Cold War Vehicle I-D: Convair UC-880, the one & only!

UC-880 at a U.S. Navy air show, May 1984. Photo by Don S. Montgomery.

The Convair UC-880 was the only 880-22M converted for use by the U.S. Navy.

Convair UC-880 at an air show, September 1985. Photo by Don S. Montgomery.

UC-880 was a former FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) training aircraft purchased in 1961 (airframe #22-7-3-55).  Flight Systems purchased the FAA 880-22M in 1980, for use at Naval Test Center-Patuxent River, it was used to test refueling of F-14D and F/A-18 aircraft, and other aircraft used during cruise missile testing.

UC-880 refueling a TA-4J Skyhawk, September 1986. USN photo.

Filling-up a F-4 Phantom-2, while an A-6 Intruder waits its turn, September 1986. USN photo.

The UC-880 wore at least two different paint schemes.

UC-880 during an ‘open house’ at the Patuxent River Naval Air Test Center, 16MAY1987. Photo by Don S. Montgomery.

Photo by Don S. Montgomery.

USN photo by Vernon Pugh, sometime in 1989.

Refueling F/A-18 Hornet. USN photo by Vernon Pugh, dated January 1990.

USN photo by Vernon Pugh, dated January 1990.

Refueling F/A-18EPE (Enhanced Performance Engines) Hornet. USN photo by Vernon Pugh, dated November 1991.

USN photo by Vernon Pugh, dated May 1992.

The only Convair UC-880 aircraft refuels the F-14D Tomcat prototype, August 1992. USN photo by Vernon Pugh.

August 1992. USN photo by Vernon Pugh.

The UC-880 was written-off after a cargo hold explosive decompression test, in 1995.

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