline is necessary
• M61 Vulcan doesn't shoot instantly, takes less than a second to rotate
• No flares to counter AAMs
• As with most jets, it tends to bleed off speed quickly in sustained turns

History

The F-104A Starfighter was the first in-service United States Air Force (USAF) fighter to fly at twice the speed of sound, and made its first flight on February 7th, 1954. In this video from Lockheeed Martin's archives, the Starfighter's maiden flight can be viewed. The F-104 began being designed in November 1952, when the USAF requested a superiority day fighter. The USAF chose Lockheed Martin's protype, with its unusually stubby straight wings, in a time when fighters had large, swept back, wings. The first F-104A's were delivered to the 83rd Fighter-Interceptor squadron stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base on January 26, 1958, where they would break speed and altitude records. One major record that was set by an F-104A was when Major Howard C. Johnson set a new altitude record by flying at 91,243 ft on May 7th, 1958.

Media

Images

F-104A Starfighter Among the Stars

Videos

The Shooting Range #202 - Metal Beasts section at 00:30 discusses the F-104 Starfighter.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.