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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

F-100 to F-108 Supersonic Fighters

Page 4 CONVAIR F-102A

The F-104 Starfighter
The first Air Force fighter with Mach 2 speed was designed by C.L. “Kelly” Johnson to meet the demands of Korean War pilots for the highest possible speed and ceiling obtainable. This could be done by being the first to fly with the new J79 engine, by keeping the airframe light, avoiding heavy electronics, and done, to the surprise of many, without the swept-back wings of most contemporary types.

The smallest and thinnest wings used on an American jet distinguished the Starfighter, whose design Lockheed proposed in November 1952 as the Model 83. Two XF-104 prototypes were ordered March 11, 1953, with Wright 11,500-pound thrust XJ65-W-6 engines, and Tony LeVier made a short hop February 28, 1954, at Edwards AFB, with an official first flight on March 4. A Mach 1.79 speed was achieved March 25 by the second prototype fitted with an afterburner and a test model of General Electric’s radical new 20-mm T-171 gun.

Although that aircraft was destroyed April 18, when pilot H. Salmon had to use the downward-firing ejection seat, the other prototype successfully demonstrated the essential design with the 10-percent anhedral (downward slope) wing and T-tail. Seventeen YF-104A Starfighters ordered October 1954 had the General Electric J79-GE-3 with afterburners and the original air inlet ramps replaced by shock-control semi-cones. Fuel was contained in the fuselage and 170-gallon wingtip tanks. CONVAIR F-102A

The first YF-104A, flown February 17, 1956, was 5.5 feet longer and a 1,000 pounds heavier empty than the prototypes, but did reach Mach 2 on April 27. Production contracts added 153 more F-104A and 26 F-104B Starfires completed by December 1958, the latter a gun-less two-seat trainer first flown January 16, 1957.

Armament introduced the 20-mm M-61 six revolving-barrel Vulcan (ex-T-171) with 725 rounds that could be fired in about 7.5 seconds. The 6,000-rpm rate of fire made that Gatling-type weapon the equal of four ordinary guns. This would become the standard gun for the next generation of American fighters, but so many reliability problems occurred in the first guns that Vulcans were removed from the F-104As in November 1957.

Two GAR-8 Sidewinder infrared missiles replaced the tip tanks on combat sorties, and on January 26, 1958, the F-104A joined the 83rd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, first of the four ADC squadrons to use the type.

The limited armament was overlooked in the amazing performance, as an F-104A became the first plane to set world’s records for both altitude and speed with a zoom to 91,249 feet and a 1,404 mph dash in May 1958. An upward-firing ejection seat in the pressurized cockpit would improve pilot survival in the frequent accidents. McDONNELL F-101B

A 2,040-pound Mk 28EX nuclear store could be attached underneath the F-104C fighter-bomber, which also had two underwing fixtures for 1,000-pound bombs, 2.75-inch rocket pods, 195-gallon tanks, or two more AIM-4B missiles. Powered by a J79-GE-7A, and with flight-refueling probes and two wingtip tanks, the first F-104C was flown in July 1958. Beginning in September, they replaced the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing’s F-l00s. Seventy-seven F-104Cs were built by June 1959, joined by 21 F-104D two-seat trainers.

The 296 Starfighters supplied the Air Force by September 1959 had the highest accident rate of any service type; 49 aircraft and 18 pilots lost in the first 100,000 hours. Lacking all-weather radar, the F-104As were retired from the ADC to three ANG squadrons in 1960. REPUBLIC XF-103

Twenty-four became QF-104 target drones and three were converted, beginning September 1962, to rocket-powered NF-104As for training NASA astronauts. But during the Cuban crisis of 1962, one F-104A squadron was called back into ADC service to be stationed with the 479th TFW in Florida, and another squadron was placed in Texas.

TAC F-104Cs had a longer service, and acquired satisfactory M-61A-1 guns, ASG-14 fire control, and Mk 43 one-megaton bombs as these systems became available. From April 1965 to December 1966 squadrons rotated to Vietnam flew over 2,775 sorties, but their limited endurance and weapons load were handicaps. After July 1967, they were passed to the ANG, whose 198th TFS was the final American squadron to use them, retiring the last F-104C on July 31, 1975.

After a visit to Taiwan by the 83rd FIS in September 1958, the RoC received 25 F-104As and two F-104Bs in 1960, while Pakistan got ten As and two F-104Bs. Jordan acquired 32 F-104As and four F-104Bs in 1969, refitted with new J79-GE-11 engines. The only Starfighter air- to-air combat by F-104s in this period was by Pakistani F-104As fighting India in August 1965 and again in December 1971.

Lockheed was not discouraged by its USAF reception and made a very successful drive to sell their fighter abroad,* beginning with Germany’s search for a supersonic multi-purpose type to do all-weather tactical bombing, interception, and even reconnaissance. A new version, the F-104G, stuffed with new electronic navigation and weapons delivery systems, was chosen by Germany over a dozen rival designs.

Contracts signed February 5 and March 18, 1959, resulted in Lockheed furnishing Germany 96 F-104Gs and 136 TF-104Gs, and launched a European consortium that would produce 1,242 planes in German, Dutch, Belgian and, by a March 1961 addition, Italian factories. Canada signed up for its own production plan on September 17, 1959.

The F-104G was similar to the F-104C, but had enlarged tail surfaces, a J79-GE-llA, LN-3 navigation system, F-15A fire control, and was strengthened for one 2,000-pound and two 1,000-pound bombs or AGM-12B Bullpup missiles. Four AIM-9B Sidewinders could be carried along with the 20-mm M-61A gun; the latter removed for RF-104G reconnaissance versions. All-weather fighter and bombing capability eclipsed the original lightweight concept.

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