YF-104A 52956 with the intake cones covered during the first presentation on February 16, 1956

YF-104A, construction number 1002, serial number 55-2956, built by Lockheed

On February 16, 1956, the second YF-104A (55-2956) was used for a media-covered official roll-out ceremony at Lockheed's Burbank factory.
This was the first display of the Starfighter to the public.
Before that, there had been only rumours in the aviation press about the existence of a truly revolutionary new fighter aircraft,
plus a few speculative drawings.
The engine air intakes were covered with temporary fairings, since the Air Force didn't want people to see the half-cones in the air intakes.
The first Starfighter photographs were released in the spring of 1956.
These were limited to air-to-air shots of the prototype and ground photos of YF-104A 55-2956 with the intake fairings still fitted.
It was not until mid-1956 that the J79-engined F-104 intakes were finally revealed to the public.

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