YF-104A 52956 (55-2956) rollout with covered intake cone and without the ventral tail fin and arrestor hook YF-104A, construction number 1002, serial number 55-2956 built by Lockheed accepted by USAF on March 30, 1956; first appearance with fake intake cones on April 17, 1956 delivery date to USAF on August 2, 1956; 83 FIS Hamilton AFB, California; in 1958 modifications inside AF Plant 14 at Palmdale April 1959 flying out of NAF China Lake (Navy Missile Center) for Sidewinder missile tests crashed at NAF China Lake in June 1959; pilot Cmdr Herkimer Camp had engine trouble on take-off and ran off the end of the runway resulting in total damage pilot survived, written off. copyright © Lockheed archive