“Bldg. 256 was built in 1941 and was designed and constructed for use as a jet engine test facility during the World War II era,” said David Armstrong, 88th Civil Engineer Group project manager for the demolition. “It was mostly used as an engine test facility over the years but also provided some office space and additional storage for other functions until the building was vacated in the early 1990s.”
A project kickoff meeting was held March 4 with internal environment abatement beginning the next day. Environmental abatement is expected to take 50 working days with external demolition beginning in early May and lasting for 150 working days, with project completion expected in November 2020.
Although most items have already been removed from the facility, two wing tanks from a Boeing XB-52 “Stratofortress” are being prepared for shipment to Edwards AFB, California, where they can be restored and placed on display in a museum.
With eight jet engines mounted in pairs on a wing with a 35-degree sweep, the XB-52 had a maximum speed greater than 600 mph. The aircraft was used as a test aircraft for its entire service life, primarily at Wright-Patterson AFB once the initial flight tests were completed, according to the Air Force website.
Although no major road closures are anticipated during the project, a minimally used access road, Edwards Ave., will experience temporary closures during demolition. The project area is fenced off for safety reasons.
For more information, please contact Armstrong at 937-656-3582.
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