Feather Duster I and II programs

Zajcevi wrote:

Hello

When I have read Clashes some time ago, I found interesting part about
Feather Duster tests. Sadly I wasnt long and focused mostly on
tactics. About a/c involved was writen only that old F-86H have
simulated MiG-17 in Feather Duster 1 (in FD 2 were bigger formations
used) and among the others F-105 and F-4 were tested in combats.
Were also other USAF fighters participating on this program?
Was it sole USAF test or also USN fighters were involved?
And was also simulated by some types (possibly F-106 like on Top Gun)?

One of the Featherduster F-104C pilots, Tom Delashaw, died in a Hunter
crash a couple of months ago. A mutual friend had discussed Featherduster
with Tom at some length some years back, and Tom had also shown him the
declassified reports from the tests. Here's an excerpt from an old email
from my friend, discussing the arrangement and scope of the tests:

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Project Featherduster was instigated by TAC to help develop
proper tactics against likely opponents that TAC aircraft
might face in SEA. The TAC aircraft of concern were the F-
100C/D/F, F-4C, F-105D and F-104C. Opponents included the
F-102A and F-106A (MiG-21), F-86H (MiG-17), F-8C/D (MiG-
19) and the F-5N (another story altogether). The TAC
aircraft were also flown against each other to practice
dissimilar air combat training (DACT) and to further evaluate
their individual strengths and weaknesses.

It should come as no surprise that the F-8s did pretty well
against the F-100s. It probably won't surprise too many to
learn that the F-4s generally beat up on the F-105s. The big
shock to most, however, was the fact that the F-104C ended
up at the top of the heap. It not only bested all the other
aircraft, but it did so regularly and by a surprising margin.
Only when dictated to fly high altitude, subsonic turning
engagements did the 104 fall short of its opponents.
-----------------------------------------------

The rest of the email describes why the F-104 cleaned up, a combination of
tactics, training and a/c performance and features. Delashaw also flew
F-104Cs in the Navy "Maneuvering Target Test", which involved Navy F-4Bs
developing tactics to use Sparrows in WVR combat.

Guy

*The F-5N was a version of the F-5 that Northrop was trying to sell to the
USAF.