The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was an American military supersonic fighter with a long fuselage and exceptionally small wings. Developed during the 1950s, it served in fighter and fighter-bomber roles and acquired an additional career as a NASA research and support aircraft.[1]Lockheed F-104C StarfighterNational Museum of the United States Air Force · nationalmuseum.af.mil · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details[2]F-104 StarfighterNASA · nasa.gov · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
Development and equipment
Development began in 1952, and the XF-104 first flew in 1954. The production family demonstrated striking performance: an F-104A set a world speed record in 1958, while an F-104C established an altitude record in 1959. These achievements reflected its emphasis on high speed and rapid climb.[1]Lockheed F-104C StarfighterNational Museum of the United States Air Force · nationalmuseum.af.mil · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
The single-seat F-104C used a General Electric J79 afterburning turbojet. Its weapons included the six-barrel M61 cannon and Sidewinder missiles. The Air Force acquired approximately 300 Starfighters, while foreign production and operation gave the aircraft a much wider international presence.[1]Lockheed F-104C StarfighterNational Museum of the United States Air Force · nationalmuseum.af.mil · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
Military operations
The F-104C supported tactical operations rather than serving only as a record-setting interceptor. The aircraft preserved at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, serial 56-914, served in the United States, Europe, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand. Its movements illustrate the geographically dispersed deployments undertaken by American Starfighter units.[1]Lockheed F-104C StarfighterNational Museum of the United States Air Force · nationalmuseum.af.mil · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
NASA research
NASA and its predecessor research organisation began operating the Starfighter in 1956. The fleet at the California flight-research centre ultimately included eleven aircraft and accumulated more than 18,000 flights across thirty-eight years. Duties included research, chase support and simulation of X-15 approaches and landings.[2]F-104 StarfighterNASA · nasa.gov · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details
External fixtures allowed experiments to be exposed directly to the airflow, with instrumentation recording data and transmitting it to engineers on the ground. Starfighters also carried Space Shuttle thermal-protection tiles during precipitation tests. This research career used the aircraft's high-speed performance to investigate problems far removed from its original air-combat mission.[2]F-104 StarfighterNASA · nasa.gov · Accessed 2026-09-13Open source details