Saturday, February 27th would have been the 100th birthday of Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, leader of Lockheed Skunk Works, who was responsible for the design of iconic aircraft like the SR-71 Blackbird, P-38 Lightning, F-80 Shooting Star, U-2 Dragon Lady and the family of Constellation propliners. His extraordinary accomplishments are an encyclopedia of aviation history and twice earned him the Collier Trophy. Air and Space magazine also looked back on his storied career in an extensive feature that takes a close look at many of his projects.
One aircraft in particular that hangs in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, not far from Mr. Johnson's other creations. is the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Today's Movie Monday is a roughly hour-long look at the rapid development of the "manned missile" that saw service in the US Air Force between 1958 and 1967. Parts two through six are after the jump. Enjoy.
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