NASA crew in front of F-104B NASA 819 shortly prior retirement in 1978

F-104B, construction number 283-5015, model 283-93-03, US serial number 57-1303, built by Lockheed

5015 was delivered to the Air Force on October 2, 1958, AFFTC support; used at Ames from October 3, 1958 to December 16, 1959 as 71303
arrived at NASA FRC on December 16, 1959 as FG-303/NASA 71303; 1977 as NASA 819 N819NA
After 19 years of extensive use, 57-1303 was retired from service in April of 1978
(last NASA flight April 21, 1978, research pilot John Manke and flight test engineer Ray Young took this F-104 on its final mission) and flown
to the US Air Force's AMARC (Aircraft Maintenance and Recovery Center) facility in Tucson, Arizona.
During its career of more than 18 years of NASA flight test work 57-1303 flew 1.731 flights and was flown by at least 19 different pilots
(sixteen from Dryden, two from Ames, and one from the US Air Force).
These individuals included Apollo astronauts (such as Neil Armstrong and Rusty Schweikert), X-15 pilots (Bill Dana, Joe Walker),
and lifting body as well as XB-70 and YF-12 pilots.
Transferred to McClellan AFB, California on June 16, 1983. (It was flown to the museum in a C-130 on July 13, 1983).
On display at McClellan AFB, California as "71303 FG-303" in 1986.
It is now at the Aerospace Museum of California, McClellan, in USAF colors; January 2024 noted.

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