The first fighter capable of sustained speeds in excess of mach two, and the first aircraft ever to hold world speed and altitude records simultaneously, the Starfighter was conceived by a team led by C. L. “Kelly” Johnson as a single-seat lightweight air superiority fighter.

The Lockheed Starfighter presents the classic silhouette of the 1950’s jet age. The F-104’s streamlined profile and its Mach 2 performance earned it the nickname “the missile with a man in it”. Pictured in this painting is an F-104C from the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing.