1/72 F-104G - World Speed Record Holder - c/n 9028 Belgium Air Force June 6 1963

Lockheed was going to show off their F-104 at the Paris Air Show in 1963 so as a promotion they set up a speed record demonstration. On June 6, 1963 F-104 9028 piloted by SABCA-Fairey chief test pilot Bernard Neefs flew the aircraft 260.6 km (128.3 miles) in 9 minutes and 55 seconds at an average speed of 1,576.4 km/h (979.55 mph). The aircraft had the flags of all 104 user countries displayed on both sides of its fuselage. This F-104 would later join the Belgium AF as FX-11.

Designed to meet a need for an aircraft that could successfully compete against the MiG-15 in Korea, the F-104 Starfighter was first flown on February 20, 1958. American pilots believed that the F-86 Sabre was too large and complex to outmanoeuvre the lighter MiG, and they wanted a smaller, simpler, high-performance aircraft to replace it. The resulting design was a light, aerodynamic airframe wrapped around a powerful J79 turbojet engine. The F-104C was used by the USAF from 1958 until 1967, but most of the 2,578 production Starfighters were built and flown by members of NATO, including the Italian Air Force, which didn't retire it until 2004.

Features:

- Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.

- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.

- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.

- Opening canopies, revealing detailed cockpit interiors.

- Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.

- Presentation stand to display the aircraft "in flight".

- Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.

- Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.

- Dimensions: Wingspan 9.1 x Length 23.2 x Height 5.7 cm