{"product_id":"hobby-master-tf-104-ha1050","title":"Hobby Master HA1050 1:72 TF-104G Starfighter USAF","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eHobby Master HA1050 1:72 Lockheed TF-104G Starfighter USAF, 58th TTW, 418th TFTS, Luke AFB, 1976.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe extreme shape of the Starfighter earned it the first nickname of \"The Missile With a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMan in it\" and some USAF pilots also called it “Zipper” or “Zipper 104” because of it’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003etremendous speed. After it proved to be challenging to fly, with high fatal accident rates, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eparticularly in German service the plane was given many more nicknames because of its \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehigh speed and ability to occassionally fly itself into the ground. In Germany they referred \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eto it as Witwenmacher (\"widowmaker\"), fliegender Sarg (\"flying coffin\") or Erdnagel \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(\"ground nail\", the official military term for a tent peg). Others were, Pakistan Badmash \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Hooligan”, Italy because of it’s spiked nose Spillone “Hatpin” and bara volante “Flying \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCoffin”, Canada “Lawn Dart”. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrimarily powered by a single 15 800 lb thrust General Electric J79-GE11A turbojet \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eengine, equipped with afterburner, it was capable of high speeds (just under 1300 mph) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand high rates of climb. On December 14, 1959, an F-104C set a world altitude record of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e103,395 ft (31.5 km). The Starfighter was the first aircraft to hold simultaneous official \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eworld records for speed, altitude, and time-to-climb.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom 1964 until 1983 the West German Air Force trained their F-104 pilots at Luke AFB\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr soft=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ein Arizona. Originally the USAF 4510th Combat Crew Training Wing was assigned the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr soft=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003etask before being re-designated the 58th TTW. The German pilots trained using German \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eF-104s with U.S. serials and markings. The 418th TFTS operated as part of the 58th \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTTW from October 1969 until 15 August 1976 when it was disbanded. Early in 1976 one \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eF-104 was given a special paint scheme to commemorate the USA Bicentennial.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hobby Master","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43007512346851,"sku":"1180","price":199.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0632\/5000\/6243\/products\/hobby-master-ha1050-172-tf-104g-starfighter-usaf-719780.jpg?v=1738274896","url":"https:\/\/www.mtsaviationmodels.com\/de\/products\/hobby-master-tf-104-ha1050","provider":"MTS Aviation Models","version":"1.0","type":"link"}