Sky Guardians 1:72 Scale Metal Die-Cast - Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – Length: 9.19" Wingspan: 4.25”
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1958 until 1967. Designed as a supersonic superiority fighter, the F-104 was produced in two major versions. Armed with a six-barrel M-61 20mm Vulcan cannon it served as a tactical fighter and, equipped additionally with heat-seeking Sidewinder missiles, as a day-night interceptor. The USAF procured about 300 Starfighters in one- and two-seat versions.
It was the first aircraft to fly at twice the speed of sound and held numerous airspeed and altitude records. On May 18, 1958, an F-104A set a world speed record of 1,404.19 mph, and on December 14, 1959, an F-104C set a world altitude record of 103,395 feet. The Starfighter was the first aircraft to hold simultaneous official world records for speed, altitude and time-to-climb. Using an accelerated loft technique, some F-104s have been flown to higher than 90,000 feet.
The F-104 was selected for use by the NATO allies and more than 1,700 F-104s were built in the U.S. and abroad under the military aid program for various nations including Canada, West Germany, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Taiwan and Japan. These high-speed fighter-bomber variants continued in service until the mid-1980s. The last Italian Air Force examples were retired in 2004. The later-model Starfighter versions gained a reputation for being challenging to fly. Many air forces using F-104s eventually replaced them with the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
"Lockheed F-104 Starfighter ni ""mwisho wa ndege"" na ""mwisho wa ndege"" ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya Marekani." F-104 ilikuwa ndege ya kivita ya kasi ya juu ya sauti, na ilitengenezwa katika matoleo mawili. Meli hiyo ilikuwa na bunduki ya M61 Vulcan ya 20mm yenye makombora sita, na ilikuwa na makombora ya kupigana ya joto ya Sidewinder, ambayo yaliweza kuingilia ndege hiyo usiku na mchana. Marekani ilitoa ndege 300 za Starfighter zenye viti viwili na viti kimoja. Ilikuwa ndege ya kwanza kuruka kwa kasi maradufu ya sauti na ilikuwa na rekodi nyingi za mwendo wa ndege na urefu. Mwaka 1958 ndege ya F-104A iliweka rekodi ya kasi ya ndege ya dunia ya kilomita 1,404.19 kwa saa na mnamo mwaka 1959 ndege ya F-104C iliweka rekodi ya urefu wa ndege ya dunia ya mita 103,395. Ndege ya Starfighter ilikuwa ndege ya kwanza kushikilia rekodi za dunia za kasi, urefu na muda wa kupanda. Kwa kutumia mbinu ya loft ya kuharakisha, baadhi ya F-104 zimepelekwa juu zaidi ya futi 90,000. Ndege za F-104 zilitengenezwa katika nchi za Ulaya na Ulaya, na zaidi ya ndege 1,700 za F-104 zilitengenezwa nchini Marekani na nje ya nchi chini ya mpango wa misaada ya kijeshi kwa mataifa mbalimbali ikiwa ni pamoja na Canada, Ujerumani Magharibi, Italia, Norway, Uholanzi, Ubelgiji, Denmark, Ugiriki, Uturuki, Uhispania, Taiwan na Japan. Ndege hizo za kivita na za kivita zilikuwa zikitumika hadi katikati ya miaka ya 1980. Ndege za mwisho za jeshi la anga la Italia ziliondolewa katika mwaka wa 2004. Matoleo ya baadaye ya Starfighter yalipata sifa ya kuwa magumu kuruka. Ndege za kivita za F-104 zilipigwa marufuku na jeshi la Marekani na kuondolewa kwenye uwanja wa ndege wa Marekani.