TF-104G 27+33 JaboG 33 at Buchel AB August 1973

TF-104G, construction number 583D-5735, company model 583-10-20, US serial number 61-3064, built by Lockheed
manufactured by Group USA (ARGE-USA); assembly at Lockheed-Palmdale; first flight 1963 coded with US serial number "61-3064"
to Germany acceptance date May 21, 1963 by BABwLockheed; KE+235 airlifted to Germany on June 10, 1963 with 10:40 flight hours
DA+064 coded for test flight by Messerschmitt on August 5, 1963; camouflage scheme "Norm 62" according tech order "TA-196"
DC+367 JaboG 33 delivery date on October 14, 1963 at Buchel AB
27+33 WaSLw 10 on June 26, 1975 for familiarization of NASA pilots
 June 27, 1975 from Jever AB to Edwards AFB, arrived July 2, 1975 together with construction number 5939 and construction number 8213, it was flown by Tom McMurty
struck off charge order (AVA) July 3, 1975; on October 1, 1985 NASA 824 [N824NA] wflown on as flown over to Edwards from NASA center by Ed Schneider
and was put in flyable storage from October 15, 1985 onwards. In October 1992 it was still seen in storage (totally cocooned in white)
On September 1, 1996 it was officially dropped from the NASA inventory and soon after it was seen without wings at Edwards AFB
It was probably being prepared to ship it lateron to the California Polytechnic University where it arrived on September 9, 1996
It was preserved there at California Polytechnic Institute of State University, San Luis Obispo for static display for some years
it moved to the Estrella Warbird Museum at Paso Robles Airport on February 21, 2000 as Gate Guard; moved to the display line in 2012; April 2023 last noted.

A "NASA Blue flyby" at 10:15 am on Wednesday, July 2, 1975 was the climax to a journey that began six days earlier (June 27, 1975) at Jever Air Base in West Germany
for four of the Flight Research Center's elite test pilot cadre, Tom McMurtry (824), Bill Dana/Einar Enevoldson (825) and Gary Krier (826).

copyright © Frank Matthes