Free Republic

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....

PALMDALE - The latest, and largest, addition to the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Air Force Plant 42 is readying for its debut. The massive B-52 Stratofortress bomber is undergoing restoration and reassembly at the airpark at Avenue P and 25th Street East. Thanks to mostly favorable weather conditions and speedy work, the project is expected to be completed by next week, about half the originally estimated time, said Tim Hughes, deputy Public Works director. The city hired Oklahoma-based Turnlow Company to complete the project. "They were highly recommended," Hughes said. The company, one of three which submitted bids to...

PALMDALE - The next addition to the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 didn't have far to travel. The city purchased the T-33 jet trainer for $30,000 from co-owners Frank Motter and Lyle Straider. The aircraft was visible on Motter's property at 90th Street West and Avenue D-4, where it was decorated with lights and a Santa in the cockpit during the holidays. The location made the purchase simple, with very little required in transportation costs and logistics, said Tim Hughes, assistant Public Works director for Palmdale. The aircraft was disassembled into three parts, to more...

PALMDALE - Voting unanimously and without discussion, the City Council agreed Wednesday to spend about $248,000 to bring a B-52 Stratofortress to the Plant 42 Heritage Airpark. Although none of the 1950s-era bombers were built at Plant 42 by The Boeing Co., some have been modified at the military facility for the testing of other aircraft, and some B-52s assigned to Edwards Air Force Base have used Plant 42 for refueling as well as practice takeoffs and landings. The city is interested in acquiring the plane not because of its affiliation with Plant 42 but because of its role in...

PALMDALE - A Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, one of a fleet of roughly 250 built and tested at Plant 42 between 1968 and 1985, could become the latest addition at the city's Heritage Airpark. The City Council has authorized staff to acquire an L-1011 for display at the airpark, a 26-acre facility on the north side of Rancho Vista Boulevard (Avenue P) between 20th and 25th streets east. The park was created for the display of approximately 40 aircraft designed, built, modified or flight tested in Palmdale. The cost of buying the plane will be $60,000, and the cost of getting...

PALMDALE - A crowd of men, women and children spent Saturday afternoon admiring what might soon be the fastest racing car on Earth. The glossy red "North American Eagle" used to be an F-104 jet fighter that was flown at Edwards Air Force Base by test pilots Pete Knight, Chuck Yeager, Scott Crossfield and Joe Engle. "It looks like a real jet," 8-year-old Michael Mayes said. He was admiring the sleek beauty with his grandfather, Everett Mayes, who volunteers at the Plant 42 Heritage Airpark where the Eagle was on display Saturday. This week the North American Eagle team will...

PALMDALE - An F-104 jet fighter that once served flight test duty at Edwards Air Force Base is coming home, but with a much different purpose. The North American Eagle, built from the F-104 fuselage, is a jet-engine-powered car intended to break the world's land speed record. The vehicle will be on display Saturday at the Plant 42 Heritage Airpark before the team sets out for test runs at El Mirage Dry Lake next week. The free viewing is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the airpark on Avenue P just east of 20th Street East. Members of the...

PALMDALE - Congressman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon on Friday toured the Palmdale Plant 42 Heritage Airpark, a collection of aircraft that were designed, produced, tested, flown or modified at the U.S. Air Force's Plant 42. The nine aircraft and a model of a B-2 Spirit were donated by various military branches and aerospace companies, and pieced together and refurbished by volunteers. "I'm impressed with their wealth of talent and dedication," Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford told McKeon, speaking about the volunteers. "Everything here has been done by their own hands. They have such extensive knowledge of aerospace, there is nothing they...

PALMDALE - It took more than six years and thousands of volunteer hours to transform a dusty corner into the Palmdale Plant 42 Heritage Airpark, a showcase for the many noteworthy aircraft conceived, designed, tested and built at the nearby facilities. Lovingly restored aircraft were silhouetted against the setting sun Friday night as guests gathered beneath an elegant tent to celebrate and officially dedicate the airpark and recognize the tremendous efforts of volunteers and donors to make it a reality. "There aren't many monuments dedicated to what (aerospace workers) have done," Mayor Jim Ledford said. "This is the beginning. This...