A challenge to identify a King Air was issued on the official National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Facebook page this week:
Unsurprisingly, the response to the post was overwhelming with a flood of comments, shares and likes occurring along with a quick identification of the aircraft.
The aircraft in question is the Beechcraft VC-6A King Air Model B90. The plane was acquired by the USAF in 1966. The craft was a standard King Air B90 with a special VIP interior. Its purpose was anything but standard though: the aircraft would be used to support President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family. It was fast and agile and featured full pressurization for comfort at high altitudes. Noteworthy features included all-weather navigation, de-icing equipment and reversible propellers that allowed the aircraft to land on very short runways.
The B90 was primarily used to transport President Johnson and his family between Bergstrom AFB, Texas and the Johnson Ranch near Stonewall, Texas. Due to these frequent flights, the aircraft became informally known as the “Lady Bird Special,” a play on the childhood nickname “Lady Bird” of First Lady Claudia Johnson.
After its stint with Johnson, the VC-6A continued to operate as an executive transport for the 89th Military Airlift Wing until it was retired to the U.S. Air Force museum in September 1985.
The U.S. Air Force museum notes that the aircraft is off display currently, prior to its move to the museum’s new fourth building. It will return to display when that building opens to the public in June 2016.