Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Area B, Building 8, Operations & Flight Test Building, Northeast corner of Tenth & C Streets, Dayton

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OHIO,29-DAYT.V,1O-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Building 8, the Operations and Flight Test Building, was an integral part of Wright Field's World War II expansion. At this time it housed the newly formed Flight Test Division, and also Wright Field Operations, which handled logistical matters such as air traffic control and meteorological support. Project History: This report is part of the overall Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Area B documentation project conducted by HAER See overview report, HAER No. OH-7 9, for a complete description of the project. WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, AREA B, BUILDING 8, OPERATIONS AND FLIGHT TEST BUILDING HAER No, OH-79-0 (Page 2)

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OHIO,29-DAYT.V,1O-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Building 8 is a rectangular three-story concrete structure with a flat roof. Built in the Art Deco style, it has a symmetrical south facade of fourteen bays. On the west end of the building, facing the flightline, is a two-story advancing elliptical block with a flat roof and ribbon windows of gold reflective glass in the Art Moderne style. This is the former Wright Field Operations Office. Building 8 is attached to the south side of Hangar 1. The six-story control tower, crowned by a glass control cupola, is situated between the two. HISTORY: Building 8 was constructed in as part of the Hangar 1/9 - Buildings complex, to house Wright Field Operations and the Flight Test Division.

Flight testing at Wright Field prior to this time had been conducted by several independent units, each responsible for a different aspect of testing. In tasks such as the flight testing of experimental aircraft and "accelerated service testing" of models under production were consolidated under the jurisdiction of a single Commanding General. The Flight Test Division, as this new unit was called, did only testing. Such logistical matters as air traffic control and meteorological support at Wright Field's newly busy runways were handled by Post Operations. In the Pilot Transition Branch transferred to the building from Area C. The control tower remained in use until flight operations at Wright Field closed in the mid-1970s.

Aeronautical Systems Division (now Aeronautical Systems Center) Civil Engineering moved into the office section of the building sometime before and was eventually joined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Security Information. The building currently houses ASC Security Police and the 64 5th Civil Engineering Group with planning, programming and program management functions. For bibliography, see Wright-Patterson Air Force Base overview report (HAER No. OH-79).