| Aircraft Serial Number |
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| For all of you historians (John), here is the serial
number information on the display aircraft. The following
description comes directly from the Dyess web site: "Tail number 57-3082 began its long career as the fourth of the initial batch of five YAC-1 "Caribou" produced for the U.S. Army. Records show the Air Force took initial delivery of the aircraft, but immediately transferred responsibility to the U.S. Army. The first three of five production models for the Army were delivered in a ceremony on 8 November, 1959, at the DeHavilland production facility outside Toronto, Canada. The Army took delivery of tail number 57-3082 three weeks later. This aircraft along with the four other prototypes went through evaluation trials at different U.S. Army bases. Soon after, tail number 57-3082 was redesignated YC-7A. In early 1966, the Army and Air Force Chiefs of Staff agreed to transfer the Army Caribou force to the Air Force. The aircraft and equipment were transferred on 31 December, 1966. The Air Force in return renounced its claims to a helicopter airlift arm. At this time, 57-3082 was transferred to Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, until 13 March, 1975, where it was deployed to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Here, while still assigned to the Air Force, it began the exciting job of working with the U.S. Army parachute team, the Golden Knights. The Golden Knights used the C-7 as its primary platform for its aerial demonstration team. The aircraft transported the team around the U.S., performing at airshow demonstrations and special events. On March 7, 1980, 57-3082 was transferred back to the U. S. Army inventory where the Golden Knights continued to fly it until they converted to the Fokker C-31 in 1985. The 463rd Airlift Wing decided to add the C-7 to the airlift portion of our Linear Air Park in 1990. Plans were set to pick up the C-7 when Desert Shield and Desert Storm began. A year later, personnel from the 463rd Maintenance Squadron deployed to Pope AFB, NC, to disassemble the aircraft and ship it to Dyess via a C-5B Galaxy. The aircraft was officially dedicated as a part of the Linear Air Park on 2 May, 1992." |
 
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