Scale: 1:42 
Length: 16"  
Wingspan: 7.5"

Experience in the Korean War showed that the US Air Force was in need of a new interceptor capable of high speeds and climb rates to engage Russian MiG-15s and bombers. The solution adopted by Lockheed was a small, lightweight design with a powerful engine called the F-104. Though capable of speeds exceeding Mach 2 and of reaching altitudes exceeding 90,000 ft, the Starfighter suffered from limited range, poor turn radius, limited payload-carrying space, and unforgiving flight characteristics. The F-104 was used for a time by both the Strategic Air Command as a bomber interceptor and the Tactical Air Command as a fighter bomber, but production was stopped in 1959 and the aircraft withdrawn from front-line service in 1960.

However, West Germany accepted the new F-104G with improved avionics and better low-level strike capabilities as its primary fighter. The 'G' model soon found customers throughout Europe, Asia, and in Canada. Though only 296 examples were built for the USAF, an additional 2,282 were built for US allies. These exceptional aircraft served for many years but were finally withdrawn from service by the mid-1990s. The lone variant still surviving is the F-104S built under license by Alenia in Italy for use in Italy and Turkey. Despite the age of the F-104, the 'S' model has proven to be cost-effective, reliable, and popular among pilots giving the F-104 a new lease on life until at least the turn of the century.
Data below for F-104G
Last modified 5 November 1999.