Unknown jet aircraft, late 50's?

[brucew]

I found a picture in my dad's old slides of an aircraft I can't identify. I believe the picture was taken when we were at Edwards in the late 50's for their big open house which was very impressive when I was a kid.

Note the lack of obvious intakes for the engine and the refueling probe showing. I can find no info on the designation on the side of the aircraft or the tail number. It must have been taxiing by us at the time of the photo.

Any ideas?



Thanks,
Bruce

[pbfoot]

I believe it is a republic f105 the intakes are in the wing and the angle of the shot may be hiding them

[brucew]

Yes, I think you're right! Thanks so much for solving a family mystery. The intakes are sure hidden in that image and look they are small in other pictures.

Bruce

[Thorlifter]

No doubt. F-105 Thunderchief

[wilbur1]

Hey that is an old thunder chicken god havent seen or heard about them in awhile

[brucew]

Another picture for your enjoyment. My father worked on the wing design of the F-104 at Lockheed as well as the downward ejection system. I remember well feeling the sharpness of the wing leading edge. Note the Connie in the background. Put some cross country miles sitting in those great planes!

[FLYBOYJ]

You from Burbank Bruce? I worked for Lockheed for 10 years.

[brucew]

Dad worked for Lockheed in Burbank 1939-1972 as an engineer, we lived in Northridge. As I recall he was on the F-104 project, C-130, P2v, Connie, Orion, U2, rigid rotor at Rye Canyon, L-1011 and many others. Think he was on the P-38 design. He loved the work and in his last years with Alzheimer's still ran outside at the sound of a plane going over.

Bruce

[FLYBOYJ]

Great to Know Bruce - I lived in North Hollywood and Burbank. Worked on the P-3, F-117, L1011, and I even did a little F-104 work at Building 360. We were doing some gun sight work for the Italian AF - this was 1980.

[evangilder]

Did anyone notice the Connie in the background behind the 104? I lived in Burbank in the late 80s through the latter part of the 1990s and saw a lot of those buildings get torn down There was a lot of history there that is nothing but a memory today.

[Thorlifter]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that second pic isn't a F-104. That's a F-105 Starfighter.

[pbfoot]

The second pic is a 104 Starfighter with a Connie in the back

[Thorlifter]

Sorry, I had my F's all wrong. Note to self:

F-104 Starfighter.
F-105 Thunderchief.

F-104 Starfighter.
F-105 Thunderchief.

F-104 Starfighter.
F-105 Thunderchief.