This page contains a collection of Italian F-104 patches: patches that were produced and used by stormi and gruppi (Wings and Squadrons) equipped with the Starfighter and patches of many non-flying units that have an F-104 on their badge. It also cointains some famous reproductions, patches that were designed in the F-104 era but were never worn by crews, flight hours, roundels and every kind of patch related to the Starfighter. Even if the majority of the patches displayed comes from my own collection, many others are pictures and scans provided by Italian and foreign collectors who have helped gathering material for this research. A special thanks goes to Giancarlo Gastaldi, Edward Duggan, Emiliano “Panik” Guerra, Antonio Di Franco, Urbano Floreani, Riccardo Vestuto, Antonio Arnese, Pasquale Romano, Renato Contin, Massimo Stagni, Massimo “Nuty01” Gualtieri, Osvaldo Mazza and Giorgio Catellani (and a few others I can’t remember now) who gave me patches, scans, images and a lot of information about the history of the patches displayed in this page. The page will be constantly updated as soon as I find more patches and receive pictures and scans from other collectors.
322 images, 317 different patches displayed on Nov. 19th 2007.
325 images, 320 different patches displayed on Dec. 1st 2007.
328 images, 323 different patches displayed on Dec. 14th 2007.
333 images, 328 different patches displayed on Feb. 07th 2008.
337 images, 332 different patches displayed on Jun. 27th 2008
330 images, 325 different patches displayed on Feb. 23th 2009.
345 images, 340 different patches displayed on Mar. 21, 2010.
Update Jan. 25th 2008: in a topic published on the Italian Vipers forum, I was asked why in this page a few patches are defined “reproduction” or “fake” one. I explained it in Italian, so Italians can read my explaination here.
For the foreign visitors here’s my explaination:
There are a lot of reproductions and fakes you can find on the Internet (eBay just to name but a place where you can buy patches) or trading with other collectors, even if the evaluation is personal. Everything can be considered either origina or “repro” at the same time. It just depends on the parameters the collector uses to define it. There are collectors that consider original only those patches bought directly from Wing and Squadrons. But there are also other collectors that consider original also those patches that were not sold by flying unit but were bought by pilots elsewhere (in a militaria shop for example) and worn on the flight suit.
In my honest opinion, in both the above cases, the patch can be considered an original one but other collectors could consider original only patches complying with the first requirement (patch sold by the unit).
Dealing with the reproductions, those are usually examples post produced years after the original model was designed and used. If the patch is identical to the original but produced in a different period, I consider it a repro (there are many and very well done). If the patch is not only produced later but shows also some differences from the original, in my opinion it must be considered a fake.
3rd Aerobrigata / Stormo (18th, 28th, 132nd Gruppo):
4th Aerobrigata / Stormo (9th and 20th Gruppo):
5th Stormo (23rd, 102nd, 101st Gruppo):
This patch was designed after F-104 phase out:
9th Stormo (10th Gruppo):
Old 85th Squadriglia patch, perhaps used in the F-104 period.
36th Stormo (12th, 156th Gruppo):
37th Stormo (18th Gruppo):
50th Stormo (155th Gruppo):
51st Stormo (22nd and 155th Gruppo):
53rd Stormo (21st Gruppo):
Reparto Sperimentale Volo (311th Gruppo):
Roundels:
Flight hours:
Other units:
Various:
Original F-104 period (perhaps not used, at least on flight suit):
Drafts (second and third pictures possible F-86 period):
Uncertain:
Fakes/Repro:
Pictures of crews wearing patches
