ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- Six aircraft stand on display outside the Main Gate and Gate 2 of Arnold Air Force Base serving as reminders to those who enter the base of the warfighters who depend on the work of the Arnold AFB workforce in support of the test and evaluation mission of Arnold Engineering Development Complex.
At Arnold AFB, AEDC conducts ground testing to help ensure the fleets of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Army remain superior to any that would seek to do harm to the United States. AEDC has conducted testing in support of all of the aircraft programs represented by the static displays.
Each of the static displays at the gates are dedicated to a member of the military who lost his or her life in service to the United States. Maintaining these aircraft is important to honoring their lives and the lives of all those who have served.
“These are not just ways of showing the flying heritage of the U.S. military,” said Ryan Regrutto, a project manager with the AEDC Civil Engineering Branch overseeing recent maintenance of the aircraft. “They are monuments to someone who gave everything in defense of our country. They are a reminder to me that what I do is ultimately important, no matter how insignificant it may seem in the grand scheme.”
Recently, an F/A-18 Hornet was repainted as part of the maintenance efforts. The F/A-18, along with an F-14 Tomcat, both U.S. Navy aircraft, are on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. The four Air Force aircraft on display, an F-4 Phantom II, an F-15 Eagle, an F-16 Fighting Falcon and an F-105 Thunderchief, are on loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The paint schemes for each aircraft are selected based upon historical context and approved by the museum from which they are on loan.
“Either the history of the actual aircraft is used to depict a specific time frame and unit that the aircraft was assigned to, or a paint scheme is proposed that was used on the aircraft model, though not the specific aircraft,” explained Mark Anderson, historical property custodian for AEDC.
The F/A-18 bears the paint scheme of the assigned unit of Lt. Cmdr. Frank Wittwer, U.S. Navy, for whom the aircraft is dedicated.
While the paint itself is a more durable exterior paint than used on in-service aircraft, care is taken to ensure the colors and details are accurately portrayed.
“We have retrieved the original paint scheme manuals from the respective branch of service to make sure we get it right,” Regrutto said. “We then try to make sure we match any decals and art to the original.”
The process usually takes a couple weeks; longer if there is more intricate artwork on the aircraft. It involves cleaning, sanding, priming, repairing any cracks or rust, and finally painting and applying decals.
The displays provide a reminder to Team AEDC of the importance of their work, but also are part of the U.S. Air Force Heritage Program with broader purposes.
“The objectives of this program as they relate to static aircraft displays are to preserve the history of the U.S. Air Force in a way that produces benefits of significant value to the Air Force and the nation; inspire, motivate and educate America’s youth towards the U.S. Air Force and science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and to interpret and present to the public the U.S. Air Force’s history, heritage and culture – keeping its story visible, accessible and alive – and creating a better understanding on which to base future perceptions and support of U.S. Air Forces programs,” Anderson said.
The aircraft are located outside the Main Gate and Gate 2, allowing members of the public to visit the displays. Parking is available at both locations, with sidewalks leading to the aircraft.
Static display aircraft at Arnold AFB:
- F-4 Phantom II – dedicated in memory of Col. Lawrence Golberg and Maj. Patrick Wynne, both U.S. Air Force. Goldberg and Wynne were assigned to the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron when on Aug. 8, 1966, after delivering their ordnance during an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam, they were hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in the jungle. They were listed as missing in action until 1977 when their remains were located and returned to the United States. The aircraft on display was assigned to the 555th at one time and is similar to one the men were piloting when they crashed in Vietnam.
AEDC supported the F-4 program with extensive store separation testing.
- F-14 Tomcat – dedicated in memory of Lt. Kara Hultgreen, U.S. Navy. Hultgreen was the Navy’s first female carrier-based combat fighter pilot. She was killed in Oct. 1994 when her F-14 experienced engine failure on a final approach and crashed into the Pacific. Her crewman survived. The flight was part of training operations in preparation for deployment to the Persian Gulf. Hultgreen was assigned to the Black Lions of Fighter Squadron 213 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The F-14 dedicated in her honor has been painted to identify that squadron.
AEDC has supported the F-14 program with store separation testing for payloads and engine testing of the F110.
- F-15 Eagle – dedicated in memory of Maj. Jim Duricy, U.S. Air Force. Duricy was assigned to the 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, when he was forced to eject at high speed during a captive flight development test of a new air-to-air missile, April 30, 2002. The F-15 he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. Duricy’s body was never recovered. The F-15 dedicated in his honor has been painted to identify it as assigned to the 46th Test Wing, Duricy’s wing at the time of his death.
AEDC has supported the F-15 program with ground testing since before the final design was selected. Aerodynamic and store separation testing have been conducted. The F100, the powerhouse of the F-15, has also been tested by Team AEDC.
- F-16 Fighting Falcon – dedicated in memory of Maj. Gen. Winfield Harpe, U.S. Air Force. Harpe was on a training mission in Spain when his aircraft crashed, killing him, on Dec. 5, 1988. He was the commander of the 16th Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, at the time. Harpe logged more than 5,000 flying hours, including tours in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
AEDC has supported the F-16 program, beginning with the prototype, YF-16. Testing continued after selection of the design, and has included store separation testing, ejection testing and testing of the engines that can be used to power the aircraft, the F100 and the F110.
- F/A-18 Hornet - dedicated in memory of Lt. Cmdr. Frank Wittwer, U.S. Navy. Wittwer was assigned to the Strike Fighter Squadron Ninety Seven when he died Jan. 18, 2006, in a crash caused by mechanical failure during a night-time training mission over California. He was preparing for deployment. The plaque at the static display calls attention to his service during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, stating that he distinguished himself by flying through a storm of anti-aircraft fire to deliver his ordnance on target over Baghdad.
AEDC supported the F/A-18 program beginning with the prototype, the YF-17. Aerodynamic testing and store separation testing for associated payloads of the aircraft was conducted on the F/A-18, and engine testing of the F404 engine. Bird impact testing was conducted on the canopy for the F/A-18 by Team AEDC.
- F-105 Thunderchief – dedicated in memory of Lt. Gen. Robert Bond, U.S. Air Force. Bond was killed April 26, 1984, when the aircraft he was piloting crashed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Bond flew F-105s during missions in Southeast Asia and as a test pilot at the Nellis Air Force Base Fighter Weapons School.
AEDC supported the F-105 program with air inlet tests and store separation testing.