Nice! The F-104 was the first fighter aircraft that I sat in the cockpit. My father worked on their fire control radar system. After sitting in the cockpit I knew that I wanted to be a fighter pilot which I did 10 years later.
It's one of those airplanes that you got to love, even though you know it's is far from perfect. Phantom being another example. So, what did you fly in your career? A-10 would be my guess form your user name :)
@@showtime112 Sorry, for the delay in responding. I was lucky enough to have flown the F-4, F-5 and F-111. The Hog refers to the University of Arkansas where I graduated in 1973.
My father was in Phil Smith's squadron when he was shot down that day. Col. Smith spent 8 years as a guest of the Chinese and recounted his experience in his book, "Journey Into Darkness". He is a good man and is still alive and well living in Scottsdale, Arizona. My dad had over 4700 hours in his 18 years in an F-104.
@@showtime112 No, but it could have damaged the Enterprise if it was carrying nuclear tipped missiles which it was capable of doing, if it had not been for the quick response from Captain Kirk and Scotty activating the tractor beam:)
Great video! I really love the F-104. I live 40 minutes away from a German air base and when I was a child, I remember F-4 and F-104 flying low level over our house. I basically grew up with those planes :) I wish we had a F-104 in DCS. What a beautiful plane.
Thank you very much for your comment! I can understand your affection for F-104. Despite controversy, it was still a very important fighter plane for many nations.
Great representation. Good. Love planes of that age! One detail. F-104s in Viet Nam were C variant and were camouflaged in the south-East Asia pattern (Dark olive in two tones and light tan on the upper side. light ghost gray on the underside) and they carried refuelling booms on one side (for the drogue and hose system).
Thank you for your comment. As for the camouflage, that only came in 1966. on airplanes operating from Thailand. In 1965. the 479 TWF flying from Da Nang still had grey skins. As for the refueling system, you are right. However, the model I had in DCS World is actually not the C model but rather the later S model. I kinda adapted the Italian Skin to make it look like the older model. It's a frequent problem for me because despite its complexity, DCS World is rather limited in the number of assets available so getting everything 100% historically accurate is impossible.
As a military aviation fan, I have always read about how sharp the F-104's wings were. Then I had the opportunity to see it myself in the Komatsu JSDAF museum. It's incredible, the exposed aircraft even had leading edge guards on the wings to avoid injuries.
Also how damn small they were. Movies, films and pictures don't really give you an idea how small the F104 actually was. It looks like a long, unwieldy, plane in photos and video... you expect it to have a presence in person similar to an F105 F105 thunderchief (a huge single engine fighter) but it's like 12 feet shorter than a THUD. I saw one at the air museum at pearl harbor (an Ex Hawaii ANG starfighter) it's only about 4 feet longer than an F16 (known for being a very small fighter) , shorter at the tail fin, and significantly smaller across the wings. An F15 positively dwarfs it.
@@stinkyfungus That's right, photos are quite deceptive. Actually, Capt. Smith said in an interview that the Chinese pilot was probably fooled by the F-104's small size and opened fire too late. That's why he damaged his own plane.
The world sure changes.. here I am , an aussie... living in Danang, own a beautiful apartment here... an routinely watch Mig 21s and SU22s complete circuits around my building... war is stupid!
You are right. And that's why we learn history, to set ourselves free from it. Not to put ourselves to mindsets of people from the past as some do. Thank you for commenting!
I like the historical re-enactment. That's rough what happened to the USAF captain. I never knew any US airmen were POWs in China during the Vietnam War and I'm going to research it now!
Thanks! You can watch the interview that P. E. Smith gave this year where he describes his experience. The link is in the video description. Quite interesting.
@TrueKen yeah, I feel like a future operation to bait the Communist West Taiwanese air force up on another intercept path for payback would have been in order.
I was in the first F104 deployment to Danang in early 1965. I was an Air Policeman at the time (AKA the Air Force infantry). The squadron we deployed with didn't have the camo paint. My fire team leader was KIA in July when the base was attacked with mortars and a sapper team. We rotated back to the US about a month before that shoot down happened, so that squadron might have had the camo paint,
Thanks for sharing your experience! From what I can find in sources, Starfighters started to appear with camouflage patterns a bit later and it was used by units based in Thailand.
I didn’t know the F-104 was ever used in a fighter role. I thought it was strictly a fast bomber interceptor. With those stubby little wings it doesn’t look like it could dogfight its way out of a paper bag.
It was designed to be a fighter. Bomber role was added later. But at that time they were starting to thing that dogfight was gone for good and speed was the only thing that mattered.
Man I wish we would get more pre Vietnam and Vietnam War fighters. Early F-4s vs the Mig-19 would be awesome. But really there were so many real fights, and so many absolutely awesome jet fighters. No countermeasures, no all aspect IR missles, just the last era of the dogfight. It would be just awesome game play.
@@showtime112 Yeah, but the F-4E we are getting is much closer to being from the Tomcat era. Same for the F-8, although I'll believe that one when it happens. The 70's-90's are going to be pretty well fleshed out in about five years. But 50's-70's are still a little bare. Which like I said is sad. It a time when you litteraly cold doge missiles. I for the life of me don't see how they aren't the most popular jets for any online type play. It like WWII but at mach 1.5.
Hopeless fighter. Fast, but turned like a brick doesn’t. It’s combat record is bad, one possible kill for several losses. They were even shot down by Folland Gnats, a tiny fighter licence built by Hindustan aviation, based on a trainer and subsonic. The USAF bought very few and got rid of them fairly quickly.
Most of the Chinese MiG19s aka J6 were in bare metal shiny silver during the 1960/70s, almost none were camouflaged. Also most J6s were day fighter without a radar. By the way, I do appreciate your work of bringing up that incident. The Chinese and American pilots met in 1991 in China and became friends!
Thanks for commenting! I think that maybe this skin was the only one for PLAAF I could find. It is interesting to see old veterans who fought each other meet years after the conflict. Quite a lot of such cases.
Thank you for your comment. Actually, if the F-104 pilot was aware he was being chased and had plenty of fuel, he could probably get away from a MiG-19. Neither was true in this case. Capt. Smith had a broken navigation, he was trying to figure out where he was and was already a bit low on fuel. He also believed he had turned away from Chinese airspace and was safe. Plus, the MiGs probably dove out of the clouds at the last moment. Even they were a little surprised because the Chinese pilot opened fire at too close range and damaged his own airplane in the process.
I think the Mig 19 and the f-104 are both good looking planes, the Mig with its twin jet engines and star fighter because it does have that 50s space age look to it, like how the tail lights on cars had that after burner look to it and all the huge fins coming off the cars and what not
@@showtime112 I agree I love the look of the Cold War jets, the new ones have there charm too but there’s something about the older jets that I just find more appealing
Most people didn't know that. It flew mostly fighter cover for valuable assets, some CAS but also some CAP over North Vietnam. It never got much opportunity to shoot down any MiGs however.
@@showtime112 It's one of my fave modules on DCS along with the Mi-8, the 19 is very much overlooked sadly, I love it's simplicity compared to other modules, easy to fly amd fight in!
I was about to go to sleep when I saw this video and decided to check it out Man am I glad I didn't go to sleep, you have amazing content sir and a new subscriber
Very impressive video. 9/20/1965 was not a good day for 436TFS from Da Nang, other than Major Smith's F104C, the squadron also lost 2 more F104Cs in collision while returning to base after the search for Major Smith, fortunately both pilots were recovered unharmed. The Chinese J-6s might be in natural metallic finish.
Thank you! I wanted to show the collision of two other F-104s but it turned out to be a little difficult to do so I gave it up. As for the Chinese J-6s, they could have been natural metal. But none of the sources specified that detail and I only had this camouflage skin in DCS.
Thank you Showtime112. The video is a big enjoyment. Communist Pact warplanes of that era mostly did not have camouflage and I was guessing the J-6s in natural metal. BTW do you have any video about the battle on 04/04/1965 over Thanh Hoa Bridge? Another bad day for USAF. Forty-six F105s and 21 F100 and 8 Mig-17 might be too many for DCS to run. Thanks
@@julianlau5579 Yes, mostly the airplanes were just natural metal. However, in DCS I only had this camouflage for China. I haven't done the video you ask about. The sheer number of airplanes involved might be a bit too much for DCS but there's an even bigger problem. None of these three types is available. You can approximate MiG-17 with MiG-15 but that's about it. I have done some other Vietnam and other conflict videos, feel free to check out the channel.
You should do a tutorial how to read that early radar. Seems to be quite a common setup for 1960s fighters from what I've seen from your videos. Unless the ones from the west were completely different and I'm not seeing it.
We’re all the Captains instruments faulty on the Starfighter? Did he even see the Mig 19. I don’t have a clue about the F-104’s instruments. Did it have an RWR? Surely he wasn’t that far behind his buddies, why no radio contact by friendlies or enemies?
Well, the source book says that both his heading indicator and standby compass were inoperative. It also suggests that his IFF unit was faulty because radar station was giving him confusing directional instructions. His buddies were not close because he launched later as a spare but never caught up with them (being unable to find them). F-104 didn't have a RWR then but the MiG-19 could have attacked him without the use of radar. He did see him before turning back but he then assumed that he was leaving Chinese airspace.
@@showtime112I think this was definitely flying by the seat of his pants. He really should have did a 180 back to base at the first sign of instrument failure. In an age where his instruments let him down, ya think that there would have been more than one set of navigation instruments on the F-104 Starfighter that would have given him some redundancy. Even a handheld military compass that he most surely had in one of his pockets could have helped out or which side of the canopy was the sun shining in. I also think that faced with that same situation. I would have clawed for altitude. At 40,000+ feet there would have been at the very least the vague outlines of countries & coastlines that he could have surely compared to the maps that he had. Hindsight, DCS, & Monday Morning Quarterbacking, that’s how life’s riddles are solved, one riddle at a time don’t ya know. Amelia Earhart you’re next.
The wing fences are to stop high pressure air bleed from bottom of wingtips over to the low pressure air on top of wing which would cause vortices and loss of lift.They help wing performance in other words.
I think it was not cannon fire, it was a missile that got stuck on the tail with out exploding, he tried to shoot back, had a lock and just then lost all electrical power... also the 104 pilot was lost and was concentrating on trying to find his way back.
Phillip Smith describes 'heavy thumping' on his aircraft which indicates cannon hits. You are right about the part when he was about to shoot back at the MiG but then lost power. This proved to be impossible to simulate here however.
Wow 🤩 Great Historical event as always. 🇺🇸 👍 There where also USAF F-104 wich appeared haveing camouflage during the Vietnam war 🇻🇳 must have been later on. Sadlywise the F-104 got the nickname widowmaker in Germany lots of German Pilot’s lost their life in crashes of the F-104.
Glad you liked it! The camouflage ones operated from Thailand in 1966-67. The early ones were gray with 50s style USAF markings. As for the German service, I think it was wrong tactics. They were supposed to fly at very high speeds, at very low altitude without modern technology that might have made it less dangerous.
The version the germans used had downward ejection seats. They misused the 104 as a low level bomber. Pilots often rode the plane in as a better option than being shot downward. Once they got the upward ejection versions. The death rate greatly reduced.
Two thoughts 1. I didn't know the F-104 in USAF service carried missiles under the underwing pylons (usually, they were carried either on the wingtips, or a pair of ventral pylons called 'catamarans'), I never remember seeing a double-pylon like this. 2. I'm curious if anybody ever rendered any earlier KC-135's, and F-105's and stuff. It would kind of be a cool concept. There's been WWII sims and stuff, why not Korea and Vietnam?
As for the missiles, they could carry them on either hardpoints, wingtip or under wing. And regarding KC-135, there's just this one in DCS F-105 exists as a mod, I made a video with it. DCS does feature some airplanes from Korean or Vietnam war periods, others are being developed. No specific maps though.
Oh yes, that would be my first choice. I haven't heard anyone working on it yet but some more assets are coming (A-7 Corsair, F-8 Crusader). So someone might start.
I wonder what the outcome would have been if the 104’s equipment had not failed.. well, chances are 104 most probably wouldn’t have strayed into Chinese airspace & there wouldn’t have been any combat….
Those early versions didn't have any Radar Warning Receivers. But even so, if you approach without the use of radar and launch IR homing missiles or use guns without radar guidance, RWR is useless.
Your reconstruction of military air actions are very interesting and spectacular, especially those involving the F 104 (I'm italian and the plane was a common sight im our skies. Really good work. Just a curiosty: why the name "showtime 112" ? What does 112 mean? Greetings
Thank you for the positive feedback! There are a few F-104 episodes left to cover in the future. As for the name, it is the callsign of an F-4J Phantom flown by USN aces Cunningham and Driscoll for their first two kills. That story fascinated me when I was a teenager. But some recent discovery suggests that those kills are not confirmed by Vietnamese records :(
Thanks for the suggestion. Canberra is not available in DCS. There's a modder developing it so I might do videos involving this type when it gets released.
I never imagine how Easy was to chatch by surprise a jet that Is supposed to hace a radar, and the suport of ground control. Before teaball, Situation awareness of USAF Pilots was horrible
Where f104s. Performance figures with or without wingtip tanks. They would have effected performance very much. Including manoeuvrability and were always fitted
If flown correctly, and to its advantages - the F104 was a helluva nasty little fucker to tangle with. Turing it into a multirole CAS fighter = meh. Setting it up as a lightweight dayfighter with just a pair of sidewinders and a M61 cannon = quick little fucker that could out climb, out accelerate, and flat out outrun Damn near anything of its era. And, if the pilot kept the airspeed up above 400kts, it could turn with almost anything at the time. It wasn't the "only good in a straight line" piece of crap everyone made it out to be. politics and USAF doctrine is what clipped the starfighters wings - not ability.
@@showtime112 no he wasn't on 8/21/67 two A-6 Intruders were shot down by MIG-19's 3 KIA and 1 POW Lieutenant Commander Robert J. Flynn spent 2,032 days in China.
That's not the only airbattle between China PLA air force and US navy/air force during Vietnam war. Many airbattle would follow next. A total of at least 25 US combat would fell victims to China PLA air force MIG19 The victims would be US combat planes from F104 ,F4 phantoms, A1 skyraider and others. MIG19 although not a high profile like MIG21 would here prove to be a formidable fighter for US combat planes.
Another case was also covered on this channel. It's two Intruders that (probably) entered Chinese airspace avoiding a storm after a raid over North Vietnam.
@@showtime112 there is a US skyraider that came from US airbase in Phils. that was shotdown by MIG19. This can be searched in the internet. MIG19 is a formidable fighter and not unknown one.
I watch some of your videos and would like some information, if possible. I served with USN Air Wing 15 in 69-70, N. Tonkin Gulf. As a ground crewman we would never know what happened to our aircraft. They either returned damaged in some way of failed to return at all. Question: How do you locate the information for aircraft lost in combat during Vietnam? I have found some sketchy info on A-7s but not much on our F-4s & A-6s. Please, what is the source of information? Many times I was the first person to communicate with the pilot (called an aviator in the Navy) and would ask how their mission went. Never got any answers. I learned in later years that most of our missions were secret & they couldn't discuss anything with us. I have access to the ships deck logs but they only discuss aircraft losses in the general area around the ship.
Thank you for watchin and contacting me. As for the info on the US losses in Vietnam, I usually first find the info in various books dealing with the subject. Then, I search some more online, primarily based on aircrew names and aircraft serial numbers. There is one book which examines all the losses in chronological order from 1961 to 1973 (although I'm not sure if it includes all the classified missions). Level of detail varies from case to case, but there are at lest the aircrew names, exact aircraft type and serial number, and the cause of the loss so maybe you will find what you are looking for. The book is available on Amazon on this link: amzn.to/3KOUDzA
@@showtime112 Thanks, I have the book ordered. In addition to the classified stuff going on there was some political activity involved. For example our ships cruise book lists several airmen listed as MIA when they were actually killed in a plane that crashed into the water with no hope of escape. Should have been listed KIA/ BNR (killed in action, body not recovered). MIA gives the implication that the airman was captured & a POW. Looked good on the evening news though.
that sucks, you have to spend 7 years in prison in china because of faulty navigation equipment. although the guys he met there were in there for over 20 years
That's quite simple. F-104 didn't have a RWR. Not that it would have helped because Chinese airplanes almost certainly had no radars. The F-104 pilot was lost, he was low on fuel and trying to figure out how to return to his home base.
Oh yes, there was no warning or anything. USA and China had fought a very bloody war 12-15 years previously. They weren't in war anymore in 1965. but quite close to that. Plus, Americans were attacking another communist country at the time which probably didn't help.
Quite interesting read, didn't know a F-4 was shotdown by Chinese Mig-17 earlier as well. medium.com/war-is-boring/the-nsa-listened-as-chinese-migs-shot-down-american-warplanes-521fb522369f
@@EPsuperFan Yes, that's a rather obscure part of the Vietnam War. USA and China were almost at war in 1960s. Due to incredibly high number of American sorties, and proximity of Chinese airspace, these things were hard to avoid.
Was watching an interview somewhere on here a few months ago.. think it was an Indian or Pakastani pilot , said he loved the MiG-19.. it was kinda a little hotrod
@@showtime112 82ND AIRBORNE Dear Sir, As for your Vietnam video intros...take a listen to Jimi Hendrix...the Band of Gypsy's..." Machine Gun. This was a live concert at the Fillmore East. New Years Eve 1969. You will be Amazed!!
F-104 was designed for a purpose for which RWR wasn't needed. Ans in 1965, those things were still a rarity. Only after first losses to SAMs did American aircraft start to (slowly) receive them. Not that it would have helped here, I believe the Chinese aircraft didn't even have a radar.
Well, that's a plot twist. Kinda like in those murder mysteries when you learn the main protagonist is actually the murderer 😁 Kidding, the F-104 is a mod and it can even be flown but with cockpit borrowed from some other aircraft. MiG-19 is an official high-fidelity module so it's a different thing.
Very easily. The F-104 pilot doesn't know he is being chased. His navigation doesn't work, his fuel state is low and he is trying to figure out where he is. He doesn't have a RWR to warn him either. MiGs on the other hand are flying close to home, they are being guided by their ground control, they fly above the clouds and then dive at him in a single gun pass. Surprise factor is the main cause of air to air kills in entire history of aerial warfare, including both world wars.
You can download it here: www.lockonforum.de/community/thread/7654-f-104g-starfighter/ It's all in German but I think you can figure it out. Supposedly, you can even fly it with F-15 or Su-25 cockpit but I could only make it work as an AI asset.
Well, military airplanes serve for decades with so many variants and upgrades. DCS may be extremely complex but it is still extremely limited in available assets. When you do a reenactment such as this one, you are happy if you can find any variant of a type involved.
From what I could find, Michael Dorn is indeed an accomplished pilot. It is mentioned that he owned a T-33 and a F-86 Sabre. Nothing about F-104. I am a Star Trek fan (especially TNG) but I have to admit I didn't know this about him.
the f104 and the f8 were both way under used in Vietnam , they were pure fighter aircraft so politicians hated them but they both would have fared better than the f4 against the more agile migs
Something like that. Some might say it never got a chance, others might say it reflected its capabilities. But it did fly fighter escort in Vietnam but MiGs never appeared when it did.
Well, actually this is a very rare event. Most losses occurred because they used it as a low level strike fighter. Flying high speed at treetop level and doing dead reckoning navigation at the same time can be too much for many humans.
High accident rate in the german airforce mainly due to poor maintenance. It was an incredible aircraft and those of us fortunate enough to have flown it, absolutely loved it.
Prve verzije MiG-19S nisu imale radar ali P verzija, odnosno kineski J-6A su imale radar Izumrud. Domet oko 9 km za lovce, 12 km za bombardere. Upotrebljiv iznad 2000 metara visine.
Nice! The F-104 was the first fighter aircraft that I sat in the cockpit. My father worked on their fire control radar system. After sitting in the cockpit I knew that I wanted to be a fighter pilot which I did 10 years later.
It's one of those airplanes that you got to love, even though you know it's is far from perfect. Phantom being another example. So, what did you fly in your career? A-10 would be my guess form your user name :)
@Директор Кренник благодаря
If you're a fighter pilot what's your callsign?
I want to be a fighter pilot what’s it like flying
@@showtime112 Sorry, for the delay in responding. I was lucky enough to have flown the F-4, F-5 and F-111. The Hog refers to the University of Arkansas where I graduated in 1973.
My father was in Phil Smith's squadron when he was shot down that day. Col. Smith spent 8 years as a guest of the Chinese and recounted his experience in his book, "Journey Into Darkness". He is a good man and is still alive and well living in Scottsdale, Arizona. My dad had over 4700 hours in his 18 years in an F-104.
Thank you for sharing your personal experience!
The F-104 Starfighters most intimidating encounter, was when it challenged the Star Ship Enterprise.
And it almost shot it down if I remember well :)
@@showtime112 No, but it could have damaged the Enterprise if it was carrying nuclear tipped missiles which it was capable of doing, if it had not been for the quick response from Captain Kirk and Scotty activating the tractor beam:)
@@coleparkerThankfully it all worked out well, and my childhood could continue.
Great video! I really love the F-104. I live 40 minutes away from a German air base and when I was a child, I remember F-4 and F-104 flying low level over our house. I basically grew up with those planes :) I wish we had a F-104 in DCS. What a beautiful plane.
Thank you very much for your comment! I can understand your affection for F-104. Despite controversy, it was still a very important fighter plane for many nations.
Great representation. Good. Love planes of that age! One detail. F-104s in Viet Nam were C variant and were camouflaged in the south-East Asia pattern (Dark olive in two tones and light tan on the upper side. light ghost gray on the underside) and they carried refuelling booms on one side (for the drogue and hose system).
Thank you for your comment. As for the camouflage, that only came in 1966. on airplanes operating from Thailand. In 1965. the 479 TWF flying from Da Nang still had grey skins. As for the refueling system, you are right. However, the model I had in DCS World is actually not the C model but rather the later S model. I kinda adapted the Italian Skin to make it look like the older model. It's a frequent problem for me because despite its complexity, DCS World is rather limited in the number of assets available so getting everything 100% historically accurate is impossible.
As a military aviation fan, I have always read about how sharp the F-104's wings were. Then I had the opportunity to see it myself in the Komatsu JSDAF museum. It's incredible, the exposed aircraft even had leading edge guards on the wings to avoid injuries.
Oh yes, the wings were barely big enough to keep it in a controlled flight 😁
Also how damn small they were.
Movies, films and pictures don't really give you an idea how small the F104 actually was. It looks like a long, unwieldy, plane in photos and video... you expect it to have a presence in person similar to an F105 F105 thunderchief (a huge single engine fighter) but it's like 12 feet shorter than a THUD.
I saw one at the air museum at pearl harbor (an Ex Hawaii ANG starfighter) it's only about 4 feet longer than an F16 (known for being a very small fighter) , shorter at the tail fin, and significantly smaller across the wings.
An F15 positively dwarfs it.
@@stinkyfungus Exactly, they are more like fins than wings. It's a missile with a cockpit.
@@stinkyfungus That's right, photos are quite deceptive. Actually, Capt. Smith said in an interview that the Chinese pilot was probably fooled by the F-104's small size and opened fire too late. That's why he damaged his own plane.
The world sure changes.. here I am , an aussie... living in Danang, own a beautiful apartment here... an routinely watch Mig 21s and SU22s complete circuits around my building... war is stupid!
You are right. And that's why we learn history, to set ourselves free from it. Not to put ourselves to mindsets of people from the past as some do. Thank you for commenting!
Gary Speed you would have not seen an SU 22 in nam.
@@stevecomstock3563 I see them every week... en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_People%27s_Air_Force
What does aussie mean??
@@iron_bear5544 Australian
man holy shit this is some extremely underrated content
Thank you very much. Feel free to check other videos as well.
I like the historical re-enactment. That's rough what happened to the USAF captain. I never knew any US airmen were POWs in China during the Vietnam War and I'm going to research it now!
Thanks! You can watch the interview that P. E. Smith gave this year where he describes his experience. The link is in the video description. Quite interesting.
You never knew ANY were? seriously? @_@;;;
@TrueKen yeah, I feel like a future operation to bait the Communist West Taiwanese air force up on another intercept path for payback would have been in order.
The music choice really adds to the 60s Vietnam vibe.
Thank you so much! I'm especially glad when someone thinks that the music choice is a good one!
@@showtime112, jazz/FUNK is strong up in here! -superb.
@@scottwilliams4157 Your comment is highly appreciated!
I was in the first F104 deployment to Danang in early 1965. I was an Air Policeman at the time (AKA the Air Force infantry). The squadron we deployed with didn't have the camo paint. My fire team leader was KIA in July when the base was attacked with mortars and a sapper team. We rotated back to the US about a month before that shoot down happened, so that squadron might have had the camo paint,
Thanks for sharing your experience! From what I can find in sources, Starfighters started to appear with camouflage patterns a bit later and it was used by units based in Thailand.
THX for your Service Sir!
I didn’t know the F-104 was ever used in a fighter role. I thought it was strictly a fast bomber interceptor. With those stubby little wings it doesn’t look like it could dogfight its way out of a paper bag.
It was designed to be a fighter. Bomber role was added later. But at that time they were starting to thing that dogfight was gone for good and speed was the only thing that mattered.
@@showtime112 That makes perfect sense. One of the takeaways from WW1 as well. Thanks.
Man I wish we would get more pre Vietnam and Vietnam War fighters. Early F-4s vs the Mig-19 would be awesome. But really there were so many real fights, and so many absolutely awesome jet fighters. No countermeasures, no all aspect IR missles, just the last era of the dogfight. It would be just awesome game play.
On the long run, we will have more and more aircraft from that era. F-4, MiG-17, F-8. Let's hope they also make the map.
@@showtime112 Yeah, but the F-4E we are getting is much closer to being from the Tomcat era. Same for the F-8, although I'll believe that one when it happens. The 70's-90's are going to be pretty well fleshed out in about five years. But 50's-70's are still a little bare. Which like I said is sad. It a time when you litteraly cold doge missiles. I for the life of me don't see how they aren't the most popular jets for any online type play. It like WWII but at mach 1.5.
Another cool episode!
Thanks! It's actually doing better than I expected.
That's my kind of a plane! The F-104, off course!
Yeah! I'm sure that if someone decided to make a hf version of it, he would be in the money with it.
*of course
Hopeless fighter. Fast, but turned like a brick doesn’t. It’s combat record is bad, one possible kill for several losses. They were even shot down by Folland Gnats, a tiny fighter licence built by Hindustan aviation, based on a trainer and subsonic. The USAF bought very few and got rid of them fairly quickly.
@@SvenTviking All of this is true. But it still has some attraction, some X factor that can't really be quantified.
@@showtime112 100% agree, I’m on console and grinding the 104 on war thunder just cause it’s cool as fuck.
Now, that is some well placed period, Motown-esque music.
Thank you! I also felt it was just right for that mid 60s vibe.
Most of the Chinese MiG19s aka J6 were in bare metal shiny silver during the 1960/70s, almost none were camouflaged. Also most J6s were day fighter without a radar. By the way, I do appreciate your work of bringing up that incident.
The Chinese and American pilots met in 1991 in China and became friends!
Thanks for commenting! I think that maybe this skin was the only one for PLAAF I could find. It is interesting to see old veterans who fought each other meet years after the conflict. Quite a lot of such cases.
Great video showing us this historical event during the Cold War. Thanks.
Thank you! Keep watching.
DCS needs to just go ahead and add all the century series fighters since it already has most of their Soviet counterparts
Oh yes. If someone makes them, I'll buy them 😊 Especially F-104 and F-105.
A new module? Cool! And free to play hasn't even started yet 😄
That one has actually been waiting for a while from a previous sale 😊
My favorite jet fighter, the F-104. Lots of nicknames.
I call it The Bullet.
And I have NEVER heard of this event!! 😳
Yeah, it's a true legend alright. As for the event, I suggest you listen to an interview the pilot recently gave. The link is in the description.
Yes like widow maker.
Looks like the ADI in the MIG is up side down when he's flying dirty side down.
Yeah, it looks wrong but apparently that's how it is on the real thing for some reason.
Given that the F104 (1,328 mph) had roughly twice the speed of the Mig (711.47 mph) It hard to imagine a Mig chasing down an f104 for a gun kill
on max perfomance F104 burns fuel like hell, so even if he capable to beat 1300+ mph, that doesnt mean he will maintain this speed all the way.
Thank you for your comment. Actually, if the F-104 pilot was aware he was being chased and had plenty of fuel, he could probably get away from a MiG-19. Neither was true in this case. Capt. Smith had a broken navigation, he was trying to figure out where he was and was already a bit low on fuel. He also believed he had turned away from Chinese airspace and was safe. Plus, the MiGs probably dove out of the clouds at the last moment. Even they were a little surprised because the Chinese pilot opened fire at too close range and damaged his own airplane in the process.
@@showtime112 Yeah very short legs. 9000 lbs of internal fuel went really fast in re-heat.
I think the Mig 19 and the f-104 are both good looking planes, the Mig with its twin jet engines and star fighter because it does have that 50s space age look to it, like how the tail lights on cars had that after burner look to it and all the huge fins coming off the cars and what not
Personally, these cold war planes look much cooler than the modern 5th gen. But that's just me :)
@@showtime112 I agree I love the look of the Cold War jets, the new ones have there charm too but there’s something about the older jets that I just find more appealing
I based at Bitburg AFB and whenever we had exercises we would be host to the Luftwaffe and those 104s…
Thanks for sharing your personal experience!
I Didn't Know the F-104s Saw Combat in Air War Over Vietnam?
Most people didn't know that. It flew mostly fighter cover for valuable assets, some CAS but also some CAP over North Vietnam. It never got much opportunity to shoot down any MiGs however.
The MiG-19 is one of my fave fighters ever, so cool looking!
I started liking it after having played it in DCS. It's a bit overlooked but still quite important.
@@showtime112 It's one of my fave modules on DCS along with the Mi-8, the 19 is very much overlooked sadly, I love it's simplicity compared to other modules, easy to fly amd fight in!
Man, I really like these old-tech videos! Good one, once again! ;-)
P.S. Oh, and there's something about that music... Good choice!
I'm glad you like this one as well. The music has some surfy feel which I thought was quitr right for early to mid 60s.
I was about to go to sleep when I saw this video and decided to check it out
Man am I glad I didn't go to sleep, you have amazing content sir
and a new subscriber
Well your an owl
Thank you very much for your comment and subscription. I hope you like other videos too!
Very impressive video. 9/20/1965 was not a good day for 436TFS from Da Nang, other than Major Smith's F104C, the squadron also lost 2 more F104Cs in collision while returning to base after the search for Major Smith, fortunately both pilots were recovered unharmed. The Chinese J-6s might be in natural metallic finish.
Thank you! I wanted to show the collision of two other F-104s but it turned out to be a little difficult to do so I gave it up.
As for the Chinese J-6s, they could have been natural metal. But none of the sources specified that detail and I only had this camouflage skin in DCS.
Thank you Showtime112. The video is a big enjoyment. Communist Pact warplanes of that era mostly did not have camouflage and I was guessing the J-6s in natural metal. BTW do you have any video about the battle on 04/04/1965 over Thanh Hoa Bridge? Another bad day for USAF. Forty-six F105s and 21 F100 and 8 Mig-17 might be too many for DCS to run. Thanks
@@julianlau5579 Yes, mostly the airplanes were just natural metal. However, in DCS I only had this camouflage for China. I haven't done the video you ask about. The sheer number of airplanes involved might be a bit too much for DCS but there's an even bigger problem. None of these three types is available. You can approximate MiG-17 with MiG-15 but that's about it.
I have done some other Vietnam and other conflict videos, feel free to check out the channel.
@@showtime112 Thank you Showtime112. I will certainly check out your channel. Best Regards
The music is so fitting,let alone the video.Many thanks brother.😊😊😊
Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad you like the music!
Good Morning Vietnam! This is airman Adrian Cronauer ,warning all you 435th fighter pilots, that WINGMAN next to you might be a SAM MISSILE!
You should do a tutorial how to read that early radar.
Seems to be quite a common setup for 1960s fighters from what I've seen from your videos.
Unless the ones from the west were completely different and I'm not seeing it.
We’re all the Captains instruments faulty on the Starfighter? Did he even see the Mig 19. I don’t have a clue about the F-104’s instruments. Did it have an RWR? Surely he wasn’t that far behind his buddies, why no radio contact by friendlies or enemies?
Well, the source book says that both his heading indicator and standby compass were inoperative. It also suggests that his IFF unit was faulty because radar station was giving him confusing directional instructions. His buddies were not close because he launched later as a spare but never caught up with them (being unable to find them).
F-104 didn't have a RWR then but the MiG-19 could have attacked him without the use of radar. He did see him before turning back but he then assumed that he was leaving Chinese airspace.
@@showtime112I think this was definitely flying by the seat of his pants. He really should have did a 180 back to base at the first sign of instrument failure. In an age where his instruments let him down, ya think that there would have been more than one set of navigation instruments on the F-104 Starfighter that would have given him some redundancy. Even a handheld military compass that he most surely had in one of his pockets could have helped out or which side of the canopy was the sun shining in. I also think that faced with that same situation. I would have clawed for altitude. At 40,000+ feet there would have been at the very least the vague outlines of countries & coastlines that he could have surely compared to the maps that he had. Hindsight, DCS, & Monday Morning Quarterbacking, that’s how life’s riddles are solved, one riddle at a time don’t ya know. Amelia Earhart you’re next.
Why do Mig's have wing fences? To keep the air from defecting.
😁
Function of the wing fence was to mitigate washout. Due to high swept wing specially at higher angle of attacks.
The wing fences are to stop high pressure air bleed from bottom of wingtips over to the low pressure air on top of wing which would cause vortices and loss of lift.They help wing performance in other words.
Also 2 other F-104's looking for Capt Smith collided were lost both pilots rescued.
Yes, the worst day for the Stafighters in Vietnam.
those sure look like CFM56 engines on that KC. it should have Pratt and Whitneys in Nam!
You can't just choose any airplane in any variant. No such simulation will ever exist.
I think it was not cannon fire, it was a missile that got stuck on the tail with out exploding, he tried to shoot back, had a lock and just then lost all electrical power... also the 104 pilot was lost and was concentrating on trying to find his way back.
Phillip Smith describes 'heavy thumping' on his aircraft which indicates cannon hits. You are right about the part when he was about to shoot back at the MiG but then lost power. This proved to be impossible to simulate here however.
@@showtime112 I may have mixed it with the F-102 shot down...
Wow 🤩 Great Historical event as always. 🇺🇸 👍 There where also USAF F-104 wich appeared haveing camouflage during the Vietnam war 🇻🇳 must have been later on. Sadlywise the F-104 got the nickname widowmaker in Germany lots of German Pilot’s lost their life in crashes of the F-104.
Glad you liked it! The camouflage ones operated from Thailand in 1966-67. The early ones were gray with 50s style USAF markings.
As for the German service, I think it was wrong tactics. They were supposed to fly at very high speeds, at very low altitude without modern technology that might have made it less dangerous.
The version the germans used had downward ejection seats. They misused the 104 as a low level bomber. Pilots often rode the plane in as a better option than being shot downward. Once they got the upward ejection versions. The death rate greatly reduced.
@@josephburke7224 it was still a very dangerous jet to fly howerever you slice it , just like the F100 with its "Sabre Dance "
Awesome taxi sequence.
Thank you. I love to start my videos like that.
Two thoughts
1. I didn't know the F-104 in USAF service carried missiles under the underwing pylons (usually, they were carried either on the wingtips, or a pair of ventral pylons called 'catamarans'), I never remember seeing a double-pylon like this.
2. I'm curious if anybody ever rendered any earlier KC-135's, and F-105's and stuff. It would kind of be a cool concept. There's been WWII sims and stuff, why not Korea and Vietnam?
As for the missiles, they could carry them on either hardpoints, wingtip or under wing. And regarding KC-135, there's just this one in DCS F-105 exists as a mod, I made a video with it. DCS does feature some airplanes from Korean or Vietnam war periods, others are being developed. No specific maps though.
@@showtime112 Fascinating, I guess they kluged the wiring for the underwing pylons (early on they didn't have that capability).
Cool choice for music dude👌
Glad you liked it, I think it's pretty good. Perhaps not ideally 1965 but royalty free is kinda limited.
I wish there was a full fidelity f104 starfighter
I think we should start a club. It would be popular 😁
Now we need a Vietnam era map.
Oh yes, that would be my first choice. I haven't heard anyone working on it yet but some more assets are coming (A-7 Corsair, F-8 Crusader). So someone might start.
@@showtime112 yea the F-8 is coming Leatherneck are working on it ! leatherneck-sim.com/2020/12/22/christmas-update/
Hopefully 2021 will be a big year
I wonder what the outcome would have been if the 104’s equipment had not failed.. well, chances are 104 most probably wouldn’t have strayed into Chinese airspace & there wouldn’t have been any combat….
It certainly seems so, had everything functioned on the F-104, it wouldn't have strayed close to Hainain island.
I love this:Hallo...here is 112...!!!!!Then i now thats professional. thank❤you
I'm happy to hear it, thank you very much!
There was no model R tankers in 1965,CFM 56 bypass fans were not around then. A c135s had J57 terberojets.
True. Also, the F-104 is not the C model but G with adopted Italian paint job from an S model. What do you think why?
@@showtime112 pant seem not noted as an engine made over A decade later
Always interesting. This one could have used a bit more narration between closing on the contact and returned to base.
You are right. I've changed the structure of videos recently to spread the narration more evenly. Thanks for the constructive suggestion!
Didn’t the star fighter have any kind of rear facing warning radar to stop someone sneaking up to you .
Those early versions didn't have any Radar Warning Receivers. But even so, if you approach without the use of radar and launch IR homing missiles or use guns without radar guidance, RWR is useless.
Your reconstruction of military air actions are very interesting and spectacular, especially those involving the F 104 (I'm italian and the plane was a common sight im our skies. Really good work. Just a curiosty: why the name "showtime 112" ? What does 112 mean? Greetings
Thank you for the positive feedback! There are a few F-104 episodes left to cover in the future. As for the name, it is the callsign of an F-4J Phantom flown by USN aces Cunningham and Driscoll for their first two kills. That story fascinated me when I was a teenager. But some recent discovery suggests that those kills are not confirmed by Vietnamese records :(
@@showtime112 If you haven't already done so, I might suggest you the reenactment of the italian tornado shooting down in Operation Desert Storm
..do the one were the Zipper shoots down a Camberra that forgot to turn on the radar warning... Cheers !
Thanks for the suggestion. Canberra is not available in DCS. There's a modder developing it so I might do videos involving this type when it gets released.
Outstanding 👍
Thank you very much, keep watching!
I never imagine how Easy was to chatch by surprise a jet that Is supposed to hace a radar, and the suport of ground control.
Before teaball, Situation awareness of USAF Pilots was horrible
You've just gained one subscriber ♥️🤠🤞
Thank you very much! That's exactly what I need 😁
You're Content is great
Subscriber ++
Thank you very much for your comment and subscription! Keep watching!
Where f104s. Performance figures with or without wingtip tanks. They would have effected performance very much. Including manoeuvrability and were always fitted
I think it is the wrong F104 variant. That seems to me an F104G, not C.
You could say it is wrong if C version was available. But it isn't, G was the only choice. So it's just inaccurate.
Nice work again. Thx.
Thank you very much! Keep watching.
May consider rendering the F-104 in the Se Asia camo scheme , to be accurate.
No. Camouflage was used later by units operating from Thailand. Units located in Da Nang in 1965 still used the old grey/silver scheme.
@@showtime112 ...Ok thank you for clarification
@@hertzair1186 And thank you for watching!
Can't be a Vietnam war Starfighter, that's a G version, look the vertical tail.
C version is not available.
The F-104 is actually more dangerous to its own pilot than enemy fighters. Excellent video.
Thanks! It was a rather risky airplane to fly although this failure of navigation wasn't very common apparently.
Especially the Canadian and German f104s
Italians would disagree with you.
I disagree with you. It was flown in a risky manner, but the aircraft, properly flown was amazing.
If flown correctly, and to its advantages - the F104 was a helluva nasty little fucker to tangle with.
Turing it into a multirole CAS fighter = meh.
Setting it up as a lightweight dayfighter with just a pair of sidewinders and a M61 cannon = quick little fucker that could out climb, out accelerate, and flat out outrun
Damn near anything of its era. And, if the pilot kept the airspeed up above 400kts, it could turn with almost anything at the time.
It wasn't the "only good in a straight line" piece of crap everyone made it out to be. politics and USAF doctrine is what clipped the starfighters wings - not ability.
Chinese MIG-17 and 19's would shoot 7 US aircraft between 1965 to 1968
Thank you for the info. I was actually looking for the total number. But I think Capt. Smith was the only captured pilot.
@@showtime112 no he wasn't on 8/21/67 two A-6 Intruders were shot down by MIG-19's 3 KIA and 1 POW Lieutenant Commander Robert J. Flynn spent 2,032 days in China.
@@RYDER8140 Thank you for pointing it out. It's another story that might be worth reenacting.
Cool music
Glad you liked it!
I knew one of these F-104 pilots
That's not the only airbattle between China PLA air force and US navy/air force during Vietnam war. Many airbattle would follow next. A total of at least 25 US combat would fell victims to China PLA air force MIG19 The victims would be US combat planes from F104 ,F4 phantoms, A1 skyraider and others. MIG19 although not a high profile like MIG21 would here prove to be a formidable fighter for US combat planes.
Another case was also covered on this channel. It's two Intruders that (probably) entered Chinese airspace avoiding a storm after a raid over North Vietnam.
@@showtime112 there is a US skyraider that came from US airbase in Phils. that was shotdown by MIG19. This can be searched in the internet. MIG19 is a formidable fighter and not unknown one.
I watch some of your videos and would like some information, if possible. I served with USN Air Wing 15 in 69-70, N. Tonkin Gulf. As a ground crewman we would never know what happened to our aircraft. They either returned damaged in some way of failed to return at all. Question: How do you locate the information for aircraft lost in combat during Vietnam? I have found some sketchy info on A-7s but not much on our F-4s & A-6s. Please, what is the source of information? Many times I was the first person to communicate with the pilot (called an aviator in the Navy) and would ask how their mission went. Never got any answers. I learned in later years that most of our missions were secret & they couldn't discuss anything with us. I have access to the ships deck logs but they only discuss aircraft losses in the general area around the ship.
Thank you for watchin and contacting me. As for the info on the US losses in Vietnam, I usually first find the info in various books dealing with the subject. Then, I search some more online, primarily based on aircrew names and aircraft serial numbers. There is one book which examines all the losses in chronological order from 1961 to 1973 (although I'm not sure if it includes all the classified missions). Level of detail varies from case to case, but there are at lest the aircrew names, exact aircraft type and serial number, and the cause of the loss so maybe you will find what you are looking for. The book is available on Amazon on this link: amzn.to/3KOUDzA
@@showtime112 Thanks, I have the book ordered. In addition to the classified stuff going on there was some political activity involved. For example our ships cruise book lists several airmen listed as MIA when they were actually killed in a plane that crashed into the water with no hope of escape. Should have been listed KIA/ BNR (killed in action, body not recovered). MIA gives the implication that the airman was captured & a POW. Looked good on the evening news though.
that sucks, you have to spend 7 years in prison in china because of faulty navigation equipment. although the guys he met there were in there for over 20 years
Yeah, that's why the job of a fighter pilot is not for everybody.
very tasty music and good content
Thanks, I'm glad to hear you liked it!
is that a mod of 104? very cool vid btw, keep your cool;)
Yes, it's a mod. It's even flyable but I could only use it as AI. Thanks for the comnent!
How is it the 104 did not read the approaching MiG?
That's quite simple. F-104 didn't have a RWR. Not that it would have helped because Chinese airplanes almost certainly had no radars. The F-104 pilot was lost, he was low on fuel and trying to figure out how to return to his home base.
They went straight to shoot it down? didn't they pull on it's side and try to make it leave the airspace first?
Oh yes, there was no warning or anything. USA and China had fought a very bloody war 12-15 years previously. They weren't in war anymore in 1965. but quite close to that. Plus, Americans were attacking another communist country at the time which probably didn't help.
@@showtime112 rgr. Btw the F-104 involved was a C model?
@@Lemard77 Yes. In fact, it was the first C model ever produced. The one in the game is not a C but an S that I kinda adapted to look like a C.
Quite interesting read, didn't know a F-4 was shotdown by Chinese Mig-17 earlier as well. medium.com/war-is-boring/the-nsa-listened-as-chinese-migs-shot-down-american-warplanes-521fb522369f
@@EPsuperFan Yes, that's a rather obscure part of the Vietnam War. USA and China were almost at war in 1960s. Due to incredibly high number of American sorties, and proximity of Chinese airspace, these things were hard to avoid.
No way does that look like the Danang that I remember. -Gunny T sends
Of course it doesn't. There's no Vietnam map in DCS. This is Caucasus.
Was watching an interview somewhere on here a few months ago.. think it was an Indian or Pakastani pilot , said he loved the MiG-19.. it was kinda a little hotrod
That Gun Sound would make an Ausome BassBeat! 1st.Pass,5 rounds!
Perhaps you can check out if anyone ever tried something like that. If not, be the first one :)
82ND AIRBORNE
Good morning!!
Badass track fo sho!! YEEEEEHAW!!
I quite agree!
@@showtime112
82ND AIRBORNE
Dear Sir,
As for your Vietnam video intros...take a listen to Jimi Hendrix...the Band of Gypsy's..." Machine Gun. This was a live concert at the Fillmore East. New Years Eve 1969. You will be Amazed!!
82ND AIRBORNE
Hola Showtime!!
What track is this??
( repeat )
Why no tail warning radar. So many kills from behind.
F-104 was designed for a purpose for which RWR wasn't needed. Ans in 1965, those things were still a rarity. Only after first losses to SAMs did American aircraft start to (slowly) receive them. Not that it would have helped here, I believe the Chinese aircraft didn't even have a radar.
Vietnam had no mig-19 in 1965 only migs-17
Who said this was a Vietnamese MiG-19?
Until you gained on him I thought you were in the F104
Well, that's a plot twist. Kinda like in those murder mysteries when you learn the main protagonist is actually the murderer 😁 Kidding, the F-104 is a mod and it can even be flown but with cockpit borrowed from some other aircraft. MiG-19 is an official high-fidelity module so it's a different thing.
Zoom and boom. Shame on you F-104 if the MiG ever gets a shot at you
It was a very specific situation. Even a slower aircraft can often surprise a faster one.
How does a mig19 even catch an f104 even if the f104 is an A model?
Very easily. The F-104 pilot doesn't know he is being chased. His navigation doesn't work, his fuel state is low and he is trying to figure out where he is. He doesn't have a RWR to warn him either. MiGs on the other hand are flying close to home, they are being guided by their ground control, they fly above the clouds and then dive at him in a single gun pass.
Surprise factor is the main cause of air to air kills in entire history of aerial warfare, including both world wars.
Mig-19 can fly Mach 1,4 and if F-104 is flyink standard flight pattern he fly about 0,8M
Man
Why does so many games only have Mig-19p instead of Mig-19s
Maybe because it has a radar so it's more interesting. Or maybe details about that version are available.
where is the F-104 mod from?
You can download it here:
www.lockonforum.de/community/thread/7654-f-104g-starfighter/
It's all in German but I think you can figure it out. Supposedly, you can even fly it with F-15 or Su-25 cockpit but I could only make it work as an AI asset.
Not wanting to nitpick - but that ain't DaNang airbase - not unless someone moved the mountains....
Of course it's not. This isn't Vietnam at all. But no developer has yet announced making of Vietnam map for DCS so we approximate with Caucasus.
Pretty sure there were no c-135s with CFM56 engines in 1965.
Well, military airplanes serve for decades with so many variants and upgrades. DCS may be extremely complex but it is still extremely limited in available assets. When you do a reenactment such as this one, you are happy if you can find any variant of a type involved.
Please correct me if I am wrong: the actor that portrayed Worf on Star Trek TNG, owns and flies an F-104.
From what I could find, Michael Dorn is indeed an accomplished pilot. It is mentioned that he owned a T-33 and a F-86 Sabre. Nothing about F-104. I am a Star Trek fan (especially TNG) but I have to admit I didn't know this about him.
I wonder if every single part on the J-6 had "made in China" written on it?
🤔
No doubt 😁
the f104 and the f8 were both way under used in Vietnam , they were pure fighter aircraft so politicians hated them but they both would have fared better than the f4 against the more agile migs
That seems to be the truth. Politics played an important part in the was fighter types were used in Vietnam.
It’s amazing! Capt. Smith is taking off from the Mineralny Vody airport, Caucasian region, USSR😂 1:45
Actually, Russia. The map represents post-Soviet time 😁
I think 7 and 1/2 years is a bit much.
Maybe like one year.
Nice looking plane but did not have very impressive combat record.
Something like that. Some might say it never got a chance, others might say it reflected its capabilities. But it did fly fighter escort in Vietnam but MiGs never appeared when it did.
Good Grafics! I like Real Models!
Although, this would look much better now with 2.7 version and improved clouds.
The widowmaker, demonstrating how it got its name.
Well, actually this is a very rare event. Most losses occurred because they used it as a low level strike fighter. Flying high speed at treetop level and doing dead reckoning navigation at the same time can be too much for many humans.
What is the cool music?
It's DJ Williams - Tiger's Blood
To be honest, 1.st minute of the video i was thinking you are playing war thunder cause the graphics is similar🙈
I haven't played WT but now that you said it, I will check out some videos on YT to see if I can spot any resemblance 😀
7.5 years in prison sounds awful. I know how he must have felt I've been married for 10....
I hope your wife doesn't see this :)
F-104 = lawn dart
Especially when the Germans were flying it
I see you like your humor dark. But that's hardly strange for an owl 😁😁😁
High accident rate in the german airforce mainly due to poor maintenance. It was an incredible aircraft and those of us fortunate enough to have flown it, absolutely loved it.
7 and a half years in prison!!!! Wow poor pilot, at least he survived i guess
True, this kind of an ordeal is almost impossible to imagine for most people.
The F104(widow-maker)killed far more of their own pilots than the enemy.
Sure but same could be said for most jets from the first two or three generations.
Never knew story.
Yeah, there are many such stories not commonly known. I like discovering them.
Mig 19 je imao radar? Imaš kakav info? Domet? Nekako mi to ne drži vodu. 🤔
Prve verzije MiG-19S nisu imale radar ali P verzija, odnosno kineski J-6A su imale radar Izumrud. Domet oko 9 km za lovce, 12 km za bombardere. Upotrebljiv iznad 2000 metara visine.