Hobby Master 1/72 HA1040 Lockheed F-104G 25th Anniversary of JG-34 25+50, JaBoG 34, Luftwaffe, 1984

The F-104 Starfighter was a revolutionary design with short razor-sharp wings. It was the first aircraft to be able to maintain Mach 2 not just in short bursts. The Starfighter shattered speed and rate of climb records that still are impressive today. This extremely high speed earned the plane the nickname “The Missile With A Man In It”. Because of financial considerations 15 or more countries purchased the F-104. The Starfighter flew with the USAF in 1958 and the last airplane was decommissioned in Italy in 2004.

F-104G Starfighter 25+50 was manufactured by Fokker Aircraft Company in 1963 as an RF-104G 683-8161 and served with the German Air Force JG-34 as 24+19 that operated the Starfighter from 1964 until 1987. Later the aircraft was converted to an F-104G and in 1984 was given a special paint scheme and serial to commemorate two events. 1984 was the 25th Anniversary of JG-34 operations and the 50th Anniversary of the Memmingen Airfield, home to JG-34. Along with the special paint the aircraft received number 25+50 to match the two anniversaries.