Stratofortress now bunking at Heritage Airpark

Valley Press ^ | Saturday, January 12, 2008.

[BenLurkin]

PALMDALE - A B-52 Stratofortress that once was on display at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds now graces the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Air Force Plant 42. Transported in pieces to Palmdale in June, the massive bomber is the biggest of more than a dozen planes on display at the municipal airpark, which was created to showcase aircraft with links to Palmdale.

Although none of the 1950s-era bombers were built at Plant 42, some have been modified there, and some B-52s assigned to Edwards Air Force Base have used Plant 42 for refueling as well as practice takeoffs and landings.

The airpark on Avenue P at 25th Street East also contains an F-86 Sabre, an F-100 Super Sabre, an F-104 Starfighter, an F-105 Thunderchief, an A-4C Skyhawk, an F-4 Phantom, an A-7 Corsair, an F-5 Tiger, an F-101 Voodoo, an F-14 Tomcat, a C-140 that once saw duty for NASA, a T-38 Talon, a trainer related to the F-5 fighter and a Burt Rutan-designed Triumph. Alongside is a scale model of the B-2 stealth bomber, appearing as if in flight.

[Travis McGee]

Kewl.