40th Flight Test Squadron

40th Flight Test Squadron
USAF F-16A block 15 #80-573 from the 3247th TS armed with an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile and a cluster weapon in flight on 12 May 1986. Aircraft now on display at USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB
Active	1940--present
Country	United States
Branch	Air Force
Role	Flight Testing
Insignia
40th Flight Test Squadron emblem
Patch with 40th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron emblem (approved 9 July 1959)
40th Pursuit Squadron emblem (approved 19 June 1941)

40th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Convair TF-102A-45-CO Delta Dagger 56-2360, Johnson AB, Japan, 1963

The 40th Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 46th Operations Group, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Lineage

• Constituted 40th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 22 December 1939

Activated on 1 February 1940

Redesignated: 40th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942

Redesignated: 40th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 August 1943

Redesignated: 40th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 January 1950

Redesignated: 40th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 20 June 1965

Inactivated on 15 October 1970

• Activated on 1 October 1971

Inactivated on 30 April 1982

• Consolidated (1 October 1992) with the 3247th Test Squadron, which was designated, and activated, on 25 June 1982.

Redesignated: 40th Test Squadron on 1 October 1992

Redesignated: 40th Flight Test Squadron on 15 March 1994.

Assignments

• 31st Pursuit Group, 1 February 1940
• 35th Pursuit (later, 35th Fighter; 35th Fighter-Interceptor) Group, 15 January 1942

Attached to 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 15 January – 14 July 1954 and 8 October 1956 – 1 July 1957

• 41st Air Division, 1 October 1957

Attached to 3d Bombardment Wing, 1 December 1961 – 31 May 1962

• Tactical Air Command, c. 17 June 1965
• 33d Tactical Fighter Wing, 20 June 1965 – 15 October 1970
• 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1971 - 1 June 1972
• 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 June 1972 – 30 April 1982
• 3246th Test Wing, 25 June 1982
• 46th Test Wing, 1 October 1992
• 46th Operations Group, 8 September 1993 – present

Stations

• Selfridge Field, Michigan, 1 February 1940
• Baer Field, Indiana, 6 December 1941
• Port Angeles, Washington, 16 December 1941 – c. 22 January 1942
• Archerfield Airport (Brisbane), Australia, 25 February 1942
• Ballarat Airport, Australia, 9 March 1942
• Mount Gambier Airport, Australia, 16 March 1942
• RAAF Base Townsville, Australia, April 1942
• Berry Airfield (12 Mile Drome), New Guinea, 2 June 1942
• RAAF Base Townsville, Australia, 30 July 1942
• Rogers Airfield (30 Mile Drome), New Guinea, c. 25 November 1942
• Tsili Tsili (Tsile-Tsile) Airfield, New Guinea, 11 August 1943
• Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea, October 1943
• Gusap Airfield, New Guinea, 5 February 1944
• Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea, 9 June 1944
• Kornasoren (Yebrurro) Airfield Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, 4 August 1944
• Owi Airfield, Schouten Islands, Netherlands East Indies, 14 September 1944
• Wama Drome, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 17 October 1944
• Mangaldan Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 21 January 1945
• Lingayen Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 11 April 1945

• Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 19 April 1945
• Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, 30 June 1945
• Irumagawa AB, Japan, 10 October 1945
• Yokota AB, Japan, 13 March 1950
• Ashiya AB, Japan, 7 July 1950
• Pohang AB (K-3), South Korea, 17 July 1950
• Tsuiki AB, Japan, 13 August 1950
• Pohang AB (K-3), South Korea, 7 October 1950
• Yonpo AB (K-27), North Korea, 18 November 1950
• Pusan-West AB (K-1), South Korea, 3 December 1950
• Misawa AB, Japan, 25 May 1951
• Johnson AB, Japan, 1 July 1951

Detachment stationed at Komaki AB, Japan, 13 July 1953 – 17 February 1955

• Yokota AB, Japan, 13 August 1954 – c. 15 June 1965
• Eglin AFB, Florida, 20 June 1965 – 15 October 1970
• Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1 October 1971 - 1 June 1972
• George AFB, California, 1 June 1972 – 30 April 1982
• Eglin AFB, Florida, 25 June 1982 – present

Aircraft

• P-39 Airacobra, 1941–1944
• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1945
• P(later F)-51 Mustang, 1945–1950, 1950–1953
• F-80 Shooting Star, 1950, 1953–1954
• F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1953–1961
• F-102 Delta Dagger, 1960–1965
• F-4 Phantom II 1965–1969
• A-7 Corsair II, 1971–1972
• Conducted test and evaluation missions, using the following aircraft, A-10, F-4, F-15, F-16, F-111, T-38, T-39, C-130, CV-22, and UH-1, 1982–present

Operational history

Combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, 2 June 1942 – 14 August 1945. Served in the occupation force in Japan, 1945–1950. Combat in Korea, 8 July 1950 – 25 May 1951. Air defense in Japan and Korea, June 1951 – June 1965. Trained cadres for transfer to Southeast Asia, 1966–1969. Not manned, 10 May 1969 – 15 October 1970 and 1 June 1972 – 30 April 1982.

See also

• United States Army Air Forces in Australia

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.