CF-104 Starfighter

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, designated CF-104 by the RCAF, was built in Montreal, Quebec, after Canada sought a new fighter in the late 1950s to replace the F-86 Sabre. Canadair Ltd. was chosen to produce 200 strike and reconnaissance versions of the Lockheed-designed aircraft, and the CF-104 entered Canadian service in March 1962. In the RCAF it was used primarily for low-level strike and reconnaissance, with eight of nine squadrons stationed in Europe as part of Canada's NATO commitment. From 1962 to 1971, the CF-104 was equipped for a possible nuclear strike role in the event of conflict with Warsaw Pact forces; after 1971, when that role was removed, it shifted to a conventional attack role with rockets and bombs. In the late 1970s, the Canadian Forces recognized the need for a replacement, and the CF-118 Hornet began replacing the Starfighter in 1982. During the 1960s, the museum's dual-seat Starfighter operated from Cold Lake, Alberta, as part of No. 6 Operational Training Unit, and the large X on its tail shows that it was also flown by Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment, which evaluated aircraft safety and effectiveness in the Canadian military. In 1983, Starfighter 104646 flew from Cold Lake to Trenton in the last Starfighter flight in Canada. This D Mark I aircraft, tail number 104646, had a wingspan of 6.68 meters, a length of 16.69 meters, a height of 4.11 meters, a maximum weight of 13510 kilograms, a maximum speed of 2334 kilometers per hour, a crew of one or two pilots in ejection seats, and served in fighter strike, photo-reconnaissance, and training roles from 1962 to 1986.

Ontario · Canada