Photo Gallery

Airshow Planes

Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1A

This T.1A, serial number XX292, served with the Royal Air Force "Red Arrows" aerobatic team from 1979 to 2017. The Hawk is the second model of aircraft to be flown by the Red Arrows, following the Folland Gnat T.1 which served in this role from 1965 to 1979.

Grumman F11F-1 ⁄ F-11A Tiger

This F11F-1, serial number 141824, served with VF-211 "Flying Checkmates" on the USS Midway and USS Lexington. She was assigned to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team from 1967 to 1969, and became one of the two last Tigers to fly when she and fellow ex-Angel 141853 were temporarly un-retired from the boneyard to test a novel Rohr Industries in-flight thrust reverser system in 1974-1975. In-flight thrust reversing was adopted as a production feature on the Douglas DC-8-72, the Lockheed C-5B Galaxy, and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.

The Blue Angels operated Tigers from 1957 to 1969; prior aircraft were the Grumman Hellcat (1946), Grumman Bearcat (1946-1949), Grumman Panther (1949-1953), and Grumman Cougar (1953-1956), and subsequent aircraft are the Mcdonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II (1969-1973), the Douglas A4F Skyhawk II (1974-1985), the Mcdonnell Douglas F⁄A-18 Hornet (1986-2019), and now the Boeing F⁄A-18E⁄F Super Hornet (2020-present).

McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II

This Phantom II, serial number 66-0329, served with the Air Force "Thunderbirds" flight demonstration squadron from 1969 to 1974. It was never an operational fighter, as it was factory customized for the Thunderbirds with lead ballast in place of the nose radar and an empty gun fairing. It was later converted to an NF-4E chase plane in support of the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile test program at Edwards AFB.

The Phantom II was the only aircraft operated by both the Navy Blue Angels (F-4J) and the Air Force Thunderbirds (F-4E), although only briefly (1969-1973) as both teams switched to more economical aircraft after the 1973 oil crisis -- the A-4F Skyhawk II for the Blue Angels (1974-1986) and the T-38 Talon for the Thunderbirds (1974-1983). This was the only period in which the American military demonstration teams did not use front-line fighter aircraft.

Flight Central

McDonnell FD ⁄ FH-1 Phantom

This Phantom, serial number 111768, is one of three surviving examples of the U.S. Navy's first fully operational jet-powered carrier fighter. It served with Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-122 from 1947 to 1949, and then was briefly operated by Progressive Aero as a civilian jet trainer under the registration N4283A.

Grumman F-14A Tomcat

This F-14A-100-GR Tomcat, serial number 160684, served with VF-111 "Sundowners" on board the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and at NAS Miramar from 1978 to 1995. The squadron participated in the filming of the 1985 film "Top Gun".

Bell UH-1M Iroquois "Huey"

This UH-1M gunship helicopter, serial number 65-9430, was built as a UH-1C-BF and then upgraded to UH-1M configuration with the more powerful Lycoming T53-L-13 engine. She is displayed as a "Hog" Air Cavalry gunship configuration with the M21 Armament Subsystem carrying two seven-tube XM157 2.75-inch rocket launchers and two M134 "Minigun" Gatling machine guns. UH-1Ms were also compatible with the M22 Armament Subsystem carrying six AGM-22B (Nord SS.11) wire-guided anti-tank missiles, although these were rarely carried due to the scarcity of suitable targets. They often also mounted a pair of door gunner operated M60D medium machine guns on skeletonized swing-out "Sagami Mounts" in the main cabin doors.

Joyce M. Corrigan Women in Flight Gallery

Lockheed Model 10A ⁄ C-36A Electra

This Model 10A Electra, serial number 1011, is the oldest surviving example of the type. She was delivered to launch customer Northwest Airlines in 1934 with registration NC14260, and was taken into Army Air Corps service from 1942 to 1944 as C-36A 42-56638.

Beechcraft Model 18 "Twin Beech"

This Model S18D, serial number 177, was a passenger airliner for Prairie Airways Limited in Canada.

Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza

This Model N35, civil registration N9493Y, was owned by Marion Rice Hart and flown solo over the Atlantic seven times, as well as flown on every continent except Antarctica.

The Bonanza was one of the first significant general aviation aircraft produced after the end of World War II. Intended as a premium single engine aircraft for the high end market, the Bonanza made lavish use of advanced features pioneered by military aircraft, including an all-aluminum design, low-mounted wings, and retractable landing gear. The original Model 35 featured a signature butterfly tail and was produced from 1947 to 1982; a lower-end variant with a conventional tail was introduced in 1959 as the Model 33 Debonair, consolidating under the Bonzanza name in 1968 alongside the introduction of the stretched six-seat Model 36. While the V-tailed Model 35 remains the iconic Bonanza, it has been substantially outlived by its conventional half-sisters; the Model 33 remained in production until 1995, and the Model 36 is still produced to this day.

Learjet Model 23

This Model 23, civil registration N88B, was owned from 1968 to 1992 by prominent aviator Louise Timken. She was the first American woman to own and fly a jet aircraft, having held her pilot's license since 1943 when she became active in the Civil Air Patrol.

A twin-engine passenger derivative of the unsuccessful Swiss FFA P-16 fighter jet, the Model 23 was Learjet's debut aircraft and the first light business jet; 104 of these were built from 1964 to 1966.

Count Ferdinand von Galen Spirit of Freedom Gallery

Bell AH-1S Cobra

This AH-1S, serial number 70-15985, is an example of the baseline "Modified" step of the AH-1S upgrade program as opposed to the later "Production", "Upgunned", and "Modernized" steps. These U.S. Army Cobras were all relatively minor evolutionary refinements of the original Vietnam-era AH-1G, as opposed to the substantially different twin-engine AH-1J "SeaCobra" lineage adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps. Due to the cancellation of the AH-56 Cheyenne and slow initial production of the AH-64 Apache, Cobras remained in Army service until 2001.

Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II

This A-10A, serial number 75-0298, was the 47th production example and part of the first round of retirements in 1991-1992. It has been restored with the markings of the 358^th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355^th Tactical Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB.

Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird & D-21 Drone

This SR-71A, serial number 64-17951, was the second one produced and the oldest surviving example.

Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior (sn 93-0976)

Grumman F9F-8P ⁄ RF-9J Cougar

This F9F-8P, serial number 144426, was one of 110 photo-reconaissance conversions made from F9F-8 fighters. These have a heavily modified nose with the four 20mm autocannons removed in favor of camera equipment, and corresponding modifications to the cockpit. Notably, there are small ducts running from the engine compressor to the nose to provide hot bleed air for defrosting the camera windows and heating the camera compartment.

North American F-107A "Ultra Sabre"

This F-107A, serial number 55-5118, was the first of three prototypes built and one of two which was used for NACA high speed flight research after the rival Republic F-105 Thunderchief was selected for production. The variable-area intake duct introduced on the Ultra Sabre was used again by North American on the A-5 Vigilante, the XB-70 Valkyrie, and the XF-108 Rapier, and the more general concept of a variable geometry intake ramp was subsequently adopted on most later Cold War fighters. In addition, the high speed flight research test data contributed significantly to the XB-70 and the XF-108 programs.

Dorothy Finley Aerospace Gallery

Hangar 3

Hangar 4

Hangar 5

390^th Memorial Museum

The semi-independent 390^th Memorial Museum is specifically dedicated to the 390^th Bombardment Group (H), a U.S. Army Air Force strategic bomber unit which operated in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. The 390^th was the last of the "second wind" of USAAC heavy bomber units deployed to reinforce VIII Bomber Command in 1943, and carried out over 300 bombing sorties between 12 August 1943 and 20 April 1945.

The 390th Bombardment Group is also the ancestral unit to the 390^th Strategic Missile Wing, the U.S. Air Force's first LGM-25C Titan II strategic missile unit, which was organized in 1962 and served until inactivation in 1984.

U.S. Air Force & Other Fighters

McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle

This F-15A-12-MC, serial number 74-0118, spent most of her career as a training aircraft with the 325^th Tactical Training Wing. She was retired in 1992 and then loaned to Pima in 1993.

McDonnell Douglas F-110 Spectre ⁄ F-4C Phantom II

This Phantom, serial number 64-0673, served with multiple USAF units from 1965 to 1987 including combat deployments in Vietnam and Thailand. It scored an air-to-air kill against a Vietnamese MiG-17 on 20 May 1967, and has been restored to the markings of the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing.

Republic F-105G Thunderchief

Republic F-105D Thunderchief

Convair F-102 Delta Dart

North American F-100C Super Sabre

Lockheed P-80B Shooting Star

McDonnell F-101B Voodoo

Lockheed F-104D Starfighter

General Dynamics F-111E "Aardvark"

Panavia Tornado ADF

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MLD "Flogger-K"

Republic F-84C Thunderjet

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak

General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon

This F-16A Block 10D, serial number 80-0527, served with the U.S. Air Force (1981-1989), the Alabama Air Naitonal Guard (1989-1992), and finally the Arizona Air National Guard (1992-2002). It wears its final service colors from the 162^nd Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard.

General Dynamics F-16B Fighting Falcon

Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star

US Navy Fighters

North American FJ-4B Fury

McDonnell F2H-2P Banshee

Douglas F-6A Skyray

Grumman F9F-4 Panther

McDonnell F3H2 Demon

Douglas A4D Skyhawk

Vought F8U-1 ⁄ F-8A ⁄ DF-8A Crusader

This F8U-1 Crusader, serial number 144427, was one of several retired Crusaders that were converted into DF-8F drone controllers in 1963, operating QF-8 Cougar drones at the Atlantic Fleet Missile Range. It has been restored with the markings of Utility Squadron 8 (VC-8).

McDonnell Douglas YF-4J Phantom II

North American A3J ⁄ RA-5C Vigilante

serial number 149289

McDonnell Douglas F⁄A-18A Hornet

Early U.S. & Foreign Fighters

Hawker Kestrel FGA.1

This aircraft, Royal Air Force serial number XS690 (also USAF serial 64-18264), is one of the nine original Kestrel FGA.1s which were produced for joint operational evaluation by the United Kingdom, West Germany, and the United States. More specifically, it is one of six Kestrals that were sold on to the United States for a second round of operational testing under the experimental designation XV-6A. Four of the XV-6As are preserved in American aerospace museums and one was sent back to England.

Hawker-Siddeley TAV-8A Harrier

The AV-8A is the U.S. Marine Corps' version of the original production Harrier GR.1, built by Hawker-Siddeley and exported to the United States. The AV-8A differs from the original GR.1 in eliminating the use of magnesium components in order to improve corrosion resistance, switching out the ejection seats and avionics for American ones, and adding additional wiring for AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on the outer wiwng pylons. In addition, most AV-8As are fitted with the upgraded Rolls-Royce Pegasus 11 (F402-RR-103) engine of the Harrier GR.3. This aircraft, serial number 15-9382, is one of eight TAV-8A two-seat trainers which served from 1971 to 1986 when they were replaced by TAV-8Bs.

Hawker-Siddeley Harrier GR.3

This GR.3, serial number XV804, was crippled after a crash landing in October 1977 but continued to serve as a ground instructional airframe until 2012 when all British Harriers were given up as surplus.

British Aerospace Sea Harrier FA.2

The Sea Harrier FRS.1 was the second operational member of the Harrier family, developed in the late 1970s specifically for the Royal Navy's Invincible class "through deck cruisers". Thirty-three Sea Harriers were upgraded to the FA.2 configuration with a new nose housing a Ferranti "Blue Vixen" radar and a stretched fuselage to accomodate major avionics improvements, and a further eighteen were factory built as FA.2s. This Sea Harrier, serial number ZH810, was one of the four final "Shars" which were ordered in 1994 and delivered in 1999. It is the only museum Sea Harrier in the entire United States.

Hawker-Siddeley AV-8C Harrier

The AV-8C is a relatively minor avionics upgrade and service life extension of the AV-8A, with forty-seven aircraft being converted to this configuration from 1979 to 1984 in order to supplement the second generation McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II. This AV-8C is serial number 15-9241, service history unknown.

British Aerospace Harrier II GR.5

The Harrier II GR.5 is the British counterpart of the McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, placing it in the odd position of being the British version of an American version of an originally British aircraft. This GR.5, serial number ZD353, was crippled by an in-flight fire and crash landing in July 1991 but continued to serve as a ground instructional airframe until 2012 when all British Harriers were given up as surplus.

Dassault Étendard IVM

This Étendard IVM, serial number 21, served the French Aéronavale from 1958 to 1987. The Étendards were France's first indigenously designed carrier-borne jet aircraft in France, with the then-new aircraft carriers Clemenceau (R98)) and Foch (R99) originally carrying ten IVM strike variants and ten IVP recon variants each. This aircraft was repainted as "60" by the Intrepid Air-Sea Museum.

SEPECAT Jaguar GR.3A

This Jaguar GR.3A, serial number XZ396, served with 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1977 to 2005, including nuclear standby until 1994 and combat deployment in the First Gulf War. The Jaguar was an international joint venture between Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation, originally intended as a supersonic trainer with secondary light attack capability and ultimately evolving into a full-fledged nuclear strike fighter. This aircraft has been restored in the highly distinctive desert pink color scheme used by RAF Jaguars during Operation Granby.

Trainers

Helicopters

Mil Mi-24D Hind

This Mi-24D, serial number B4002, was part of one of the East German Air Force's two Hind squadrons (KHG-3 and KHG-5) and was retained by the reunified German Air Force as "96+21". It was donated to the Imperial War Museum after being retired in 1993, then loaned to Pima in 2012.

Bombers

Martin JRM Mars "Phillipine Mars"

This JRM-1 Mars, serial number 76820, is one of seven very large flying boats built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The original prototype Mars was designed as a long range patrol bomber, but was subsequently converted into a heavy transport aircraft. The Navy then ordered two hundred production Mars transports, but due to the end of the war only the first six were completed. All six production aircraft were assigned to the Naval Air Transport Service's Fleet Tactical Support Squadron 2 (VR-2) at Alameda, California.

Convair B-36J Featherweight III "City of Fort Worth"

This B-36J-10-CF, serial number 52-2827, was the very last B-36 made. She was completed on 1 July 1954 and served with the 95^th Bomb Wing until 12 February 1959. After retirement, she passed through several different museums in Texas before being transferred to Pima in 2003 and fully restored in 2009.

Boeing NB-52A Stratofortress "The High and Mighty One"

This B-52A Stratofortress, serial number 52-0003, was the last of three B-52As built and the oldest Stratofortress still in existence. She served as a Boeing test aircraft and then a mothership for NASA's X-15 rocket plane. She wears the unique orange color accents used for the NASA "mothership" B-52s during the 1950s and 1960s.

Boeing B-52D Stratofortress "Lone Star Lady"

This B-52D-20-BW, serial number 55-0067, flew "Arc Light" strategic bombing missions over Vietnam as part of the 307th Strategic Wing, forward deployed out of U-Tapao air base in Thailand. She was retired from active duty service in 1982 and loaned to Pima in 1984.

Boeing B-52G Stratofortress "Valkyrie"

This B-52G, serial number 58-0183, was part of the second batch of B-52G orders placed in 1958. B-52Gs featured substantial technial refinements over older versions of the bomber, including a "wet" wing with integral fuel tanks, smaller but permanently mounted 700-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks, a shorter vertical tail, and a remotely manned tail gun with new Avco-Crosley AN⁄ASG-15 fire control system. She is restored with the markings of the 2^nd Bombardment Wing.

English Electric ⁄ Martin B-57E Canberra

This B-57E-MA, serial number 55-4274, was one of 68 target tug versions built; these also had dual controls for use as trainers.

Convair B-58A Hustler

This B-58A, serial number 61-2080, was the last delivered out of 116 built. She is displayed in the colors of the 305th Bombardment Wing at Grissom AFB.

Electronic Warfare Aircraft

Boeing EB-47E Stratojet

This B-47E-55DT Stratojet, serial number 53-2135, is one of approximately forty aircraft converted to the EB-47E jammers under "Project Blue Cradle" in April 1964. The permanently installed belly pod identifies this as a "Phase V" as opposed to "Phase IV" Blue Cradle aircraft, with thirteen frequency-selective jamming units controlled by two electronic warfare officers. She is restored with the markings of the 376^th Bombardment Wing, Medium.

Lockheed EC-121T Warning Star

This EC-121T, serial number 53-0554, served with the U.S. Air Force from 1955 until 1974. An Air Force version of the Navy's WV-2 radar plane, the EC-121D was a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation airframe fitted with dorsal AN⁄APS-45 height finder radar (later upgraded to AN⁄APS-103) and a ventral AN⁄APS-20 search radar (later upgraded to AN⁄APS-AN/APS-95). The Air Force purchased 74 of these (plus 10 TC-121C trainers), with 42 later being upgraded to the improved EC-121H version and 22 being upgraded to the final EC-121T in 1969-1970. Of these final conversions, fifteen (including this one) were EC-121Ds and seven were EC-121Hs.

Tankers

Boeing KB-50J Superfortress

This Superfortress, serial number 49-0372, served with the 4505th Air Refueling Wing after tanker conversion. The KB-50J was an aerial refueling tanker capable of refueling three fighter aircraft at a time using probe-and-drogue equipment; roughly one-third of B-50s were converted into tankers, although they only served in this role for about eight years before being retired due to metal fatigue and corrosion issues.

Boeing KC-97G Stratofreighter

This KC-97G Stratofreighter, serial number 53-0151, served with the 9^th Strategic Aerospace Wing. The KC-97 was a tanker derivative of the C-97 Stratofreight transport, which was in turn based on the B-29 Superfortress bomber. Since it was designed to refuel jet aircraft, the KC-97 carried 13,600 gallons of jet fuel for the refueling boom, although in an emergency it could also use its own aviation fuel.

Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker "Weightless Wonder V"

This Stratotanker, serial number 63-7998 and civil registration N931NA, served as an Air Force tanker from 1963 to 1993 and then as a NASA Reduced Gravity Research Program aircraft from 1995 to 2004. NASA also used 931 as an advance scout for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. She was the last operational KC-135A, and as her name implies, the fifth aircraft used in the "Vomet Comet" role.

Transport & Utility Aircraft

Budd RB-1 Conestoga

This RB-1 Conestoga, serial number 39307 and civil registration N33308, is the only surviving example of seventeen built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The Conestoga is unique in being built out of stainless steel rather than aircraft aluminum; while very few were built before both the Navy and the Army Air Forces canceled their orders, the design pioneered then-radical features that were adopted on almost all subsequent military transports, such as a raised flight deck over an unobstructed cargo deck which could be loaded and unloaded via an integral rear ramp.

NASA Aircraft

Aero Spacelines B-377-SG Super Guppy

This Super Guppy, serial number 52-2693 and civil registrations N1038V and N940NS, is a unique, heavily modified Boeing 377-10-26 Stratocruiser with an enlarged fuselage combined with the wings, engines, and forward fuselage of an experimental prototype YC-97J Stratofreighter with Pratt & Whitney YT34-P-5 turboprop engines. Two "production" Super Guppy Turbines with scratch built original fuselages and Allison 501-D22C turbobprops were built as follow-ons in the 1970s, followed by two more in the 1980s. All five aircraft were used by NASA to transport space launch components, most famously the entire S-IVB third stage of the Saturn V moon rocket.

Presidential & VIP Aircraft

Douglas VC-118A Liftmaster

Lockheed VC-121A Constellation "Columbine"

Boeing VC-137B Stratoliner "Freedom One"

Lockheed VC-140B Jetstar

Sikorsky VH-34C Choctaw

Commercial & Civil Aircraft

Beechcraft 2000A Starship

This Starship, serial number NC-23 and registration N39TU, was one of the last initial production Model 2000s. The improved Model 2000A was never formally serialized as a seperate model, and Beech produced upgrade kits to convert 2000s into 2000As.

Lockheed L-049 ⁄ C-69 Constellation "Star of Switzerland"

This C-69-5-LO Constellation, serial number 42-94549 and civil registration N90831, was pressed into Army Air Corps service From June 1945 to March 1946, then returned to Trans World Airlines where it flew scheduled passenger service until 1961. It was then briefly leased to a variety of small airlines from 1962 to 1965, held by various sales bbrokers from 1965 to 1970, and finally donated to Pima in 1971. It is the only remaining original C-69.

Boeing 737-300 Classic

This 737-3Q8, serial number 27286 and civil registration N759BA, was built for the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) and leased to China Southern Airlines.

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

This Dreamliner is the second prototype 787-8, serial number ZA002 and civil registration N787EX. Although not a delivered production aircraft, it wears the livery of launch customer All Nippon Airlines.

Fire Fighters

Miscellaneous

Boeing YC-14

This aircraft, serial number 72-1873, was the first of two prototypes built to compete for the Advanced Medium STOL Transport competition to replace the C-130 Hercules in the tactical medium transport role. The Air Force ultimately decided not to procure either AMST design, and instead initiated the C-X program for a larger strategic transport, which ultimately led to the C-17 Globemaster III (which was based on the rival YC-15).