F-104 Starfighter

The F-104 Starfighter was originally designed as a supersonic superiority day fighter and was produced in two major versions: a tactical fighter armed with a six-barrel M-61 20mm Vulcan cannon, and a day-night interceptor additionally equipped with heat-seeking Sidewinder missiles, while also having limited ground-attack capability. Development began in 1952, and the first XF-104 made its initial flight on 5 March 1954. On May 16, 1958, an F-104A set a world speed record of 1,404.19 mph, and on December 14, 1959, an F-104C set a world altitude record of 103,395 feet. The Starfighter was the first aircraft to hold simultaneous world records for speed, altitude, and time-to-climb. The USAF procured 300 Starfighters, and more than 1,700 F-104s were built for various allied nations. The F-104 saw combat during the Vietnam War. This two-seat F-104D, S/N 57-1331, was last flown by the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, CA, in support of the X-15 program. Only 21 F-104Ds were produced for use by the USAF, and Eglin AFB, FL, had 22 F-104As assigned there, which were converted to QF-104 target drones and all flew out of Eglin AFB, FL.

Florida · United States