Exploring the Checkered History of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

The Cold War-era fighter jet demonstrated that speed isn’t everything.

Patrick Chovanec

Friday, March 01, 2024 at 06:39 PM ET

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The F-104 prototype took to the skies in March 1954. [Courtesy: Patrick Chovanec]

Key Takeaways:

The F-104 Starfighter was a groundbreaking Cold War jet, designed for extreme speed and becoming the first fighter to exceed Mach 2.
Despite its impressive speed, the F-104 was plagued by significant design flaws, including poor maneuverability, engine unreliability, and dangerous aerodynamic characteristics.
Its operational history was mixed; while effective as a high-speed interceptor, it proved less versatile in other combat roles and was soon replaced in the U.S. Air Force.
Widely exported, the F-104 earned the grim nickname "Widow Maker" due to an exceptionally high accident rate, particularly in countries like West Germany, often attributed to its unforgiving nature, pilot inexperience, and inappropriate multi-role deployment.

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Today in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020), I’ll be flying the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, a Cold War airplane with a checkered history that demonstrated that speed isn’t everything.

To kick us off, I’m at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert, with a reincarnation of the same plane that Chuck Yeager crashed trying to set a new altitude record here in 1963.