Lockheed F-104 Starfighter - The Controversial History of the Zipper.

Developed and then built in the early 1950s, this single-engine jet aircraft made its first flight on 4 March 1954 in the hands of the celebrated A. W. "Tony" LeVier. Of the 2,578 examples built over a quarter of a century, more than 1,500 rolled off the European production lines of four consortia. Although designed to climb fast and high in clear weather, the Starfighter was used primarily as a tactical nuclear strike platform at very low altitude in marginal meteorological conditions — a role for which it was first selected by the Bundesluftwaffe (F-104G version) and by the Royal Canadian Air Force (CF-104).

This resulted in a high loss rate that earned the aircraft a reputation — undeserved — as a "widow-maker." In fact, the majority of losses were attributable to the conditions of use and remained comparable to those of other aircraft employed on the same type of mission and in similar conditions. More deserved was the controversy sparked by several corruption scandals in Europe and Japan. While the F-104 enjoyed only a brief career with the USAF, it equipped numerous other air forces, principally in Europe and Japan. The last examples were not withdrawn from service until 2004, by the Aeronautica Militare Italiana.

The great majority of their pilots took immense pride in flying what they had nicknamed the "Zipper" (dasher). Beyond its military career, the F-104 set numerous speed and altitude records. Many derivatives were proposed and are described and illustrated with numerous factory drawings. René Francillon takes us to discover this remarkable aircraft through this 350-page book, lavishly illustrated with numerous photographs as well as plans and the superb colour profiles by Thierry Dekker!