In 1972 the 23 TFW took over the assets and personnel of the 4033rd TFW at England AFB to operate LTV A-7D Corsair IIs. With the "EL" tail code, in 1981 it was the first wing to receive the Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs. This pre-production A-10 finished as a ground trainer for the Air Force., later becoming part of the National Museum of the United States Air Force Loan Program. It's displayed by the England Economic & Industrial Development District at Flying Tiger Heritage Park.

F-35A Demo Team taxiing to runway 10.

Delivered as a KC-135A in 1959. Converted to a KC-135R in 1992. Still in service in 2023.

Built as a C-141A. Converted to a C-141B. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ in 1999 and scrapped in 2004.

This Chickasaw was on show at the USAF Museum by 2005. It is painted as an H-19A known as Hop-A-Long, one of two to make the first transatlantic helicopter flight, travelling during the summer of 1952 from Westover AFB, MA, to Scotland in five stages. They then carried on to finally reach their allocated unit in Germany, the 9th ARS at Wiesbaden. In fact it is UH-19B 52-7587

Actually 49-1067 which was used as a JF-86A from 1954, ferried to the museum in 1961 and now marked to represent F-86A 49-1236 of the 4th FG, the jet in which Lt Col Bruce Hinton became the first to shoot down a MiG-15 over Korea in December 1950

Now painted in false colours as a 'Shoski Tiger' of the 4503rd TFS which combat tested the F-5 in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967. In reality it is the third of the three YF-5A prototypes, 59-4989 and from 1970 till around 2002 was displayed in its correct natural metal finish - see my 1973 photo here

This Thunderjet, superbly presented as a colourful F-84G of the 58th FBW's commander during the Korean War, is in fact F-84E 50-1143 which itself flew many combat missions in Korea with the 27th Fighter Escort Group and 136th FBW Texas ANG. The latter was the first ANG ever unit to enter combat. In late 1963 it came to the USAFM and was painted as now seen by 2012

Northrop converted 350 F-89Ds to J models, Air Defense Command's first fighter-interceptor to carry nuclear armament, its air-to-air rockets having a nuclear warhead. The aircraft on display, 52-1911, was the last in service with an operational unit when provided for preservation by the Maine ANG in July 1969. It is painted to represent F-89J 53-2509 assigned to the 449th FIS in the late 1950s, based at Ladd AFB, near Fairbanks AK. Hence it carries red arctic markings

Starfires were employed in the air defense of the continental United States in the 1950s. The F-94C had no guns but twenty-four rockets in a ring around the radome, shielded by retractable doors, with an additional 24 in wing pods if installed. This example is 50-0980 which from 1951 served the 3550th CCTW, 332nd FIS, 97th FIS and 109th FIS, going to Davis Monthan for storage in 1958. By 1974 it was in the adjacent Pima museum but was transferred to the USAFM by 1988 where it was marked as F-94C 50-1054 of the 60th FIS, Otis AFB, MA

The F-86D 'Sabre Dog', initially designated the F-95, incorporated a sophisticated electronic system replacing the second crew member carried by other interceptors of the time and air-to-air missiles instead the classic gun armament. This one is really 50-0477 and was no stranger to Wright Field, spending a year there from August 1952 with the Wright Air Development Centre as an EF-86D. Redesignated JF-86D in 1955 and roaded to the museum in 1970, on show as an F-86D assigned to the 97th FIS at Wright Patterson AFB during the mid-1950s

An anonymous aircraft other than the flag and stars and bars landing Rwy 30.

This is B-25D 43-3374, converted to the F-10 photo recon version for the 91st Photo Mapping Sqdn. It was used in South America in 1944 to map the coastline and inland areas. Back in the US it was used for training then stored at Davis Monthan in December 1957. But at the end of the month it was ferried to NA at Inglewood for modification to resemble Jimmy Doolittle's B-25B, one of several that were to follow. Presented to Doolittle at Las Vegas in April 1958 and flown by several of his Raiders when ferried to Dayton for the USAF Museum. B-25D engine exhausts are different, so hidden by covers

This is actually P-39Q 44-3887, converted to an RP-39Q two-seat operational training version with armament removed and redesignated TP-39Q in 1945. Disposed of as surplus in 1946, it was restored to single-seat P-39Q status in 1966 and flown to the UASFM. By 1977 it was marked as P-39D 41-7073 flown by the 57th FS, Adak Island, during the harsh conditions of the Aleutians Island campaign of autumn 1942. They attacked the Japanese forces which had invaded Attu and Kiska islands, the weather claiming more casualties than combat

Actually L-17A 47-1347 which served the 53rd FW, Pennsylvania ANG at Middletown PA as a liaison aircraft. Flown to the UASFM in April 1986 and painted as 48-928, a Ryan-built L-17B used by the Air Force ROTC program at Bradley University, IL in 1959 then the Chanute AFB Aero Club as N7635B until it crashed in the Seven Mountains in November 1963

It was very difficult shooting in the dark corners of the USAF Museum on Kodachrome, but modern processing of the scan has produced this result. A Black Widow that was used for thunderstorm research from Clinton County AFB, OH and radar testing from Wright Field post-war, going to the Boy Scouts of America for display in Urbana, OH in 1949. Donated to USAFM in 1958 and painted as P-61B 42-39468 of the 55th Night Fighter Sqdn, scrapped at Clark in the Philippines in 1949. A few years after this shot, that serial was applied at the museum but it later reverted to the true identity for this frame