* In the 1950s combat aircraft design was moving at an incredibly rapid pace, with fighter jets punching through the Mach 2 barrier. Everyone wanted to obtain the new fast aircraft, and the Lockheed company came up with a sleek machine, the "F-104 Starfighter", that provided the desired performance.
Although its service with the US Air Force was relatively minor, the F-104 would become one of the mainstays of Western air arms into the 1980s, though many air forces would find that its high performance came at a price. This document provides a history and description of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter.
