The Story of the Three T-38 Talon Thunderbird Jets

The Story of the Three T-38 Talon Thunderbird Jets. . , In 1996,the City of Owatonna acquired one of these jet planes from the U.S. Air Force to be used as a monument at the airport. The cost of the project exceeded the City's budget at that time, and the plane was put in storage. , In 1997, R.W. "Buzz" Kaplan proposed that the plane become part of a signature display outside Heritage Halls Museum, which was 1/4 mile north of the airport. Buzz thought the display should consist of three planes flying formation. The City proceeded to acquire two more jets from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. , Painted a drab military color, the aircraft were stripped of nearly 2,000 pounds of excess weight and repainted in authentic Thunderbird colors. Heritage Halls' officials worked more than a year to help acquire and design the display and believe there is none other like it in the world. , Engineers spent several months creating a design for the display that would withstand the high winds that sometimes sweep through this area. The present design was settled on which withstood 113 miles- per-hour winds when tested in a wind tunnel. It was an undertaking of great proportion. Each 12,500-pound plane is 46 feet, 4 inches long. Steel I-beams through the tailpipes are mounted to the pylons 36 feet in length. Due to the curvature of the display their noses are 70 feet high in the air. The base is constructed of 308 tons of concrete and steel with 6 1/2 foot anchor bolts extending through the base. , These jet aircraft were on display in this bomb-burst formation at the Heritage Halls Museum from 1998 to 2006 without cost to the City of Owatonna. It was the dream of Heritage Halls founder R.W. "Buzz” Kaplan to create a breathtaking realistic display of aerobatic flight and to honor our United States fighter pilots who help protect our great country. . This historical marker is in Owatonna in Steele County Minnesota