All around Italy and beyond, Starfighters can be found preserved or on display with most of the time unknown identity.
Most of the aircraft have been build up by a preservation team at Grazzanise by using old wfu aircraft.
Because the team was not interested in keeping original identities and mixed up also CFE-plates on aircraft it became quite a puzzle which aircraft went where...
By intensive investigations and even checking the inside of aircraft some have been identified correctly... others are still a mystery.
This page is meant to give status information of preserved Italian Starfighters by location which have still not been identified 100%.
Please help us by getting this puzzle more and more complete!!!!
First of all the known mix-up CFE plate on aircraft. Sofar identified:
MM6714 – has CFE plate applied from MM6741
MM6717 – has CFE plate applied from MM6881
MM6719 – has CFE plate applied from MM6718 (looks like graving/typo error?)
MM6735 – has CFE plate applied from MM6737
MM6737 – has CFE plate applied from MM6879
MM6749 – has CFE plate applied from MM6759
MM6759 – has CFE plate applied from MM6749
MM6763 – has CFE plate applied from MM6850
MM6771 – has CFE plate applied from MM6881
MM6772 – has CFE plate applied from MM6937
MM6850 – has CFE plate applied from MM6763
MM6881 – has CFE plate applied from MM6816
MM6912 - has CFE plate applied from MM6737 (just as on MM6735!)
Brindisi, Italy
Aircraft, on a pole as "9-51".
This F-104 can be found wearing code “9-51” at the premises of the Avio Aero factory at least since 2008. We try to find out more about its identity. This could be MM6701 which was seen in a shelter at Grazzanise in July 2006, completely restored and ready to be transported from display somewhere.
Eurodemobbed : unknown.
Spottingmode : unknown.
CFE plate :
Rome-Centocelle, Italy
Aircraft, on a pole first as grey "4-03" and later as camouflaged 4-03 and now as "9-01" .
This current preserved F-104 was always stated to be MM6825 with aft section from MM6805. Others mention that it should be MM6805 with aft-section from MM6825.
The aircraft was seen at Centocelle for the first time (first noted) in January 2004!! The fuselage of MM6805/4-10 was seen without aft section (cut) at Grosseto at least till 3-12-2003!
Then the MM6825/4-21. This was seen at Grosseto loaded on a truck/transport (just arrived?) on 9-9-2002 with aft section from MM6805 which had just painted over by "6916"...
In July 2003 it was seen standing at the dump of 4RMV still at Grosseto and 7-4-2009 it was seen for the last time at Grazzanise, still with MM6805 aft section with the overwritten "6916". So it looks like the aircraft at Cantocelle needs to be an aircraft which received the cut aft section from MM6825??
Finally, how about MM6916? Well indeed that aircraft went to Centocelle in 1998 as "4-03" after it was restored/repainted at Pratica in February 1998. But this aircraft was replaced by another aircraft since the aircraft was still in good shape. It went to Cervia where it can be found preserved since September 2003 as "5-31". Or is this wrong and is this aircraft at Cervia not 6916??
It is strange that the replacing aircraft also got the code "4-03". Most possible candidate now is still MM6805 which was not seen anymore after December 2003 and very likely had the switched aft section from 6825 which declares the wrong serial on the tail at Centocelle...
A great puzzle indeed!
Eurodemobbed : MM6916
Spottingmode : MM6916
CFE plate : on aft section - who has a picture?
Erbe Verona near Ferrari club, Italy
Aircraft, on a pole as "51-03" and "51-07".
Its identity was treid to confirm in August 2008. It is not the sometimes mentioned MM6776, that one is 100% confirmed now preserved at Caselle (Alenia). Some believe it might be MM6914 which could be possible and also fits after its disappearance since 2006. We still need confirmation.
Eurodemobbed : MM6776
Spottingmode : MM6776
CFE plate :
Grazzanise gateguard, Italy
Aircraft, on pole as "9-90".
Preserved on a pole at Grazzanise in red as “9-90” to celebrate 90 years Italian Air Force in since 18 December 2013. Who knows its real identity? (It is not MM6762).
Eurodemobbed : unknown.
Spottingmode : unknown.
CFE plate :
Palermo, Universita degli studi – Dipartemento di Ingegneria Strutturale, Aerospaziale e Geotecnica (DISAG), Italy
Aircraft, on metal structure, uncoded.
Preserved on the premises of the university of Palermo without squadron markings. First noted 5 October 2008 on the premises. Since 21 October 2010 it is put on a metal framework. Last noted in May 2022. The MM6714 should be the confirmed nose/cockpit section at Vigna di Valle according experts although that cockpit section has CFE plate 6741. There could be a link between both aircraft. MM6741 was last noted at Grazzanise 17-7-2006 and Palermo aircraft first noted preserved in October 2008. Confirmation is needed.
Eurodemobbed : MM6714
Spottingmode : MM6714
CFE plate : MM6714
Isituto Tecnico ‘ MOVM Don Giuseppe Morosini’, Via Casilina, Ferentino (FR)
Aircraft preserved without markings and with CFE plate of MM6912.
It was always stated that this aircraft was MM6912 but we have proof that is must be another aircraft.
it was released 25 September 2008. Although it carries the CFE plate from MM6912, the airframe is from another aircraft (unidentified yet).
The real MM6912 has been identified at Piacenza in 2023 (RS-01).
CFE plate : MM6912
Sulmona/Introdaqua village park (AQ)
Aircraft, preserved uncoded on a pole. Clearly an F-104S/ASA-M looking at the GPS module inside the cockpit.
It is preserved on a pole at the Introdaqua village park near Sulmona village (AQ). It’s here since October 2006. It could not be MM6705 because that aircraft was confirmed as Caprodrise aircraft.
Eurodemobbed : not mentioned.
Spottingmode : not mentioned.
CFE plate :
Supino (FR), Italy
Aircraft, preserved as "9-51".
It is preserved in since 16 November 2005. It is not MM6772 which has been confirmed at Cancello Arnone.
The plane was/is ( anyone know is returned after restore?) an ASA and eventually could be MM6937 but this need a check at the plane.
Eurodemobbed : MM6772
Spottingmode : MM6772
CFE plate :
At this moment we consider this being MM6937 since at least the nose was identified as being from 6937 and the first noted date fits with the last seen at Grazzanise dates.
MM6937 : is a simple ASA with no GPS antenna.
Tolmezzo, North Udine, near paper factory.
Aircraft, preserved on roundabout as “9-51”
It is not MM6717.
Eurodemobbed : unknown
Spottingmode : unknown
CFE plate :
Travelling object AMI
Cockpit section, "53-04".
In September 2010 this cockpit was seen on display inside the AMI stand during the annual Balloons Festival in Ferrara, Italy. Some people mentioned that this was once aircraft MM6800 but that is not possible since that aircraft is preserved at Ceprano.
Eurodemobbed : not mentioned
Spottingmode : not mentioned
CFE plate :
Unknown location.
Cockpit section, "4-59".
The cockpit of this F-104 has been saved from being scrapped and found with a private collector rebuilding it. It is not F-104S/ASA MM6881.
Eurodemobbed : not mentioned
Spottingmode : not mentioned
CFE plate :
Vigna Di Valle Air Museum, Italy
Cockpit section, "9-51". CFE plate MM6741
Some believe MM6714, some believe MM6720 and some believe MM6741 because the CFE plate of MM6741 is mounted.
Information received once: In October 2004 the MM6714 was transported to Grazzanise and it was parked on the CFE flightline. On 9 December 2005 it was officially declared CFE-wfu and that same month it was cut-up and partly scrapped. The forward fuselage was saved and brought over to the Italian air museum in Vigna Di Valle where it arrived later that month. It can still be found preserved today.
Who can say more about this cockpit???
Eurodemobbed : MM6741
Spottingmode : MM6720
CFE plate : MM6741
CFE plate | CFE date | mounted aircraft |
MM6507 | 8-6-2007 | MM6507 |
MM6701 | 12-10-2004 | MM6701 |
MM6704 | 28-6-2004 | MM6704 |
MM6705 | 20-7-2004 | MM6705 |
MM6713 | 23-4-2002 | MM6713 |
MM6714 | 7-9-2004 |
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