CF-104 "703" 1 Wing at Marville, seen over the Montmedy Haut April 1966 CF-104, Canadair model CL-90, Lockheed model 683-04-12, Canadair construction number 683A-1003, RCAF serial number 12703, built by Canadairroll out July 12, 1961; 703 was taxi tested in July 1961; first flight August 14, 1961 at Canadair in Cartierville, flown by R.M. 'Bill' Kidd (Canadair pilot) taken on service by RCAF as CF-104 s/n 12703 on November 22, 1961 after 11 flights with 15:10 flight hours extensively damaged (B Category accident) January 16, 1962 on initial delivery flight at SAC base Duluth AFB, Minnesota undershooting the runway on approach, aircraft catching the top cable of a BAK 7 net barrier at the SAC base at Duluth on final when his hook had accidentally dropped during the flight from Cold Lake to Trenton January 22, 1962 back to Canadair and reinserted in production line for repair, redelivered to RCAF May 3, 1962; first unit CEPE; RCAF 1 Wing Marville, France on January 7, 1964 June 29, 1964 it was transferred to the 1 Air Division 3 Wing; July 22, 1965 it was transferred back to the 1 Air Division 1 Wing at Lahr; in April 1966 it was seen wearing badges from 441 squadron at Marville, France reserialed as 104703 effective June 1970; struck off service September 24, 1971; sold to Denmark September 24, 1971
taken on service in Denmark as "R-704" on June 7, 1972 with 1.679 flight hours, 104703 went to the Danish AF as "R-704" because they already had an R-703 (cn 683D-6085, USAF MAP serial 63-12703) Esk 726 February 28, 1974 till December 1983; last flight December 12, 1983 by Esk 726 with 3.632 flight hours; withdrawn from use January 1, 1984; to Vandel AB as BDRT airframe on February 18, 1986 Billund Air Museum storage August 29, 1991 till June 1996; stored Vandel AB October 26, 1996, Karup AB stored May 3, 2006, stored Karup AB inside a shelter without wings September 8, 2007 stored Karup May 5, 2009 last noted; arrived on July 14. 2011 at Maine, USA bought by Stephen Alex
sold to Canadian Starfighter Museum at St. Andrew's Airport, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada November 8, 2012 under restoration July 12, 2018 Roll Out of CF-104 Starfighter at St. Andrews Airport, Manitoba exactly 57 years after the original Roll Out on July 12, 1961 at the Canadair Ltd. Plant in Cartierville, Quebec October 6, 2021 CF-104 Starfighter 703 arrived at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (RAMWC) in Winnipeg; August 2022 noted; March 2025 noted. copyright © Gary Watson
