Warbird Information Exchange

...Darryl Greenamyer was looking out for a new challenge. He wanted to break the world altitude record. He had made some speculations about his aircraft could reach 140,000 feet and flying towards Mach 2.6 to maybe 2.8! For this reason the aircraft had to undergo some modifications...To attempt the altitude record, in his words, "I would travel at 38,000 feet at Mach 2.6 (1,550 mph). Then I would rotate upward pulling 3 Gs until I got a 12-degree angle of attack on the wing. I would hold a 12-degree AOA until I got a 60-degree climb angle, and I would hold 60-degree until I get back to 12-degree AOA. Then I would hold the 12-degree angle and it would lead me over the top. Increased thrust would come from a fuel additive of Greenamyer's own conception, and a water injection system at the engine inlets that, in affect, fools the machinery into thinking it is flying in cooler, more efficient air. Twenty two miles up there, losing power with very, very little thin air flowing over his control surfaces, a little too much of this or that at a wrong instant and the plane might flop over. This was the plan in February 1978. For the altitude record Darryl figured the flight would last about 15 minutes. He had deactivated some of the fuel tanks, but kept the stock extended range tanks to hold the water for the water injection-system. The J79 would use 60 gpm of water, which, at Mach 2 at 40,000 feet adds a 50 % boost in thrust by cooling the inlets to 100 degrees (Celsius), and raising the air density to the engine. On February 26th 1978 he made the fourth practice run/flight. He had made already 3 of 4 test flights in preparation for the altitude record attempt. On this 4th test-run, towards dusk, he went up from the Mojave Airport to test the power-boosting water-injection system. It worked flawlessly.....

I have never heard anything like the sound of the F-104's howl as the jet sits on the end of the runway waiting to leap into the air. What a plane!

Tom P.