From 1959, when a CEPE (now AETE) test team performed a preliminary evaluation of the F-104 C as a replacement for the F-86 Sabre, until 1983, when AETE’s last CF-104 was ferried to Trenton, AETE was extensively involved with the flight test and evaluation of the CF-104. During these 25 years 171 project re­ports and numerous letter and message reports were issued detailing the tests conducted by AETE on the CF-104. These re­ports provide a history of the CF-104, its problems, modifica­tions and improvements.
As for most aircraft in the CF inventory, CEPE aircrew participa­ted in the Category I Flight Test Program, the contractor de­monstration flights completed in 1962 at the Lockheed facility in Palmdale, California, and conducted at CEPE Uplands and the CEPE Detachment at Cold Lake the Category II Flight Test Program. The latter included weapons and weapons systems evaluations, AN/APG-502 radar evaluation, aircraft perfor­mance evaluation and verification of AOI Performance Charts, photo-reconnaissance system evaluation, and cold weather trials. CEPE also established a detachment at Canadair perfor­ming production aircraft acceptance flights, and when the air­craft were deployed to Europe established a detachment at Scottish Aviation, Prestwick, performing acceptance flights fol­lowing overhaul and modification programs.
AETE’s subsequent involvement with the flight test of the CF- 104 was primarily weapons oriented. Clearances were conduc­ted on carriage, jettison and employment of conventional weapons. Installation and evaluation of the M61 cannon was carried out. It was during this project that CF-104 785 shot itself down when the gun malfunctioned. Evaluation of a radar warn­ing receiver and the LW-33 Inertial Navigation and Attack System were carried out successfully as well.
AETE also evaluated modifications to other aircraft systems and new systems, for example: arrestor equipment, canopy jet­tison and escape system, stick kicker, engine emergency nozzle closure and flight with a failed nozzle, CPI and data re­corder, various fuel system electroluminescent light strips, and a chemical defence system for CF-104 aircrew.
As a special project for Canada’s Centennial, AETE assembled a test team and prepared CF-104700 for an attempt on the world altitude record for jet aircraft. Although a new world re­cord was not established, on 14 December 1967 the extensive­ly modified CF-104 was flown to an altitude of 100, 100 feet from an entry airspeed of 1,800 miles per hour; both Canadian records. It is interesting to note that a question was raised in the House of Commons on 18 December 1967 as to why this attempt was made considering the CF-104 was to be phased out of service.
During the subsequent eight years, in fact throughout the total service life of the CF-104, AETE has been responsible for ensur­ing that the aircraft provided to the squadrons were equipped and capable of performing their assigned roles effectively, effi­ciently and safely. It was fitting that on 17 October 1983 AETE conducted the last flights of a CF-104 in Canada when CF-104646 was ferried from Cold Lake to Trenton.

De 1959, lorsqu’une equipe de l’ECEE maintenant EERS pro­ceda a une evaluation preliminaire du F-104C comme substitut au Sabre F-86, jusqu’a 1983 alors que le dernier CF-104 etait convoye a Trenton, l’EERS a beaucoup travaille a l’essai en vol et a !’evaluation des CF-104. Au cours de ces 25 annees, 171 comptes rendus de projet et un grand nombre de lettres et mes­sages ont ete rediges au sujet des essais effectues par l’EERS sur le CF-104. Ces rapports retracent l’historique du CF-104, les problemes qu’il a connus, les modifications qu’il a subies et les ameliorations qu’on lui a apportees.
Comme pour la plupart des aeronefs figurant dans les stocks des FC, l’EERS a participe au programme d’essai en vol de ca­tegorie I, ainsi qu’a celui de la categorie 11, a Cold Lake. Ce der­nier programme d’essai comportait !’evaluation des armes et des systemes d’armes, !’evaluation du radar AN/APG-502, !’evaluation du rendement de l’appareil, la verification des ta­bleaux de rendement des IFA (instructions sur le fonctionne­ment des avions), !’evaluation du systeme de reconnaissance photographique ainsi que des essais par temps froid. L’EERS a egalement installe un detachement a Canadair, ou l’on proce­dait a des vols d’admissibilite pour les aeronefs de production, et lorsque les appareils furent deployes en Europe, ii en etablit un a la Scottish Aviation, a Prestwick, ou l’on effectuait des vols d’admissibilite a la suite des programmes de remise en etat et de modification.
Ulterieurement, le canon M61 a ete installe et evalue. Au cours de ces essais, le CF-104785 s’est tire lui-meme lorsque le ca­non a fait defaut. De meme, on a precede avec succes a !’eva­luation d’un recepteur d’alerte radar et du systeme LW-33 de navigation d’attaque a inertie.
L’EERS a aussi evalue des modifications apportees a d’autres systemes d’aeronefs par exemple: le dispositif d’ejection, la fermeture d’urgence des paupieres, l’indicateur de lieu d’ecra­sement, les divers systemes d’alimentation en carburant et le systeme de defense chimique pour les equipages des CF-104.
Dans le cadre du centenaire du Canada, l’EERS a entrepris un project special: ii a reuni une equipe d’essai et a prepare le CF-104700 en vue d’etablir un record mondial d’altitude pour un avion a reaction. Meme si le record mondial n’a pas ete battu, le 14 decembre 1967, un modele considerablement mo­difie de CF-104 ayant accelere jusqu’a une vitesse de 1 800 mil­ies a l’heure, a effectue une montee rapide jusqu’a une altitude de 100100 pi eds. II s’agit de deux records canadiens. II est in­teressant de signaler que le 18 decembre 1967, quelqu’un avait demande, a la Chambre des Communes, pourquoi on avait fait une tel le tentative, sachant que le CF-104 serait graduellement retire du service.
Durant les huit annees suivantes, c’est-a-dire, au cours de toute la duree du service des CF-104, l’EERS s’est occupe d’assurer que les appareils fournis aux escadrons etaient en mesure de remplir leur role avec efficacite et en toute securite. L’EERS effectua le dernier vol d’un CF-104 au Canada lorsque le CF-104646 fut convoye du Cold Lake a Trenton.