This Fighting Falcon was delivered to the 63rd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron 'MC' at Moody AFB (FL) in November 1988. It was moved on the base to the 62nd Fighter Squadron in October 1991 and eventually transferred to the Guards in July 1994. It was assigned to the ibnventory of the 176th Fighter Squadron "Badgers" of the Wisconsin ANG. After the squadron swapped to F-35A, this aircraft was transferred to the 119th Fighter Squadron at Atlantic City (NJ) to fly with the New Jersey ANG in December 2022.

f/f 10 Dec'87, to the 612th TFS with tailcode 'TJ' at Torrjeon (Spain) in Jan'88. To CONUS in early'92 assigned to the 120th FS 'CO' of the Colorado ANG. Moved to the 170th FS 'SI' of the Illinois ANG in Oct'94, and from early 1996 to the 149th FS of the Virginia ANG. Returned to the active fleet in Jul'96 when it arrived at Canon AFB (NM) with the 523rd FS 'CC'. in Mar'01, back to the ANG: the 186th FS of the Montana ANG. In Apr'08 to the 134th FS of the Vermont ANG (as pictured). Temporary with the 176th (as pictured) and then to the 12st FS of the District of Columbia ANG in Feb'19.

87-0280 leading an operational line of different tails. The two Colorado ANG F-16s were fresh arrivals to the squadron but still carried full marks of the 120th FS. Then an unmarked F-16C, which returned from a deployment with the 176th Expeditionay Fighter Squadron. In the far distance, a WI F-16C is seen, as well as a F-16C with the fine Badgers marks. The latter was not furnished with a tail code.

Taken when it was Williams AFB. With USAF and Brazilian Air Force markings. Probably being used to train crews before delivery to Brazil. Later converted to an F-5FM. Still operational in 2024.

Taken when it was Williams AFB. With special markings for the wing commander of the 82 FTW. Later converted to a T-38C. Still operational in 2023.

USAF Heritage Flight.

A rarity indeed, displayed in the Research & Development Gallery. The Fisher Body Division of General Motors developed the P-75 Eagle to fill an urgent need for an interceptor early in WWII. The original P-75 design incorporated the most powerful inline engine available and components from other aircraft as a way to expedite production. Only eight XP-75s and six P-75As were built, the type's mission being changed to long-range escort after shortcomings in performance were found - an order for 2,500 was cancelled in favour of P-47s and P-51s.

Who said flying saucers don't exist? The Avrocar was the result of a Canadian effort to develop a supersonic, VTOL fighter-bomber in the early 1950s. This is one of two scaled down test vehicles using the exhaust from turbojet engines to drive a circular "turborotor" which produced downward thrust for takeoff and landing, directed rearward for level flight. Severe instability above three feet high dogged the program at NASA's Ames Research Center and a speed of only 35 mph was attained before the project was abandoned in 1961. After storage at Silver Hill, MD it went on show at NMUSAF in 2008

Seen some 51 years after my first photo here, this Kestrel was flown for two years from 1964 as XS688 by pilots from the UK, USA and West Germany in the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron (TES) at RAF West Raynham. Six of these trial aircraft then came to the US where the US armed forces conducted additional testing designated as XV-6As. Although the USAF did not order it, the US Marine Corps and RAF did of course operate the follow-on Harrier for several decades. In 1970 64-18262 became the first aircraft to be airlifted in a C-5 Galaxy when it was flown from Edwards to the USAFM

Not for nothing was this extraordinary offspring from the jet F-84F design known as the Thunderscreech, by some reckoning the loudest aircraft ever, apparently audible on startup 25 miles away! Intended to combine the speed of jets with the long range, low fuel consumption and low landing speed of propeller-driven aircraft, of the 12 flights made by the two XF-84Hs in 1955/56, 11 ended in emergency landings. Around 1958 this first one was pole-mounted at Bakersfield, CA with an electric motor to turn the prop. After restoration by the Ohio ANG it moved to the USAFM in 1999

The T-41 was a standard Cessna 172 and over 200 were procured for preliminary flight screening of Air Force pilot candidates. Although originally allocated USAF serial 65-5251, as this one like many was operated by a civilian flight school under contract to Air Training Command in Texas it was given an N registration derived from the serial. It was ferried to the USAFM in April 1993

Registered N231YF to Northrop-McDonnell Douglas in 1989, in mid-1990 this aircraft was transferred to the 6511th Test Squadron at Edwards AFB to compete in the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program against the Lockheed YF-22A, the latter winning in 1991 and developing into the F-22 Raptor. In 2000 the YF-23A, unofficially named the Black Widow II, was moved from the Flight Test Center Museum at Edwards to the USAFM where it was restored and placed on display in 2009

This U-4B was used by President Dwight D Eisenhower from 1956 to 1960 for short trips. A pilot himself, he would often take the controls during trips between Washington DC and his farm in Gettysburg, PA. Removed fro presidential service in 1961 and redesignated from L-26B in 1962, it was used to transport high-ranking government officials till 1969 after which cadet parachute training became the aircraft's role. Retired in 1977, it was registered N5379G for the Civil Air Patrol, eventually coming to the USAFM in 1996