Capt. Christopher's F-104
- Thread starter Mysterion
- Start date
The script called for an "Air Force interceptor", so it would be a pretty simple job to draw up a quick list of interceptors, as opposed to fighters, copy a few pages from Jane's, and tell a gofer "find some footage of these".
Besides, how would anyone know, in November, 1966 (when the episode was filmed), that in just a couple of years the Air Force would start getting rid of its 104's?
Besides, how would anyone know, in November, 1966 (when the episode was filmed), that in just a couple of years the Air Force would start getting rid of its 104's?
True, but canonists require some explanation that won't conflict with their established
"reality". hence my posts above..
I happen to think the Zip-104 looks cool even today..
And I really don't worry about canon issues..
The guy assigned to find random stock footage, simply picked the best looking fighter the USAF ever fielded..
"reality". hence my posts above..
I happen to think the Zip-104 looks cool even today..
And I really don't worry about canon issues..
The guy assigned to find random stock footage, simply picked the best looking fighter the USAF ever fielded..
This is my favorite plane, due to receiving a model kit of one when I was little. They are beautiful.
Hearing them howl, above, makes me think of what the human race is capable of creating. In this case beautiful machines made to destroy people and other machines made to destroy. Fascinating. Good thing I know we make it to the 23rd century.
Hearing them howl, above, makes me think of what the human race is capable of creating. In this case beautiful machines made to destroy people and other machines made to destroy. Fascinating. Good thing I know we make it to the 23rd century.
The "first manned Moon shot" was on December 21, 1968, so the episode would have been in the week prior to that.
Sorry but the first manned lunar landing mission (Apollo 11) was launched July 16th 1969..
Apollo 8 was launched December 21, 1968 for the first manned orbit of the moon..
As the F-104C left George AFB in 1967 and the other F-104A unit gave up it's Zippers in
1967.. It still leaves the 319th FIS out of Homestead AFB as the only active F-104 FIS at the period of both lunar firsts...
Apollo 8 was launched December 21, 1968 for the first manned orbit of the moon..
As the F-104C left George AFB in 1967 and the other F-104A unit gave up it's Zippers in
1967.. It still leaves the 319th FIS out of Homestead AFB as the only active F-104 FIS at the period of both lunar firsts...
I'm pretty sure she meant in-universe. Assignment Earth? I think.
I just saw this thread and thought I'd pop in. F-104 is one of my all time favorite military aircraft, but I don't begrudge anyone for the "errors." They aren't nearly as egregious as some of the similar blunders I've seen on television shows before. Heck, pick an episode of JAG and you're bound to see some.
In it's own way, that's one of the most horrifically haunting nerd-gasms I've ever heard.
It's what I called that awful piece of beef I ate the other night.Unless the term "omaha installation" refers to something in New Mexico, a code name of some kind.
A church friend forwarded an e-mail to me that had a series of photos of this wacky tableau. Unfortunately, it didn't specify a location. I'd love to know who has an F-104 as a lawn ornament.
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From Fontana's shooting script:
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE - FULL SHOT - DAY (STOCK)
ESTABLISHING this as a modern, late-1960s Air Force
Base.
CLOSER SHOT (STOCK)
Sleek new fighter planes silhouetted against the late
afternoon sun or in hangars (whatever stock is avail-
able). These planes are not at peace... they are Air
Defense Command jets on standby status... ready for
instant firing and takeoff if a "scramble" sounds.
(Later after the "scramble" does sound.)
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE - VARIOUS SHOTS (STOCK)
All of this very rapid: Pilots running for their
planes. Pilots into their planes, strapped in, cock-
pits slammed shut and mechanics clear in seconds.
Jets being fired up. Planes starting for the runways.
(Fontana refers to Christopher's aircraft as a "Jet Fighter" in all subsequent mentions. Not an interceptor, not anything but "Jet Fighter.")
Sir Rhosis
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE - FULL SHOT - DAY (STOCK)
ESTABLISHING this as a modern, late-1960s Air Force
Base.
CLOSER SHOT (STOCK)
Sleek new fighter planes silhouetted against the late
afternoon sun or in hangars (whatever stock is avail-
able). These planes are not at peace... they are Air
Defense Command jets on standby status... ready for
instant firing and takeoff if a "scramble" sounds.
(Later after the "scramble" does sound.)
EXT. AIR FORCE BASE - VARIOUS SHOTS (STOCK)
All of this very rapid: Pilots running for their
planes. Pilots into their planes, strapped in, cock-
pits slammed shut and mechanics clear in seconds.
Jets being fired up. Planes starting for the runways.
(Fontana refers to Christopher's aircraft as a "Jet Fighter" in all subsequent mentions. Not an interceptor, not anything but "Jet Fighter.")
Sir Rhosis
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A church friend forwarded an e-mail to me that had a series of photos of this wacky tableau. Unfortunately, it didn't specify a location. I'd love to know who has an F-104 as a lawn ornament.
I've seen more pics of that and I ran the tail number. It's an ex-Belgian F-104G painted like a USAF F-104A and it's in Kissimee, Florida.
Gosh I guess we were lucky not to have a lazy stock shot gatherer or we could have ended up with some F-86 shots!
Dorothy was probably overruled by former bomber pilots Roddenberry and Jefferies who would know that at the altitude the Enterprise was at, a standard fighter of the era wouldn't be able to reach her, whereas a high altitude interceptor, like an F-104, could reach it easily.
Scribble a note for a gofer, and the race is on...
Scribble a note for a gofer, and the race is on...
Like in Indiana Jones and the Kingom of the Nice Glassware Skull, where we saw Koren-War-marked F-86s at an AF base in 1957. Should have been at least F-100s, possibly F-102s!
I think when Captain Robert April says that the script called for an "interceptor," he's referring to Mister Spock's line of dialogue:
"Aircraft is an interceptor, equipped with missiles, possibly armed with nuclear warheads. If he hits us with one, he might damage us severely, perhaps beyond our capacity to repair under current circumstances."
Bingo.
That checks. As far as I can tell, this plane had belonged to a warbird museum in Kissimmee which was closed after sustaining serious damage during Hurricane Charley in 2004. Most of its collection was moved to GA, but the F-104 was acquired by another warbird collector, also of Kissimmee. I'm pretty sure, though, that this pic (and the others which go with it) were taken in MD - apparently the owner of that property has something of a reputation locally for the imaginative displays he sets up for various occasions.A church friend forwarded an e-mail to me that had a series of photos of this wacky tableau. Unfortunately, it didn't specify a location. I'd love to know who has an F-104 as a lawn ornament.
I've seen more pics of that and I ran the tail number. It's an ex-Belgian F-104G painted like a USAF F-104A and it's in Kissimee, Florida.