The F-104 was frequently described as "the missile with a man in it." The type found greater use with foreign operators than with the US Air Force. The F-104, while an extremely high-performance airplane, was extremely "hot" and an unforgiving aircraft to fly. It was the first operational fighter capable of sustained speeds above Mach 2 and the first aircraft ever to hold the world speed and altitude records simultaneously. Because of development problems, the type entered service two years later than expected. Deliveries to the Air Force began in January 1958. On May 7, 1958, Maj. Howard C. Johnson reached an altitude of 91,243 ft, and on May 16, Capt. Walter W. Irwin reached a speed of 1,404.19 mph. On December 14, 1959, an F-104C pilot boosted the world's altitude record to 103,389 ft, thus becoming the first aircraft to take off under its own power and exceed the 100,000-ft plateau. In 1964, Jacqueline Cochran flew a TF-104 to three women's speed records over a closed course. One F-104 was modified with the addition of a rocket engine and reaction-control jets, was designated NF-104, and was used for astronaut training. F-104s were deployed to NAS Key West, Fla., in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. F-104s were sent to Vietnam but were not effective. The Air Force used only about one-third of the F-104s built, with most going to or being built in West Germany, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Spain, Taiwan, Jordan, Pakistan, and Turkey. A number of aircraft were converted into full-scale drones. The last Air National Guard Starfighters were retired in 1975.
| Contractors: | Lockheed Aircraft Co. |
| Locations Built: | Burbank, Calif. |
| Number Built: (USAF) | 2,536 (296) |
| First Flight: | March 4, 1954 |
| First Flight Model: | XF-104 |
| First Flight Location: | Edwards AFB, Calif. |
| First Flight Pilot: | Tony LeVier |
| Models/Variants: | F-104A, B, C, D |
| Powerplant: | One General Electric J79-GE-3 turbojet 14,800 lb thrust in afterburner |
| Wingspan: | 21 ft 11 in. |
| Length: | 54 ft 9 in. |
| Height: | 13 ft 6 in. |
| Weight: | 24,804 lb gross |
| Armament: | One General Electric M61 Vulcan 20-mm cannon and two GAR-8 (later redesignated AIM-9) Sidewinder air-to-air missiles |
| Accommodation: | Pilot only (student and pilot in tandem in F-104B, D) |
| Cost: | $1.7 million |
| Max. Speed: | 1,324 mph |
| Range: | 730 mi. |
| Ceiling: | Approx 57,700 ft. |
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