TF-104G KF+219 ErpSt 61 (Test Unit 61) in 1967

TF-104G, construction number 583F-5919, company model 583-10-20, assembled at Lockheed
manufactured by Lockheed and Messerschmitt (ARGE-Süd); fuselage assembled at Messerschmitt-Augsburg, wings manufactured at Messerschmitt-Manching
ARGE-Süd parts (fuselage, wings and tail) airlifted to USA July 19,1965; at Lockheed-Burbank assembled and test flights coded KF+219 at Palmdale in 1965
airlifted to Avio Diepen at Ypenburg AB, Netherlands with a Canadair CL-44D airfreighter of "Flying Tiger Line" on December 17, 1965 for reassembly
heavily damaged during offloading (the aircraft fell from the blocks on its starboard side and the fuselage was severely damaged)
trucked to Messerschmitt-Augsburg on June 3, 1966 for repair; trucked to Messerschmitt-Manching on November 2, 1966 for reassembly
new test flight on November 28, 1966; camouflage scheme "Norm 62" according tech order "TA-196" in December 1966
accepted on December 30, 1966 by BABwMTT; coded KF+219 ErpSt 61 at Manching AB delivery date on January 2, 1967
BB+108 WaSLw 10 at Jever AB on December 11, 1967
27+89 withdrawn from use and stored at LwSchleuse 11 on May 13, 1981; struck off charge order (AVA) July 13, 1983
sold to Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI serial number MM54557); by road transport via Cameri AB to Alenia (Torino-Caselle)
on August 5, 1984 with 2.157 flight hours, stored and inspected (IRAN) at Caselle in September 1988 prior delivery to 20°Gruppo
delivery date to AMI on September 21, 1988; operated by the 20°Gruppo AO (Addestramento Operativo) of 4°Stormo "Amedeo d'Aosta" at Grosseto AB (no code)
belly landing and damaged beyond economical repair (DBR) on October 19, 1988 at Bitburg AB, Germany, LtCol Fabio Landi and LtCol Paolo Telesca both ejected safely
ground transport to Caselle (Alenia) in late 1988 and stored; withdrawn from use with 2.192 flight hours on December 12, 1988
put on storage at Caselle and used as spare parts donor and likely an instructional and check airframe for the TF-104G-M modifications
last noted at Caselle on September 1st, 1999 just when the TF-104G-M modification development had been finished; dump Grosseto AB in July 2001; dump Grosseto AB on September 21, 2004 last noted; scrapped.

copyright © Hans-Detlev Lichtenhof