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Smithsonian welcomes legendary F-15C Eagle
On Aug. 13, 2025, beneath the vaulted ceilings of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, a legend of American airpower was enshrined. The 173rd Fighter Wing 85-0114 was inducted into the museum’s collection, securing its place among the nation’s most treasured symbols of courage, innovation and freedom.
As explained by Master Sgt. Daniel Reed, 173rd Fighter Wing, in the article Kingsley Field F-15C Eagle A/C 114 Enshrined at Smithsonian, the ceremony marked the culmination of a remarkable career that spanned more than four decades, from the Cold War’s tense standoffs to the deserts of Iraq, and eventually to the training fields of Oregon. 85-0114’s story is not just the tale of one aircraft, but the embodiment of an era — the rise of the F-15 Eagle and its unrivaled reign over the skies.
Delivered in the late 1970s, 85-0114 quickly became part of the Air Force’s frontline fleet, carrying America’s defense into some of the most critical theaters of the modern era.
Its most celebrated moments came in the hands of Col. Cesar “Rico” Rodriguez, one of the Air Force’s most storied fighter pilots. Flying 114, Rodriguez scored two air-to-air kills while flying this specific aircraft during Operation Desert Storm in January 1991, flying with the 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron, that solidified both his place in history and the aircraft’s enduring reputation.
F-15C Eagle Double MiG killer for Smithsonian
The aircraft’s combat record began on Jan. 19, 1991. While flying a defensive mission southwest of Baghdad, Rodriguez and his wingman encountered Iraqi MiG fighters. During the ensuing dogfight, Rodriguez engaged a MiG-29 in a deadly spiral toward the desert floor. As already reported, the Iraqi pilot, attempting to escape through a high-speed maneuver, misjudged his altitude and crashed into the ground at full afterburner without Rodriguez firing a shot.
Exactly one week later, Rodriguez scored a direct hit on a MiG-23 by means of an AIM-7 Sparrow missile. The Flogger disintegrated in what he described as “a big char mark straight down onto the desert floor.” Rodrigues was flying the same aircraft—a coincidence he didn’t realize until after the mission.
“It wasn’t until we got home and the crew chiefs put two stars on the airplane that I realized the significant coincidence,” Rodriguez recalled. “It didn’t even cross my mind that it was the same airplane.”
According to Alert 5, the path to those victories had been unlikely for Rodriguez, whose early flight training was so troubled that one instructor told him bluntly: “you kinda suck.” But that same instructor worked with Rodriguez to develop an improvement plan, and his persistence paid off. After seeing an F-15 at an airshow, Rodriguez knew his goal. “Wow, that looks pretty badass,” he remembered thinking. “So that became my goal.”
Rodriguez’s first experience in an F-15 in 1988 lived up to expectations. “Just starting the airplane was a very exhilarating experience,” he said. “You just started to feel this raw power…. It talked to you. All of the aerodynamics of the F-15 came to play, and you could feel it.”
One of only four Americans since 1972 to score three aerial victories
In 1999, in Kosovo, flying a different F-15 during Operation Allied Force he repeated the feat downing another enemy fighter and becoming one of only four Americans since 1972 to score three aerial victories—the closest any American pilot has come to achieving the coveted “ace” status since the Vietnam War.
“Every time 114 took off, it carried with it not just fuel and weapons, but the confidence of a nation,” said Rodriguez. “It was more than a machine, it was a partner, and it never let me down.”
Long before Desert Storm, 85-0114 stood ready during the height of the Cold War, when US airpower was the thin blue line of deterrence against potential adversaries. Stationed at forward bases and strategic locations, Eagles like 114 were constant reminders that America’s skies would never go undefended.
From intercepting Soviet aircraft probing NATO airspace to maintaining a watchful eye over contested regions, 85-0114 played its role in ensuring peace through strength. Though much of its Cold War service remains routine, its presence was part of the larger shield that kept conflicts from igniting.
In later years, 85-0114 found a new purpose. Retired from frontline combat duty, it was reassigned to the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon — the Air National Guard’s premier F-15 training unit.
Among the most iconic artifacts
There, it became a mentor in metal, helping train hundreds of the Air Force’s elite Eagle drivers.
“For those of us who trained in it, 114 was more than just an aircraft,” said Col. Adam Gaudinski, 173rd Fighter Wing commander. “It was a bridge between generations of fighter pilots, from the combat veterans of Desert Storm to the young men and women preparing to defend America today. Its legacy is not only what it did, but who it shaped.”
The induction of 85-0114 places it among the Smithsonian’s most iconic artifacts — alongside the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module and the Enola Gay. Each of these machines tells the story of American innovation and courage, and now the Eagle joins their ranks.
The aircraft will serve not just as a static exhibit, but as a storyteller, carrying forward the experiences of the thousands of pilots, maintainers and support crews who kept it flying.
As visitors walk past its swept wings and towering vertical stabilizers, they will see more than a machine. They will see the Cold War watchman, the Desert Storm victor, the Kosovo warrior, the Kingsley Field teacher. They will see the living story of America’s Eagle.
“The Eagle has landed in its final home,” said Gaudinski. “But though it will never take flight again, its spirit will soar forever.”
The Eagle
The first F-15A flight was made in July 1972, and the first flight of the two-seat F-15B (formerly TF-15A) trainer was made in July 1973. The first Eagle (F-15B) was delivered in November 1974. In January 1976, the first Eagle destined for a combat squadron was delivered.
The single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D models entered the Air Force inventory beginning in 1979. These new models have Production Eagle Package (PEP 2000) improvements, including 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of additional internal fuel, provision for carrying exterior conformal fuel tanks and increased maximum takeoff weight of up to 68,000 pounds (30,600 kilograms).
The F-15 Multistage Improvement Program was initiated in February 1983, with the first production MSIP F-15C produced in 1985. Improvements included an upgraded central computer; a Programmable Armament Control Set allowing for advanced versions of the AIM-7, AIM-9 and AIM-120A missiles, and an expanded Tactical Electronic Warfare System that provides improvements to the ALR-56C radar warning receiver and ALQ-135 countermeasure set. The final 43 included a Hughes APG-70 radar.
F-15C, D and E models were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm where they proved their superior combat capability. F-15C fighters accounted for 34 of the 37 Air Force air-to-air victories.
Over the decades, the F-15 amassed an unmatched air-to-air combat record with 104 confirmed victories without a single loss.
Photo credit: Master Sgt. Daniel Reed / U.S. Air National Guard
