The National Interest on MSN6d
The F-104 Starfighter Was Called The “Widowmaker” For One Reason
The F-104 Starfighter was designed, in a time of increasing aircraft complexity and size, to be a straightforward, ...
The National Interest on MSN7d
Chuck Yeager Loved The F-104 Starfighter. Everyone Else Hated It.
The F-104 Starfighter was not built for dogfights. In fact, Lockheed’s designers purposely sacrificed maneuverability for ...
The National Interest7d
The F-104 Starfighter Was Called The “Widowmaker” For One Reason
The F-104’s safety record was, frankly, atrocious. Lightweight. Simple. Fast. The F-104 Starfighter was designed, in a time of increasing aircraft complexity and size, to be a straightforward ...
The National Interest8d
Chuck Yeager Loved The F-104 Starfighter. Everyone Else Hated It.
It was also a widely exported craft, notably being purchased by the German Luftwaffe. The F-104 was the result of hard lessons learned from the Korean War, after which American pilots insisted ...