The Aviation Museum in Zruc, also called the Air Park Zruc (
visit link) , is the work of two enthusiasts. Pilot Karel Tarantík and his son Milos. The museum was founded in 1993 and is still complemented by new additions.
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic interceptor aircraft which became widely used as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Initially a day fighter, it was developed into an all-weather fighter in the late 1960s. It was originally developed by Lockheed for the United States Air Force (USAF), but was later produced by several other nations, seeing widespread service outside the United States. One of the Century Series of fighter aircraft, it was operated by the air forces of more than a dozen nations from 1958 to 2004. Its design team was led by Kelly Johnson, who contributed to the development of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Lockheed U-2, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, and other Lockheed aircraft.
The F-104 set numerous world records, including both airspeed and altitude records. Its success was marred by the Lockheed bribery scandals, in which Lockheed had given bribes to a considerable number of political and military figures in various nations to influence their judgment and secure several purchase contracts; this caused considerable political controversy in Europe and Japan.
Source and more information: (
visit link)
About aircraft No. FX93
Commissioned: Jan 1966
Decommissioned: Jan 1987
The FX 93 was supplied to the Belgian Air Force in 1966. A total of 112 Starfighters were procured by the Belgian Air Force, this being split between 100 F-104G (serial FX-01 to FX-100) and 12 TF-104G trainers (serial FC-01 to FC-12). Of these, 40 F-104G's were MDAP-funded, the remainder being paid for by the Belgian goverment. With the exception of the very first ones, shipped as CKD kits to Belgium, all Belgian F-104G were built and assembled at SABCA Gosselies plant, alongside 88 others airframes for the Bundesluftwaffe or Federal German Air Force use. The initial three TF-104G were built at Lockheed Palmdale plant as TF-104F (no complicated electronic systems as in the TF-104G that was identical with the F-104G except for the missing gun, and some less fuel), the remaining nine two-seaters being assembled by SABCA from Lockheed CKD kits. Later the initial three TF-104F's were updated to the TF-104G standards. One aircraft crashed before being taken on charge by the Belgian Air Force, being later replaced by another similarly numbered machine (FX-47). The Starfighters were slated to replace Avro Canada CF-100 Mk.5 Canucks of N°1 All-Weather Fighter Wing at Beauvechain air base, then the Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks of N°10 Fighter-Bomber Wing at Kleine Brogel air base.
Originally deliveries planning was as follows:
F-104G's FX-01 to FX-40 to N°1 Wing - F-104G's FX-41 to FX-80 to N°10 Wing - F-104G's FX-81 to FX-100 held in storage as attrition replacement batch.
See also: (
visit link)