F-4D "Phantom"

The aircraft is serial Number 63-7482 it first flew in April 1963. It has around 7000 hours on the airframe and has been stationed in Utah, Arizona (Davis-Monthan AFB), Spain and Texas. It then started it's Guard career serving with the Michigan ANG at Selfridge. There they painted it's current base grey in 1985 and also gave it the polished intake, weapons pylons and tip tanks. It then went on to serve with the Oregon Air Guard before coming to us in 1989. This particular plane never flew in Duluth, but it is painted to match the color scheme of the F-4D's they flew. Dimensions Fuselage Length: 63ft. 0in. Wing Span: 7ft. 1/2in. Height: 16ft. 5 1/2in.

F-102A "Delta Dagger, or Deuce"

The Convair F-102A was a Mach 1.25 fighter designed to serve as an all-weather interceptor. It served during the days of the Cold War and did fly some close-support mission over South Vietnam even though the aircraft was totally unsuited for this role. It was flown by the 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (Duluth, MN) from 1967 to 1972, before converting to the F-101B Voodoo. The 179th Figher-Interceptor Squadron flew air defense missions in the F-102s for more than five years from 1967 to 1972. The "Deuce" was armed with AIM-4 missiles and 2.75" rockets. The-179th moved into the F-102 in late 1966. By 1970 they had earned the nickname, "The Aces of Deuces," winning the William Tell Weaponry competition against all other "Deuces" in the USAF. Our F-102 came to us from New York, where it was a "Gate-Guard" on static display atop a 20 foot post. Dimensions Fuselage Length: 68ft. 4 1/2in. Wing Span: 38ft. 1 1/2in. Height: 28ft. 2 1/2in.

T-33A "T-Bird"

This Lockheed-built two-place trainer was originally intended to train pilots to fly jets. The T-33 is derivative of the P-80 which was the Air Force’s first operational jet fighter. The T-33A is a F-80 with a lengthened fuselage to make room for the second tandem seat. It entered service during the 1950s . It was used to transition pilots from propeller-driven aircraft to jets, and to train pilots in instrument flying. Both the 109th and the 179th Squadrons used T-birds at various times. It remained in inventory until the late 1960s. The museum T-33 has the colors of the 109th FIS on the wing tip tanks. Dimensions Fuselage Length: 37ft. 9in. Wing Span: 38ft. 10 1/2in. Height: 11ft. 8in.

C-45G "Expeditor"

The C45-G was an administrative, light cargo delivery and navigation training aircraft used as a support air- craft to most fighter squadrons of the period. The Air Guard Museum’s C-45G Expeditor was assigned to the 133rd Air Base Group in the late 1940s. The C-45 served the 133rd as a utility transport and remained in the inventory until early 1960. When the 109th Squadron was transferred to the Military Air Transport Service and was assigned C-97s it no longer needed the C-45. Most of the use of the C-45 was by Minnesota’s National Guard State Headquarters staff. Dimensions Fuselage Length: 34ft. 3in. Wing Span: 47ft. 8in. Height: 9ft. 8in.

An Airdrop run in

A C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft from the 133rd Airlift Wing makes a low level approach just prior to a LCLA drop Feb. 28, 2011 at Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, Ariz. During the week of Feb. 28th, 2011 Airmen and the C-130 Hercules of the 133rd Airlift Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard deployed for training to Yuma Proving Ground where they practiced Low-Cost Low-Altitude airdrops. This knowledge and experience will be directly applied during deployment to Afghanistan. The LCLA bundles are more accurate and use expendable parachutes weighing in at 80 to 500 pounds. LCLA is well suited for small units on patrol or in remote outposts where they don't have the equipment or manpower to deal with the larger container delivery system bundles. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson

Waiting to leave

Crew members and the aircraft of the 133rd await departure in the early morning sun on Mar. 4, 2011 at Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, Ariz. During the week of Feb. 28th, 2011 Airmen and the C-130 Hercules of the 133rd Airlift Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard deployed for training to Yuma Proving Ground where they practiced Low-Cost Low-Altitude airdrops. This knowledge and experience will be directly applied during deployment to Afghanistan. The LCLA bundles are more accurate and use expendable parachutes weighing in at 80 to 500 pounds. LCLA is well suited for small units on patrol or in remote outposts where they don't have the equipment or manpower to deal with the larger container delivery system bundles. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson