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DynCorp International has helped NASA rebuild the WB-57 aircraft as part of the agency’s Aircraft Maintenance Operational Support program in a move to revive the plane 40 years of extended storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
DynCorp said Thursday that the team worked with mechanics, engineers, logisticians and other specialists as they reconstructed the aircraft – now known as N927 – and addressed issues over the required parts and other components.
The company noted that N927 will feature modifications that aim to enable long-endurance flights at higher altitudes, compared to the original version.
“The pride that every member of the DI/NASA team took in rebuilding this aircraft was evident in the final product. It barely resembled the weather-beaten hulk that was pulled from the Arizona desert,” said Tom Parent, a WB-57 pilot at DynCorp.
NASA is now exploring several payload options for the N927.
