page_title: 445th Flight Test Squadron
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: 445th Flight Test Squadron / History / World War II
caption_attribution_description: A Sikorsky R-4B Hoverfly helicopter (s/n 43-46506) at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton, Ohio (USA).
context_page_description: The 445th Flight Test Squadron was a United States Air Force squadron. It was last assigned to the 412th Operations Group, Air Force Materiel Command, stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
context_section_description: It was activated at Orlando AAB, Florida in early 1943 as part of the Air University Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics (AAFSAT). AAFSAT's function was to train cadres from newly formed units in combat operations under simulated field conditions as the cores around which new combat groups would be formed.
  The 445th trained pilots and furnished cadres to night fighter units. Later, it engaged in mock combat missions over the AAFSAT range training pilots in combat maneuvers, flying a wide variety of fighters and bombers.  It remained at the AAFSAT until March 1944 when the training mission of the groups was replaced by the 903d Army Air Forces Base Unit on 1 April 1944 with "Section C" taking over the fighter training, and "Section D", the bombardment training.
  It was reassigned to Muroc Army Air Base, California, assigned to the 412th Fighter Group, Fourth Air Force.  It was the first United States jet fighter squadron to be activated, and spent most of its early existence in experimental testing of the P-59A and P-80 aircraft.  The squadron developed training programs and trained aircrew and ground personnel as cadres for newly formed jet aircraft-equipped units.  Also flight tested the captured Mitsubishi A6M Zero (Zeke-52); the XR-3 (Autogyro) and Sikorsky R-4 (Helicopter)
  It was inactivated on 3 July 1946, its mission being assumed by the 2759th Experimental Wing.
caption: Sikorsky R-4B at National Museum of the United States Air Force
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