F-104G JA+248 Jagdgeschwader 71 (JG 71) in early silver color scheme 1964

F-104G, construction number 683D-9012, company model 683-10-19, built by SABCA
manufactured by West Group (ARGE-West); assembly start at SABCA-Gosselies, Belgium August 10, 1962
first flight December 17, 1962 coded with construction number "9012"; 3 SABCA factory test flights and 6 military test flights with 12 flight hours
military test flights at Gosselies: 6.2.1963, 26.2.1963, 27.2.1963, 4.3.1963, 7.3.1963 and 8.3.1963 (test)
coded KH+112 acceptance date April 9, 1963 by BABwSABCA; delivered in AWX (All Weather Fighter) version under project "Green Hill" (for JG 71)
JA+248 JG 71 "Richthofen" at Wittmund AB delivery date on April 9, 1963; camouflage scheme "Norm 62" according tech order "TA-196" in 1964; to OGMA Alverca, Portugal on December 20, 1965
25+66 to SABCA on May 30, 1967 with 259 flight hours for IRAN and upgrading; JG 71 on March 1, 1968
withdrawn from use at LVR 1 on April 30, 1974 with 1.252 flight hours; struck off charge order (AVA) December 4, 1983
instructional airframe (GIA) at Staatliche Ingenieurschule Aachen with tail of construction number 8081
preserved Technik Museum Speyer on February 14, 2005, skin removed to show internal structure for display purposes
displayed in the open 2005 first noted; July 2024 noted (very bad status).

Project "Green Hill": 42 AWX airplanes were delivered to the Fighter Wing 71 (Jagdgeschwader 71) at Wittmund.

Mid May 1965 JG71 based at Wittmund held its very first squadron exchange. It participated in a 2-way exchange with French Air Force Mirage IIIC aircraft based at Dijon. 
It looks like EC 3/2 "Alsace" hosted JG 71 in Dijon, while JG 71 hosted EC 1/2 "Cigognes" in Wittmund. Four Mirages flew to Germany while four Starfighters flew to France being 
F-104G from both Staffel (JA+101, JA+104, JA+246 and JA+248).

OGMA: Oficinas Gerais de Meterial Aeronautico (Portuguese maintenance center)

copyright © Günter Grondstein