These pictures were taken at the Davis Monthan Air Force Base. Pictured below are just a few of the aircraft that are on display, or in storage awaiting their final fate.
The VW-1 reunion group was split into two groups, one group visited the museum's several hangers full of aircraft on inside display while the other group toured the outside display. We switched tours after the lunch break.
- The 1st. picture on the left: Main gate into Davis Montham Air Force Base.
The 2nd. picture, from the left: The Vought/LTV DF-8F Crusader. The Crusader is often called the "Last of the Gunfighters" since it was the last Navy fighter to rely on guns for its primary armament.
The 3rd. picture, from the left: F/A-18 flown by the Blue Angels
The 4th. picture, from the left: McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was designed as a missile-armed fleet defense fighter for the United States Navy. In 1962. -
- The 1st. picture on the left: McDonnell F-101B Voodoo The F-101 Voodoo was conceived as a
long-range escort fighter for the bombers of the Strategic Air Command. As it turned out this was one of the
few roles the versatile Voodoo did not perform.
The 2nd. picture, from the left: Piasecki/Vertol CH-21C Workhorse The H-21 was the fourth tandem rotor helicopter design to come from Piasecki.
The 3rd. picture, from the left: Sikorsky MH-53M Pave Low IV, the MH-53M is the last version of the H-53 Super Jolly Green Giant that was developed during the Vietnam War.
The 4th. picture, from the left: Sikorsky CH-37B Mojave. In 1951 the U.S. Marines issued a requirement for a new heavy assault helicopter. Sikorsky's offering was its first twin-engine helicopter, designated HR2S-1 by the Navy and H-37 by the Army. -
- The 1st. picture on the left: The Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk Design of the Skyhawk began in 1952 as a
response to the increasing weight and decreasing performance of the early jet fighters.
The 2nd. & 3rd. picture on the left: Lockheed AP-2H NeptuneThe AP-2H designation was applied to four heavily modified SP-2H aircraft for a special program during the Vietnam War.
4th. picture, from the left: Grumman E-1B Tracer, initially planned as an interim design the Tracer was the Navy's primary carrier based airborne radar aircraft until the mid-1970s.. -
- The 1st. & 2nd.picture on the left: Convair B-36J Peacemaker". The B-36 is the largest bomber and the
last piston engine powered bomber produced by the United States.
The 3rd. picture, from the left: A display line of many different models of aircraft.
The 4th. picture, from the left: Vought A-7E Corsair II The A-7 Corsair II was initially developed in response to a 1963 U.S. Navy requirement for an aircraft to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. -
- The 1st. picture on the left: Lockheed C-130A Hercules.The Lockheed C-130 has been in constant
production since 1954 giving it the record for the longest production run of any aircraft
The 2nd. picture from the left: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon's in storage, some are being readied to be flown as drones for target practice.
The 3rd. & 4th. picture, from the left: Jet engines in storage.
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- The 1st. picture on the left: Republic F-105G Thunderchief.Affectionately called "Thud" by its
crews the Thunderchief was the first supersonic tactical fighter-bomber developed from scratch rather then
from an earlier design.
The 2nd. picture on the left: The first F117 Stealth fighter in the boneyards. Picture courtesy of Tom Hoover.
In the background either the Boeing C-40 Clipper or the Boeing KC-46 are shown in storage.
The 3rd. picture, from the left: Lockheed VP-3A Orion The P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft was based loosely on the Lockheed L-188 Electra airliner.
In the background is the Aero Spacelines 377-SG Super Guppy Based on the Boeing C-97 cargo plane and the 377 airliner the huge "Guppy" super-transports are some of the most unique aircraft ever built.
The 4th. picture, from the left: Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet The Alpha Jet is a combination trainer and light attack aircraft designed by a consortium of French and West German aircraft designers.
Northrop T-38A Talon The Talon remains in service with the U.S. Air Force as a trainer, with the U.S. Navy as an adversary aircraft in the Top Gun program, and with NASA. -
- The 1st. picture on the left: Douglas TF-10B Skyknight. Work on the Skyknight began in 1945 with
a Navy request for proposals for a two seat jet night fighter. The prototype took to the air for the first
time in March 1948 and the first production aircraft began entering service in 1950.
The 2nd. picture on the left: Scenes like this covered several hundred acres of aircraft of all types that are in storage awaiting final disposition.
The 3rd. picture, from the left: North American RA-5C VigilanteThe Vigilante is one of the largest aircraft to routinely fly from the U.S. Navy's aircraft carriers. It was designed in the late 1950s as a supersonic nuclear capable attack bomber.
The 4th. picture, from the left: Douglas YEA-3A Skywarrior, nicknamed "The Whale" by its crews the A-3 Skywarrior is the largest and heaviest aircraft ever designed for regular operation from an aircraft carrier. -
- The 1st. & 2nd. picture on the left: The first group that toured the outside display returning for
lunch at the museum's Flight Grill. Photos courtesy of Lowell Buswell.
The 3rd. & 4th. picture, from the left: The group at lunch at the museum's Flight Grill. -
- The 1st., 2nd. & 3rd.pictures on the left: from the left: The group at lunch at the museum's Flight
Grill.
The 4th. picture, from the left: After lunch at the museum's Flight Grill the group assembled outside to wait for the trolly to see the aircraft at the outside display, photo courtesy Steve Davis. -
