It was the first production aircraft to achieve Mach 2, and the first aircraft to reach an altitude of 100,000 ft (30,000 m) after taking off under its own power. The wing provided excellent supersonic and high-speed, low-altitude performance, but also poor turning capability and high landing speeds. The Starfighter featured a radical design, with thin, stubby wings attached farther back on the fuselage than most contemporary aircraft. It was retired from active service in 2004, though several F-104s remain in civilian operation with Florida-based Starfighters Inc. The final production version, the F-104S, was an all-weather interceptor built by Aeritalia for the Italian Air Force. The Germans lost 292 of 916 aircraft and 116 pilots from 1961 to 1989, its high accident rate earning it the nickname Witwenmacher ("widowmaker") from the German public. The Starfighter eventually flew with fifteen air forces, but its poor safety record, especially in Luftwaffe service, brought it substantial criticism. The European nations formed a construction consortium that was the largest international manufacturing program in history to that point, though the Starfighter's export success was marred in 1975 by the discovery of bribe payments made by Lockheed to many foreign military and political figures for securing purchase contracts. Canada soon followed, along with the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, and Italy. In October 1958, West Germany selected the F-104 as its primary fighter aircraft. While its time with the USAF was brief, the Starfighter found much more lasting success with other NATO and allied nations. Problems with the General Electric J79 engine and a preference for fighters with longer ranges and heavier payloads meant its service with the USAF was short-lived, though it was reactivated for service during the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the Vietnam War, when it flew more than 5,000 combat sorties. Just a few months later, it was pressed into action during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, when it was deployed as a deterrent to Chinese MiG-15 and MiG-17 fighters. On 4 March 1954, the Lockheed XF-104 took to the skies for the first time, and on 26 February 1958, the production fighter was activated by the USAF. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the " Century Series" of fighter aircraft for the United States Air Force (USAF), it was developed into an all-weather multirole aircraft in the early 1960s and produced by several other nations, seeing widespread service outside the United States.Īfter a series of interviews with Korean War fighter pilots in 1951, Kelly Johnson, then lead designer at Lockheed, opted to reverse the trend of ever-larger and more complex fighters to produce a simple, lightweight aircraft with maximum altitude and climb performance. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. If the item is faulty, you do not need to return it, we will send you a replacement free of charge.Retired from military service in use with civilian operators as warbirds If you are unhappy with your purchase, please email fourteen (14) working days of receiving your goods, and return it to us at the address below, in its original condition, unopened (with any seals and shrink-wrap intact) and we will issue you a full refund or replace it. Online exclusive products (such as trainers) will be delivered to you directly from the printer, separate from other items in your order, but your postage fee covers ALL items in your order. This price, does not include any potential custom charges that may apply, depending on the product or destination, as every country has very different import duties / taxes. For orders over 10kg and overseas customers, postage is calculated for you at checkout once you have entered your postal address. For UK addresses, deliveries under 10kg are a standard £4.95 via Royal Mail Tracked 48 Service. We use the Royal Mail, DHL Express or UPS for our customers.
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