Over the years, NASA operated eleven Lockheed Starfighters for flight test purposes. Most were transferred from USAF inventory, but this aircraft is the first of three built by Lockheed expressly for NASA in 1963. Designated F-104N, and coded 011, NASA gave it the civilian registration N811NA in 1970. With it's last official NASA research flight on October 23, 1987, the aircraft was stored at Edwards AFB until transferred for display on the campus of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ circa 1997.