418th Flight Test Squadron
418th Flight Test Squadron |
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The 418th Flight Test Squadron is a
The first predecessor of the
The squadron was briefly active in the reserve from 1947 to 1949, but does not appear to have been fully equipped or assigned enough aircrew. It served from 1959 to 1962 as a Boeing B-47 Stratojet squadron in Strategic Air Command.
The second predecessor of the squadron was activated in 1989 as the 6518th Test Squadron. The two squadrons were consolidated in 1992 as the 418th Test Squadron and have served in the flight test role.
Mission
The 418th conducts developmental flight testing on the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, and partner nation airlift and air refueling aircraft as the lead unit for the Global Reach Combined Test Force.
History
World War II
Training in the United States
The first predecessor of the
The 418th completed its training and departed
Combat in Europe
The squadron established itself at its combat station,
From January to May 1944, the 418th attacked airfields, industrial targets,
The squadron was occasionally diverted from strategic bombing to perform
The squadron flew its last mission on 20 April 1945. Following,
"Bloody Hundredth"
Starting with the Regensburg mission of August 1943, the squadrons of the 100th Bombardment Group began suffering losses among the highest in
Air Force Reserve
The squadron was again activated in the
Strategic Air Command
From 1958, the
Flight Testing
The squadron's second predecessor was organized on 10 March 1989 as the 6518th Test Squadron at
It supported test programs for miscellaneous large aircraft. It also managed small test programs including the
In 2000 the number of
On 1 May 2015, the
Starting in 2019, the squadron began Phase III testing of the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus. Prior phases of Pegasus testing had been led by
Lineage
- 418th Bombardment Squadron
- Constituted as the 28th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
- Redesignated 418th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942
- Activated on 1 June 1942
- Redesignated 418th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943
- Inactivated on 19 December 1945
- Redesignated 418th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947
- Activated in the reserve on 29 May 1947
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Redesignated 418th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 1 December 1958
- Activated on 1 March 1959
- Discontinued and inactivated on 1 January 1962
- Consolidated with the 6518th Test Squadron as the 6518th Test Squadron on 1 October 1992[1]
- 418th Flight Test Squadron
- Designated as the 6518th Test Squadron and activated on 10 March 1989
- Consolidated with the 418th Bombardment Squadron on 1 October 1992
- Redesignated 418th Test Squadron on 2 October 1992
- Redesignated 418th Flight Test Squadron on 1 March 1994[1]
Assignments
- 100th Bombardment Group, 1 June 1942 – 19 December 1945
- 100th Bombardment Group, 29 May 1947 – 27 June 1949
- 100th Bombardment Wing, 1 March 1959 – 1 January 1962
- 6510th Test Wing (later 412th Test Wing), 10 March 1989
- 412th Operations Group, 1 October 1993 – present[1]
Stations
- Orlando Army Air Base, Florida 1 June 1942
- Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 18 June 1942
- Pendleton Field, Oregon, 26 June 1942
- Gowen Field, Idaho, 28 August 1942
- Walla Walla Army Air Field, Washington, 31 October 1942
- Wendover Field, Utah, 30 November 1942
- Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 6 January 1943
- Kearney Army Air Field, Nebraska, 4 February – 1 May 1943
- RAF Thorpe Abbotts (Station 139),[28] England, 2 June 1943 – 11 December 1945
- Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 17–19 December 1945
- Miami Army Air Field (later Miami International Airport), Florida, 29 May 1947 – 27 June 1949
- Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, 1 March 1959 – 30 April 1966
- Edwards Air Force Base, California, 10 March 1989 – present[1]
Aircraft
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945[21]
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1959–1961[21]
- Lockheed MC-130H Hercules, 1989–1994[21]
- Lockheed AC-130U Hercules, 1990–1995[21]
- Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, 1993–1998[citation needed]
- Short C-23 Sherpa, 1993–1997[citation needed]
- North American T-39 Sabreliner, 1993–present[citation needed]
- Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, 1995–present[22]
- Lockheed NC-130H Hercules, 1995–present[citation needed]
- Beechcraft C-12 Huron, 1997–present[citation needed]
- Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey, 2000–present[citation needed]
- EC-18B Stratoliner, 2000–2001[22]
- Boeing NKC-135E, 2000–2006[22]
- Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, 2000–present[22]
- Slingsby T-3 Firefly[22]
- Beechcraft T-6 Texan I[22] I
- Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules[22]
- Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, 2019 – present[24]
Awards and campaigns
Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Distinguished Unit Citation |
17 August 1943 | Germany, 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Distinguished Unit Citation | 4, 6, 8 March 1944 | Berlin, Germany, 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
1 January 1996–31 December 1996 | 418th Flight Test Squadron[1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1997–31 December 1998 | 418th Flight Test Squadron[1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 2010–31 December 2011 | 418th Flight Test Squadron[1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 2012–31 December 2012 | 418th Flight Test Squadron[1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 2013–31 December 2013 | 418th Flight Test Squadron[1] | |
French Croix de Guerre with Palm |
25 June 1944 –31 December 1944 | 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] |
Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Air Offensive, Europe | 2 June 1943 – 5 June 1944 | 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Air Combat, EAME Theater | 2 June 1943 – 11 May 1945 | 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Normandy | 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 | 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Northern France | 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 | 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Rhineland | 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 | 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Ardennes-Alsace | 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 | 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Central Europe | 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 | 418th Bombardment Squadron[1] |
See also
References
Notes
- Explanatory notes
- proper, all within a diminished bordureYellow.
- ^ Approved 9 June 1961. Description: On an Air Force blue disc bordered white, the border edged Air Force golden yellow, fimbriated red, below six stars in formation fesswise, three and three, four contrails issuing from dexter chief, radiating to sinister base, surmounted by a griffin rampant brandishing a sword in his right claw, all white; the griffin poised on the upper and lower of three red steps; on the border two red lightning flashes arched between three Air Force golden yellow stars fimbriated red, one in chief, one in dexter and one in sinister, all above two green olive branches arched, one in dexter base and one in sinister base.
- ^ Approved 4 October 1943.
- 95th Bombardment Group.
- ^ This plane, named Rosie's Riveter, was lost in the spring of 1945, but its crew was able to bail out in Russian held territory.
- ^ Aircraft is McDonnell Douglas YC-17A Lot I Globemaster III, serial 87-0025, manufacturer's number T-1. This aircraft was essentially hand-built in 1990 as the first USAF C-17. The aircraft retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force and arrived there on 25 April 2012.
- ^ Aircraft is Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker serial 61-0320. Shown landing after making first ever successful air-to-air refueling with an F-35 on 12 March 2008.
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac "Factsheet 418 Flight Test Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- ^ Endicott, p. 794
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 512
- ^ a b c d e Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 171-172
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 433-436
- ^ a b c d e f Freeman, pp. 246-247
- ^ Freeman, pp. 67-68
- ^ Freeman, p.114
- ^ Freeman, p. 115
- ^ Freeman, pp. 68-69
- ^ Freeman, p. 75
- ^ Freeman, p. 77
- ^ Freeman, p. 116
- ^ Freeman, p. 178
- ^ Freeman, p. 204
- ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 230-231
- ^ See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 512 (no aircraft listed as assigned to the squadron from 1947 to 1949)
- ^ "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ a b Schake, p. 220 (note 43)
- ^ a b "Abstract (Unclassified), History of the Strategic Bomber since 1945 (Top Secret, downgraded to Secret)". Air Force History Index. 1 April 1975. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d e No byline. "Factsheet 418th Flight Test Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 31 January 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rogers[page needed].
- ^ Fabara, Jet (7 May 2015). "Test Ops bids farewell, consolidates into three other units". 412th Test Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
- ^ No byline (2023). "Rapid Dragon: Delivers Palletized Cruise Missile from Cargo Aircraft". U.S. Air Force News. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ No byline (23 August 2021). "Our 418th Flight Test Squadron participated in Rapid Dragon program's first system-level demonstration of palletized munitions". U.S. Air Force News. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ Thuloweit, Kenji (11 October 2018). "418th FLTS completes 10-year support of NASA Orion parachute tests". U.S. Air Force News. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ Station number in Anderson, p. 21.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Endicott, Judy G. (1998). Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ASIN B000113MB2. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-87938-638-2.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Rogers, Brian. (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
- Schake, Col Kurt W. (1998). Strategic Frontier: American Bomber Bases Overseas, 1950–1960 (PDF). Trondheim, Norway: Norwegian University of Science and Technology. ISBN 978-8277650241. Retrieved 27 July 2015.