XF-104 with blanked off intakes?

[petebutt43@hotmail.com]

Hi, I have just acquired a photo of the #1 XF-104 (actually the #2 YF-104A 55-2956) which appears to show the intakes fitted with shock cones and blanked off, with, presumably Fish Salmon in his partial pressure suit. Does anybody have any more info?

 

[sferrin]

Saw something years ago with that from a different angle. Said it was to hide the design of the intake. The center half-cones specifically.

 

[Sabrejet]

Years ago the story was that it was done to hide the shock cones. However that could have been done by draping a tarpaulin over the aircraft, so I've always doubted that story, no matter how many times it's been repeated.

It is more reminiscent of the similar fairings that were attached to at least one Bell YP-59 for wind tunnel testing.

 

[sferrin]

Years ago the story was that it was done to hide the shock cones. However that could have been done by draping a tarpaulin over the aircraft, so I've always doubted that story, no matter how many times it's been repeated.

It is more reminiscent of the similar fairings that were attached to at least one Bell YP-59 for wind tunnel testing.

"Here's our nice shiny, new, sleek jet. No, really. It's right there under the tarp." Also, they're not going to put an actual full-scale, flyable aircraft in a wind tunnel.

 

[flateric]

tarpaulin is not cool
for me purpose is apparent

 

[Dagger]

Two more:

 

[Sabrejet]

Years ago the story was that it was done to hide the shock cones. However that could have been done by draping a tarpaulin over the aircraft, so I've always doubted that story, no matter how many times it's been repeated.

It is more reminiscent of the similar fairings that were attached to at least one Bell YP-59 for wind tunnel testing.

"Also, they're not going to put an actual full-scale, flyable aircraft in a wind tunnel.

The NACA did; hence the comment about the YP-59.

 

[sferrin]

Years ago the story was that it was done to hide the shock cones. However that could have been done by draping a tarpaulin over the aircraft, so I've always doubted that story, no matter how many times it's been repeated.

It is more reminiscent of the similar fairings that were attached to at least one Bell YP-59 for wind tunnel testing.

"Also, they're not going to put an actual full-scale, flyable aircraft in a wind tunnel.

The NACA did; hence the comment about the YP-59.

Fair enough. That's not what these were for though.

 

[flateric]

Though development of the F-104 was never a secret, only a vague description of the aircraft was given when the USAF first revealed its existence. No photographs of the aircraft were released to the public until 1956, even though the XF-104 first flew in 1954. At the April 1956 public unveiling of the YF-104A, the engine inlets were obscured with metal covers. Visible weapons, including the M61 Vulcan cannon, were also hidden. Despite the secrecy, an artist's rendering of the yet-unseen F-104 appeared in the September 1954 edition of Popular Mechanics that was very close to the actual design.

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter - Warbird Tech Vol. 38
by Jim Upton

 

[sferrin]

Yep. The XF-104 didn't even have the cones. Different engine too.

 

[petebutt43@hotmail.com]

tarpaulin is not cool
for me purpose is apparent

Thanks for confirming i wasn't seeing things. Having seen them from another angle it is obvious they were fitted to hide the intakes, as it is possible to determine the max speed / thrust of the engine just by studying intakes. If they had been used for wind tunnel testing there would have been photographs of the aircraft mounted in a tunnel. Looking at the photos, they are of the second YF-104A 55-2956, which makes sense as they would want to keep performance a secret as long as possible and also explains the shock cones.

 

[TomcatViP]

Guys, remember that when the 104 came out, its performances were though to be achievable only with rocket fighters.
Calling it the missile with a man in it would also have aggravated the ambiguity.

 

[Dagger]

Note that not only the air inlets but also the circumference of the exhaust was covered, as can be seen clearly on one of the above photos. Apparently that shape was also a secret.