page_title: 420th Flight Test Flight
section_title: B-2 Spirit Flight Testing
hierarchical_section_title: 420th Flight Test Flight / History / B-2 Spirit Flight Testing
caption_attribution_description: English: Northrop B-2A roll-out ceremony on Nov. 22, 1988 at USAF Plant 42, Palmdale, California. (U.S. Air Force photo)
context_page_description: The 420th Flight Test Flight is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve squadron. It was last assigned to the 413th Flight Test Group of Air Force Reserve Command at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Arizona, where it was inactivated on 31 October 2007.
  The squadron was first activated as the 420th Night Fighter Squadron, one of the first dedicated night fighter operational training squadrons of the Air Force. It trained replacement night fighter pilots who were then deployed overseas into combat until its inactivation in March 1944 due to a re-alignment of training unit designations.
  It was reactivated as the 420th Air Refueling Squadron under Tactical Air Command in 1954 and moved to England, where it served under the United States Air Forces Europe. It was inactivated when Strategic Air Command assumed the role of single manager for USAF air refueling. In 1985 the night fighter and refueling squadrons were consolidated into a single unit.
  The 6520th Test Squadron was organized in 1989 by Air Force Systems Command. In 1992, as the USAF eliminated Major Command controlled units, the 6520th was consolidated with the 420th and re-designated as the 420th Flight Test Squadron.
context_section_description: Air Force Systems Command activated the 6520th Test Squadron in March 1989 at Edwards Air Force Base, California.  Its mission was the pre-operational testing of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.  The B-2 was first revealed to the public on 22 November 1988, when AV-1 (82-1066 "Spirit of America") was unveiled at Air Force Plant 42 near Palmdale, California. At this time the aircraft was still not ready for its first flight.  Taxi tests began on 10 July 1989. The B-2 finally made its first flight on 17 July 1989 from Palmdale. The flight lasted 112 minutes and ended with a landing at Edwards and delivery to the 6520th.
  After carrying out initial tests, AV-1 was used for radar cross section tests. In early 1993, AV-1 was placed in long term storage to await upgrading to full service configuration prior to joining the operational fleet.  The second test aircraft (AV-2, 82–1067 "Spirit of Arizona") flew for the first time on 19 October 1990 from Palmdale, landing at Edwards AFB. It was heavily instrumented and served as the loads test aircraft.
  AV-3 (82-1068 "Spirit of New York") took to the air for the first time on 18 June 1991. It was the first radar and navigation test aircraft.  AV-4 (82-1069 "Spirit of Indiana") followed on 17 April 1992, and AV-5 (82-1070 "Spirit of Ohio") on 5 October 1992. These two planes were used for avionics and weapons testing. The first bomb to be tested with the B-2 was a 2000-lb Mk 84, which was dropped from AV-4 on 12 September 1992. AV-5 was the intended for armament, climactic, and low-observability testing.
  On 1 October 1992, the 6520th Test Squadron was consolidated with the 420th Air Refueling Squadron.  The next day the consolidated unit was renamed the 420th Test Squadron.
  The last development aircraft, AV-6 (82-1071 "Spirit of Mississippi") flew on 2 February 1993. It was used for technical order validation and for further weapons and avionics testing. By January 1995 the six B-2s had logged more than 2300 hours in the air in more than 490 flights. Terrain-following certification flights were undertaken by AV-4 in September 1996. By January 1997, the B-2 had reached limited operational capability and testing at Edwards was phased down.  B-2 flight testing was transferred to the 419th Flight Test Squadron and the squadron was inactivated at the end of 1997.
caption: B-2 Spirit Rollout – 22 November 1988.  The 420th Flight Test Squadron performed test flights with the B-2.
exif: {"Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "44", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "6351"}