F-104S+ Starfighter in NATO service - RDAF Zipper completed

[Pellson]

This time a newbuild, exploring the idea of taking the Italian interceptor upgrades of the F-104S just one step further., integrating more modern missiles but also taking full advantage of other available technical developments, such as engines, in the relevant period.
I'll start with this Luftwaffe fighter in the oh so pretty Norm 81 scheme, but more countries and versions will follow, some of them reasonably soon, I'd guess. But first the backstory:

When West Germany in the late fifties declared the F-104G Starfighter to be its new jet fighter, it was the start of what then was called "The deal of the century", resulting in almost every NATO country operating in Europe having selected the multirole F-104G by 1962. While most operators used it both with interceptor and fighterbomber squadrons, it was the latter that caused the initial headaches it has become famous for. The aircraft was cutting edge and bullet fast, but its handling, in particular when flown low, fast and heavily laden was demanding. Most pilots, coming from firmly subsonic and daylight types now found themselves flying much faster and in much worse weather and light conditions. Accident rates rose quickly and pilot losses with them. While this soon gave the Starfighter a very bad reputation, many pilots loved the power and elegance of the aircraft and in time, improved training and accident investigations made the loss rates sink to a level quite comparable to other types of the era.  During the seventies, the F-104G was acknowledged to work quite well as a fast fighterbomber.
However, its relative lack of manoeuvrability and its inability to employ BVR air-to-air missiles put severe limitations on its value as an interceptor, especially when looking at fighter vs fighter engagements. To improve on this, another version was developed, the F-104S, the S standing for Sparrow. Besides the new radar and mission computer giving Sparrow SARH missile capacity, the F-104S got a new more powerful version of its J79 engine, the J79-GE-19. This increased the acceleration, rate of climb and manoeuvrability significantly on all altitudes, but the new engine also had a lower specific fuel consumption, giving the F-104S longer range than its older sisters. Also, the maximum weapon load was almost doubled, supported by an additional hardpoint under the outer part of each wing, making a much more capable multirole aircraft out of the original Starfighter design. Almost as an afterthought, added keel area to mitigate snaking was provided by fitting two small strakes under the rear fuselage.
Despite these rather significant improvements over the F-104G, only Italy bit on this opportunity, most of the other NATO members staying with the F-104G's. West Germany however reviewed the new design for interceptor duties before selecting a downgraded F-4E Phantom, the F-4F, instead, reassigning all its Starfighters in tactical roles.

Fast forward to 1980. The previous year had been tumultuous on the world arena with the US supported Shah of Iran falling and the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan. In Europe, trouble was brewing as the economies of the eastern bloc were shrinking dramatically and wages couldn't keep up with cost increases. In August, civil unrest and widespread labour strikes in Poland led to the Polish communist government accepting free trade unions and, for the Warsaw Pact countries, rather far reaching liberty reforms. A broad anti-Soviet movement quickly spread across Poland, soon also growing into neighbouring countries such as Czechoslovakia and East Germany. threatening the current order. This was more than Moscow could tolerate, and in November 1981, resident Soviet army brigades mobilised and seized control, not only of Poland, but of all of the eastern bloc. Massive protests emerged in many of the affected countries but the soviet answer was harsh, and in a few weeks, all the previously at least formally independent countries in Eastern Europe, except the DDR, had "applied for" membership in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on equal terms to the other republics within the union, such as f.i Estonia and Ukraine. Also, in particular in Poland and East Germany, a significant number of regular Soviet units deployed into the countries, severely worrying the West German government and in extension, the NATO. Tensions were now higher than they had ever been since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.
Just before Christmas, the Soviet foreign secretary, in a speech in the politburo in Moscow, laid claim to all land that under any time previously having been under Soviet or Russian control, i.e in addition to the former east bloc, also West Berlin, Finland, Austria, northernmost Norway and the Danish island of Bornholm. Furthermore, using the argument that all Germans traditionally were to be led from Berlin, West Germany would be anticipated to "freely" unite with its eastern sister, then as a united republic enter into the Soviet Union as the German Soviet Socialist Republic. Needless to say, the reaction in the western world was equally disbelief and anger. Denmark, Finland and West Germany partly mobilised.

In mid-January 1982, the Soviet Union suddenly invaded the neutral Austria from staging points in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, triggering a full West German mobilisation, supported by in-theatre allied forces. American and Canadian home based forces were put on high readiness to transfer to Europe, but already in the third day on the invasion, a puppet regime had been established by the invaders and within a month, the new Austrian Soviet Socialist Republic had applied for and been granted entry in the USSR. The bulk of the Soviet occupation forces then quickly returned eastwards, leaving only enough resources to comfortly sit on the land, and in mid-March, the status of the allied forces reverted to one of high readiness. Finland and Sweden in the meantime applied for NATO membership.
In early May, three amphibious ships were observed setting sail from Kaliningrad, possibly aiming for Bornholm. A German Atlantic MPA trying to investigate was shot down by Soviet MiG-23's, but some intel was acquired by a Swedish reconnaissance Viggen being able to make a high speed dash over the ships north of Gdansk. They following day, a German Marineflieger RF-104G tried the same trick but was intercepted and shot down by another swarm of MiG-23's, using BVR missiles, as was the pair of Danish Starfighter interceptors sent to assist. Denmark mobilised and with allied assistance airlifted a mechanised infantry company to reinforce the local garrison on the island. Again, Europe prepared for the worst. However, the ships then turned south, docking in Swinoujscie and no further movement of Red forces could then be detected in northern Europe, and in June, things looked to calm down somewhat.

Nothing further occurred during the rest of 1982 despite the occasional Soviet reference to the now famous "Christmas speech" from 1981. The European NATO members were however not at ease, and accelerated preparations for war commenced. Among other things, the already ongoing West European replacement of the F-104G's by F-16A's was accelerated, but also amended. As it now was realised that much air-to-air would be BVR, neither the new Vipers nor the old Starfighters were up to standard, only being able to field short range IR Sidewinder missiles, and something had to be done quickly. In the US, design had been ongoing for an improved Viper, the F-16C with BVR capacity, but that programme was plagued by software issues and once fieldworthy, even if transplanted into the Vipers just being delivered, the numbers wouldn't be enough and further, the USAF could be anticipated prioritise their own stocks above allies.

In Italy, the ever cash strapped government previously having deferred the F-16 purchase, already had Aeritalia working on an upgrade of the F-104S, the F-104S-ASA (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma or Improved Weapon Systems) projecting first flight during 1984. The target for the Italian modification was full lookdown/shootdown capacity in the air-to-air-role, but also a significant modernisation of the air-to-ground weapon delivery systems. Realising the potential of the over 1000 F-104G airframes still airworthy in Europe, the other Starfighter operating countries quickly bought in on the idea, and with significantly increased resources, the Italian programme could be both accelerated and expanded. In the process, the Italian version name was replaced by the more internationally viable F-104S Plus, or more abbrevated, F-104S+.
The first and rather uneventful flight of the F-104S+ took place on a bleak November morning in 1983 outside Turin. The airframe was principally unchanged from the S, but the new Fiat R21G/M1 radar featured frequency hopping and a Moving Target Indicator (MTI) that conferred the desired true look-down/shoot-down-capacity. A new NATO IFF, improved weapons delivery computer and an automated pitch control to make extreme combat manoeuvring less risky rounded off the system enhancements. The new systems integrated not only the all aspect AIM-7L IR guided missile and the AIM-7M Sparrow SARH missile, but also the British Skyflash and the Italian Selenia Aspide, the latter bringing a homing on ECM mode. In time, the AIM-120 AMRAAM would also be integrated across most of the fleet.

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Additionally, a further upgraded J79 version derived from the Israeli variant being used in the Kfir, the J79-GE-22 was installed, increasing the power and engine handling further, also reducing consumption by another 8%. As a bonus, it finally did away with the revealing smoke trail that had been following every Starfighter since the type's inception. The biggest advantage was however the further payload increase made available by the additional power, enhancing the strike capacity in addition to the already better interception abilities. Also the Vulcan cannon, having been deleted on the F-104S and the RF-104G was reinstated due to better packaging and smaller size of modern electronics. For reconnaissance missions, all F-104S+ operators now relied on the Orpheus pods, already being used by the Dutch. Added to this, slightly reinforced key structural components, including a new stronger wing with provisions for the extra hardpoints introduced by the S model in the early seventies were to be supplied to more than "zero" the airframe when being rebuilt.
To secure pilot availability at the same time as the F-16's were being introduced, basic flying training was increased throughout Europe and a joint F-104 training center built on pooled TF-104G's from all participants was set up in Beja, Portugal, accompanied by a foulweather advanced training center at Sola air base in western Norway. At the same time, in the US, F-16 training of new European pilots was increased, not to lose pace with the introduction of the newer fighter.

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The S Plus modifications was supplied as a refurbishment package, easily installed by central air force workshops or more advanced civil aircraft manufacturers. A Starfighter could be flown in, taken into the workshop to then emerge as a Plus in slightly less than two weeks, and most facilities set up managed to work on five or more aircraft simultaneously. Emergency contracts were quickly signed, and the work to set up both military and civilian conversion facilities began immediately. Deliveries or the Starfighter Plus began in mid-March 1984 from Aeritalia, and during the summer from German, Dutch and Belgian workshops. By the end of the year, almost 800 F-, RF- and TF-104G's, as well as some 120 F-104S's had been modified, providing the West European NATO members with a much more capable multirole fighter that was faster and smarter but less agile than the F-16's still being delivered. As the political situation slowly settled into a new normal, the F-104S+ soldiered on, only slowly replaced by F-16C's during the latter half of the 1990's.
The final Starfighter left active service in December 2004 when the Italian Aeronautica Militare Italiana finally replaced it with AMX attack aircraft.


The sharp-eyed will wonder about the belly pylons. Well - I lost the catamaran thingy, just to find it five minutes after completion of decalling. Ah, well.. And btw - these pylons look nice too.

All in all, I'm pleased. The red fuel caps bring out something extra as does the dielectric panels behind the canopy and under the tail. And also here, the German AIM-9P missiles are used. I think they are a bit sexier than the ubiquitous AIM-9L, so when having an excuse (and a stash of missiles..)..

[NARSES2]

That does look nice   

[NARSES2]

The red fule caps bring out something extra

Yup it's amazing how such a "small" detail can really stand out and draw your eyes. It's like the tiny red trim tabs on a Me 109.

[Pellson]

The red fule caps bring out something extra

Yup it's amazing how such a "small" detail can really stand out and draw your eyes. It's like the tiny red trim tabs on a Me 109.

Bloody hell, Chris! I just corrected that spelling mistake - only to find that you've saved it for eternity.. 

[NARSES2]

The red fule caps bring out something extra

Yup it's amazing how such a "small" detail can really stand out and draw your eyes. It's like the tiny red trim tabs on a Me 109.

Bloody hell, Chris! I just corrected that spelling mistake - only to find that you've saved it for eternity.. 

I could correct it for a small fee 

[Dizzyfugu]

I did not expect Norm '81 to work well on a Starfighter, but this one looks very convincing (and pretty  ). 

BTW, the separate ventral pylons look IMHO much better than the original catamaran station.

What kit is this? The ESCI F-104 (with S parts included)?

[Pellson]

I did not expect Norm '81 to work well on a Starfighter, but this one looks very convincing (and pretty  ). 

BTW, the separate ventral pylons look IMHO much better than the original catamaran station.

What kit is this? The ESCI F-104 (with S parts included)?

I remember your misgivings about Starfighters in Norm 81. I'm happy to have proved you wrong. It's a rare feat.. 
And I agree with you on the pylons.

It is indeed the old ESCI kit, but in the Italeri box. In my view, the best looking Zipper there is in this scale. Most Italeri boxings contain the S fins and pylons as well, so there's plenty of possibilities to upgrade 

[Rheged]

That is a nice piece of modelling, and a very well constructed backstory.   I am impressed

[PR19_Kit]

You're on a roll with these Luftwaffe Norm schemes, most impressive stuff there.   

Who was Norm anyway? :-)

[thundereagle1997]

Would canard foreplanes be able to improve handling & agility?

[Wardukw]

I like this 
Love the 104 or the missile with a man in it ..pure speed and if only they could all look this good ..nice stuff matey    

[rickshaw]

Interesting...   

[Tophe]

the catamaran thingy

A F-104Z Catamaran (zwilling) Starfighter may have been a good idea too for a model. This was a true project in Germany, according to what I have read.

[McColm]

Good job although I'm not a fan of the F-104. I remember my first air show when I was in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force 1986-1997, I had to stop the general public from pinching parts from a F-104G and then the heavens opened it rained the wings have no protection from a downpour, so I snuck into the cockpit to keep dry. Happy days.

[Old Wombat]

Nice!