The USAF’s first decade

F-89H (54-312), 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Hamilton AFB.

F-84E (51-626) of the 526th Fighter Bomber Squadron, Landstuhl Air Base.

F-100C (53-1744) of the Air Force Flight Test Center.

F-84D (48-732), 20th Fighter Bomber Wing, Shaw AFB.

F-94C (50-1044), 437th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Otis AFB.

WB-66D (55-402), Air Material Command, Wright-Patterson AFB.

F-86D (53-1020), 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, McChord AFB.

F-84B (46-663, and originally a “P-84”), 49th Fighter Squadron, Jet. Nicknamed “Itsy Bitsy II”, it was the personal jet of George Laval, a former P-38 pilot known for his colorful painted aircraft. This one is pretty tame compared to his WWII birds.

F-86F (52-4850), 366th Fighter Bomber Wing, England AFB.

F-82F (46-453), 319th Fighter Squadron (All-Weather), Moses Lake AFB.

F-89C (51-5826), 107th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Michigan Air Guard.

RF-80A (44-85239), 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Shaw AFB.

F-100C (54-1980), “Skyblazers” Demonstration Team.

RF-84F (52-7265), 407th Strategic Fighter Wing, Great Falls AFB. This aircraft is on display at the Chino air museum.

F-100C (53-1777), 450th Fighter Day Squadron, Foster AFB.

F-102A (54-1390), Air Research Development Command.

F-86A (48-184), 71st Fighter Squadron, Jet, March AFB. Note the extra large “ferry” fuel tanks and the faired-over gun ports. This plane had a short life: delivered in the summer of 1949, it crashed in September that same year.

F-105B (57-5803), Air Research Development Command. This aircraft can be seen today at the March Field Museum, CA.