CF-104 N104RN "STARFIGHTERS" during high level formation

CF-104, construction number 1059, serial number 104759, built by Canadair
CF-104 "N104RN".
The CF-104 Starfighter 104759 made the first flight March 16, 1962 and was delivered to the Canadian Armed Forces on May 17, 1962 as 12759 and went to Cold Lake for flight testing with 6 ST/R OCU (Operational Conversion Unit)
reserialed as 104759 effective June 1970. In 1965 it went to Europe to serve the Canadian operational squadron within 1 Wing. When the Canadian phased out a number of aircraft this 104759 was struck off service May 23, 1973
sold to Norway on May 23, 1973; taken on service by the RNoAF as CF-104 "759" on October 16, 1973, delivered October 16, 1973 to 331 Skv at Bodo AB. Later on it transferred to sister squadron 334 Skv
after it was withdrawn from use with 3.412 flight hours on November 22, 1982 it was stored at Sola Air Base. A few years later it was seen within the collection of the Norsk Teknisk Museum in Oslo in June 1989
It was seen there for the last time late May 1995. In August 2000 it was seen again, now inside a new museum building at Gardermoen AB
It could be found preserved until it was sold to Barry Johnson of the Air Defense Museum at Bagotville in Canada in 2004. It was first seen in Canada in September 2005
it was sold in August 2006 to Rick Svetkoff of the Starfighters Demo Team who needed an extra single-seat airframe for the 2007 season. The 104759 arrived in St Petersburg in November 2006
Early 2008 it received its blue-white color scheme. Effective August 10, 2007 the aircraft received official the registration number "N104RN"
status November 2015: active (not flown lately), planned upgrade for bigger G tires and gear doors (due to lack of small tires); engine upgrade to J79-11 or -19 planned; grounded due to missing parts; latest status unknown.

copyright © Roger Seroo