A very-high-speed lightweight fighter built around a small highly swept wing and powerful J79 turbojet.
Development
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was developed by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in United States as a interceptor. The family first flew in 1954 and entered service in 1958. Its recorded airframe configuration is fixed wing, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is represented across interceptor and fighter roles. The sourced variant records include service with United States Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force. The current structured record does not attach a specific conflict authority to this family; operational context remains limited to sourced service and role data. Role tags attached to the family include air superiority.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include F-104A, F-104C, and Canadair CF-104.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadair CF-104 | Production | Strike Fighter | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| F-104A | Production | Interceptor | United States Air Force |
| F-104C | Production | Interceptor | United States Air Force |
Representative specifications
Configuration-specific profiles are shown separately so values from different variants are not blended into one false “standard” aircraft.
F-104A — C013 baseline technical profile
- Crew
- 1
Powerplant: 1 × General Electric J79 turbojet
Armament: M61 Vulcan cannon with external air-to-air missiles.
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- Lockheed F-104C Starfighter — National Museum of the United States Air Force · Tier 1
- American Combat Planes — Doubleday · Tier 3