Typed caption glued to verso: "News Bureau. Lockheed, Burbank. ST 7-2711, Ext. 8-1815. For Immediate Release. Starfighter, the Fastest -- Wrapped into this slim, razor-winged streak of fighting power -- the Lockheed F-104A Starfighter -- is the greatest combination of speed and flying performance ever built into a combat airplane. Powered by the General Electric J-19 turbojet, producing higher thrust per pound of engine weight than any jet of its power class, this U. S. Air Force plane has been acclaimed as 'the world's fastest fighter.' But its top speed remains secret. Note the unusual wings -- thinner even that [than] on rocket research planes. They are so sharp that sheaths are fitted onto wing edges to protect ground crewmen. The wings' down-droop is an aerodynamic design technique enhancing precision control of the high tail. The T-shaped tail's horizontal stabilizer has no elevator and moves as a whole unit. In this photo, special covers conceal engine air scoops on each side, just forward of the wing, for security reasons. Lockheed California Division production lines are hard at work on a large quantity order of Starfighters."
Lockheed, [Lockheed F-104A Starfighter aircraft], [2008-03-31_image_110]. Museum of Flight Digital Collections, accessed 08/12/2025, https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/nodes/view/10274
![[Lockheed F-104A Starfighter aircraft]](/img/placeholder.gif?1761251355 "[Lockheed F-104A Starfighter aircraft]")