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Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

      In 1952, C.L. "Kelly" Johnson designed the F-104. This aircraft was among the most successful ever produced. It was the first aircraft to fly at twice the speed of sound and held numerous airspeed and altitude records. Our F-104 served at Edwards flight test center from June 1957 until October 1967. Because of its physical appearance and performance, the F-104 has often been called the "missile with a man in it."
      Like the F-84F Thunderstreak before it and the F-16 Fighting Falcon of today, the F-104 was selected for use by the NATO allies. The design was a product of the Korean War. Intended as a point defense interceptor, range was sacrificed for rate of climb. Range, however, can be extended using external tanks and in-flight refueling.
      Several F-104 squadrons are still flying today with the air forces of Italy, Germany and Japan. Some F-104s have been modified to include a second cockpit for transition training and some weapons delivery. A reconnaissance version also exists although it never served with the USAF.
      Using an accelerated loft technique, some F-104s have been flown to higher than 90,000 feet.
      This F-104 was delivered to the Air Force June 29, 1957 and spent its entire service life assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California. It retired from service in December 1972.

General characteristics F-104A
Primary function	Fighter
Contractor	Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
Power plant	One General Electric J79-GE-3A/3B turbojet engine with afterburner
Speed	max.	1,047 mph	1,669 km/h
Speed	min.	195 mph	314 km/h
Initial climb rate	1,006 ft/s		307 m/s
Ceiling	64,830 ft		19,760 m
Range	normal	730 miles	1,174 km
Range	maximum	1,400 miles	2,250 km
Wingspan	21 ft 9 in		6.6 m
Length	54 ft 8 in		16.7 m
Height	13 ft 5 in		4 m
Weight	empty	13,184 lb	5,980 kg
Weight	max. takeoff	25,840 lb	11,720 kg
Crew	One
Armament	One 20mm M61A1 cannon (725 rounds); 2x AIM-9B Sidewinder on wingtips; 4,000 lb of bombs under the wings.

Short history of F-104

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Jirka Wagner

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Last updated 13.11.2012