Years In Service: 1958-2004
Initial Flight: March 4, 1954
It was the first operational fighter capable of sustained speeds above Mach 2 and the first to hold the world record for speed and altitude. The Air Force used only 296 of the 2,536 built, with the rest being used or built under license by Germany, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Spain, Taiwan, Jordan, Pakistan, and Turkey. The last Air National Guard Starfighters were retired in 1975. A number were converted to drones.
Aircraft Specifications
Height: 13′ 4″ Wingspan: 20′ 9″ Length: 54′ 7″ Crew: 2 Armament: One M61 Vulcan 20mm multi-barrel internal automatic cannon Payload: Up to 4,000 lbs. Thrust: 15,800 lbs. No. of Engines: 1 Cruise speed: 519 mph Max Speed: 1,450 mph Ceiling: 58,000 ft.