YF-104A "52957" - Major Howard Johnson discussing techniques of high altitude flight

YF-104A, construction number 1003, US serial number 55-2957 built by Lockheed

set altitude record on May 7, 1958 by Major Howard "Srappy" Johnson of the 83th FIS with 27.813 m (91.249 feet) at Edwards AFB

A forward-retracting nosewheel replaced the rearward-retracting unit of the XF-104,
in order to provide improved ejection seat clearance out of the bottom of the aircraft.
A narrow dorsal spine was added to the upper fuselage. Two additional fuel cells were installed in the fuselage.
The air intakes were modified in shape and were fitted with half-cone centre bodies which had been omitted from the two XF-104s.
The fixed-geometry central intake shock cone had an internal bleed slot which exhausted some intake air through the fuselage
for afterburner cooling and helped to reduce the aircraft's base drag.
An AN/ASG-14T-1 fire control system was fitted, plus AN/ARN-56 TACAN.
There were provisions for four under-wing and one under-fuselage stores pylon.
With an empty weight increased only slightly to 12,561 pounds,
the YF-104A maximum take-off weight (clean) rose from 15,700 pounds for the XF-104 to 18,881 pounds.
With provision for four under-wing and one fuselage stores pylon, the maximum take-off weight was 24,584 pounds.

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