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JOE DAVIES HERITAGE AIRPARK AT PALMDALE PLANT 42
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CONTACT CITY STAFFF-104 STARFIGHTER
Aircraft at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Palmdale Plant 42
Nicknamed "Missile With a Man in It"
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Click for larger photo
| A/C SN | 57-0915 |
| Construction # | 388 |
| Date Acquired: | October 1998 |
| Acquired From: | USAF (Loan) |
| Displayed: | October 1998 |
| Dedicated | Lt. Col. Robert L. Riedenauer, USAF (retired) |
History
Manufactured by Lockheed Aircraft, Burbank CA and delivered to the USAF on May 27, 1959.
| May 1959 | To 479th Tactical Fighter Wing (Tactical Air Command), George AFB CA (deployment to Moron AB Spain) |
| May 1967 | To Sacramento Air Materiel Area, McClellan AFB CA |
| Jul 1967 | To AF Flight Test Center (AF Systems Command), Edwards AFB CA |
| Nov 1973 | Dropped from inventory by transfer to museum status |
| 1994 | Trucked to Palmdale (Lockheed) from San Antonio, TX |
| Oct 1998 | Loaned to Joe Davies Heritage Air Park |
According to Dave Ferguson, Bob Riedenauer actually flew the F-104 we have at the Airpark.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Riedenauer is the only test pilot to have flown the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117 Stealth Fighter, highlighting a military and civilian flight test career that included advanced development of some of the most famous aircraft of the 20th Century.
General Information
| MANUFACTURER: | Lockheed Aircraft Corporation and by license to foreign countries (Military Aid Program) |
| PRODUCTION PERIOD: | 1955 to 1970 |
| NUMBER PRODUCED: | 737 by Lockheed and 1,799 through Military Aid Program (MAP) |
| PRODUCTION SERIES: | USAF: F-104A/C single-seat A/C, F-104B/D two-seat A/C; MAP: F-104G/J, CF-104G, F-104S single-seat A/C, TF-104G two-seat A/C |
| ROLES: | Originally designed as a land-based fair-weather air superiority fighter for the US Air Force; later developed into a land-based all-weather multi-mission aircraft for the US Air Force, capable of interception and forward air control |
Performance and Specifications
(Figures given are general to the F-104 Series)| MAXIMUM SPEED: | 1,300 mph at 40,000 feet (Mach 2+) |
| SERVICE CEILING: | 55,000 feet above sea level |
| RANGE: | 1,600 miles |
| WEAPONS: | AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon, and a variety of air to ground weapons could be carried on the six wing and two fuselage stations |
| CREW: | Pilot |
| LENGTH: | 54 feet, 9 inches |
| WINGSPAN: | 21 feet, 11 inches |
| HEIGHT: | 13 feet, 6 inches |
| MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT: | 28,779 lbs. |
| POWERPLANT: | General Electric J79GE-11A turbojet engine with afterburner providing 15,800 lbs. of thrust |
| ACHIEVEMENTS: | First operational USAF A/C to achieve Mach 2 in level flight; first aircraft to hold simultaneous official world records for speed, altitude and time-to-climb |
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