Ok heres one I've been arguing about with my father for a while now... which of these would win in a dogfight, the F-104 also known as the "Starfighter" or the MiG-21, which is to this very day a menace in the sky...
Here are the stats...
MiG-21:
Manufacturer: Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB
Designation: Mig-21
Version: BIS
NATO Code: Fishbed-L/N
Type: Fighter
Crew: Pilot
First Flight: 1972
Length: 51' 5.5" 15.00 M
Height: 14' 9" 4.5 M
Wignspan: 23' 5.5" 7.15 M
Wingarea: 247.60 Sq Ft 23.00 Sq M
Empty Weight: 13600 lbs 6050 Kg
Max Weight: 221607lbs 10050 Kg
No. of Engines: 1
Powerplant: Tumansky R-25 turbojet
Thrust (each): 16535 lbs
Range: 2118 miles
Max Speed: 1250 Mph 2050 Km/H Mmax 2.05
Ceiling: 54500 Ft 16000 M
ARMAMENT: One N-23 23mm cannon and two K-13 (AA-2 )air-to-air missiles
F-104 Starfighter
Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
Designation: F-104
Version: A
Nickname: Starfighter
Type: Fighter
Crew: 1- Pilot
Length: 54' 8"
Height: 13' 5"
Wingspan: 21' 9"
Empty Weight: 14,082 lbs
Max Weight: 28,779 lbs
No. of Engines: 1
Powerplant: Various General Electric turbojet engines w/afterburner
Thrust (each): 14,000 to 18,000 lbs
Cruise Speed: 519 mph
Max Speed: 1,450 mph (Mach 2.2) at 35,000 ft.
Climb Rate: 50,000 feet per minute
Ceiling: 58,000 ft
Range: 1,000 mi
Guns: M-61 Vulcan 20mm cannon
External Armament: 4,000 lbs of bombs under the wings
two AAM-N-7 ³Sidewinder² missiles on tips
On the outside, these two fighters seem to be very similar in many respects, but my money would be on the MiG-21. It is a design that has withstood the test of time and still flys the skys in many militaries even today. The F-104, while impressive, did not see much combat (save korea) because the damn thing's range sucked ass! While her speed was revolutionary for the time, all a good pilot would have to do is play cat and mouse with this fighter until it's fuel ran low, and then shoot a missile up its tailpipe when the F-104 withdraws to refuel... but thats my opinion, anyone else here think differently??
Here are the stats...
MiG-21:
Manufacturer: Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB
Designation: Mig-21
Version: BIS
NATO Code: Fishbed-L/N
Type: Fighter
Crew: Pilot
First Flight: 1972
Length: 51' 5.5" 15.00 M
Height: 14' 9" 4.5 M
Wignspan: 23' 5.5" 7.15 M
Wingarea: 247.60 Sq Ft 23.00 Sq M
Empty Weight: 13600 lbs 6050 Kg
Max Weight: 221607lbs 10050 Kg
No. of Engines: 1
Powerplant: Tumansky R-25 turbojet
Thrust (each): 16535 lbs
Range: 2118 miles
Max Speed: 1250 Mph 2050 Km/H Mmax 2.05
Ceiling: 54500 Ft 16000 M
ARMAMENT: One N-23 23mm cannon and two K-13 (AA-2 )air-to-air missiles
F-104 Starfighter
Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
Designation: F-104
Version: A
Nickname: Starfighter
Type: Fighter
Crew: 1- Pilot
Length: 54' 8"
Height: 13' 5"
Wingspan: 21' 9"
Empty Weight: 14,082 lbs
Max Weight: 28,779 lbs
No. of Engines: 1
Powerplant: Various General Electric turbojet engines w/afterburner
Thrust (each): 14,000 to 18,000 lbs
Cruise Speed: 519 mph
Max Speed: 1,450 mph (Mach 2.2) at 35,000 ft.
Climb Rate: 50,000 feet per minute
Ceiling: 58,000 ft
Range: 1,000 mi
Guns: M-61 Vulcan 20mm cannon
External Armament: 4,000 lbs of bombs under the wings
two AAM-N-7 ³Sidewinder² missiles on tips
On the outside, these two fighters seem to be very similar in many respects, but my money would be on the MiG-21. It is a design that has withstood the test of time and still flys the skys in many militaries even today. The F-104, while impressive, did not see much combat (save korea) because the damn thing's range sucked ass! While her speed was revolutionary for the time, all a good pilot would have to do is play cat and mouse with this fighter until it's fuel ran low, and then shoot a missile up its tailpipe when the F-104 withdraws to refuel... but thats my opinion, anyone else here think differently??