hello guys doctor nowhere is here with a banger and i almost passed away bcz i worked on it prop 8 hours making minor changes and like that anyways heres some history about it:

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter History

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed by Lockheed in the early 1950s. Designed by the legendary Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, it was part of Lockheed’s famous Skunk Works division.

Development began in 1952, when U.S. Air Force pilots in Korea requested a lightweight, high-speed fighter. Johnson responded with one of the most radical jet designs of its time — a long, slender fuselage with tiny razor-sharp wings, optimized for speed and climb rather than maneuverability.

The prototype, XF-104, first flew on February 7, 1954, powered by the Wright J65 engine. Later versions used the much more powerful General Electric J79 turbojet, allowing the F-104 to exceed Mach 2.

The first production model, the F-104A, entered U.S. Air Force service in 1958 as a high-speed interceptor. However, its limited range and weapon load made it less suitable for multi-role missions. The F-104C variant was adapted for fighter-bomber duties and saw combat in the Vietnam War, performing ground-attack and escort missions.

Although it served only a short time with the U.S. Air Force, the F-104 became a major export success. Under the NATO “Mutual Defense Assistance Program,” several European nations — including Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Canada — built and operated their own versions.

Germany alone operated over 900 Starfighters, designating them the F-104G, optimized for strike and reconnaissance roles. Unfortunately, a high accident rate among German pilots earned it grim nicknames like “The Widowmaker” and “The Flying Coffin.”

Despite its reputation, the F-104 was also known for setting numerous world speed and altitude records, such as Mach 2.2 and over 100,000 feet (30,000 meters) altitude. Its combination of extreme speed, climb performance, and futuristic design made it an icon of the early Cold War era.

The Starfighter remained in service with some nations into the 2000s, with Italy’s Air Force flying the final operational F-104s until 2004 — over 50 years after its first flight.

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Quick Specs (F-104G)
• Manufacturer: Lockheed (USA)
• Role: Supersonic interceptor / multirole fighter
• Crew: 1
• Engine: 1 × General Electric J79-GE-11A turbojet
• Max Speed: Mach 2.2 (≈ 2,337 km/h)
• Range: ~1,630 km (with tanks)
• Armament:
• 1× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
• Up to 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) of bombs/rockets/missiles