The USAF C-5 that landed at Beijing, loaded 4 new F-7s for Constant Peg and flew them to Tonopah Test Range…

Chengdu F-7s for Constant Peg

Project Constant Peg was a secret program to train US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps fighter aircrews to fly against Soviet-designed aircraft. The USAF’s 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES), nicknamed the “Red Eagles,” flew MiG-17 “Fresco,” MiG-21 “Fishbed,” and later MiG-23 “Flogger” aircraft at the secret Tonopah Test Range (TTR) airfield. The Red Eagles gave American aircrews the skills and confidence to defeat these threats in aerial combat.

The MiG-17 and MiG-21 formed the backbone of the Constant Peg fleet until they were joined by the MiG-23 in 1980. The Red Eagles retired the aging MiG-17s in 1982 due to obsolescence and safety concerns.

After “Red Eagles” had obtained their first six MiG-21s the operational tempo slowly increased, affording more exposure to an actual threat aircraft. However, the goal had always been to intensify this effort still further. But, to do that, the only solution was to obtain more MiG-21s.

As told by Rob Zettel, USAF (ret.) and a three-year Red Eagles veteran of the 4477th TES, in his book American MiG Pilot Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles” MiG Squadron, where the “Red Eagles” went to source their needed MiGs was about to shock everyone.

Approaching Chinese airspace C-5A

November 1982 1905hrs, China Standard Time 28,000ft over the East China Sea approaching Chinese airspace C-5A

“Hey guys, you might want to come to the cockpit and have a look at this. We’re about to get some interesting company going into Beijing.” The pilot’s voice on the aircraft’s intercom sounded distant, despite the sole occupants in the passenger section being only 20ft aft of the airplane’s flight deck.

Sitting in one of the first rows of the passenger section on the upper deck and separated from the cargo hold below, TSgt Jim “J. B.” Bell sat up and made his way toward the cockpit. He and five other senior enlisted men, four from the 4477th TES and two from the 6513th TS, nicknamed the “Red Hats” [ those who conducted the initial flight tests at Area 51 of acquired MiGs for later tactical exploitation] were on a unique operation. Bell and the others had no idea what to expect upon landing.

All they had been told weeks earlier, back in Nevada, was that they would be picking up some aircraft in China and flying back with them to TTR.

Red Eagles crew chief

Jim was a 13-year USAF veteran F-4 mechanic, although he was then a MiG-23 crew chief. He had been with the “Red Eagles” for more than two years.

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Stepping inside the cockpit of the C-5A, Bell could barely make out the outlines of the two pilots at the controls, their faces only dimly lit by the incandescent glow from the instrument panel.

“What’s going on?” he asked, looking outside into the darkness in both directions. No response. After a couple of seconds, Jim felt a tap on his right arm. He noticed a set of headphones with a boom mic attached, which the flight engineer held out to him and then tapped his headset, pointing at Bell, indicating that he should put them on. He then realized that they couldn’t hear what he was saying. Within a few seconds, Bell had the headset on and was talking to the aircraft commander.

“We just entered the Chinese ADIZ [Air Defense Identification Zone]. Shanghai Center tells us to expect fighters to join up on us shortly. I have no idea what type. They must be on a discreet frequency, as we haven’t heard a thing. But then again, they’re probably speaking Chinese anyway, so it would be of little good to have them here with us. Let’s keep a sharp lookout regardless. This ought to be interesting.”

PLAAF fighters joining USAF C-5

Soon, the Shanghai Center controller instructed the C-5A crew to maintain their current heading and altitude, and to expect PLAAF [People’s Liberation Army Air Force] fighters to join them momentarily. Moments later, with the lights of Shanghai visible ahead on the horizon, Bell noticed the aircraft commander motioning with an extended thumb toward the left side window. Leaning forward, Jim could just make out what appeared to be a pair of fighters, what type he wasn’t sure, loosely flying alongside the giant transport, the two aircraft barely visible in the soft red glow from the C-5A’s upper and lower rotating anti-collision lights.

Then, surprisingly, almost as soon as they had appeared, the fighters seemingly vanished just minutes after their arrival.

On approach to Runway 36L at Beijing Capital International Airport

Ninety minutes later, they were on approach to Runway 36L at Beijing Capital International Airport. All he and his team were told was that a representative of the US Consulate would meet them once on the ground and coordinate loading their cargo. Bell sure hoped so because no one aboard the C-5A spoke Mandarin.

Having touched down and then cleared the runway, the C-5A crew was instructed to follow a vehicle to the parking apron.

One can only imagine what was going through the minds of the Chinese workers who were on hand to help as they witnessed this sight. Despite US President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing just ten years earlier, which marked the beginning of a new era in US–Chinese relations, Western air traffic to Beijing remained a rarity – the presence of an enormous, unmarked USAF C-5A on their ramp even more so. Its arrival under the cover of darkness was an indicator of how sensitive relations still were between the two countries. Whatever Bell and his team were about to load up, both countries wanted it kept a secret.

It was now just past 2200hrs, and the personnel from the 4477th, with the help of the assembled Chinese, had just seven hours before the C-5A needed to be airborne and on its way to Clark AB. The aircraft had been fueled at Kadena AB for the trip to Beijing and then on to Clark AB, and it wouldn’t need additional fueling in Beijing.

4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron J-7B Red 96

Chinese production of MiG-21s

As soon as they had parked, Bell, the rest of his team, and the entire C-5 crew all changed into civilian attire. Minutes later, they exited the C-5A and stepped out onto the ramp.

Neatly assembled on the otherwise vacant ramp in front of the C-5A were crated fuselages and wing cradles – the precious cargo. It was apparent that the aircraft were MiG-21s. However, these aircraft were not what Bell had expected. They were brand new and devoid of any markings.

Bell knew nothing about the Chinese production of MiG-21s. All he and his team knew was that they were about to load and fly back with whatever was there. Four sets of wings in freight cradles and several engine crates told him that they would be returning with four brand-new fighters. As it turned out, these weren’t MiG-21s at all, but new F-7Bs manufactured by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in Chengdu, China.

This was the first of three trips Jim Bell would make to Beijing. In total, he would be present for the acquisition of nine brand-new F-7s over the next 18 months.

F-7s for Constant Peg arrive in TTR and Area 51

Bell and the rest of the maintenance personnel got to work. There were no USAF standard “K-Loaders” to help ease the cargo onto the elevated cargo deck of the C-5A, so the “Red Eagles” team improvised. They devised a plan and the order in which the F-7s would be loaded. With the “Red Eagles” operating the forklifts the Chinese had provided, and some ingenious use of plywood sheeting to line the C-5A’s cargo deck, the last crate was onboard just past 0400hrs.

They were airborne minutes later, bound for Clark AB with their top secret cargo. Bell and his “Red Eagles” team had been on the ramp in Beijing for just under seven hours.

Six days later, following layovers at Clark AB and Hickam AFB, the same C-5A touched down at TTR under the cover of darkness late on a Saturday night to ensure complete secrecy. Three of the four F-7Bs were offloaded and moved into the Phase hangar for assembly in the ensuing months. Two hours later, the C-5A, with one airplane still aboard, lifted off at TTR for the 15-minute flight to Area 51. Like the 4477th, the 6513th TS was about to receive its first F-7B.

American MiG Pilot Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles” MiG Squadron is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron J-7B Red 69

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force