Looks versus Power - A Jet Drag Race

flieger83

flieger83

Super Moderator
15-Year Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2008
Messages
6,197
Apparently, in the 1960s, the AF decided to do a supersonic drag race between the "then" sexiest fighter in the world, the F-104A Starfighter, and a new kid on the block; a kludgy big recce bird...

It was...interesting...

 
What in the heck is above that engine? I have never seen a 104 with that protuberance. APU?

1685963098566.png
 
Ah! The one that almost killed Chuck Yeager. I remember reading about it in his book. He recounting using the RCS system in that aircraft, in order to push the nose down. It didn't really help, however.

In The Right Stuff (Sam Shepard as Chuck, below), they showed him flying a "regular" F-104 since only three of the NF-104s were made. ;)
1685973220194.png

You can see one of the three actual NF-104s on display at the USAF Test Pilot School.
1685972981192.png
 
Back to the SR-71. Loved it.

I am fortunate enough to see them fly out of Kadena back in the day. Never saw a Saturn V launch, but by golly I saw Blackbirds takeoff and land. Wheels up to I-can't-see-it-anymore felt like it took about 10 seconds.
 
Looking over the controller's shoulder I would watch them on scope. Climb, climb, climb, climb to altitude then goneeeeee.
 
True story....if any "Beale Bandits" are here, they can confirm...

KC-135Q refuels "the Sled..." to full tanks. Then makes a bet with the Sled crew: "First to FL500 wins, loser buys the beer at the Smokehouse Inn at Mildenhall." IF the Sled crew agreed (they were good folks, as they usually did)...the race was on.

And almost always the KC would win. Why? Because the Sled was heavy...and would wait to initiate its afterburners and ramjet technology until "up higher..." so what you'd see was....the Sled coming up...in second place and then slowly moving forward and upward....slowly, slowly, and then....a burst of bright white plumes and GOODBYE SLED! It'd angle up and disappear.

Seven or more hours later when you walked into the Smokehouse for your "free beer" there'd be the crew...drunk...asking what took you so long, they'd been there for hours...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top