The extreme shape of the Starfighter earned it the first nickname of "The Missile With a
Man in it" and some USAF pilots also called it “Zipper” or “Zipper 104” because of it’s
tremendous speed. After it proved to be challenging to fly, with high fatal accident rates,
particularly in German service the plane was given many more nicknames because of its
high speed and ability to occassionally fly itself into the ground. In Germany they referred
to it as Witwenmacher ("widowmaker"), fliegender Sarg ("flying coffin") or Erdnagel
("ground nail", the official military term for a tent peg). Others were, Pakistan Badmash
“Hooligan”, Italy because of it’s spiked nose Spillone “Hatpin” and bara volante “Flying
Coffin”, Canada “Lawn Dart”.
Primarily powered by a single 15 800 lb thrust General Electric J79-GE11A turbojet
engine, equipped with afterburner, it was capable of high speeds (just under 1300 mph)
and high rates of climb. On December 14, 1959, an F-104C set a world altitude record of
103,395 ft (31.5 km). The Starfighter was the first aircraft to hold simultaneous official
world records for speed, altitude, and time-to-climb.

In 1967 Lockheed F-104Ds and Cs were transferred to the Puerto Rico ANG at Munez ANGB. F-
104D 57-1320 was assigned to the 156th TFW of the PRANG. The PRANG operated the F-104s
until July 1975 when they were replaced with LTV A-7Ds. Most of these F-104s went to AMARC
at Davis Monthan AFB but F-104D 57-1320 found its way to the Six Flags amusement park in
Jackson New Jersey.

Specifications for the F-104D

Designation - originally a super-sonic interceptor but adapted for low level strike and
reconnaissance

Crew: 1 x pilot - “D” variant 2 crew

Dimensions
Wingspan - 21’ 11”
Length - 54’ 9”
Height - 13’ 6”
Wing area - 196.1 sq. ft

Powerplant
1 x Orenda Engines J79-OEL-7, 10,000 lb. s.t. dry / 15,800 lb. s.t. with after burner

Performance
Maximum speed
Dash – 1,550 mph (mach 2.35) @ 40,000’
915 mph (mach 1.2) @ sea-level
Climb to 30,000’ – 1.5 minutes
Service ceiling - 50,000 ft (12,000 m)
Range - 1,630 mi (1,420 nm, 2,630 km)

Weights
Empty - 13,909 lbs.
Clean - 21,005 lbs.
Maximum take-off - 28,891 lbs

External stores
5 hard points – 1 x under the fuselage, 1 x under each wing, 1 x at each wing tip

Armament
External bombs and missiles such as:
Napalm bomb
Cluster bomb
BL755 cluster bomb
1 x 19 rocket rocket-pod
Mk. 82 bomb
MN1A practice bomb dispenser
1 x M61A1 Vulcan
1 x 20mm cannon added to later versions.

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