Ms. Mable Steps Out

Members of the 586th Flight Test Squadron at Holloman AFB, N.M., have completed a series of tests with Raytheon’s Laser Maverick missile using a modified C-12J transport aircraft nicknamed “Ms. Mable.” What made this testing notable was that it marked the first time that the unit has used Ms. Mable for weapons testing since they fitted the aircraft with racks for carrying external stores. “This is a really unique test capability . . . because you usually don’t find missiles underneath a transport aircraft,” said Capt. Reid Larson, the squadron’s chief flight test engineer. Squadron officials say Ms. Mable helps fill the Air Force’s need for an affordable means of risk-reduction flight testing. The aircraft does not launch the weapons; it only carries them into the air for testing purposes. The process of certifying the racks on the C-12 took three years. (Holloman release)