Hill Aerospace Museum get a F-22

[Duggy009]

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)

[JohnB]

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.

[Randy Haskin]

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.

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.

[sandiego89]

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.

[wendovertom]

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

[Noha307]

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

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:

Airframe was overstressed during tests with two external tanks. G-load limiter was exceeded when control was lost after the aircraft passed through the wake of an F-16. Maximum was to be 7.3 Gs but actually climbed to 11.7 Gs. Flight control software was found to be the problem. The aircraft landed safely but never flew again.

(Source: F-16.net)

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

[JohnB]

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

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.