Mark I 1/144 F104A/C/G Starfighter at War (2 in 1) Kit

The F-104 Starfighter was an American jet fighter, designed by the Lockheed Aircraft Company in the early 1950s. Radical in concept, it was the first operational interceptor capable of sustained speeds above Mach 2. The F-104 was a single-seat, all-metal mid-wing monoplane powered by a GE J79 turbojet. It had two fuselage-side air intakes, small thin wings with a pronounced anhedral and a T-tail. Its nose undercarriage retracted forward. It mounted one multi-barrel gun in the nose and two Sidewinder missiles at each wingtip.

The Starfighter prototype flew in February 1954 and the first F-104A production aircraft were delivered to the USAF early in 1958. In total, 153 F-104As were produced of which 10 a/c were also supplied to Pakistan. The next single-seat version was the F-104C, configured for tactical strike missions. This model featured a more powerful engine, removable in-flight refueling probe and could carry the bomb and/or rocket pods on underwing and fuselage pylons. Later, F-104Cs were modified to carry another pair of Sidewinders under the fuselage. 77 aircraft were built and delivered in 1958-59.

The F-104G was the most important version, earmarked for production in Europe but was also built by Canadair and Lockheed. It was a multi-role, all-weather fighter possessing a strengthened structure and enlarged tail surfaces. It was fitted with improved electronics and carried heavier weapons load. In total, some 1,120 F-104Gs were produced. The Starfighter had only a relatively short career with the USAF, but it became the backbone of a number of NATO and Allied air forces, serving all over the world from the 1960s well into the early 2000s.