Manufacturer: Lockheed (United States)
Type: Fighter (Interceptor, Primarily)
First flight: 4 March 1954
In Service: 1958-2004 (US Air National Guard service ended in 1975; Italy operated the Starfighter from 1964-2004)
The F-104 Starfighter was the first operational fighter capable of sustained speeds above Mach 2. The Starfighter was also the first aircraft to hold simultaneous world records for speed, altitude, and time to climb. Early versions of the F-104 had side-opening canopies and downward-firing ejection seats, which were thought to be required to avoid the aircraft’s vertical T-tail during an ejection.
