Pensando en los entusiastas de los pájaros de guerra de altas prestaciones, el brooker estadounidense Platinum Fighter Sales, ostenta tener el candidato indicado en su portfolio. Tras el slogan «Mach Two, Supersonic Jet Fighter», ofrece un impecable Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, puntualmente un biplaza de fabricación canadiense CF-104D n/s 104633, construido en 1962, a unos 850 mil dólares con unas 2500 hs en su haber.
En cuanto a la historia del avión, Canadair completó el 104633 para la Royal Canadian Air Force en 1962, siendo entregado en mayo de ese año. Allí cumplió más de una década de servicio, basado en una unidad de pruebas en Cold Lake (Alberta);para luego de ser vendido a Noruega, en julio de 1973. Con la Real Fuerza Aérea Noruega, el jet operó aproximadamente una década más, hasta que se almacenó en diciembre de 1982, cuando los noruegos reemplazaron sus F-104 con F-16.
En 1984, la aeronave se vendió al Combat Jets Aircraft Museum en Chino (California). Luego se transfirió a Houston (Texas), logrando reingresar a la aeronavegabilidad con el registro civil estadounidense N104JR. Finalmente voló en 1986 en Mojave (California). A los mandos del piloto de la NASA Ed Schneider .
A principios de la década de 1990, el N104JR había sido transferido a la Asociación de Aeronaves Experimentales (EAA), en Oshkosh (Wisconsin), siendo destinado a demostraciones de vuelo, antes de ser vendido nuevamente a Fuel Fresh Inc., en 1996. Por entonces, el avión se mudó a la meca de los jets de combate en Mesa (Arizona), donde permanece hasta el día de hoy, actualmente se encuentra registrado como N104.
Specifications
Airframe: 2500 hrs. TTSN 400 Hrs. Since Restoration by Unlimited Aircraft, Chino, CA
Engine: General Electric J-79-7, 1200 hrs. SMOH by Orenda of Canada
Interior: Restored to stock military configuration – Excellent Condition
Exterior: Painted silver
Ejection Seats: Hot
Avionics: Collins Comm, Collins Nav, Original Radar
Last Flown 11/2008 – maintined in flyable storage since then.
Other:
This particular two seat Canadian Starfighter was flown over ten years by the Canadian Armed Forces , being delivered in May 1962. It served with the test squadron at Cold Lake, and when the Canadians wanted to decrease their operational F-104 fleet, they sold this jet to the Norwegian Air Force on 20 July 1973. It received serial «4633» and served 334Skv at Bodo Air Base until its retirement on 9 December 1982, where it was put into storage.
Sold in 1984 to Combat Jets Aircraft Museum (CJAM), based at Chino, Caifornia. Shortly thereafter sold to the Combat Jets Flying Museum at Houston Texas, taking over the activities to achieve airworthiness again as N104JR. On11 November 1986 NASA Starfighter pilot Ed Schneider made its first flight under civilian registration at Mojave California airport.. On 15 May 1992 ownership was transferred to the EAA, Experimental Aircraft Association, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin and flew demonstrations at the convention that summer. The aircraft was offered for sale in December 1995 and purchased by Fuel Fresh Inc in April 1996. It was then flown from Oshkosh to Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona, where it is currently based. The registration number was changed to N104 about 20 years ago.
N104 has approx 2500 hrs total airframe time, while the engine is about half life since overhaul.
Approx 200 hrs have been flown over the last 22 years.
Current FAA registration is in the Experimental Exhibition category, although it should be noted that N104 has «pre-moratorium» guidelines apply, which mean it is allowed ‘on condition’ maintenance (yearly inspection under part 43 sub D)…..this is impossible to obtain today. (note: at the time the FAA issued the pre-moratorium airworthiness during N number change to N104, the inspector stated that the papers alone were worth ‘a million bucks’)Fuel Fresh Inc has spent countless hours since 1996 accumulating spare parts, which include, among many others:> 2 spare J-79 engines> 4+ spare afterburners; 1 new nozzle assembly> approx 150 main gear tires> a couple dozen nose gear tires> aileron, flap, rudder, horizontal actuators> ailerons, flaps> canopy and windscreen glass, in frames; other glass> brakes, new assemblies> air condition units, new overhaul> MLG shock struts> 3 axis damper amplifiers, several> starters, generators> spare drag chutes, cockpit chutes> boundary layer control valves, many> tip tanks, a few> volumes and volumes of maintenance manuals> spare set tip charges………and MANY, MANY other parts of all descriptions (barn & hangar full)Located: Arizona
https://www.platinumfighters.com/inventory-2/1962-cf-104d-starfighter
