New England Air Museum gets an F-15C

[Duggy009]

Col. Michael 'Shot' Glass, 104th Fighter Wing Operations Group Commander, flew F-15C aircraft 85-101 from Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Massachusetts, to Bradley Air National Guard Base, East Granby, Connecticut, for its final flight before being retired and donated to the New England Air Museum, July 22, 2024. Donating the F15 to the museum ensures the preservation of the F-15's accomplished history and air superiority since 1979.
(U.S Air National Guard Photos by Jay Hewitt)

[JohnB]

We might see static collections getting more of these if the purchase of new F-15EXs goes forward.
I was reading a UK publication discussing issues with the US fighter program. The AF wants to retire early F-22s, the F-35 is too expensive, and everyone is trying to second guess the Chinese.
And it's an election year....
So, we'll likely end up with a new version of Sabres or Phantoms

Is the F-15 the longest produced fighter in history?

Having said that, they are, in my subjective opinion, rather boring to look at.

[phil65]

I think NEAM already has an F-15...

Phil

[junkman9096]

Is the F-15 the longest produced fighter in history?

Having said that, they are, in my subjective opinion, rather boring to look at.

What? You got a problem with grey over a slightly different grey with black stenciling? Future modeling enthusiasts won't have to worry about interpreting colors from black and white images, so there's that.

[phil65]

I think NEAM already has an F-15...

Phil

Maybe I'm thinking F-14...

Phil

Last edited by phil65 on Wed Jul 24, 2024 11:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

[quemerford]

Having said that, they are, in my subjective opinion, rather boring to look at.

You know that saying, "If you're tired of xxxx, you're tired of life"?

I saw my first F-15 back in 1976 (late starter), have handled them up-close and still see them today. I doubt I've ever found them boring to look at. Horses for courses I know, but....

[JohnB]

Quemerford
Don't take it personally, It just something about them I've never warmed up to.
Not a bad looking plane, just slightly characterless...something not helped by their color schemes. With the F-4 and F-16 as you walked around them you'd notice features, not so much here.

I saw my first in 1976 at Luke when they were "Air Superiority Blue" with white and red anti-collision stripes.

[lucky52]

I see the wheels being chocked and it looks like the engines are shutdown, but that airman's shirt looks awfully close to the intake for #2. Alls well that ends well.

[sandiego89]

I noted the kill marking on 85-101. Iraqi MiG-25, January 19, 1991.

[Randy Haskin]

I see the wheels being chocked and it looks like the engines are shutdown, but that airman's shirt looks awfully close to the intake for #2. Alls well that ends well.

If you look at the shadow footprint of the airplane, that fire bottle is a ways away from the intake.

But...the intake is still angled down, meaning that the #2 engine is still operating.

[Sabremech]

Wow! What a blast from the past! I crewed this airplane in Tabuk Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. I believe the MiG kill painted on it was for downing a MiG 25. Very cool to see it’s still around. We left them in Saudi Arabia and ended up getting Bitburg AB’s old F-15’d as these did not have many hours on them when we deployed.
Thanks for the memories!
David

[Sabremech]

Duplicate post. Ugh

[Jerry O'Neill]

I see the wheels being chocked and it looks like the engines are shutdown, but that airman's shirt looks awfully close to the intake for #2. Alls well that ends well.

That is a normal procedure before shut down. Engines are at idle as the crew goes under the aircraft to check it out, check the tires for damage and pin the landing gear before shut down. Nothing out of the normal operating standards here.

[lucky52]

Thank you Jerry. My only observation was that airman's shirt hanging on the fire extinguisher looked close to the #2 intake. Randy Haskin stated that it not really that close. It's all good.

[Randy Haskin]

I see the wheels being chocked and it looks like the engines are shutdown, but that airman's shirt looks awfully close to the intake for #2. Alls well that ends well.

That is a normal procedure before shut down. Engines are at idle as the crew goes under the aircraft to check it out, check the tires for damage and pin the landing gear before shut down. Nothing out of the normal operating standards here.

He's talking about the ABU blouse that is hanging on the fire bottle.