Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Taps Planned for Vintage Jet Fighters

The last two F-104 jets in use by a government agency will go out with a sonic boom today in a retirement ceremony at NASA’s Dryden Research Center.

The flyover event, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed when one of the jets had engine trouble.

Built by Lockheed in 1954, the F-104 was the first aircraft to travel at twice the speed of sound, roughly 1,400 m.p.h.

Although built for combat, the F-104, nicknamed Starfighter, has been used by NASA in research and test missions designed to improve technology in both military and civilian aircraft.

Though still in use in Taiwan, Turkey and Italy, the F-104s have been replaced by F/A-18s in the United States because of the high cost of replacement parts for the older jet, said NASA spokesman Don Nolan.

The F-104 cost $1.4 million when built, compared with $30 million for the F/A-18s.