Meet Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
The Starfighter began development in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954. The U.S. Air Force museum describes its air-superiority origin and its use as tactical fighter and interceptor. Speed, altitude and time-to-climb records became part of the programme’s early public story, while international production carried the design into many different national configurations.
History & design
Speed records and international production
Development of the Starfighter began in 1952, with the XF-104 flying in 1954. Its early reputation was built on performance: an F-104A set a world speed record in 1958, and an F-104C set an altitude record in 1959. The US Air Force Museum distinguishes the aircraft's tactical-fighter and interceptor employment.
The USAF acquired about 300 aircraft in one- and two-seat forms. More than 1,700 additional Starfighters were built in the United States and abroad for partner nations. This wide production history produced different equipment and mission fits. The museum's C-model data is a historical reference; the simulator catalogue separately identifies G, reconnaissance, two-seat and later developer variants.
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil · Lockheed F-104 Starfighter — aircraft background and systems ↗Systems & details
Variant-specific simulator systems
COLIMATA documents boundary-layer control, its PRO mode and shaker/kicker behaviour alongside its G/S/21C choices. Sim Skunk Works’ FRF-104G and TF-104G have separate products and cockpit scope.
In your simulator
No released simulator product is listed for this aircraft in the developers reviewed. Announced products are excluded.
Manuals & resources
Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Aircraft background
F-104 Starfighter FXP-Colimata-F104COLIMATA · COLIMATA F104FXP product; SSW sources separately listed. Just Flight - Sim Skunk Works Lockheed Martin FRF-104G 'Starfighter'Sim Skunk Works via Just Flight · Aircraft equipment and developer product details. Just Flight - Sim Skunk Works Lockheed Martin TF-104GSim Skunk Works · Aircraft equipment and developer product details. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter — product pageBear Studios · Aircraft equipment and developer product details. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter — aircraft background and systemswww.nationalmuseum.af.mil · USAF museum F-104C collection, family history.Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261011-v3 · 3 profile choices
COLIMATA F-104 Starfighter FXP (G / S / 21C)
COLIMATA · Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
The Starfighter began development in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954.
Sim Skunk Works FRF-104G Starfighter
Sim Skunk Works · Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020
The Starfighter began development in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954.
Sim Skunk Works Lockheed TF-104G
Sim Skunk Works · Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020
The Starfighter began development in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954.
Sim Skunk Works FRF-104G Starfighter
The Starfighter began development in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- Sim Skunk Works FRF-104G Starfighter · Sim Skunk Works · MSFS 2020 · Add-on starting point
The simulator model and controls
Sim Skunk Works FRF-104G Starfighter is the selected Sim Skunk Works configuration.
How this profile feels
The spring stays independent of airspeed. A separate aerodynamic term adds speed-dependent control load.
Pitch-trim relief is off. Autopilot following is off.
Aircraft and configuration
The Starfighter began development in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954. The U.S. Air Force museum describes its air-superiority origin and its use as tactical fighter and interceptor. Speed, altitude and time-to-climb records became part of the programme’s early public story, while international production carried the design into many different national configurations.
About the values
Strengths are normalized hardware-feel settings. They set the effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its limits. The IAS reference is a tuning value.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
InheritedSim Skunk Works FRF-104G Starfighter is the selected Sim Skunk Works configuration.
Flight controls
InheritedThe Starfighter began development in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954.
Trim
InheritedThe profile uses the trim behaviour configured below. Pitch relief is off, with stored authority 0; roll authority is 0.
Autopilot and stability
InheritedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Equipment
InheritedThe Starfighter began development in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954. The U.S. Air Force museum describes its air-superiority origin and its use as tactical fighter and interceptor. Speed, altitude and time-to-climb records became part of the programme’s early public story, while international production carried the design into many different national configurations.
Speeds and limits
InheritedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
InheritedThe profile targets msfs2020. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
InheritedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThis profile uses powered-control feel for Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. The baseline spring is 0.74. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.25 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.25 with an indicated-speed reference of 270 KIAS. The hydraulic-load factor of 0.35 scales that modeled term; it is a selected artificial-feel approximation. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value270 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value65 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 44 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThis profile uses powered-control feel for Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. The baseline spring is 0.74. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.04 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.25 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.25 with an indicated-speed reference of 270 KIAS. The hydraulic-load factor of 0.35 scales that modeled term; it is a selected artificial-feel approximation. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value8 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value65 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value270 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe high-speed spring-stiffening gain is 0. No additional speed-driven stiffening is added; this does not disable independent aerodynamic loading. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe profile uses the trim behaviour configured below. Pitch relief is off, with stored authority 0; roll authority is 0. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.6 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value3 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.4 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0.25 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0.65 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0.025 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- Estimated powered-control fighter stick with restrained lateral strength. Thin-wing flight-model behaviour does not directly define grip force.
- No qualified current SSW trim-to-neutral contract; trim relief disabled. Pitch-up protection is not implemented by guessed trim, shaker or pusher events.
- LN3 navigation and AP functions remain aircraft-owned; no inferred servo signal.
- Standard accessory motion only; no BLC engine-bleed or hydraulic-failure force assumption.
- 270 KIAS is an estimated control-feel reference, not cruise TAS, V-speeds or an operating limit.
- Spring 0.74, lateral scale 0.66, trim relief 0/0; editable estimates, not measured hand forces.
- Physical and installed-aircraft checks are deferred. Save this profile as the aircraft default if telemetry omits its developer or configuration.
- Only actual accessory-position changes drive movement textures. No pressure-dependent failures, guessed servo outputs or input compensation.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
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