The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was an American single-engined, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1958 until 1967. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it continued in service with Air National Guard units until it was phased out in 1975. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flew a small mixed fleet of F-104 types in supersonic flight tests and spaceflight programs until they were retired in 1994. Several two-seat trainer versions were produced, the most numerous being the TF-104G.

USAF F-104Cs saw service during the Vietnam War, and F-104A aircraft were deployed by Pakistan briefly during the Indo-Pakistani wars. Republic of China Air Force F-104s also engaged the People's Liberation Army Air Force over the disputed island of Kinmen. A set of modifications produced the F-104G model, which won a NATO competition for a new fighter-bomber.

The ultimate F-104 version was the F-104S all-weather interceptor equipped with radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, designed for the Italian Air Force. An advanced F-104 with a high-mounted wing, known as the CL-1200 Lancer, did not proceed. The project was cancelled at the mock-up stage in favor of other lightweight fighters such as the F-16. A total of 2,535 Starfighters were eventually produced. The F-104 served with the air forces of over a dozen nations until the summer of 2004, some 46 years after its introduction in 1958 by the USAF.

The poor safety record of the Starfighter brought the aircraft into the public eye, especially in Luftwaffe service. The subsequent Lockheed bribery scandals surrounding the original purchase contracts caused considerable political controversy in Europe and Japan.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a F-104G Starfighter interceptor used by the German Air Force and attached to Jagdbombergeschwader 31 "Boelcke". Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 4-inches
Length: 9-inches

Release Date: August 2007

Historical Account: "The Starfighter Crisis" - During the 1960s, the "Starfighter crisis" was a big problem for German politics, as many of the US-supplied Lockheed F-104 fighters crashed after being modified to serve for Luftwaffe purposes - specifically for terrain, weather and ground troop support issues. In Luftwaffe service, 292 of the 916 Starfighters crashed, claiming the lives of 115 pilots, leading to cries from the West German public that the Starfighter was fundamentally unsafe and earning it the Witwenmacher (Widowmaker) nickname.

Johannes Steinhoff, head of the Luftwaffe, and his deputy, Guenther Rall, noted that the non-German F-104's proved much safer - Spain lost none in the same period. The Americans blamed the high loss rate of the Luftwaffe F-104s to the extreme low-level and aggressive flying by the German pilots, rather than any faults in the aircraft.

Steinhoff and Rall immediately left their daily work and learned to fly the aircraft in America under Lockheed instruction, and noted some specifics in the training (a distinct lack of mountains and foggy weather training), combined with handling capabilities (sharp start high G turns) of the aircraft that could create accident situations.

Steinhoff and Rall immediately changed the training regimen for the F-104 pilots, and accident ratios quickly fell to those comparable or better than other air forces. They also brought about the high level of training and professionalism seen today throughout the Luftwaffe, and the start of a strategic direction for Luftwaffe pilots to tactically and combat train outside Germany. However, the F-104 never removed its Witwenmacher reputation, and was replaced much earlier by the Luftwaffe than other national air forces.