F-104 Starfighter arrives at KF Aerospace wrapped in plastic

Photo: Contributed

Lockheed F-104 used extensively during the cold war.

Kelowna aviation enthusiasts are excited by the arrival of a 'ghost plane' at KF Aerospace.

Self-confessed aviation nerd, Dave tells Castanet he cycles past KF Aerospace all the time and when he spotted the plane wrapped in white plastic on the back of a flatbed trailer, he started doing some research and discovered the plane is an F-104 Starfighter produced by Lockheed.

The plane was brought up from Arizona and arrived this week.

A spokesperson for KF Aerospace tells Castanet the plane's wings will need to be attached and they plan on working on the plane to buff it up and get it ready for display in front of the building.

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War.

The F-104 Starfighter was modified for Canada by Canadair and was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft. It served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and later the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) until it was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet.

For now the plane will be kept under wraps but it will be on display once the work is completed in the next few weeks. It will be an addition to the de Havilland Mosquito bomber and the newly-restored Hawker Tempest MKII already on display.

KF Aerospace sports 60,000 square feet of space to display historical and vintage aircraft and memorabilia.