Tex Houston wrote:

5 Air to ground, 9 CAP so again the answer is no. From my two years in an
F-104 outfit the general pilot take was that it was a good interceptor, a
mediocre dog fighter and so much fun to fly they wondered why they were
getting paid.


According to the "Kellys' Way" video from the Flight Test Historical
Association, in 1951 Kelly Johnson visited AF units in Korea to find
out what the pilot's wanted. The answer is described as higher speed,
greater altitude, and less complexity. And that's what he tried to
deliver with the F-104.

So what went wrong? Why didn't he hear a request for greater
maneuverability?