F-15 “Eagle” Aircraft arrives at Stafford Air and Space Museum
The recently arrived F-15 “Eagle” is seen during reassembly outside of the Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
WEATHERFORD, OKLA. - The Stafford Air and Space Museum continues to add to its collection of highly historic aircraft with the arrival of an F-15 “Eagle” airplane, seen above. This legendary aircraft will now be a permanent exhibit, proudly displayed outside for everyone to see and admire. It is being placed near the restored T-33 “Shooting Star” plane which was recently elevated over the entrance of what will become the new and extensive seven-acre, STEM-based “Shooting Star” city park.
On April 24th, the Smithsonian-Affiliated museum took possession of a McDonnell Douglas F-15A “Eagle,” – one of America’s current key top-line fighter aircraft. The aircraft was delivered from the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio to Weatherford by a division of Polar King Transportation that specializes in moving military aircraft. The F-15 was reassembled and installed outdoors on a custom concrete pad to the southwest of the museum entrance.
The F-15 is a twin-engine, high-performance, all-weather air superiority fighter. It first entered Air Force service in the mid-1970’s, and with various upgrades, the Eagle continues to be one of the world’s most dominating fighter aircraft. Able to hit speeds of nearly 1,900 mph, the F-15 was the first U.S. fighter with an engine thrust greater than the basic weight of the aircraft, allowing it to fly not only straight up, but to accelerate while doing so.
This specific aircraft (S/N 76-027) was provided to the Stafford Museum after being on display inside the National Museum of the United States Air Force for nearly 30 years. The aircraft is still complete with its two huge Pratt & Whiney F-100 engines. The Eagle joins the outdoor displays of the F-104 “Starfighter,” A-10 “Warthog,” T-33 “Shooting Star,” and F-4 “Phantom II.”
All of these aircraft had a close connection to the career of the museum’s namesake, General Thomas P. Stafford, who passed away last month at the age of 93. As the Commanding General of the Air Force’s Flight Test Center, and Edwards Air Force Base, Stafford was one of the first test pilots to test fly the F-15. “General Stafford would have a huge smile on this face right now,” said Museum Director, Max Ary. “Tom and I worked hard for more than eight years to acquire this aircraft from the Air Force, and it saddens me that he passed just weeks before it finally arrived,” said Ary. According to Ary, the aircraft stands as another incredible example of the legacy that General Stafford left to this nation.
The Stafford Museum in Weatherford has been a member of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association since 2012; you can see more about their facility in our Business Member directory here.
