Freshly painted F-15A rolls out at Duxford Museum

  • Published
  • By Capt. Alysia R. Harvey
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Airmen assigned to the 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron and personnel from Imperial War Museum Duxford "rolled out" a newly painted F-15A during a ceremony at the museum June 4.

Eighteen Airmen, all of which are corrosion control specialists, volunteered approximately 70 hours each of off-duty time over a period of eight weeks to restore the aircraft to its original 5th Fighter Intercept Squadron markings.

Maj. Bryan Ford, an operations officer assigned to the 48th EMS, was the overall project officer for this volunteer effort and said this was a great opportunity.

"Not only did we have a chance to work with our friends at Duxford Museum, this was a fantastic training opportunity for the Airmen who volunteered," he said. "Although they are experts in corrosion control, many of them don't have the opportunity to do this kind of work on a day-to-day basis."

The volunteers on hand at the ceremony were all smiles as the hangar doors opened and the aircraft was revealed to the public for the first time.

"When those hangar doors opened and the sun hit that aircraft, I thought 'what an awesome display'," said Tech. Sgt. Timothy Leddick, the NCO in charge of the Corrosion Control Facility at the 48th EMS, who served as the lead supervisor for the project. "Then I saw all the smiles and heard all the compliments...I felt very proud to be part of the restoration team alongside the other volunteers from RAF Lakenheath and the Duxford staff."

He went on to express thanks to the whole team for their time and efforts, and said the aircraft could not have turned out any better.

Col. John Quintas, 48th Operations Group commander, who gave a speech during the ceremony, also thanked the team of volunteers.

"I am honored to be participating in this wonderful story about partnerships, history, volunteerism and pride," the colonel said to a small crowd of journalists, aviation enthusiasts, and museum visitors. "It is always a pleasure to visit the museum and our friends here at Duxford, and to all those who participated in this project, I say thank you very much."

Richard Ashton, the museum's director, also spoke during the ceremony, expressing thanks to the volunteers and commenting on the great relationship the museum shares with the base.

"We are grateful that there is a close bond between Duxford and the American Air Museum and the United States Air Force - none more so than with the 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath, where we have wonderful ties and collaborations," Mr. Ashton said. "So, as ever, huge thanks to our staff and volunteers for giving up their precious free time to deliver what we see before us today."

Before this makeover, the aircraft was painted with the scheme and markings of the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, a unit at Bitburg Air Base, Germany, to which the aircraft was assigned in July 1977. Given this opportunity, IWM Duxford personnel decided they wanted to go with a different paint scheme from the aircraft's lineage. The aircraft now bears the markings of the "Spittin' Kittens", the nickname for the 5th Fighter Intercept Squadron to which the aircraft was assigned in December 1981.

The F-15 will now be on permanent display outside the American Air Museum - the only memorial museum outside of the United States. The museum stands in remembrance of the 30,000 U.S. Airmen who lost their lives flying from British shores during World II.