The Starfighter Serials

d/d 23feb65, 322/323sq (feb65-nov78) w/o 21nov78

Detailed history :
It's manufacturing with Fokker started on 28 September 1964. It was testflown as KG-441 until its acceptance on the 18th of February 1965. Delivered to the Dutch Air Force on the 23rd of February 1965 it was assigned to 323 squadron at Leeuwarden AFB on that same day. It got J79 with engine number 414-270. Lateron it became part of the 322/323 squadron combined aircraft pool. It was delivered in light grey color scheme and was last noted in grey in March 1970.
On February 16th, 1972 it arrived at Fokker Avio-Diepen, Ypenburg Air Base, where it got its air-duct repaired, likely after a birdhit. It arrived again at Leeuwarden Air Base (with J79 engine nr 414-033) on June 21st, 1972. On June 16th, five days earlier, it made a testflight and also made an overshoot over Valkenburg NAS.
On 21 November 1978 this aircraft was severely damaged by a very very tragic collision at Wildenrath Air Base during a squadron rotation. (See accident report). After that the severely damaged D-8341 was transported from Wildenrath to Gilze Rijen AIr Base on December 5th, 1978 where it arrived by Fokker DVM for damage investigation. On February 7th, 1979 it was declared written off. Then they welded the front canopy area with steel plates and covered the damage that way. The rest of the aircraft was build up again (without electronics, engine, wheelbrakes etc etc) and converted into a aircraft towing instructional airframe. For this purpose it was transported to Volkel Air Base to train personnel with towing aircraft.. It is not known when exactly it arrived at Volkel but it must have been between April 1979 and March 1980. It stayed in use as towing training aircraft for a number of years. Early 90s it was seen on the Volkel Air Base dump and in May 1992 without wheels. On November 24th, 1992, 14 years after the terrible accident, it was transported to a big scrapcompany at IJmuiden where the aircraft was scrapped in December.

Accident Reports:

February 1972 (F-104G)

It was damaged this month likely due to a birdstrike, resulting in a damaged air-duct. It arrived at Fokker Avio Diepen at Ypenburg on 16 February 1972 and was repaired again in June 1972. On June 21st it arrived again at Leeuwarden Air Base.

21 November 1978 (F-104G)

While landing together with collegue D-8098 at Wildenrath AB in Germany, this starfighter collided with this other aircraft. The D-8341 collided with its forward cockpit section into the aft section of the D-8098. The pilot, of the D-8341, Lt Hennie Elbersen was killed instantly by this collision. The aircraft were on rotation with 19squadron at Wildenrath and this rotation was finished immediately after this terrible accident. Logbook of the aircraft shows that the damage was calculated as a CAT4. Canopy was torn away from windshield until the E-compartment. On February 7th, 1979 the aircraft was officially declared written off (CAT5).

F-104G D-8341 when it was still light grey. This photo must have been taken late 60s or 1970. (Photo Gerrit Hiemstra)

F-104G D-8341 already camouflaged while landing at homebase Leeuwarden in April 1978. (Photo courtesy Harry Prins)

D-8341 was flown often from Leeuwarden and was also seen a lot outside Holland. Here a few photos taken during the last years of its operational life, flying from Leeuwarden. One was taken with a 50mm lens, which was quite a challenge but because telelenses were expensive you somethimes did not have a choice as student...

F-104G D-8341 without canopy. An F-104 looks very strange this way but this aircraft has a very tragic story and this was always linked to this rolling fuselage until it was scrapped. Here it is seen parked at Volkel on 22 April 1981, in use for aircraft towing instructions. (Photo by Siete Meeter).

Almost being scrapped the fuselage can be seen here at Volkel and no longer in use for towing instructions. The front wheel and other parts have been removed or exchanged for use to restore display Starfighters. For example a forward part of the D-8279 (which had belly damage) was interchanged with this part of the 8341. You are not able to read the serial anymore this way.. So a part of the D-8341 is currently still found inside the D-8279, currently guarding the pole at Volkel Air Base.