Dam don’t stop !!!!
I read a similar tale recently in one of the monthly enthusiates magazines (“ Combat Fighter” or someyhing.) The article entitled ,“What Makes a Great Fighter Plane “,was written by a very experienced ex (are there any other sort!) RN Sea Harrier pilot recounting ACM sorties between Sea Harriers and Italian F104’s over the Med. Two points: one, despite being skilfully flown all they could do was blow through the engagement at high speed with little chance of acquiring a target (sensibly not attempting to manoeuvre with the Harriers): and second, they could only stand two engagements before retiring to refuel leaving the Harriers to play for another ¾ hour ! BY the way this is not meant to be a Harrier love in.
Personally I love the F104 ... it’s completely bonkers and totally confuses me. Designed by a genius following feedback from pilots in the Korean War . It could intercept anything from ground level to verging on outer space in the blink of an eye but seemingly couldn’t do anything once it had intercepted ;given its’ gun and early model Sidewinder required a tracking rear quarter shot. I suspect the Vulcan really could out manoeuvre it at altitude.
I had the privilege of a few exchanged e- mails with a retired Air Canada pilot who in his youth flew Canadian F104’s through the cold War. When they did a pop up bomb attack they had to be very careful they didn’t go s upersonic pulling off the target. In his words the only aircraft with which he would even consider manoeuvring against.. was another F104.
I suppose as supersonic tactical fighters go even to this day the F104 is extreme. However the ability to be able to “Help Your Buddies” is on the one hand helped if you can get there on the other hand hindered if you have run out of fuel in doing so or can’t do anything meaningful with your weapons when you get there. Also the ability to escape a bad situation can be very handy counterbalanced by the difficulty in out dragging a missile and the fact it’s a tactical fighter .I suspect .there is only so much running away you can do before you have to fight.
TIM
(NB—If it isn’t already obvious these are the relatively worthless views of someone whilst interested in aviation has never flown behind anything more powerful than a 180bhp lycoming and whose engineering skills start and stop at changing a light plug. Don’t say you weren’t warned !)