Project 083, 70 years of Starfighter (Expected September 2026)

An extensive insight of the developement of the Starfighter, the one off projects and its use worldwide with and extensive coverage of the Long and colourful Italian service 

100's of beautiful colour pictures, profiles and drawings and a lot more

Easily the best book on the history of the Starfighter I have ever seen... 

Project 083 is a comprehensive and coherent monograph on the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the first Western fighter capable of climbing above Mach 2. The title takes its name from the internal project number assigned by Lockheed, CL-246, which became the eighty-third project completed by the company founded in 1926 by Mr. Loughead. The volume represents a technical, historical, and operational compendium covering the aircraft's entire lifespan, from its inception in the early 1950s to its contemporary civilian deployment at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The book is over 400 pages long and is divided into multiple chronological and thematic sections, favoring a rigorous language, rich in references and firsthand accounts, yet accessible. The authors, a group of Italian enthusiasts and technicians over 50, have collected a wealth of previously unpublished materials, technical specifications, archival images, color profiles, and interviews with pilots, maintenance workers, radar controllers, and weather forecasters. The work is deliberately non-photographic, favoring technical and descriptive images over simple illustrations. The F-104 was born in the context of the Cold War, in response to the USAF's need for a lightweight, high-performance, and low-cost fighter that could effectively counter the MiG-15. Lockheed's proposal, developed by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson and his newly formed Skunk Works division, was accepted in 1953. The XF-104 prototype flew in 1954. The aircraft adopted radical solutions for its time: a very small trapezoidal wing, a tapered fuselage, and a high-performance General Electric J79 engine. However, after an initial limited production run, the USAF reduced orders to focus on other programs, and it was Europe that ensured its industrial survival. The NATO contract for the F-104G version—known as "the sale of the century"—led to large-scale production in Europe (Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands), Canada, and Japan. The F-104 was thus adopted by over 15 nations, performing roles ranging from air defense to reconnaissance, from conventional strike to tactical nuclear delivery. In Europe, it became the cornerstone of NATO's short-range deterrence. Italy played a central role in the program: the national industry (first FIAT, then Aeritalia, and finally Alenia) produced numerous examples, 446 to be precise, including the advanced F-104S, S-ASA, and S-ASA/M versions. The Italian Air Force employed the Starfighter from 1962 to 2004, as a multirole aircraft, and developed an effective logistics and maintenance structure. The volume devotes ample space to the analysis of the various versions: A/B/C/D (USAF), G (NATO), J (Japan), CF (Canada), S (Italy), as well as the training and experimental models (QF-104, NF-104, ZELL, SATS). The evolution of the J79 engines and avionics, from NASARR radars to ECM systems, is illustrated with detailed armament sheets (Sidewinder and Sparrow missiles, nuclear bombs). Structural modifications, ejection seats (C-2 and Martin-Baker), onboard systems, and reliability issues are also discussed. In particular, it is emphasized that the aircraft, although requiring extreme precision and compliance with limits, was robust and high-performance within its flight envelope. A technical section is dedicated to the visual walkaround, useful for enthusiasts and modelers, with descriptions of the cockpit, landing gear, wing tips, and auxiliary equipment. The volume is completed by comparative technical tables and a glossary of F-104-era terminology. The numerous firsthand accounts collected in the volume offer a vivid and realistic look at daily life with the 104: from the fighter pilot to the weather controller, from the crew chief to the oxygen maintainer. The approach is not celebratory, but analytical and critical, while maintaining the passionate spirit of the authors.