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F-104 Starfighter

Lockheed · Fighter / Attack · USA · Early Jet (1946–1969)

F-104 Starfighter — Fighter / Attack
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The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, single-seat (with two-seat trainer variants) Mach 2 supersonic interceptor and multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Skunk Works under chief designer Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson, produced from 1956 to 1979. It entered U.S. Air Force service in 1958 as one of the first Mach 2 fighters and became the iconic 'missile with a man in it' of the Cold War. Exports reached 14 nations: West Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Jordan. West German Luftwaffe service earned the type its 'Widowmaker' nickname through a high peacetime loss rate. Total production reached 2,578 airframes, with final retirement coming with the Italian Air Force in 2004 — a 46-year service career. The F-104 stands among the most recognizable Lockheed designs and Kelly Johnson's defining Mach 2 achievement.

Length is 55 ft (16.7 m) with a 22-ft (6.6 m) wingspan — the trademark stub wing being its most distinctive feature. Empty weight is roughly 14,000 lb; maximum take-off weight 29,000 lb. Power comes from a single General Electric J79 afterburning turbojet rated at 10,000 lbf dry and 17,900 lbf with afterburner. Top speed is Mach 2.2 (1,460 mph at altitude), with a service ceiling above 50,000 ft and zoom-climbs past 90,000 ft. Armament centers on a single M61 Vulcan 20mm rotary cannon — the F-104 was the first U.S. service platform to carry the M61 — plus 9 external hardpoints for AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, conventional bombs, and other stores. The 22-ft wingspan with thin airfoil was tuned for supersonic flight, and the trade-off was difficult low-speed handling that drove accident rates upward across several operators' fleets.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is one of the most unusual fighter planes ever built. It has tiny, razor-thin wings, a long needle-like body, and one huge engine. The Starfighter first flew in 1954 and entered American service in 1958. It can fly at Mach 2, more than twice the speed of sound.

The F-104 has one General Electric J79 engine making 17,900 pounds of thrust. Top speed is Mach 2, faster than a rifle bullet. The plane is 55 feet long with a tiny 22-foot wingspan, smaller than a school bus. The wings are so thin that ground crews had to put covers on the edges so people would not cut themselves.

The F-104 was designed by Kelly Johnson at Lockheed's Skunk Works. Johnson wanted the fastest, simplest fighter possible. The result was a plane that flew fast but was hard to handle. Many pilots crashed in F-104s, especially in West Germany, where pilots called it the Widowmaker. About 30% of all German F-104s crashed.

About 2,578 F-104s were built between 1954 and 1979. 14 countries flew them, including America, West Germany, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Canada, and others. Most were retired by the 1990s, replaced by safer fighters. Italian F-104s flew the longest, retiring in 2004.

Fun Facts

  • The F-104's wings are so thin that ground crews had to cover the edges so people would not cut themselves.
  • Top speed is Mach 2, faster than a rifle bullet.
  • The plane is 55 feet long with a tiny 22-foot wingspan, smaller than a school bus.
  • About 30% of all German F-104s crashed during their service.
  • The F-104 was designed by Kelly Johnson at Lockheed Skunk Works.
  • 14 countries flew F-104s, with Italy keeping them flying until 2004.
  • About 2,578 F-104s were built between 1954 and 1979.

Kids’ Questions

Why such tiny wings?

Kelly Johnson wanted a fighter that could fly very high and very fast. Tiny, thin wings have less air resistance, letting the F-104 reach Mach 2. The trade-off is that small wings give less lift, so the plane lands very fast (180 mph) and is hard to control at slow speeds. Modern fighters use bigger wings with computers to balance speed and control.

Why was it called the Widowmaker?

The F-104 was easy to crash. Pilots had to land at 180 mph, way faster than other 1960s planes. The tiny wings gave little warning before stalling, and the plane was unforgiving of mistakes. West German pilots crashed about 30% of their F-104s, leaving many wives without husbands. The nickname Widowmaker became famous in the 1960s.

Why so popular if it was dangerous?

The F-104 was fast, simple, and cheap to buy. Many small air forces wanted a Mach 2 fighter and could not afford anything else. America also wanted to sell F-104s to help American jobs. So countries bought them despite the danger. Today, the F-104 is remembered as both very fast and very risky to fly.

Variants

F-104A (initial 1958)
Original USAF interceptor variant. 153 produced. Limited frontline service.
F-104B (two-seat trainer)
Two-seat trainer derivative. 26 built.
F-104C (1960+)
USAF fighter-bomber variant. 77 produced. Saw Vietnam War service.
F-104G (export 1961+)
Reworked export variant and the major production model. 1,127 produced. Operated by West Germany (915), Italy (125), the Netherlands (138), Belgium (99), Greece, Turkey, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Canada, Taiwan, Pakistan, Jordan, and Japan. Backbone of the export fleet.
F-104J (Japanese)
Japanese license-built variant. 210 produced by Mitsubishi for JASDF service.
F-104S (Italian)
Italian developed variant. 246 produced. Final in-service F-104 model — Italian retirement 2004.

Notable Operators

U.S. Air Force (former)
Original primary operator. Around 296 F-104 in USAF service 1958-1969, with limited Vietnam War combat use. Final USAF retirement 1969.
West German Luftwaffe (former)
Largest single F-104 operator: 915 F-104G in service 1962-1991. Earned the 'Widowmaker' reputation through 292 airframes lost (32% of fleet) tied to fleet over-stretch and other factors. Retired 1991.
Italian Air Force (former)
Major operator with 370+ F-104 in service 1963-2004. Conducted the type's final retirement in 2004 after a 46-year run.
Other foreign operators (12+ nations)
Japan (230 F-104J and DJ), Canada (239 CF-104 / CF-104D), Belgium (99), the Netherlands (138), Greece, Turkey, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Pakistan (1965 Indo-Pakistani War combat), Taiwan, and Jordan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the F-104 called 'Widowmaker'?

The nickname came from the West German Luftwaffe's peacetime loss record: 292 of 915 F-104G airframes lost — 32% of the fleet — among the highest rates of any peacetime fighter operator. Drivers included the stub wing's demanding low-speed and landing characteristics; high pilot workload during low-altitude missions; an initial training programme that did not match the aircraft's demands; weather and mission stress; and the basic mismatch between the F-104A's high-altitude interceptor lineage and the low-altitude strike and reconnaissance role the Luftwaffe assigned it. Later training reforms and mission changes brought losses down, but the early-1960s experience cemented the 'Widowmaker' label and overshadowed the type's later service record.

What was the 1965 Pakistani F-104 combat?

Pakistan Air Force F-104A units fought the Indian Air Force during the 1965 Second Indo-Pakistani War, with multiple confirmed IAF aircraft destroyed by Pakistani Starfighters. On 7 September 1965, Squadron Leader M.M. Alam claimed several IAF kills in a single sortie — a tally that remains partly disputed. Pakistan also lost several F-104s during the conflict. The 1971 Third Indo-Pakistani War saw further engagements between Pakistani F-104s and Indian aircraft. The combat record demonstrated the F-104's value against credible threats, though attrition was real.

Who designed the F-104?

Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson, chief engineer at Lockheed Skunk Works and one of the defining American aerospace designers of the WWII and Cold War eras. Johnson's portfolio includes the P-38 Lightning, P-80 Shooting Star (first U.S. in-service jet), F-104 Starfighter, U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, A-12 Oxcart, and SR-71 Blackbird. The F-104's 'missile with a man in it' philosophy — a stub-winged supersonic fighter optimised for altitude and speed — captured Johnson's 1950s-era design priorities. He received multiple Collier Trophies and other engineering honours for his Lockheed work.

How does the F-104 compare to the MiG-21?

Both are 1950s-1960s lightweight supersonic interceptors. The MiG-21 Fishbed is a Soviet delta-wing design with 11,496+ produced — the most-produced supersonic fighter ever — and saw worldwide service. The F-104 is the U.S. stub-wing counterpart, with 2,578 produced and a fleet centred on NATO and Western operators. The MiG-21 reached far greater production scale and broader global use. The F-104 held edges in raw speed and altitude but suffered in low-speed handling. Both became Cold War export staples, and their combat record against each other (1965 Indo-Pakistani War and other conflicts) put the two design philosophies into direct contrast.

Where can I see an F-104?

Roughly 200+ surviving F-104 are preserved worldwide. Display venues include the Lockheed Skunk Works Heritage Center at Palmdale, California; the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB; and German, Italian, Canadian, and other aviation museums. The 14-nation export footprint and 46-year service life left a deep preservation base across Cold War fighter collections.

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