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LOCKHEED F-104 STARFIGHTER


113k GIF - 64k JPEG
Smithsonian Institution
photo by D. Penland

Milestone:
First U.S. Jet Fighter To Fly Twice The Speed of Sound
Date of Milestone:
1954
Artifact:
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
Artifact Location:
Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum
2nd Floor above west escalators. [adjacent to Milestones of Flight Gallery]
 

Known as "the missile with a man in it," the stubby-winged Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was the first U.S. jet fighter in service to fly Mach 2, twice the speed of sound. Designed as a high-performance day fighter, the F-104 had excellent acceleration and top speed. It first flew on February 7, 1954.

While built for the U.S. Air Force, most Starfighters were flown by other countries, particularly Canada, Italy, Germany, and Japan. Many were built under license overseas.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flew this F-104A for 19 years as a flying test bed and a chase plane. It was used to test the reaction controls later used on the North American X-15. This aircraft was the seventh F-104 built and was transferred to the Museum after its last flight, to Andrews Air Force Base, on August 26, 1975.
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Wingspan: 6.7 m (21 ft 11 in)
Length: 16.6 m (54 ft 9 in)
Height: 4.1 m (13 ft 6 in)
Weight, gross: 11,271 kg (25,840 lb)
Weight, empty: 6,071 kg (13,384 lb)
Top speed: 1,669 km/h (1,037 mph)
Engine: General Electric J79-GE-3A, 4,990 kg (11,000 lb) thrust
Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corp., Burbank, Calif.
   

More Information:
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter - Aircraft of The Smithsonian

 


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