The F-104 Trilogy kicks off with Flight 1: The F-104J Eiko! ALL JETs ORDERED ON 7/31 COME WITH A BONUS STICKER. 

Over the next three months we'll release three Starfighter JETs and Air Drops. Each Flight celebrates a different chapter in the F-104's remarkable legacy. Collect all three JETs or all three Air Drops (at shopairdrops.com) and we'll include a special bonus item with your Flight 3 shipment. The bonus item(s) for JETs and Air Drops are different. The bonus item will be available until Flight 3 ships. 

Flight 1 explores what is arguably the defining chapter of the Starfighter's legacy: export service. Of the nearly 2,600 F-104s built, more than 2,200 served with foreign air forces around the world.

The F-104J Eiko

Japan selected the F-104J in the early 1960s as its primary air defense interceptor, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries building the majority of Japan’s fleet under license from Lockheed. To support early Japanese production, Lockheed supplied three complete flyaway aircraft (C/Ns 3001-3003) along with 29 complete knock-down kits (Lockheed Burbak built sub-assemblies) (C/Ns 3004-3032). Final assembly of these aircraft was completed in Nagoya, Japan. Once production was fully dialed in, the remaining 178 F-104Js were built entirely in Japan.

JETs Vol. 26-22 are cut from the forward fuselage skin of a Lockheed Burbank built spare knock-down assembly produced for C/N 3004 - the very first F-104J assembled in Japan. These dedicated spare assemblies were critical to production and later supported depot-level maintenance and overhaul. This is a truly remarkable piece of engineering, aerospace, and geopolitical history - one that carries Lockheed-built pedigree into the foreign operations of one of the most iconic fighters ever built.

The fully finished C/N 3004, which was not constructed using this assembly, became JASDF S/N 26-8504, which was tragically lost early in its service life.

We discovered this assembly in a boneyard earlier this year. Its final disposition in the United States is likely tied to MAP-9 (Military Assistance Program 9), which transferred several retired JASDF F-104s to the Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan). Under the program, aircraft, spare assemblies, and components first returned to U.S. custody before being transferred overseas.

JETs Vol. 26-22 is offered in 3 variants: Green Riveted, White Riveted, and Stencil. The Green and White Riveted JETs feature complete riveted sections; some are quite thick. The Stencil are the only single layer JETs and feature various Stencils that were found on the assembly. They come on a card by James Martin, complete with the kanji (Eiko), meaning "Glory." 栄光 (Eiko), meaning "Glory."

An option to add an AD908 Standard Air Drop to your order, cut from the same aircraft - at a discounted price, is required before adding a JET to your cart. 

A Full Set is available that comes with all 3 variants plus the Air Drop and a single sticker. 

The Eiko sticker comes with all JETs purchased on 7/31, but can also be purchased separately. 

Flight one is the most limited at only 200 JETs.