Lockheed NF-104A
| NF-104A | |
|---|---|
| Lockheed NF-104A, 56-0756, climbing with rocket power | |
| General information | |
| Type | Aerospace trainer |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Aircraft Corporation |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 3 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1 October 1963 |
| First flight | 9 July 1963 |
| Retired | June 1971 |
| Developed from | Lockheed F-104 Starfighter |
The Lockheed NF-104A is an American mixed-power, high-performance, supersonic aerospace trainer that served as a low-cost astronaut training vehicle for the North American X-15 and projected Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar programs.
Three aircraft were modified from existing Lockheed F-104A Starfighter airframes, and served with the Aerospace Research Pilots School between 1963 and 1971, the modifications included a small supplementary rocket engine and a reaction control system for flight in the stratosphere. During the test program, the maximum altitude reached was more than 120,000 ft (36,600 m). One of the aircraft was destroyed in an accident while being flown by Chuck Yeager. The accident was depicted in the book The Right Stuff and the film of the same name. On December 10, 2019, Edwards Air Force Base released the complete video transcription of films of the 1963 flight and subsequent crash.