The McDonnell Douglas F-4F Phantoms of the 20th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Wing based at Holloman AFB, NM., were the last U.S. Air Force Phantoms to be retired to AMARC from an operational squadron. The 20th Fighter Squadron was unusual due to its unique mission which it carried out for over 30 years since the re-activation of the unit as the 20th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on December 1st, 1972. As part of the agreement to purchase the F-4 Phantom to replace F-104 Starfighters the German Government negotiated a deal which included transition and instructor training for Luftwaffe crews on the type within the U.S.A. This would allow them to take advantage of the experience of the type provided by the U.S. Air Force in the near perfect weather conditions experienced in the New Mexico and Southwest regions of the country.
Initially the unit operated F-4Es from George AFB, CA. which at the time was the U.S. Air Force's primary F-4 training base. When George AFB was closed on June 5th, 1992 as part of the BRAC the 20th TFTS was once again de-activated and the Luftwaffe F-4 training was re-assigned to the 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Operations Group at Holloman AFB, NM.
On September 5th, 1973 deliveries of the Luftwaffe F-4F, which was basically a stripped down lightweight version of the F-4E, began. 175 F-4Fs (U.S. Air Force serials 72-1111/1285) had been ordered to equip two interceptor wings and two ground attack wings. Twelve F-4Fs received the unofficial TF-4F designation while training in the U.S.A, however after these aircraft were returned to Germany they received the full F-4F configuration.
Between November 1980 and late 1983 the F-4Fs received upgrades which provided inflight refuelling recepticles and the ability to launch AGM-65 Maverick, AIM-9L Sidewinder and Sparrow missiles. The upgrades also included improvements to the avionics, computer systems and counter measures. Following these upgrades in 1983 another round of upgrades were begun. Improved Combat Efficiency
On July 1st, 1993, the 20th Fighter Squadron was once again reactivated at Holloman AFB and F-4Fs were being used alongside Luftwaffe F-4E(ICE)
Established on the 1st May 1996, the German Air Force Tactical Training Center consists of two training units, one for F-4 crews and the other for Tornado crews. The F-4 Training Squadron has overseen all German F-4 student personal affairs, and provided German instructor pilots who cooperate and work alongside US instructors in the contracted training program provided by the 20th FS.
The Squadron, nicknamed the "Silver Lobos", was once again deactivated on Monday 20th December 2004 after 64 years of service with the US Air Force. The first arrival, 72-1118, was delivered by Col. Kevin Zeeck, the 20th FS Director of Operations. The second, 72-1218, arrived at the base two days later. The remaining 14 F-4s arrived at AMARC by the second week of January 2005 in 4 further waves. A complete breakdown of these can be seen below;
Arrival Date | Serial Numbers |
18-Nov-2004 | 72-1118 |
23-Nov-2004 | 72-1218 |
13-Dec-2004 | 72-1141, 72-1257 |
04-Jan-2005 | 72-1159, 72-1176, 72-1177 |
05-Jan-2005 | 72-1164, 72-1174, 72-1231 |
06-Jan-2005 | 72-1170, 72-1200, 72-1221 |
07-Jan-2005 | 72-1163, 72-1180 |
The reason for chosing this training solution was the quality and experience provided by the U.S Air Force and the near perfect weather conditions experienced in the New Mexico region. In the future all German Air Force F-4 aircrew combat instruction will be carried out back in Germany.
Before their retirement the F-4Fs were no strangers to AMARC as a number of modifications were carried out on their aircraft at the base during 2002. The modifications were carried out after the aircraft had arrived from Germany and before their final delivery flight to Holloman AFB. The modifications included the following: - Improved windscreen quarter panels,- dual cockpit audiovisual recorders,- modified landing gear and flaps circuit breaker panel, - removal and replacement of the engines - and fire and overheat detectors installed in the engine bays. The first example was readied by 5th September 2002 with all of the conversions completed by the end of that year.
Specifications
General Specifications
Powerplant | 2 × General Electric J79-GE-17 Turbojet engines (built under license in Germany by Motoren-und-Turbinenen-Union Munchen GmBH. as the J79-MTU-17A), 11,905 lbf (52.9 kN) dry; 17,835 lbf (79.3 kN) with afterburner each. |
Length | 63 ft (19.20 m) |
Wingspan | 38 ft 3 in (11.68 m) |
Height | 16 ft 5 in (5.03 m) |
Wing area | 530 ft² (49.20 m²) |
Empty weight | 30,358 lb (13,770 kg) |
Max. takeoff weight | 61,652 lb (27,965 kg) |
Crew | Two - Pilot, Weapons Systems Operator |
Weapons | Up to 16,000 lbs. of externally carried nuclear or conventional bombs, rockets, missiles, or 20mm cannon pods in various combinations |
Performance
Maximum speed | 1,485 mph (1,290 knots, 2,389 km/h) |
Cruise speed | 585 mph (508 knots, 940 km/h) |
Range | 808 miles (702 nmi, 1,300 km) at max payload |
Ferry range | 1,978 miles (1,718 nmi, 3,183 km) |
Service ceiling | 60,000 ft (18,288 m) |
Rate of climb | 41,300 ft/min (12,588 m/min) |
Between 2002 and 2004 a total of 30 General Dynamics F-16A and 4 F-16B aircraft were re-generated from AMARC as part of a lease agreement with Italy. Given the name 'Peace Caesar', the agreement, which was signed by the Italian Government on March 15, 2001, called for the lease of 34 operational aircraft for a period of five years. The agreement also included the supply of 3 additional F-16A for the provision of spare parts and re-training of F-104 and Tornado F.3 aircew and the training of the Italian maintenance technicians who would be responsible for keeping the aircraft flying. The reason for aquiring the F-16s was the significant delays being experienced with the development of the Eurofighter Typhoon, which was the type ordered to fulfill the Italian air defence role after the retirement of their Lockheed F-104 Starfighters. The F-16s were to be used as a stop-gap measure until the Typhoon could be delivered and brought up to combat readiness.
After total refurbishment at Hill Air Force Base, UT., which entailed the strengthening of the airframe and the testing, repair and upgrade of the avionic computers and equipment, the aircraft were delivered to the Italian Air Force. The three squadrons to receive the F-16s were 23° Gruppo of the 5 Stormo based at Cervia Air Base, and the 10° Gruppo and 18° Gruppo of the 37 Stormo based at Trapani-Birgi Air Base. On June 28th, 2003 the first three refurbished aircraft (F-16B MM7266, MM7268, MM7269) arrived in Italy (for the 18° Trapani-Birgi Air Base), while two other aircraft which should have been included in this first delivery were delayed due to technical problems. F-16A MM7238 suffered an engine fault and had to divert to North Bay in Canada, the other F-16A, MM7246, stayed with it to provide an escort. After MM7238 had been repaired these two aircraft finally reached Trapani on July 2nd, 2003.
The protracted delays to Typhoon development and production, much of which was due to political and financial disagreement, resulted in the lease agreement being extended for a further 5 years. It wasn't until February 20th, 2004 that the first Italian Air Force Typhoon was handed over at Cameri Air Base for initial training purposes. The Peace Caeser would carry on in the Air Defence role as the Typhoon fleet was introduced and brought up to operational strength.
On April 16th, 2010 23° Gruppo was disbanded, their F-16s were taken by the two remaining squadrons. In July 2012 10° Gruppo transitioned to the EF2000 Typhoon and moved to their new base at Gioia del Colle Air Base. On May 23rd, 2012 Gruppo 18°, the last remaining F-16 squadron of the Italian Air Force officially transitioned over to the EF2000. This event signified the retirement of the F-16 from the Italian Air Force after 8 years of service. During this time 5 were lost to accidents, although these incidents did not suffer any loss of life.
Four waves each consisting of six retiring F-16s have been received at AMARG, two in 2010 and two in 2012. A summary of these arrivals can be seen below;
PCN | US Serial | Italian Serial | Type | CN | Unit | Arrival Date |
AAFG0691 | 78-0091 | MM7267 | F-16B | M22-32/61-394 | Italian Air Force | 24-JUN-2010 |
AAFG0692 | 79-0412 | MM7266 | F-16B | M22-31/61-394 | Italian Air Force | 24-JUN-2010 |
AAFG0689 | 81-0713 | MM7264 | F-16A | M22-29/61-394 | Italian Air Force | 24-JUN-2010 |
AAFG0693 | 81-0764 | MM7265 | F-16A | M22-30/61-394 | Italian Air Force | 24-JUN-2010 |
AAFG0690 | 81-0771 | MM7250 | F-16A | M22-15/61-452 | Italian Air Force | 24-JUN-2010 |
AAFG0694 | 82-1014 | MM7243 | F-16A | M22-8/61-607 | Italian Air Force | 24-JUN-2010 |
AAFG0725 | 80-0559 | MM7256 | F-16B | M22-21/61-280 | Italian Air Force | 29-JUL-2010 |
AAFG0723 | 80-0622 | MM7248 | F-16B | M22-13/61-343 | Italian Air Force | 29-JUL-2010 |
AAFG0726 | 81-0693 | MM7252 | F-16A | M22-17/61-374 | Italian Air Force | 29-JUL-2010 |
AAFG0727 | 82-0942 | MM7255 | F-16A | M22-20/61-535 | Italian Air Force | 29-JUL-2010 |
AAFG0729 | 82-0997 | MM7260 | F-16A | M22-25/61-590 | Italian Air Force | 29-JUL-2010 |
AAFG0724 | 82-1001 | MM7261 | F-16A | M22-26/61-594 | Italian Air Force | 29-JUL-2010 |
81-0699 | MM7249 | F-16A | M22-14/61-380 | Italian Air Force | 11-MAY-2012 | |
81-0728 | MM7257 | F-16A | M22-22/61-409 | Italian Air Force | 11-MAY-2012 | |
81-0772 | MM7241 | F-16A | M22-6/61-453 | Italian Air Force | 11-MAY-2012 | |
82-0913 | MM7254 | F-16A | M22-19/61-506 | Italian Air Force | 11-MAY-2012 | |
82-0984 | MM7259 | F-16A | M22-24/61-577 | Italian Air Force | 11-MAY-2012 | |
82-1005 | MM7262 | F-16A | M22-27/61-598 | Italian Air Force | 11-MAY-2012 | |
80-0565 | MM7236 | F-16A | M22-1/61-286 | Italian Air Force | 01-JUN-2012 | |
81-0680 | MM7239 | F-16A | M22-4/61-361 | Italian Air Force | 01-JUN-2012 | |
81-0811 | MM7253 | F-16A | M22-18/61-492 | Italian Air Force | 01-JUN-2012 | |
82-0972 | MM7242 | F-16A | M22-7/61-565 | Italian Air Force | 01-JUN-2012 | |
82-1019 | MM7244 | F-16A | M22-9/61-612 | Italian Air Force | 01-JUN-2012 | |
82-1049 | MM7268 | F-16B | M23-3/62-115 | Italian Air Force | 01-JUN-2012 |
24 record(s)
For completeness here are the fates of the other 15 Peace Caesar F-16;
Italian Serial | US Serial | Type | CN | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|
MM7237 | 80-0581 | F-16A | M22-2/61-302 | Crashed near Trapani on 26-JAN-2004. |
MM7238 | 80-0615 | F-16A | M22-3/61-336 | Crashed near Ravenna on 11-FEB-2010. |
MM7240 | 81-0722 | F-16A | M22-5/61-403 | Probably stored in Italy. |
MM7245 | 82-1021 | F-16A | M22-10/61-614 | Preserved at Aviano Air Base. |
MM7246 | 82-1023 | F-16A | M22-11/61-616 | Crashed near Capo Carbonara on 22-MAY-2006. |
MM7247 | 80-0604 | F-16A | M22-12/61-325 | Crashed near Sicilia on 11-FEB-2008. |
MM7251 | 81-0801 | F-16A | M22-16/61-482 | Probably stored in Italy. |
MM7258 | 82-0969 | F-16A | M22-23/61-562 | Crashed at Trapani on 05-NOV-2007. |
MM7263 | 80-0616 | F-16A | M22-28/61-337 | Crashed near Capo Carbonara on 22-MAY-2006. |
MM7269 | 79-0431 | F-16B | M23-4/62-63 | Probably stored in Italy. |
Spares Aircraft
|
||||
79-0389 | 61-174 | Unknown | ||
80-0474 | 61-195 | Unknown | ||
80-0515 | 61-236 | Unknown |
In 1991 the Douglas EA-3B, an electronic reconnaissance version of Douglas A-3 Skywarrior attack aircraft and a veteran of over 40 years fleet service was retired from the US Navy. The last example (146448) from VQ-2 arrived at AMARC on the 1st October 1991. The carrier based electronic reconnaissance and countermeasures capability which the EA-3B provided was replaced by a signal intelligence modified S-3 Viking, the ES-3A Shadow. Sixteen of these aircraft were produced by the conversion of existing S-3A aircraft, the first being introduced into service in 1991 and the last being delivered in 1993.
The ES-3A was packed with electronic sensors and processing equipment, the most important being an advanced avionics suite based on the Aries II system of the land-based EP-3E Orion. Externally the addition of 60 antenna gave the ES-3A a very distinctive appearance to the other S-3 Viking variants. It's primary mission was to provide real-time signals intelligence (SIGINT) to tactical commanders for air, surface and ground operations, although it retained the S-3A's airborne refueling capability to enable it to carry out a secondary, airborne tanking role.
Two squadrons were established to operate the ES-3A, VQ-5, initially based at NAS Agana, Guam but moving to NAS North Island, CA. in August 1994, and VQ-6 operating out of NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL. Each squadron was equipped with eight ES-3A and these were divided up into 4 detachments of two aircraft each. Two aircraft would be deployed to each airwing at a time and typically would build up more flight time than any other aircraft on the carrier flight deck.
The ES-3A Shadow fleet was decommissioned by 30 September 1999. The decision was mainly based on the cost of upgrading the fleet's communication equipment to allow interconnectivity to the other elements of the Navy's SIGINT platform. It was decided that the ES-3A mission would in future be carried out by the land based Lockheed EP-3E Aries II. The ES-3A squadrons were disestablished by the end of that year with their aircraft being retired to AMARC, the last (159752) arriving on the August 10, 1999. At first the ES-3A's were kept in Type 1000 storage, ready to be regenerated and returned to service as war reserve. During 2003 they were moved to the reclamation area and started to yield spare parts to keep the active S-3 Viking fleet in the air.
Squadron Histories
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FIVE [VQ-5]
Comissioned | August 15, 1991 |
Nickname | Sea Shadows |
Base | NAS North Island, San Diego, CA. |
Tail Code | SS-7## |
Disestablished | June 4, 1999 |
VQ-5 were commissioned on August 15, 1991 at NAS Agana in Guam. They were initially equipped with two S-3A Vikings to provide the squadron with pilot and crew training while waiting for the ES-3A, the first of which was delivered on May 8, 1992. VQ-5 was divided into four detachments, three based at NAS North Island, CA. and the fourth (Detachment 5) at NAF Misawa, Japan. The first squadron deployment was aboard USS Independence in November 1993.
Between August 1994 and January 1995, VQ-5 moved to NAS North Island, CA. as NAF Agana was prepared for closure. This yielded benefits to the squadron as it would be located nearer to the carrier air wings on the West Coast and as a result would ease their work-up cycles before detachments. Detachment 5 was established on 1 October 1994 as part of Carrier Air Wing 5 based at NAF Misawa, Japan. This unit was formed to permanently support the carrier permanently based in Japan, this was the USS Independence up until 1997 when the USS Kitty Hawk replaced it.
VQ-5 aircraft were involved with US Navy operations around the world including operations off Korea in 1994 and Taiwan in March 1996, and Operation Southern Watch (the enforcement of the no-fly zone over southern Iraq). VQ-5's last deployment was aboard the USS Carl Vinson in December 1998 in support of Operation Desert Fox strikes against Iraq. The return of the unit from this deployment marked the end of ES-3A operations with the US Navy. VQ-5 were disestablished on June 4, 1999 and their ES-3A's were retired to AMARC by mid June 1999.
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FIVE [VQ-6]
Comissioned | August 5, 1991 |
Nickname | Black Ravens |
Base | NAS Jacksonville, FL. |
Tail Code | NH-7## |
Disestablished | September 30, 1999 |
VQ-6 were commissioned on August 26, 1999 at NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL. As with VQ-5, the eight aircraft in VQ-6's fleet were split into four detachments each with two aircraft and they provided support to the five Atlantic Fleet airwings. In 1998, the squadron moved to NAS Jacksonville as NAS Cecil Field prepared for closure.
VQ-6's first deployment took place in January 1994 onboard the USS Saratoga (CV-60).
During VQ-6's 8 years of service they carried out 13 major deployments to the Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf, on board the carriers USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS America (CV 66), USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS George Washington (CVN 73) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).
VQ-6 proved to be valuable NATO resources during the conflict in Bosnia and supported operations from the carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS America in August and September 1995. During their deployments to the Arabian Gulf missions were flown in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. VQ-6's last deployment was onboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65) providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and tanking support for Operation Desert Fox, the December 1998 air strikes against Iraq.
VQ-6 were disestablished on September 30, 1999, their ES-3A's were retired to AMARC by mid August 1999.
Specifications
General Specifications
Powerplant | 2 × General Electric TF34-GE-2 turbofans, 9,275 lbf (41.26 kN) each |
Length | 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m) |
Wingspan |
Unfolded: 68 ft 8 in (20.93 m) Folded: 29 ft 6 in (9.00 m) |
Height | 22 ft 9 in (6.93 m) |
Wing area | 598 ft² (55.56 m²) |
Empty weight | 26,581 lb (12,057 kg) |
Max. takeoff weight | 52,539 lb (23,831 kg) |
Crew | Four (Pilot, Two × Naval Flight Officers, Sensor Operator/TFO) |
Performance
Maximum speed | 493 mph (429 knots, 795 km/h) at sea level |
Cruise speed | 405 mph (350 knots, 650 km/h) |
Range | 3,182 miles (2,765 nm, 5,121 km) |
Ferry range | 3,875 miles (3,368 nm, 6,237 km) |
Service ceiling | 40,900 ft (12,465 m) |
Rate of climb | 5,120 ft/min (26.0 m/s) |
In 1956 North American Aviation won a contract from the U.S. Navy to design and build a new jet trainer which would take a new generation of Navy pilot's from Basic through to Advanced Combat training. The training required from the aircraft would include high-altitude, high-speed formation and aerobatic flights; basic and radio instruments; night and day navigation; gunnery and bombing and carrier operations.
The aircraft proposed by North American, the T2J-1 Buckeye, was designed with safety, practicality and robustness in mind. Powered by a single Westinghouse J34-WE-48 turbojet developing 3400 pounds of thrust , the T2J-1 provided a tandom cockpit with LS-1 ejection seats for both pupil and instructor. The rear instructor seat was raised to provide good visibility to the front, while dual controls allowed the control of theaircraft from either seat. The low-level, rocket-propelled ejection system provided the ability for the pilot and student to vacate the aircraft throughout the flight envelope, including ground level. This was the very first time this capacity had been incorporated into a training aircraft design.
North American chose the proven mid-wing configuration of the FJ-1 Fury, one of the Navy's earliest jet fighters, which provided a straight, tapered wing design. A retractable arrestor hook and strong, wide, tricyle landing gear were provided to allow the aircraft to be slammed down onto decks during aircraft carrier landings and to cope with the heavy landings which inevitably occur during basic air training. Advanced features incorporated into the T2J design included large hydraulically actuated flaps and air brakes which significantly improved the ease of handling of the aircraft. The majority of the aircrafts serviceable systems and components were designed to be at waist level or below allowing ease of maintanence without the need for step ladders or stands.
The T2J design relied on many proven design features from previously successful aircraft. As a result North American skipped the prototyping phase and went straight into the pre-production with construction of six YT2J-1 evaluation aircraft at their factory at Columbus, OH. The first YT2J-1 flight took place on January 31st, 1958.
The Naval Air Test Center (NATC) at Patuxent River, MD. carried out initial Navy acceptance testing including operation from the USS Antietam (CV 36) Essex class aircraft carrier. After successful completion of these tests the Naval Air Basic Training Command (NABTC) received its first T2J-1 Buckeyes in July 1959. A new training syllabus was developed and on November 2, 1959, the first Navy flight students began their training with Basic Training Group NINE (BTG-9), later re-designated VT-4, at Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL. The first cadets to carrier qualify did so aboard the USS Antietem on June 2, 1960.
The last of the T2J-1s (T-2As) were delivered to the Navy in April 1961, bringing the total number built for the Navy (including re-production aircraft) to 217.
North American T-2B Buckeye
Following the end of production and the delivery of the final T2J-1 the Navy investigated the possibility of upgrading the design. North American produced two prototypes of a new version, designated the YT2J-2 (later YT-2B), by converting one of the original pre-production T2J-1 and one of the first production T2J-1 (BuNos 144218 and 145997). The YT2J-2 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J60-P-6 turbojets developing 3,000lb each. Suprisingly the weight of the two J60s was less than the weight of the original J34, this resulted in a dramatic increase in power-to-weight ratio and improved the Buckeye performance to the point where it was more in-line with the jet fighters of the day. This would result in an easier transition for the air cadets when they moved over to active squadrons after qualification.
The first flight of a YT2J-2 took place on August 30, 1962. Later in this year the US Navy re-designated their entire aircraft inventory and the YT2J-2 would now be known as the T-2B.
On April 6,1964 The Naval Air Basic Training Commandant, NAS Pensacola received the two YT-2Bs for use in evaluating the jet training syllabus. This evaluation was successful and the first produiction T-2B took to the air on May 21, 1965. The T-2B entered service with VT-4 during December of that year, in all a total of 97 T-2Bs would be delivered.
North American T-2C Buckeye
In 1968 a single T-2B, Buno 152382 was converted by the now renamed North American Rockwell Corp., at El Segundo, CA. to use two General Electric J85-GE-4 engines and was given the YT-2C prototype designation. This would be the first of a total of 231 T-2Cs to be built
At the start of the 1980's there was a shortage of active T-2 Buckeyes and a decision was taken to regenerate a sizeable number of T-2B's which had been retired from service over 5 years previously. After being pulled from storage at MASDC they went to the Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF) at Pensacola, FL. where they were prepared for return to service with the US Navy. These aircraft served for another nine years until in 1991 they were retired for a second time.
The T-2 Buckeye has proved to be a reliable and popular training aircraft, the only blemish on it's long service career happened in 1997 when the T-2 fleet was grounded a total of three times due to safety concerns. The type had a history of suffering the occassional uncommanded pitch event but as time went by the problem became ever more frequent. After an extensive period of testing the problem was found to be caused by the elevator boost actuator and fleet modification began in early 1999. At the same time a long standing deficiancy in the ejection seat pan was investigated and corrected.
Although the T-2 is an excellent training aircraft it is evident by it's completely analog cockpit that it has come from another era, it is also the last aircraft in the US Navy inventory which requires a special 'bridle' when being launched from a carrier catapult. The T-2 replacement, the T-45 Goshawk, has a state of the art, digital cockpit and performance which matches more closely the aircraft types which the cadets will fly after qualification.
Other T-2 Versions
A small number of T-2B and T-2C were converted to drone directors and were given the designations DT-2B and DT-2C respectively. These aircraft were operated by the Pacific Missile Test Center for controlling target drones during missile testing.
Final Days
On July 17th, 2003 the final T-2C carrier qualification took place aboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), drawing to a close nearly 40 years of T-2 carrier training. The final T-2 carrier landing was carried out on July 25th 2003 by T-2C Buno 157058, modex '967'. Due to it's significance to US Naval history this aircraft was acquired by the National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, FL. for preservation. Capt. Daniel Ouimette, Commodore TW-1 and Cmdr. Paul Shankland, Commanding Officer VT-9 officially presented the aircraft to the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation on April 9th, 2004.
Specifications
General Specifications
Powerplant | 2 × General Electric J85-GE-4 turbojets, 2,950 lbf (13.12 kN) each |
Length | 38 ft 3½ in (11.67 m) |
Wingspan | 38 ft 1½ in (11.62 m) |
Height | 14 ft 9½ in (4.51 m) |
Wing area | 255 ft² (23.69 m²) |
Empty weight | 8,115 lb (3,680 kg) |
Max. takeoff weight | 13,179 lb (5,977 kg) |
Crew | Two |
Performance
Maximum speed | 522 mph (453 knots, 940 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) |
Range | 1,047 miles (990 nmi, 1,685 km) |
Service ceiling | 40,400 ft (12,315 m) |
Rate of climb | 6,200 ft/min (31.5 m/s) |
Some of the more unusual aircraft to have been stored at AMARC over the years are a sizeable group of Soviet designed MiG fighter aircraft. The exact history of these aircraft is not yet fully known but what is known is that the majority of them were imported to the USA from Poland during the mid to late eighties. Indeed, most of these 'MiGs' are actually LiMs (Licencyjny Mysliwiec licence fighters), built under licence in Poland by WSK.
What is also known is that they were used by the US DoD in the late eighties during combat trials and exercises involving various pieces of Soviet equipment including helicopters, communications and air defence systems. The Defence Test & Evaluation Support Agency (DTESA) were responsible for their operation over the White Sands missile range, NM. in September 1988. After the tests were complete the aircraft were put into storage at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM.
After a period of time they arrived at AMARC and were put into protected storage in the remote 27HOLD compound on the RIT side of the base. Some departed to the nearby Pima Air & Space Museum where they remain on display to the current day (Click here to see pictures) others departed to unknown destinations. The remaining 4 MiGs were moved to the regular Museum storage area (area 20) at the beginning of 2001.
The US Air Force Museum have these aircraft on their account and they will most probably be used to trade for new aircraft or exhibits for display at the museum at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Mikoyan Guryevich MiG-15
NATO codename 'Fagot or Midget'. After entering service during 1948 the MiG-15 became Russia's first successful jet fighter aircraft. It served with great success during the Korean War, and was arguably the match of the main US Air Force fighter at the time, the F-86 Sabre. By the time production ended, some 16,000 MiG-15s of all types had been built in the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Poland and China. They served in almost forty countries.
The MiG-15bis was fitted with a more powerful engine and had improved avionics.
Mikoyan Guryevich MiG-17
NATO codename 'Fresco'. The MiG-17 was a refined version of the MiG-15. It was very similar in shape and size to its predecessor, although it had more sharply swept wings, an afterburner, better performance and handling and was slightly longer. In total over 8,000 MiG-17's were produced, not only by the Soviet Union but also under licence by Poland, Czechoslovakia and China. The MiG-17 was in service in some countries up until the mid 1980's.
The MiG-17F was the most numerous of the type built and was a straightforward day fighter with no radar equipment.
Mikoyan Guryevich MiG-21
NATO codename 'Fishbed'. The world's most widely used supersonic fighter aircraft. Entered front line Soviet service during the late 1950's. Over 11,000 were built by production lines in Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, and China. It had a very reliable engine, was easily maintained and had good rough field capabilities. The MiG-21 is still in use today by many air forces around the world and is still in production in China.
The MiG-21PF was a developed version of the MiG-21F. The nose cone housed a R1L 'Spin-Scan' radar system and with additional electronic updates enabled operational service in all-weather conditions.
Listing
Below is a table of all the known MiGs to have been stored at AMARC. If anyone can add any other information on these interesting aircraft I'd really like to hear from you. Please get in contact with me using the 'Contact Us' link at the bottom of this page.
Serial No. | Type | Construction No. | Notes | Fate/Destination |
010 | LiM-5 (MiG-17F) | 1A1010 | To Castle Air Museum, Atwater, CA. | |
038 | SBLiM-1 (MiG-15UTI) | 1A0638 | To Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ. | |
205 | LiM-2 (MiG-15bis) | 1B01205 | To Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, Pueblo, CO. | |
303 | LiM-5 (MiG-17F) | 1C1303 | To Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, Pueblo, CO. | |
406 | LiM-5 (MiG-17F) | 1C0406 | Current | |
511 | LiM-5P (MiG-17PF) | 1D0511 | To Aviation Challenge Park, Huntsville, AL. | |
634 | LiM-5P (MiG-17PF) | 1D0634 | To Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ. | |
822 | LiM-2 (MiG-15bis) | 1B00822 | To Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ. | |
905 | LiM-5 (MiG-17F) | 1C1905 | To Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ. | |
917 | LiM-2 (MiG-15bis) | 1B00917 | To Museum of Flight, Birmingham, AL. | |
1524 | LiM-2 (MiG-15bis) | 1B01524 | To Pacific Aviation Museum, Pearl Harbor, HI. | |
13 | MiG-21P | 742313 | ex Hungarian Air Force | To National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Albuquerque, NM. |
408 | MiG-21PF | 660408 | ex. Magyar Legiero = Hungarian Air Force. WFU 1986, to USA 1988. | To USAF Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. |
MiGs Displayed at Pima Air & Space Museum
Early Retirements
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle has been a familiar sight at AMARC & AMARG since the early 1990s. From July 1991 to the end of 1995 115 F-15As and 10 F-15Bs (the two seat version of the A) were retired to AMARC as a result of the drawdown of US military resources at that time and the introduction of the more modern/advanced F-15C/D models into the active duty Air Force fighter squadrons. Many of the F-15A/B aircraft which were previously operated by these squadrons were transfered to a number Air National Guard units to replace the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms they were operating up until that time.
Before these events, in 1983, McDonnell Douglas and the Air Force agreed on the development of two Multistage Improvement Programs (MSIP) for the F-15, named 'MSIP I' and 'MSIP II'. These programs were designed to upgrade the F-15 in most areas including radar and avionics, improved countermeasures, armament (including the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range AAM (AMRAAM), the modern follow-on to the Sparrow missile), engines and stronger landing gear.
Due to the projected costs of MSIP I, which was aimed at the F-15A/B, it was cancelled but the MSIP II program, which was developed for the F-15C/D fleet, proceeded. A number of F-15A/Bs were provided with a subset of the MSIP II upgrades including such items as the stronger landing gear of the F-15C/D, F100-PW-220E engines, and improved Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)1 radar. However, a large number of the F-15A/Bs were deemed to not be suitable for the upgrades and were retired from service.
Some of those retired F-15 went to museums, some became gate guards, but the vast majority were sent to AMARC. At their time of retirement some of these aircraft were only 15 years old, a relatively young age compared with some of the types that have retired to AMARC over the years. Almost immediately the majority of these early AMARC F-15 examples were moved to over to the reclamation areas of the base and yielded spare parts which are introduced back into the active Air Force and Air National Guard inventories. By the early 2000s most of these early retirees were reduced to stripped hulks missing landing gear, wings, tails and nose sections.
Later
The development and introduction of the F/A-22 Raptor (which is the chosen successor to the F-15) into the Air Force has been a lengthy and expensive exercise which has experienced it's fair share of contracting, testing and funding issues. In December 2002 a procurement decision was taken which greatly affected the pace at which the Raptor will replace the F-15 Eagle. As a result it was not known whether or not the Air Force would experience a shortage of fighters, this made the job of retaining and maintaining a capable F-15 fleet a top priority.
The ageing F-15 fleet has become increasingly time consuming to maintain. They are now inspected every 10 to 20 hours on the parts which are seen as having the most failures and the engines are also thoroughly inspected more often and for longer. To help improve this situation there has been a program carried out over the last few years to upgrade the F-15A/B engines to the maintenance friendly "Dash 220E" standards. The resulting improvement in diagnostics gathering has greatly increased safety and fleet readiness and is saving the Air Force many millions of dollars per year in reduced maintenance requirements.
It is not just the F-15A/B fleet which were a challenge to maintain, the F-15C/D fleet has been hard used over its lifetime and is also showing its age. Several have experienced in-flight catastrophic failures. In April 2002 an F-15C from the 46th Test Wing, flying a high-speed missile test mission out of Eglin AFB, FL., disintegrated over the Gulf of Mexico. Since then the F-15 has been saddled with speed restrictions to prevent a repeat of that type of accident.
On December 3rd, 2007 the commander of Air Combat Command ordered the stand-down of all ACC F-15A/B/C/Ds until further notice. Cracks had been discovered on some of the fleet and this may have been the cause of a fatal accident involving an F-15C in Missouri on November 2, 2007. During inspections four F-15s of the Oregon Air National Guard's 114th Wing had cracks found on forward longerons, which are structural metal beams under the jet skin that help support the cockpit and strengthen the jet. Five other F-15s were found to have similar cracks, one with the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing, two with the 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan and one with the 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, FL.
The F-15 Eagle fleet has been operating well past its initial projected retirement date. The Air Force have ruled out a service life extension program (SLEP) due to the estimated costs of $5 billion to extend their service life by 10 years. Instead more money has been allocated to providing more in the way of spare parts and this has been successful in providing higher readiness rates. F-15s will continue to arrive at AMARC in the short to medium term as they are replaced by F/A-22 Raptors and as a result of aircraft running out of hours. However, it is expected that a number of the lowest-mileage F-15s will be retained through until the early 2030s and to a time when they will be nearly 40 years old.