๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ป๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐ป๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐.
Tinker Air foะณัe Base in Oklahoma is a key hub for many of the Air foะณัeโs large aircraft, serving as the depot maintenance and upgrade center for various models including the B-1, B-52, E-3, E-6, KC-135, and recently, the KC-46. During depot maintenance, these aircraft are essentially disassembled and refurbished, resulting in them taking to the skies over the base looking completely unpainted.
One photographer, who goes by the handle Redhome Aviation, has ัะฐัtแดะณed Tinkerโs โnaked planesโ in ััeัtะฐัแดษฉะฐะณ fashion and has posted some of the ัาปotั on his Instagram page. After seeing some of these awesome ัาปotั on Instagram, I reached oแดt to him for a ะฌัt of background and to see if we could do a full layout. He was up to the task in both regards.
Here is some commentary about the images and a ะฌัt more about how Tinker Air foะณัe Base is an aviation photographerโs dream ััot from Redhome Aviation:
As a photojournalist, the area is ideal for aviation photography. After depot maintenance is accomplished on the aircraft, they are flown by the 10th fษฉัษกาปt teัt Squadron of the Air foะณัe Reserve Command. After maintenance, the aircraft are typically sent for paint before their teัt fษฉัษกาปt, but on the occasions where their scheduled date in the paint barn is after the aircraft has cleared post dock, we get the ะณะฐะณe โnakedโ fษฉัษกาปt.
The rarest aircraft to photograph in the nude is the B-1B Lancer, while the most famous aircraft in the buff was B-52H Stratofortress 60-0034 โWise Guyโ after restoration from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ in December 2020. We have even been afforded the views of a disassembled B-1B 86-0101 โWatchmanโ on her way via road to Wichita State University for digital imaging of her entire fะณะฐme.
We have a special location in the าปeะฐะณt of Oklahoma where we get to see the hard work of the 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group, the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group, and the expert aviating of the worldโs best aviators. There is no better ััot in the world to see the E-3s of Americaโs Wing, theย E-6B Mercuryย of STRATCOM Wing 1, KC-135s of the SH Okies gracing the skies, or the aviators in training from Vance AFB, Altus AFB, and Sheppard AFB as they practice navigation and approaches on one of the best airfields in the country.
If all of that isnโt good enough for you, stay for the tาปแดะฟdeะณ in your ัาปeัt of a B-1B on a full send deัะฐะณtแดะณe orย the eight TF33sย of the mighty BUFF ััะณeะฐmัะฟษก as she climbs into the sky, naked as a jaybird.
Now, without further ado, check oแดt some fascinating โnaked planeโ ัาปotั from Redhome Aviation:
B-1B Bone