Lockheed XF-104 Starfighter 083-1002, serial number 53-7787, the second prototype, in flight near Edwards AFB. (Lockheed Martin/Code One Magazine)

Setting new performance standards for the US Air Force jet fighters in 1956, the Lockheed F-104 climbed as fast as it flew straight and level. Design innovations included a very thin 7 1/2 foot wing, and T-shaped tail with a horizontal stabilizer moving as a unit for precision control at faster-than-sound speeds. The needle-nose Starfighter was often referred to as “a missile with a man in it”.

Wing span – 21 feet 11 inches
Length – 54 feet 9 inches
Height – 13 feet 6 inches