F-104 Starfighter tags

Developed by Lockheed’s highly classified research unit “Skunk Works”, the F-104 Starfighter was the first production aircraft to reach Mach 2 in history. After breaking a series of world records for airspeed, altitude and time-to-climb in 1958, it became the first aircraft to hold all three records simultaneously. West German Air Force (Luftwaffe) recognized the F-104 as its primary fighter same year and the development of the advanced all-weather fighter-bomber variant, the F-104G was started.

The F-104G tags were cut from West German AF “20+71”, the 71st F-104G ever produced. It spent most of its service with the Luftwaffe’s renowned fighter unit JaboG 33 “Büchel” until its transfer to Turkish AF in 1984 as 62-2083. After service in 142. and 192. squadrons, it was retired and later scrapped in 1995. In 2023, Fightertags discovered the nose section of 20+71 in a scrapyard and upcycled sections of its skin to make these very limited number of tags.