Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series
HA1064
Lockheed F-104F "Starfighter" BB+377, Waffenshule Der Luftwaffe 10, 1961
 
General Background
The F-104 Starfighter was the first aircraft to be able to maintain Mach 2 not just in short bursts. The Starfighter shattered speed and rate of climb records that still are impressive today. This extremely high speed earned the plane the nickname “The Missile With A Man In It”. The F-104 was operated by approximately 15 countries. The Starfighter first flew with the USAF in 1958 and the last airplane was decommissioned in Italy in 2004.
 
The Aircraft 
Built in 1960 by Lockheed as F-104F c/n 283-5064 it was a dedicated training aircraft without offensive weapons or radar. Originally given the code BB+377 and assigned to the WaSLw10 Luftwaffe in 1967 the codes were revised and BB+377 became 29+13. On March 6, 1970 this aircraft was written off while doing practice touch-and-goes at Jevers AB. Apparently after one of the landings the pilot retracted the landing gear too soon and the aircraft did a belly landing destroying the aircraft both occupants were unhurt.