The F-104 is a small single-engine fighter jet known for its speed and dangerous nature, and being used by many countries. Despite its history and widespread use, it has fallen out of favor due to its age.
The F-104 Starfighter was a jet fighter aircraft built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1956. In its day, it was one of the fastest and most powerful fighters in the world. It is still used today as an aerial demonstration aircraft and drone target practice by the United States military.
It was designed for speed and maneuverability over combat ability or range; therefore, many of its features made it less than ideal for air-to-air combat but more effective at dogfighting incoming enemy planes that were attempting to intercept intruders into their airspace (such as Soviet MiG fighters). The F-104 could reach top speeds around Mach 2—twice as fast as any other plane at that time—which made it useful for chasing down enemy aircraft before they could get anywhere near their targets or escape after launching missiles at them.
The F-104 was designed to be a high-performance interceptor, and it had several features that set it apart from other aircraft of the time.
The wingspan was short, but they were extremely thin and placed high on the fuselage. This design gave it excellent maneuverability at high altitudes, even though its maximum speed was only Mach 2 (2 times the speed of sound).
The landing gear could extend straight out from under the fuselage instead of being extended downward like most other fighters at that time. This made it easy for pilots to see if their wheels were down before takeoff or landing because there wasn’t anything else in their way!
This aircraft also had some unique weapons systems designed specifically for use with this airplane:
- An internal gun called an M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon that fired up to 6,000 rounds per minute;
- An external pod with heat-seeking missiles mounted beneath each wing;
- A wingtip fitted with small folding rockets so they could be deployed while airborne;
- And finally—and perhaps most importantly—they came equipped with air brakes on both sides that could slow down during descent so pilots could make sure they weren’t too close when coming into land safely without crashing into something below them.
The F-104 was designed as a single-seat, single-engine, all-weather interceptor aircraft. It has a small, highly-swept wing and a T-tail. Its fuselage is moderately swept with its horizontal stabilizers mounted near the top of the tail fin. All versions have tricycle landing gear and are powered by a single-engine mounted on the rear fuselage to reduce interference drag between it and its wings.
It was retired from active United States Air Force service on November 15th, 2004. The last USAF squadron to operate the F-104 left Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and turned their aircraft over to their Italian counterparts. However, several countries still fly this supersonic jet today: Turkish Air Force, Spanish Air Force (still the main operator), and Italian Air Force (also still an operator).
The Royal Norwegian Air Force also uses it as a trainer aircraft. NASA also flies a few F-104s in its high-speed research program at Edwards AFB, California, and at Dryden Flight Research Center.
The F-104 Starfighter was built for speed and maneuverability. It could reach twice the speed of sound and it was designed to fight high above the clouds, where pilots would use its fantastic aerodynamics to outmaneuver and outfly enemy jets. This meant that it lacked some important safety features: backup systems, ejection seats, and more powerful engines.
Many military aircraft were designed specifically to win air battles during World War II—and then became obsolete when the nature of warfare changed after 1945. The F-104 was different; instead of being a relic from an earlier era, it was still in service when Vietnam came around in the 1960s. And while some countries have retired their fleets since then (such as Belgium), others still fly them today—including Pakistan—because they’re cheap and easy to maintain compared with other planes they may replace them with (like MiG-29s).
The F-104 was an integral part of the United States Air Force during the Cold War.
It was used in Korea and Vietnam and played a significant role in both conflicts. In Korea, pilots flew these planes to shoot down enemy MiG fighters and attack ground targets. In Vietnam, they served as escorts for bombers on missions over enemy territory as well as providing air cover for ground troops who were under attack by enemy forces on the ground.
It was also used extensively by NATO nations during this time period. For example, Greece purchased 61 F-104Gs from Lockheed Martin in 1967 so that their pilots could train on them before transitioning into Lockheed’s newer supersonic fighter jets: the F-16 Fighting Falcon (which would be introduced around 1981).
The F-104 is a testament to the wide-reaching effects that the Cold War had on aviation technology. It served in roles as diverse as interceptor, strike fighter, and photo reconnaissance plane. Still, wherever they can be seen and heard, F-104s remains a most interesting sound and sight.