3247th Test Squadron General Dynamics F-16A Block 15A Fighting Falcon 80-0573

The 3246th Test Wing was a flight test component of the Air Proving Ground Center, later Armament Division, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and was activated 1 July 1970 to provide weapon and countermeasures test duties. It was replaced by the 46th Test Wing in October 1992. This unit is notable for operating the last active-duty USAF

F-4D Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and ...

(''68-8800''), relegated to the Eglin target range in July 1992. It carried the logo "Phantoms Phorever 1963–1992". ''68-8800'' has been sitting on the ramp at Pierce Field (Eglin Auxiliary Field #2) since retirement. It is there in 2012.Thornbororough, Anthony M., and Davies, Peter E., "The Phantom Story", Arms and Armour Press, A Cassell Imprint, London, UK, 1994, , page 278.

History

Assigned to the 3246th Test Wing was the 3247th Test Squadron, which inherited F-4C/D/E and

RF-4C Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and ...

aircraft formerly assigned to the Air Proving Ground Center's 4533d Test Wing. The 3247th aircraft carried AD and ET tail codes, and a white tailband with red diamonds.

Components

* 6585th Test Group, 1 January 1984 – 1 October 1992 * 3247th Test Squadron, 1 July 1970 – 1 October 1992 (inactivated and consolidated with 40th Tactical Fighter Squadron)

Stations

* Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 1 July 1970 – 1 October 1992

Aircraft

A-10A Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republic ...

* YA-10B Thunderbolt II *

C-131B Samaritan The Convair C-131 Samaritan is an American twin-engined military transport produced from 1954 to 1956 by Convair. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240 family of airliners.Gradidge 1997, p. 20–21. Design and development The design ...

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...

* F-4 Phantom II *

* F-15 Eagle *

F-15E Strike Eagle The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed interdiction without rely ...

* F-16 Fighting Falcon *

F-100D Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of US ...

* General Dynamics F-111A *

General Dynamics F-111E The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production variants of the F-111 had roles that included ground attack (e.g. interdiction), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons c ...

T-38 Talon The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first, and the most produced, supersonic trainer. The T-38 remains in service in several air forces. The United States Air Force (USAF) operates the most ...

CT-39A Sabreliner The North American Sabreliner, later sold as the Rockwell Sabreliner, is an American mid-sized business jet developed by North American Aviation. It was offered to the United States Air Force (USAF) in response to its Utility Trainer Experimen ...

* HH-1H, UH-1N Huey *

UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( ...

References

* Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History, 1994. {{ISBN, 0-88740-513-4. Image source listed as United States Air Force Military units and formations established in 1970