F-104G DA+237 JaboG 31 (FBW 31) 1962

F-104G, construction number 683-2033, company model 683-10-19, US serial number 63-13249, built by Lockheed
manufactured by Group USA (ARGE-USA); assembly in Fighterbomber version according contract lot 4; flight test release October 27, 1961
flown with register number "133" for test flights; coded KF+109 for delivery in Silver-finish colors
airlifted to Germany on November 15, 1961 with 27 flight hours in a Canadair CL-44D airfreighter of "Flying Tiger Line"
project "42" as Fighterbomber (for JaboG 31) with Vulcan M61 20 mm machine gun installed and long range tanks as loose parts; Messerschmitt test flight on March 14, 1962
DA+237 JaboG 31 "Boelcke" at Norvenich AB delivery date on March 26, 1962; JaboG 33 on July 30, 1962
DR+237 at LPR 1 on February 14, 1963 for project "Balance" to upgrade to higher level standard; planned for project "Columbus" on November 15, 1962; disassembly by Messerschmitt on March 1, 1963
coded BG+127 airlifted on March 18, 1963 to Lockheed-Burbank, USA; reassembled and modified to the latest modification level at Lockheed-Palmdale
 operated by the 4510th CCTW at Luke AFB (German shadow serial number 2026) in USAF Silver-finish colors coded 13249
2.691 flight hours in May 1977: in long term storage from September 1978; repaired and back to operational use; later in long term storage
struck off charge order (AVA) January 24, 1983; sold to USAF with "Phase I" lot with 2.805 flight hours
 MAP (Military Assistance Program) to ROCAF 1983 under project "Ali Shan No.8" coded "4371" for 42 TFS of 2 Wing at Hsinchu AB; later with 7 TFS of 3 Wing at CCK (Ching Chuan Kang) AB
with 12 SMS (12th Special Mission Squadron) modified to RF-104G with wrong serial number "63-13294"; modified to RF-104G LOROP "Stargazer"; withdrawn from use August 8, 1996
preserved in a park at Shalu Town, Taichung County, with correct serial number 63-13249, 3 Wing marks, 2000 first noted; April 2023 last noted (weathered).

Project "42": to equip 42 aircraft (hence the name of the project!) for JaboG 31 (FBW 31) at Nörvenich in Fighterbomber version with built-in Vulcan M61 20 mm machine gun, long-distance tanks as loose parts

copyright © Hans Koning