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{{short description|Experimental fighter aircraft}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = XF-104 Starfighter
|image = File:Lockheed XF-104 (modified).jpg
|caption =First prototype XF-104 ''53-7786''|alt=Jet fighter in metallic scheme with T-tail and short wings flying above desert and black constructions
|type = [[interceptor aircraft|Interceptor]] [[prototype]]
|manufacturer = [[Lockheed Corporation]]
|designer= [[Clarence Johnson|Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson]]
|first_flight=4 March 1954
|primary_user=
|more_users=
|introduction=
|retired=
|number_built= 2
|status=
|variants= [[Lockheed F-104 Starfighter]] [[Lockheed NF-104A]] [[Canadair CF-104]] [[Aeritalia F-104S]] [[Lockheed CL-1200|CL-1200 Lancer/X-27]]
}}

The '''Lockheed XF-104 Starfighter''' was a single-engine, high-performance, [[supersonic]] [[interceptor aircraft|interceptor]] [[prototype]] for a [[United States Air Force]] (USAF) series of lightweight and simple fighters. Only two aircraft were built; one aircraft was used primarily for [[aerodynamic]] research and the other served as an armament testbed, both aircraft being destroyed in accidents during testing.<ref name= "Bowman p. 33">Bowman 2000, p. 33.</ref> The XF-104s were forerunners of over 2,500 production [[Lockheed F-104 Starfighter]]s.

During the Korean War, USAF fighter pilots were outclassed by MiG-equipped Soviet pilots. Lockheed engineers, led by [[Kelly Johnson (engineer)|Kelly Johnson]], designed and submitted a novel design to the Air Force, notable for its sleekness, particularly its thin wings and missile-shaped fuselage, as well as a novel pilot ejection system.

Flight testing of the XF-104s began with the first flight in March 1954, encountering several problems, some of which were resolved; however, performance of the XF-104 proved better than estimates and despite both prototypes being lost through accidents, the USAF ordered 17 service-test/pre-production YF-104As. Production Starfighters proved popular, both with the USAF and internationally, serving with a number of countries, including [[Jordan]], [[Turkey]], and Japan.

==Development==
===Original requirement===
[[Kelly Johnson (engineer)|Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson]], chief engineer at [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed's]] [[Skunk Works]], visited [[Korea]] in December 1951 and talked to fighter pilots about what sort of aircraft they wanted. At the time, U.S. Air Force pilots were confronting the [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15|MiG-15 "Fagot"]] in their [[North American F-86 Sabre]]s, and many of the pilots felt that the MiGs were superior to the larger and more complex American design. The pilots requested a small and simple aircraft with excellent performance.<ref name= "Bowman p. 26">Bowman 2000, p. 26.</ref> One pilot in particular, Colonel [[Gabby Gabreski]] was quoted as saying; "I'd rather sight with a piece of chewing gum stuck on the windscreen" and told Johnson that radar "was a waste of time".<ref name= "Bowman p. 26">Bowman 2000, p. 26.</ref>
[[File:Kelly sketch.jpg|thumb|left|An original Johnson sketch|alt=Four sketch drawings of an aircraft]]

On his return to the U.S., Johnson immediately started the design of just such an aircraft realising that an official requirement would soon be published. In March 1952, his team was assembled, and they sketched several different aircraft proposals, ranging from small designs at 8,000 lb (3.6 t), to fairly large ones at 50,000 lb (23 t). The L-246 as the design became known remained essentially identical to the "Model L-083 Starfighter" as eventually delivered.<ref name= "Bowman p. 32">Bowman 2000, p. 32.</ref>

===Tender of performance===
The design was presented to the Air Force in November 1952, who were interested enough to create a new proposal, inviting several companies to participate. Three additional designs were received: the [[Republic Aviation Company|Republic]] AP-55, an improved version of its prototype [[XF-91 Thunderceptor]]; the [[North American Aviation|North American]] NA-212, which would eventually evolve into the [[North American F-107|F-107]]; and the [[Northrop Corporation|Northrop]] [[Northrop N-102 Fang|N-102 Fang]], a new [[General Electric J79]]-powered design.

===Selected design===
Although all were interesting, Lockheed had an insurmountable lead and was granted a development contract in March 1953.<ref name= "Bowman p. 32">Bowman 2000, p. 32.</ref> Test data from the earlier [[Lockheed X-7]] unmanned ramjet/rocket program proved invaluable for aerodynamic research since the XF-104 would share the general design of the X-7's wing and tail.<ref>Reed 1981, p. 10.</ref><ref name= "Upton p. 13">Upton 2003, p. 13.</ref> Experience gained from the [[Douglas X-3 Stiletto]] was also used in the design phase of the XF-104.<ref name= "Bowman p. 27">Bowman 2000, p. 27.</ref> Over 400 surplus instrumented artillery rockets were launched to test various airfoils and tail designs; from which the camera film and telemetry were recovered by parachute.<ref name= "Upton p. 14">Upton 2003, p. 14.</ref>

===Prototypes===
The wooden [[mock-up]] was ready for inspection at the end of April, and work started on two prototypes late in May. The J79 engine was not yet ready, so both prototypes were instead designed to use the [[Wright J65]], a licensed built version of the [[Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire]]. Construction of the first prototype XF-104 ([[United States military aircraft serials|US serial number]] ''53-7786'', [[Buzz number]] FG-786) began in summer 1953 at Lockheed's [[Burbank, California]] factory.<ref name="J&L p. 168"/> This aircraft was powered by a non-[[afterburning]] [[Buick]]-built Wright J65-B-3 turbojet. The first prototype was completed by early 1954, and started flying in March. The total time from award of the contract to first flight was only one year, a very short time even then, and unheard of today, when 10–15 years is more typical.<ref name= "Upton p. 13">Upton 2003, p. 13.</ref> Construction of the second prototype (s/n ''53-7787'') proceeded at a slower pace.<ref name="J&L p. 168"/>

===F-104 production===
{{main|Lockheed F-104 Starfighter}}

Official approval of the XF-104 design led to a contract for 17 YF-104A service test aircraft and a production run of over 2,500 aircraft built both in the United States and under license worldwide.<ref name= "Bowman p. 35"/>

Visible changes from the XF-104 to production versions of the Starfighter include a longer fuselage (to accommodate the [[General Electric J79|J79]] engine and extra internal fuel) and a forward-retracting nose landing gear (except two-seat versions) to increase clearance for the downward-ejecting seat. A ventral fin for increased stability was added during the YF-104A test program. Inlet shock cones and a fuselage spine [[aircraft fairing|fairing]] between the canopy and fin that housed fuel piping were further added features.<ref name= "Bowman p. 32">Bowman 2000, p. 32.</ref><ref name= "Upton p. 38">Upton 2003, p. 38.</ref><ref>Gunston, W. L., ed. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200727.html "F-104: Holder of the Absolute Records for Speed and Altitude."] ''Flight International,'' 30 May 1958, p. 743. Retrieved: 29 June 2011.</ref> Production aircraft would also feature a redesigned fin structure using [[stainless steel]] [[spar (aviation)|spars]] to eliminate the flutter problem.<ref name= "Upton p. 45">Upton 2003, p. 45.</ref>
Since the internal fuel capacity was low limiting the useful range of the aircraft, extra capacity was provided on later versions by lengthening the forward fuselage.<ref name= "Bowman p. 35"/>

==Design==
In order to achieve the desired performance, Lockheed chose a minimalist approach: a design that would achieve high performance by wrapping the lightest, most [[Aerodynamics|aerodynamically]] efficient [[airframe]] possible around a single powerful engine. The emphasis was on minimizing [[drag (physics)|drag]] and [[mass]].<ref name= "Bowman p. 29">Bowman 2000, p. 29.</ref>

===Wing design===
The XF-104 had a radical wing design. Most supersonic jets use a [[swept wing|swept]] or [[delta wing|delta]] wing. This allows a reasonable balance between aerodynamic performance, [[Lift (force)|lift]], and internal space for fuel and equipment. However the most efficient shape for high-speed, [[supersonic]] flight had been found to be a small, straight, mid-mounted, [[trapezoid]]al wing of low aspect ratio and high [[wing loading]]. The wing was extremely thin, with a thickness-to-[[chord (aircraft)|chord]] ratio of only 3.4%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=F-104: Holder of the Absolute Records for Speed and Altitude |work=Flight International |date=30 May 1958 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200706.html |access-date=6 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514095335/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200706.html |archive-date=14 May 2013 }}</ref> The [[leading edge]]s of the wing were so thin (0.016 in/0.41 mm) and so sharp that they presented a hazard to ground crews, and protective guards had to be installed during ground operations. The thinness of the wings meant that fuel tanks and [[landing gear]] had to be contained in the fuselage. The [[hydraulic]] [[actuators]] driving the [[ailerons]] were only one inch (25 mm) thick to fit into the available space and were known as [[Piccolo]] actuators because of their resemblance to this musical instrument. The wings had electrically driven leading and trailing edge [[Flap (aircraft)|flaps]] to increase lift at low speed. The XF-104 did not feature the [[Blown flap|Boundary Layer Control System]] of the production aircraft.<ref name= "Bowman p. 28">Bowman 2000, p. 28.</ref>
[[File:Xf-104 mock-up.jpg|thumb|Wooden mock-up|alt=Black-and-white photograph of male personnel working on a wooden mock-up of jet aircraft]]

===Tail fin===
After extensive [[wind tunnel]] testing, the [[stabilator]] was mounted at the top of the fin for optimum stability and control about the [[Flight dynamics|pitch]] axis.<ref name= "Bowman p. 28">Bowman 2000, p. 28.</ref> Because the vertical tail fin was only slightly shorter than the length of each wing and nearly as aerodynamically effective, it could act as a wing on [[rudder]] application (a phenomenon known as "[[Dutch roll]]"). To offset this effect, the wings were angled downward to give 10° [[Dihedral (aircraft)#Anhedral|anhedral]]. The rudder was manually operated and supplemented by a small [[yaw damper]] surface mounted at the bottom of the fin.<ref name= "Bowman p. 28">Bowman 2000, p. 28.</ref>

===Fuselage===
The [[fuselage]] of the XF-104 had a high [[fineness ratio]], i.e., tapering sharply towards the nose, and a small frontal area of {{convert|25|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}.<ref>Upton 2003, p. 17.</ref> The fuselage was tightly packed, containing the [[cockpit]], [[avionics]], cannon, all internal fuel, landing gear, and engine.<ref name= "Bowman p. 29">Bowman 2000, p. 29.</ref> The air intakes, designed by [[Ben Rich (engineer)|Ben Rich]], were of fixed geometry without [[inlet cones]], since the J65-powered aircraft was incapable of [[Mach number|Mach]] 2 performance. They were similar to those of the [[Lockheed F-94 Starfire|F-94 Starfire]], being mounted slightly away from the fuselage, with an inner [[Splitter plate (aircraft)|splitter plate]] for the [[boundary layer]] bleed air. The combination of these features provided extremely low drag except at high [[angle of attack]], at which point [[induced drag]] became very high.

===Ejection seat===
The XF-104 featured an unusual downward-ejecting [[Stanley Aviation|Stanley B]] seat. It was feared that contemporary ejection seat designs would not have enough explosive power to clear the high "T" tail assembly. In the event of the seat not firing, it was possible to manually release the lower fuselage hatch and then exit the aircraft via gravity. The F-104 series aircraft would later convert to upward-ejecting seats but the fuselage hatch was retained as a useful maintenance feature.<ref name= "Bowman p. 33">Bowman 2000, p. 33.</ref>

==Operational history==

===Testing and evaluation===
[[File:Lockheed XF-104 060928-F-1234S-001.jpg|thumb|[[Tony LeVier]] poses on an XF-104. Note the wingtip tanks|alt=Pilot in overall black suit crouching on jet aircraft's nose]]

====First flights====
The first XF-104 (Lockheed 083-1001, s/n ''53-7786'') was transported to [[Edwards AFB]] amidst high secrecy during the night of 24–25 February, where Lockheed test pilot [[Tony LeVier]] was to do the initial testing.<ref name= "Bowman p. 32">Bowman 2000, p. 32.</ref> On 28 February 1954, the XF-104 made a planned hop of about five feet off the ground during a high-speed taxi, but its first official flight took place on 4 March.<ref>Pace 1992, p. 17.</ref> During that flight, the landing gear did not retract, and LeVier landed after a low-speed flight of about 20 minutes.<ref name="J&L p. 168">Jenkins and Landis 2008, p. 168.</ref> Adjustments and further flights discovered that the problem was low pressure in the hydraulic system.<ref name="J&L p. 168"/> Bad weather kept the XF-104 on the ground until 26 March, when further flights were carried out with the landing gear retracting normally.<ref name="J&L p. 168"/>

The second prototype (Lockheed 083-1002, s/n ''53-7787''), fitted with the afterburning J65 from the start, first flew on 5 October. Since it was to be the armament test bed, it was fitted with the 20 mm (.79 in) [[M61 Vulcan]] cannon and was equipped with an AN/ASG-14T-1 fire control system.<ref name= "Upton p. 38">Upton 2003, p. 38.</ref> XF-104 #2 achieved a top speed of Mach 1.79 at {{convert|60000|ft|m}} on 25 March 1955, piloted by Lockheed test pilot J. Ray Goudey. This was the highest speed achieved by the XF-104.<ref name="J&L p. 168"/><ref name= "Bowman p. 29">Bowman 2000, p. 29.</ref>

====Performance====
XF-104 #1 was subsonic in level flight when powered by the non-afterburning J65, but Mach 1 could be easily exceeded during a slight descent. In July 1954, the J65-B-3 was replaced by the afterburning J65-W-7 turbojet. With this engine installed, the performance of the XF-104 was greatly improved. Maximum level speed was Mach 1.49 at {{convert|41000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, and an [[altitude]] of {{convert|55000|ft|m|abbr=on}} could be attained in a zoom climb, while Mach 1.6 could be attained in a dive. The first XF-104 was accepted by the USAF in November 1955.<ref name="J&L p. 168"/>

[[File:Vulcan1.jpg|thumb|M61 Vulcan|alt=Seven-barrel rotary gun resting on metal rig]]

====Firing tests====
Initial aerial firing tests with the Vulcan cannon on the second aircraft were successful, but on 17 December, there was an explosion during a firing burst<ref name= "Bowman p. 35">Bowman 2000, p. 35.</ref> and the J65 engine suffered severe [[compressor stall]]s. Tony LeVier immediately shut down the engine and glided back to make a successful [[deadstick landing]] at [[Rogers Dry Lake]]. An investigation later showed that one of the 20 mm cannon [[Cartridge (firearm)|rounds]] had exploded in the [[Breech-loading weapon|breech]], blowing the [[Bolt (firearm)|bolt]] out the rear of the gun and through the structure into the forward fuselage fuel cell. Jet fuel had run into the gun bay, and leaked out of the compartment door seals and into the left engine air intake. The engine immediately flooded with fuel, causing the compressor stalls.<ref>Gunston. W. L., ed. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%200440.html "Starfighter: Lockheed's Mach 2 Fighter for the U.S.A.F."] ''Flight International,'' 20 April 1956, p. 442. Retrieved: 28 June 2011.</ref>

===Crashes===
XF-104 ''53-7786'' was lost in a crash on 11 July 1957 when it developed an uncontrollable fin [[Aeroelasticity#Flutter|flutter]] while flying chase for F-104A flight tests. The entire tail group was ripped from the airframe, and Lockheed test pilot Bill Park was forced to eject. Fin flutter was a known problem and the aircraft had been limited to speeds of no more than Mach 0.95 at the time of the accident. Tony LeVier had attempted to have the aircraft removed from flight status and placed in a museum, arguing that its performance was not suitable for chase duties.<ref name= "Bowman p. 35">Bowman 2000, p. 35.</ref><ref name= "Upton p. 45">Upton 2003, p. 45.</ref><ref name= "Pace p. 22">Pace 1992, p. 22.</ref>

XF-104 ''53-7787'' was lost on 14 April 1955 after accumulating over 1,000 flying hours<ref name= "Bowman p. 35"/><ref>Kinzey 1991, p. 6.</ref> when test pilot [[Herman Salmon]] was forced to eject during gun firing trials at {{convert|50000|ft|m|abbr=on}}. The gun malfunctioned during a test firing, and severe vibrations began to build up which knocked loose the ejection hatch below the cockpit. [[Cabin pressurization|Cabin pressure]] was lost with Salmon's [[pressure suit]] inflating and covering his face so that he could not see. Recalling LeVier's harrowing experience with the exploding cannon shell the previous December, Salmon believed that the same thing had happened to him and that he had no option but to eject. He later found out that he could have saved ''53-7787'' by bringing it down to a lower [[altitude]] and waiting for his pressure suit to deflate. With the loss of the armament [[testbed]], Lockheed engineers were forced to find an alternative, and armament trials were continued on a modified [[Lockheed F-94C Starfire]].<ref name= "Pace p. 20">Pace 1992, p. 20.</ref> The two XF-104s amassed an approximate total of 2,500 flight hours.<ref name="J&L p. 168"/>

===Testing conclusions===
Flight testing proved that performance estimates were accurate and that even when fitted with the low powered J65 engine, the XF-104 flew faster than the other [[Century Series]] fighters being developed at the time. The XF-104's ceiling at {{convert|60000|ft|m|abbr=on}} was {{convert|7000|ft|m|abbr=on}} higher than predicted, and it exceeded estimated speed and drag figures by two to three percent.<ref>Kinzey 1991, p. 4.</ref> It was noted however that the low thrust of the J65 engine did not enable the full performance potential of the type to be realized.<ref name= "Bowman p. 35"/>
[[File:Century.jpg|thumb|upright|XF-104 s/n ''53-7786'' with early models of the F-100, F-101, F-102 and F-105|alt=Five aircraft parked on ramp for black-and-white photo shoot]]

A number of minor problems surfaced, but were readily fixed. The [[yaw damper]] of the XF-104 was found to be ineffective and the rudder did not positively center; these problems were corrected by revising the rudder control system.<ref name= "Pace p. 20">Pace 1992, p. 20.</ref> The unpowered rudder did not provide adequate directional control at high air speeds, with the problem being fixed by using hydraulic power on all subsequent versions of the F-104; and some concern was expressed over poor [[Subsonic aircraft|subsonic]] maneuverability at higher altitudes.<ref name= "Pace p. 20">Pace 1992, p. 20.</ref>

During a later interview, Kelly Johnson was asked about his opinion on the aircraft. "Did it come up to my designs? In terms of performance, yes. In terms of engine, we went through a great many engine problems, not with the J65s but with the J79s."<ref>Reed 1981, p. 13.</ref> For his part in designing the F-104 airframe, Johnson was jointly awarded the [[Collier Trophy]] in 1958, sharing the honor with General Electric (engine) and the U.S. Air Force (Flight Records).<ref>Greenfield, Art. [http://www.naa.aero/html/awards/index.cfm?cmsid=155 "Collier Trophy winners, 1950–1959."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211200939/http://www.naa.aero/html/awards/index.cfm?cmsid=155 |date=December 11, 2008 }} ''National Aeronautic Association''. Retrieved: 26 June 2011.</ref>

==Specifications (XF-104)==
[[File:Lockheed XF-104 Starfighter drawing.jpg|300px|right|XF-104 3-view|alt=Line drawings showing top, side and front view of aircraft]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''Bowman and Drendel.''<ref name= "Bowman p. 33">Bowman 2000, p. 33.</ref><ref>Drendel 1976, p. 10.</ref>
|prime units?=imp

|crew=1
|length ft=49
|length in=2
|length note=
|span ft=21
|span in=11
|span note=
|height ft=13
|height in=6
|height note=
|wing area sqft=196
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil= Biconvex 3.36%<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=11500
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=15700
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=

|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Wright J65-W-6]]
|eng1 type=[[turbojet]] engine
|eng1 lbf=7800
|eng1 note=
|eng1 lbf-ab=10200

|max speed mph=1324
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=160
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed note=
|range miles=800
|range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling ft=50500
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|guns= 1 × [[M61 Vulcan|T171 Vulcan]] 20 mm (.79 in) cannon (XF-104 083-1002 only)<ref name= "Bowman p. 33"/>
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
{{Aircontent
|related=
* [[Lockheed NF-104A]]
* [[Canadair CF-104]]
* [[Aeritalia F-104S]]
* [[Lockheed CL-1200|Lockheed CL-1200 Lancer and X-27]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Dassault Mirage III]]
* [[Grumman F-11 Tiger]]
* [[Northrop F-5]]
* [[Saunders-Roe SR.53]]
|lists=
* [[List of fighter aircraft]]
* [[List of military aircraft of the United States]]
* [[List of F-104 Starfighter operators]]
|see also=
* [[Century Series]]
}}

==References==
;Notes
{{reflist|2}}

;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
* Bowman, Martin W. ''Lockheed F-104 Starfighter''. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press Ltd., 2000. {{ISBN|1-86126-314-7}}.
* Drendel, Lou. ''F-104 Starfighter in action (Aircraft No. 27)''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1976. {{ISBN|0-89747-026-5}}.
* Jenkins, Dennis R. and Tony R. Landis. ''Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters.'' North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2008. {{ISBN|978-1-58007-111-6}}.
* Kinzey, Bert ''F-104 Starfighter in detail & scale''. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB books, 1991. {{ISBN|1-85310-626-7}}.
* Pace, Steve. ''F-104 Starfighter: Design, Development and Worldwide Operations of the First Operational Mach 2 Fighter''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1992. {{ISBN|0-87938-608-8}}.
* Pace, Steve. ''X-Fighters: USAF Experimental and Prototype Fighters, XP-59 to YF-23''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1991. {{ISBN|0-87938-540-5}}.
* Reed, Arthur. ''F-104 Starfighter – Modern Combat Aircraft 9''. London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1981. {{ISBN|0-7110-1089-7}}.
* Upton, Jim. ''Warbird Tech - Lockheed F-104 Starfighter''. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2003. {{ISBN|1-58007-069-8}}.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081208050446/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2311 XF-104 page] on USAF National Museum site
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DV7q-ptOyQ First flight of the XF-104] on YouTube.
* [http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/f104_1.html Baugher's U.S. Military Aircraft page on the XF-104]
* [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200723.html F-104] ''Flight International''.
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071022113920/http://www.vectorsite.net/avf104_1.html#m2 XF-104]}} on Vectorsite.net

{{F-104 family}}
{{Lockheed Martin aircraft}}
{{USAF fighters}}

[[Category:Lockheed aircraft|F-104, X]]
[[Category:1950s United States fighter aircraft|Lockheed F-104]]
[[Category:1950s United States experimental aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined jet aircraft]]
[[Category:Lockheed F-104 Starfighter|XF-104]]
[[Category:Mid-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1954]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]

Lockheed XF-104 Starfighter - Revision history

imported>ZLEA: Replacing old infobox system with Template:Infobox aircraft (via WP:JWB)