File:FK-330’ ‘NACA330’ - 51151382603.jpg

Built in August 1945 with the US military serial 43-8330. She never saw squadron service and was instead used as a research airframe, undertaking cold weather tests at Ladd Field, Alaska, from October 1945 to March 1946. In July 1946 she became part of the National Thunderstorm Project and had her guns and turret removed to make space for test equipment. The project continued until January 1948, after which she was operated by the USAF Flight Test Division at Wright-Patterson AFB until retired in 1950. Allocated for preservation, she was stored at Park Ridge, Illinois, until NACA asked for the loan of the aircraft for further research. She then flew from the NACA Ames Aeronautical Laboratory at NAS Moffett Field, California, and carried out transonic model tests, dropping aeronautical shapes from high altitude between February 1951 and August 1954. She then flew to Andrews AFB, Maryland, for the Smithsonian Institute, having flown only 530 hours in total. Dismantled and moved to Silver Hill, she remained in store until 2006 when she was sympathetically restored before going on display. She is seen on display in the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center as part of the National Air and Space Museum. Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia