One of seven original AC-130As. Ca Nov '56: TOS USAF as C-130A. By Jul '57: 314th Troop Carrier Wing, Stewart AFB, TN. UKN: Converted to JC-130A for testing. 1968: Converted to AC-130A. Beginning ca. Sep '68: Flew combat missions over Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. By Nov '75: 711th Special Operations Squadron/919th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, FL. Feb '91: Flew at least three combat missions during Operation Desert Storm. Ca.September 1994 to ca.March 1995: Flew combat missions over Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy. Oct '95: Flew to the Air Force Museum for retirement.

Ca.1949: TOS USAF. 1955: Sheppard AFB, TX, for maintenance training. 1956: Registered N2566B, exported to Mexico for Chiapas Aero Services, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapa with c/r XA-LOU. By 1960: Open storage in Mexico City. 1978-1988: Derelict, at a farm. 1990: Returned to USA. 1991-1993: Restored to static condition for USAF Museum using components from YC-125A 48-634 (N3756Q). 1994: United States Air Force Museum, 1995: Restoration completed at the museum. Marked as 48-622, which was stationed at Wright-Patterson for cold weather testing. 2022: NMUSAF solicited for buyers. 2025: Engines removed

Ca.1949: TOS USAF. 1955: Sheppard AFB, TX, for maintenance training. 1956: Registered N2566B, exported to Mexico for Chiapas Aero Services, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapa with c/r XA-LOU. By 1960: Open storage in Mexico City. 1978-1988: Derelict, at a farm. 1990: Returned to USA. 1991-1993: Restored to static condition for USAF Museum using components from YC-125A 48-634 (N3756Q). 1994: United States Air Force Museum, 1995: Restoration completed at the museum. Marked as 48-622, which was stationed at Wright-Patterson for cold weather testing. 2022: NMUSAF solicited for buyers. 2025: Engines removed

This really is 52-1066. Chateauroux to Athens and was forced down by Yugoslavia Air Force fighters. Plane and crew were held until after some diplomatic negotiations when they were released to return to Chateauroux. 19 Sep '74: Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, for storage. 27 Aug '75: Flown to the Air Force Museum. It is displayed as 51-135 of 756th Military Airlift Squadron/909th Military Airlift Group (Andrews AFB).

This really is 52-1066. Chateauroux to Athens and was forced down by Yugoslavia Air Force fighters. Plane and crew were held until after some diplomatic negotiations when they were released to return to Chateauroux. 19 Sep '74: Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, for storage. 27 Aug '75: Flown to the Air Force Museum. It is displayed as 51-135 of 756th Military Airlift Squadron/909th Military Airlift Group (Andrews AFB).

This really is 52-1066. Chateauroux to Athens and was forced down by Yugoslavia Air Force fighters. Plane and crew were held until after some diplomatic negotiations when they were released to return to Chateauroux. 19 Sep '74: Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, for storage. 27 Aug '75: Flown to the Air Force Museum. It is displayed as 51-135 of 756th Military Airlift Squadron/909th Military Airlift Group (Andrews AFB).

Ca.1955: TOS USAF as RC-121D. 1962: Redesignated as EC-121D. By 1967: 553rd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, Korat RTAFB, Thailand. 24 Oct '67: While stationed airborne over Gulf of Tonkin, this aircraft guided a US fighter by radar into position to destroy a MiG-21. It was the first time a weapons controller on airborne radar aircraft had directed a successful attack on an enemy plane. By Mar '69: 552nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, also on deployment to Korat. 9 Aug '71: Ferried to the Air Force Museum, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.

Sep '58 to Nov '59: Specially modified for the mid-air retrieval of space capsules re-entering the atmosphere from orbit. 19 Aug 60: Made the world's first midair recovery of a capsule returning from orbit when it snagged the parachute lowering the Discoverer XIV satellite at 8,000 feet altitude, 360 miles southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii. Mov '63: Flown to the Air Force Museum at Wright Field, Wright-Patterson AFB, waiting there for the new museum to open. August '71: Placed on display at the Air Force Museum.

Ca.1949: TOS USAF and assigned to 54th Troop Carrier Squadron/5039th Air Transport Group, Elmendorf AFB, AK 1955: SOC. Nov '55:Registered N7452C. Apr '70: Northern Air Cargo, Anchorage. Jan '85: WFU. June '86: Darryl G. Greenamyer Inc of Rancho Santa Fe, CA. 30 Jun '88: Greenamyer donated the plane to the United States Air Force Museum (later National Museum of the United States Air Force).

Ca.1943: TOS USAAF. Originally ordered under the AT-17 contract. It was later registered N4403N and then N43BB. Acquired by the United States Air Forms Museum, Wright Field, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH in 1982.

On the then Rwy 13 approach. Since been written off.

On the then Rwy 13 approach.

On the then Rwy 13 approach.

1942: TOS USAAF as AT-11 41-27600; assigned to Higley Army Air Field, AZ. Later to 975th Bombardier Training Squadron/321st Bombardier Training Group, Deming Army Air Field, NM. 1954: Remanufactured as C-45H and TOS with s/n 52-10893. 10/54: Kentucky ANG, Louisville, KY. 11/60: Federal Reformatory in Chillicothe, OH, as an instructional airframe. 1966: Ferried to the Air Force Museum at Patterson Field, OH. 30 Sep 21: Shipped to Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins AFB, GA.

5/67: First flight. 1967: TOS USAF and assigned to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, CA. 21 Mar 68: Performed first operational sortie by an SR-71A when Ed Payne and Jerry O'Malley flew her over Vietnam. Over its career it flew more sorties (942) than any other SR-71, including 257 operational missions from Beale AFB, Palmdale, Kadena AB, Okinawa, and RAF Mildenhall. 27 Mar 90: Flew to the Air Force Museum.