JF-104A "55-2957", climbing into 2957 is Capt Walter W. Irwin

YF-104A, construction number 1003, serial number 55-2957 built by Lockheed
accepted by USAF on May 3, 1956, delivery date August 3, 1956, retained by manufacturer and modified to JF-104A in 1958,
aircraft was officially assigned to 83 FIS at Hamilton AB but had special equipment
FG-957 set world altitude record of 27.813 m (91.246 ft) on May 7, 1958 by Major Howard Johnson of 83 FIS at Edwards AFB
converted to QF-104A at Palmdale in March 1961
to AF Proving Ground Center (AF Systems Command), Eglin AFB, FL, assigned to the 3205th Drone Squadron at Eglin AB
modified to JQF-104A at McClellan AFB in January 1963 for specific testing and optimizing the QF-104 modifications
this testing ended in the summer of 1965; modified back to standard QF-104A in July 1965 with 3205 Drone Squadron (QFG-957)
flying unmanned missions until mid 1967; shot down August 8, 1967 serialed as "QFG-957",
no information available about where it was shotdown and how. It was on its 4th drone flight.

Of the seventeen YF-104As built, only two are known to survive today.
The first survivor is the seventh YF-104A (55-2961).
This aircraft was transferred to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in August of 1956.
It was initially numbered 018, which was later changed to a civilian registration of N818NA.
In 1958, NACA was reorganized as NASA, and the YF-104A remained with NASA until November of 1975.
This aircraft is now hanging in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
The other survivor is the thirteenth YF-104A (55-2967).
It is now on display at the Fred E. Weisbrod Aircraft Museum at Pueblo Memorial Airport, 20 NM south of Colorado Springs, TENN ANG marks,
October 2013 last noted, before it was Gate Guardian at the USAF Academy, Colorado Springs

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