Warbird Information Exchange

U.S. Airmen from the 325th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron tow a retired F-22 Raptor onto the flight line to be loaded onto a C-5 Galaxy at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Dec. 9, 2022. The F-22 is being taken to Hill Aerospace Museum located at Hill AFB Utah, to be put on display. (U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Jacob Dastas)

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When I was young "sex was safe & flying was dangerous".

An early/test ship, or a high time/damaged airframe?

One of the prototypes was flown onto the runway, gear up, due to a software glitch. It wasn't that badly damsged, it it survives, I would think it could be made into a static display.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

This is a Block 20 airframe that had already been relegated to a maintenance training airframe at Tyndall.

All of the Block 20s have previously been assigned to training-only duty, and the decision was made to retire them based on the expense of upgrading them to combat-capable.

It was part of a wider cost-cutting effort to better fund the 6th Gen/NGAD fighter.

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Thanks for the insight Randy, I too was wondering what airframe/block was avaialbe. When I saw the headline I was thinking it may have been one of the quite a few hanger queens or those that were in major depot level repair that could not be flown out in time and received heavy damage from the hurricane.

Hill AFB museum just really needs to give Wendover Airfield thier B-29. . . . then they can have more money to restore the other airframes they have. I mean, Doc looked great in the 393rd Hangar. . .



Tom P

For what it's worth, the F-22 at NMUSAF, 91-4003, is both. It was one of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) airframes[1] and was overstressed in flight testing:

(Source: F-16.net)

The airframe Hill received is its sister ship, 91-4002.[2]

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

Any spare sections still available from China Lake?
Or...
Any Air Force base collections looking to downsize?I

Why not ask Kermit if your group could give his a temporary home?
He doesn't seem to be doing much with it.
Worst he can do is say no.

Dry Utah would be better than humid Florida.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.