Misplaced Pages

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "337th Flight Test Squadron" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

337th Flight Test Squadron
337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-104 Starfighter
Active	1942–1944; 1954–1960; 1982–1985; 1988–2001
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Flight test
Nickname(s)	Falcons
Engagements	European Theater of Operations
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
337th Flight Test Squadron emblem
Patch with 337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron emblem
337th Fighter Squadron emblem

The 337th Flight Test Squadron was most recently part of the 46th Test Wing and based at McClellan Air Force Base, California. It performed depot acceptance testing until being inactivated with the closure of McClellan on 13 July 2001.

History

World War II

Activated in 1942 at Keflavik, Iceland, equipped with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. Mission was to intercept and destroy German planes that on occasion attempted to attack Iceland or that appeared in that area on reconnaissance missions. Returned to the United States in November 1942 as a IV Fighter Command Lightning Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Trained P-38 pilots in California and Washington State until phaseout of Lightning training in March 1944.

Air defense

Reactivated in 1953 as an Air Defense Command interceptor squadron. Performed air defense mission over Minneapolis and Upper Midwest United States, 1953–1955 with Northrop F-89D Scorpions. Reassigned to air defense of Boston and New England with North American F-86D Sabres. In 1957 began re-equipping with the North American F-86L Sabre, an improved version of the F-86D which incorporated the Semi Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE computer-controlled direction system for intercepts. The service of the F-86L destined to be quite brief, since by the time the last F-86L conversion was delivered, the type was already being phased out in favor of supersonic interceptors.

Received new Lockheed F-104A Starfighter interceptor aircraft in early 1958, the third ADC squadron to receive the F-104. In addition, the squadron received the two-seat, dual-control, combat trainer F-104B. The performance of the F-104B was almost identical to that of the F-104A, but the lower internal fuel capacity reduced its effective range considerably. However, the F-104A was not very well suited for service as an interceptor. Its low range was a problem for North American air defense, and its lack of all-weather capability made it incapable of operating in conjunction with the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) system. Service with the ADC was consequently quite brief, and the F-104As of the 337th were transferred to the Air National Guard.

With the transfer of the Starfighters, ADC shut down operations at Westover Air Force Base and the 337th was inactivated in July 1960.

Tactical fighter operations

Reactivated as a McDonnell F-4 Phantom II tactical fighter squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in 1982–1985.

Flight test operations

The 2874th Test Squadron was activated as a flight test squadron as part of the Sacramento Air Logistics Center at McClellan Air Force Base, California in January 1988. It conducted flight tests on aircraft returning to active service after depot maintenance, modification, or repair. In 1992, the squadron was consolidated with the 337th Tactical Fighter Squadron as the 337th Test Squadron It was inactivated with the closure of McClellan.

Lineage

337th Tactical Fighter Squadron

• Constituted as the 337th Fighter Squadron on 29 August 1942

Activated on 11 September 1942

Redesignated: 337th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 1 July 1942

Redesignated: 37th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 5 February 1944

Disbanded on 31 March 1944

• Reconstituted, and redesignated 337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, on 23 March 1953

Activated on 8 July 1954

Discontinued on 8 July 1960

• Redesignated 337th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 11 December 1981

Activated on 1 April 1982

Inactivated on 1 July 1985

• Consolidated with the 2874th Test Squadron as the 337th Test Squadron on 1 October 1992

337th Flight Test Squadron

• Designated as the 2874th Test Squadron and activated, on 15 January 1988
• Consolidated with the 337th Tactical Fighter Squadron as the 337th Test Squadron on 1 October 1992

Redesignated 337th Flight Test Squadron on 1 March 1994

Inactivated: 13 July 2001

Assignments

• 342d Composite Group, 11 September 1942
• 329th Fighter Group, November 1942-31 March 1944
• 514th Air Defense Group, 8 July 1954
• 4707th Air Defense Wing, 18 August 1955
• 4622d Air Defense Wing (later, Boston Air Defense Sector), 18 October 1956
• 4729th Air Defense Group, 8 July 1957
• Boston Air Defense Sector, 25 June 1958 – 8 July 1960
• 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 April 1982 – 1 July 1985
• Sacramento Air Logistics Center, 15 January 1988
• Air Force Development Test Center, 1 July 1994
• 46th Operations Group, 1 July 1994 – 13 July 2001

Stations

• Keflavik, Iceland 11 September-26 November 1942
• Glendale Airport, California, 26 November 1942
• Muroc Army Air Base, California, 1 March 1943
• Glendale Airport, California, 6 May 1943
• Paine Field, Washington, 12 August 1943
• Glendale Airport, California, c. 2 November 1943
• Ontario Army Air Field, California, 29 December 1943 – 31 March 1944
• Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, Minnesota, 8 July 1954
• Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 18 August 1955 – 8 July 1960 (operated from Taoyuan Air Base, Taiwan, December 1958 – March 1959)
• Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, 1 April 1982 – 1 July 1985
• McClellan Air Force Base, California, 15 January 1988 – 13 July 2001

Aircraft

• Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1942–1944
• Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1954–1955
• North American F-86D Sabre, 1955–1957
• North American F-86L Sabre Interceptor, 1957–1958
• Lockheed F-104A Starfighter, 1958–1960
• McDonnel F-4E Phantom II, 1982–1985
• General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark

Commanders

• Lt Col Tad Oelstrom, 1982–1984

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

1. Aircraft is Lockheed F-104A-20-LO Starfighter serial 56-813, taken on 23 May 1958. This aircraft was transferred to the Tennessee Air National Guard 151st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. It crashed on 17 May 1962 on a Ground Controlled Approach to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Dirkx, Marco (8 July 2024). "1956 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher’s Serial Number List. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
2. Approved 1994.
3. Approved 1 July 1982. Description: On a disc Or, bordered Azure, a falcon, volant, Argent and Sable, surmounting a large flash of lighting Gules.
4. Approved 9 June 1955. Description: On an Air Force yellow square shaped form, bordered silver, a falcon, volant, silver and black, surmounting a large flash of lightning red.

Citations

1. ^ Endicott, p. 746
2. ^ "Factsheet 337 Flight Test Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
3. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 417

Bibliography

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

• Endicott, Judy G. (1998). Active Air Force Wings as of 1 October 1995 and USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ASIN B000113MB2. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) . 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) . 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.
• "ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor. 21 (1). Aerospace Defense Command: 5–11, 26–31, 40–45, 54–59. January 1979.

v t e United States Air Force
Leadership	Department of the Air Force Secretary of the Air Force Under Secretary of the Air Force Air Staff Chief of Staff Vice Chief of Staff Director of Staff Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Four-star generals Three-star generals 1940–1959 2000–2009 2010–2019 2020–present House Armed Services Committee House Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Senate Committee on Armed Services Senate Subcommittee on Airland Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Structure	Commands Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations Direct Reporting Units District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy Major commands ACC AETC AFGSC AFMC AFRC AFSOC AMC PACAF USAFE–AFAFRICA Numbered Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Expeditionary Fifteenth Sixteenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second Wings ANG Groups ANG Squadrons ANG Security Forces Civilian auxiliary: Civil Air Patrol
Personnel and training	Personnel Rank officers cadets enlisted Specialty Code Aeronautical ratings Judge Advocate General's Corps RED HORSE Security Forces Medical Service Chief of Chaplains Chief Scientist Training: Air Force Academy Officer Training School Reserve Officer Training Corps Basic Training Airman Leadership School SERE Fitness Assessment
Uniforms and equipment	Awards and decorations Badges Equipment Aircraft Uniforms
History and traditions	History Aeronautical Division / Aviation Section / Division of Military Aeronautics / Army Air Service / Army Air Corps / Army Air Forces "The U.S. Air Force" Air Force Band Airman's Creed Core Values Flag Symbol Memorial National Museum Women Airforce Service Pilots Air Force One / Air Force Two Honor Guard Thunderbirds Service numbers Air & Space Forces Association
Category

v t e Aerospace Defense Command (ADC)
Bases	CONUS Amarillo Beale Charleston Davis-Monthan Dobbins Dover Dow Duluth Eglin Edwards Ellington Ellsworth England Ent Ethan Allen Fairfax Fallon Fort Gregg-Adams Fort Heath Geiger George Glasgow Grand Forks Grenier Griffiss Gunter Hamilton Hancock Homestead Hurlburt Hunter Imeson Key West Kincheloe Kingsley Kirtland Lackland Laredo Larson Luke MacDill March Malmstrom McCoy McChord McClellan McGhee Tyson McGuire Minneapolis-St. Paul Minot Mitchel New Castle Niagara Falls Norton O'Hare Otis Oxnard Paine Perrin Peterson Pittsburgh Portland Presque Isle R.I. Bong Richards-Gebaur Robins K.I. Sawyer Selfridge Seymour Johnson Sioux City Stead Stewart Suffolk County Tinker Travis Truax Tyndall Vandenberg Vincent Walker Webb Westover Wright-Patterson Wurtsmith Youngstown Overseas Ernest Harmon Frobisher Bay Goose Keflavik McAndrew Pepperrell Thule
Stations	CONUS Adair Aiken Almaden Alpena Antigo Arlington Heights Baker Bedford Bellefontaine Belleville Benton Blaine Brookfield Brunswick Bucks Harbor Burns Calumet Cambria Cape Charles Cape Cod Carmi Caswell Chandler Charleston Cheyenne Mountain Claysburg Clear Colville Condon Continental Divide Cottonwood Cross City Crystal Springs Curlew Custer Cut Bank Dallas Center Dauphin Island Dickinson Duncanville Eldorado Empire Finland Finley Flintstone Fordland Fort Fisher Fort Lee Fortuna Gettysburg Grand Marais Grand Rapids Guthrie Hanna City Havre Highlands Houma Hutchinson Joelton Keno Killeen Kingman Kirksville Klamath Lake Charles Lake City Las Cruces Las Vegas Lewistown Lockport Lufkin Lyndonville Madera Makah Mica Peak Miles City Mill Valley Minot Montauk Moriarty Mount Hebo Mount Laguna Mount Lemmon Naselle North Bend North Charleston North Truro Oklahoma City Olathe Omaha Opheim Osceola Othello Owingsville Ozona Palermo Point Arena Port Austin Port Isabel Pyote Red Bluff Rochester Rockport Rockville (Indiana) Roslyn Rye Saint Albans San Clemente Island Santa Rosa Island Saratoga Springs Sault Ste Marie Shemya Snelling Snow Mountain Sweetwater Texarkana Tierra Amarilla Thomasville Tonopah Topsham Two Creeks Wadena Walnut Ridge Watertown Waverly West Mesa Willow Run Winnemucca Winslow Winston-Salem Woomera Yaak Zapata Overseas Armstrong Baldy Hughes Beausejour Cape Makkovik Cartwright Cut Throat Island Elliston Ridge Fox Harbour Hofn Hopedale Kamloops La Scie Langanes Latrar Melville Puntzi Mountain Ramore Red Cliff Rockville Saglek St. Anthony Saskatoon Mountain Sioux Lookout Spotted Island Stephenville
Air Defense units	Forces Central Air Defense Eastern Air Defense Iceland Western Air Defense First Fourth Tenth Fourteenth Air Divisions 8th 9th 20th 21st 23d 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32d 33d 34th 35th 36th 37th 58th 64th 73d 85th Sectors Albuquerque Bangor Boston Chicago Detroit Duluth Goose Grand Forks Great Falls Kansas City Los Angeles Minot Montgomery New York Oklahoma City Phoenix Portland Reno Sault Sainte Marie San Francisco Seattle Sioux City Spokane Stewart Syracuse Washington Wings Fighter 1st 4th 23d 32d 33d 50th 52d 56th 78th 81st 325th 328th 507th Detection and Control 71st 73d 551st 552d Air Defense 46th 4620th 4621st 4622d 4624th 4625th 4627th 4628th 4683d 4700th 4702d 4703d 4704th 4705th 4706th 4707th 4708th 4709th 4710th 4711th 4750th 4751st 4752d 4756th 4780th Groups Fighter 1st 4th 14th 15th 23d 32d 33d 50th 52d 53d 54th 56th 57th 78th 79th 81st 82d 84th 325th 326th 327th 328th 329th 337th 343d 355th 408th 412th 414th 473d 475th 476th 478th 507th Air Defense 10th 500th 501st 502d 503d 514th 515th 516th 517th 518th 519th 520th 521st 525th 527th 528th 529th 530th 533d 534th 564th 566th 567th 568th 575th 637th 665th 678th 692d 701st 751st 762d 765th 778th 780th 827th 858th 4606th 4620th 4676th 4700th 4721st 4722d 4727th 4728th 4729th 4730th 4731st 4732d 4733d 4734th 4735th 4750th 4756th Aircraft Control & Warning 503d 505th 540th 541st 542d 543d 544th 545th 546th 563d 564th 565th 566th Squadrons Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons
Major weapon systems	Electronic TB-29 EB-57 EC-121 Fighters Propeller: F-47 F-51 P-61 F-82 Subsonic Jet: P-80 F-84 F-86 F-89 F-94 Supersonic Jet: F-101 F-102 F-104 F-106 Missiles AIM-4 AIM-26 AIR-2 CIM-10 Ships Guardian Interceptor Interdictor Interpreter Investigator Locator Lookout Outpost Pickett Protector Scanner Searcher Skywatcher Tracer Watchman Vigil Texas Towers Texas Tower 2 Texas Tower 3 Texas Tower 4
Miscellaneous	Air Defense Command Emblem Gallery (on Wikimedia Commons) General Surveillance Radar Stations

v t e USAAF Fourth Air Force in World War II
Units	Commands IV Bomber Command IV Fighter Command IV Air Support Command Wings 21st Bombardment Los Angeles Fighter San Diego Fighter San Francisco Fighter Seattle Fighter Groups Bombardment 12th Bombardment 30th Bombardment 41st Bombardment 42nd Bombardment 47th Bombardment 380th Bombardment 385th Bombardment 389th Bombardment 392nd Bombardment 399th Bombardment 449th Bombardment 450th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 453rd Bombardment 454th Bombardment 455th Bombardment 456th Bombardment 461st Bombardment 463rd Bombardment 465th Bombardment 466th Bombardment 470th Bombardment 483rd Bombardment 486th Bombardment 491st Bombardment 492nd Bombardment Fighter 1st Fighter 14th Fighter 20th Fighter 35th Fighter 51st Fighter 55th Fighter 78th Fighter 81st Fighter 82nd Fighter 328th Fighter 329th Fighter 339th Fighter 354th Fighter 360th Fighter 363rd Fighter 364th Fighter 369th Fighter 367th Fighter 372nd Fighter 412th Fighter 473rd Fighter 474th Fighter 478th Fighter 479th Fighter Reconnaissance 68th Reconnaissance 69th Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 64th Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

• Flight test squadrons of the United States Air Force