Created by famed Lockheed designer Kelly Johnson, the F-104 Starfighter was designed to compete with Soviet Mig-15s.
It provides a fascinating view inside the cockpit of one of history\'s great planes..
It has been slightly reformatted but is reproduced here in its entirety.
This pilot\'s Flight Operating handbook was originally produced by the USAF.
NASA continued to use the F-104 as a support aircraft until 1995.
It also saw extensive service in foreign air forces and NATO.
It flew in the air support role during "Rolling Thunder" in the Vietnam War.
Despite its shortcomings, the Starfighter enjoyed a long career.
Unforgiving and sensitive to control inputs, the F-104 killed many pilots and developed a reputation as a "widow-maker". 0, while its thin, trapezoidal wing provided extremely low drag with terrific acceleration and rate of climb.
Equipped with a huge and powerful J79 engine, the aircraft could reach speeds well in excess of Mach 2.
Created by famed Lockheed designer Kelly Johnson, the F-104 Starfighter was designed to compete with Soviet Mig-15s
