Arnold Engineering and Development Center in Tennessee has shut down its more than 50-year-old Basic Plant air conditioning facility—one that provided, on the ground, the right pressure, temperature, and humidity to test turbine engines at simulated high speeds and altitudes. The heart of the facility still houses the World War II motors, compressors, and associated hardware retrieved by teams sent to scour Nazi Germany for prized technology and to secure German scientists and engineers for America. Commissioned in 1952, the B-Plant has supported “almost every weapons system we’re flying today,” said retired AEDC engineer Glen Lazalier.
Airmen from the California Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves brushed up on their aerial firefighting skills late last month in preparation for the 2024 wildfire season, which could see fires break out across North America.