Point Mugu Test Centers (Paperback)

The United States Navy established and maintained several test centers and facilities for testing and evaluating aircraft and weapon systems. Few have achieved the size and scope of activities as the one based at Point Mugu, California. Over the years, the Naval Air Missile Test Center, along with the co-located Pacific Missile Range, became Naval Missile Center and Pacific Missile Test Center reflecting the evolution of technology, complexity, and sophistication needed to accurately evaluate weaponry performance.

This latest book by Angelo Romano is a pictorial work that covers the aircraft and missiles involved during the first thirty years (1945-1975) of the activities at NAS Point Mugu and its outlying stations and ranges. The book details a multitude of projects, aircraft, squadrons, and changes with the base and facilities up through 1975. Readers will find a fascinating wealth of technical and historical information on aircraft and weaponry associated from the beginning of activities there; all arranged chronologically by chapter.

To go along with the text, there are close to 600 b/w and color stunning photographs, nearly all unpublished, illustrating the aircraft, modifications, and project details. These photos were researched for accuracy as to the model type, serial or BuNo, time and location by various experts in their field. One feature is the photo roll call and serial list of QT-33As assigned to Point Mugu. An annual inventory of aircraft types assigned to Point Mugu were provided in numerous tables, along with some individual airframe histories. For historians and modelers, patches and logos were reproduced as accurately as possible with regard to details and colors. This would help to answer questions such as “What was that logo on that airplane and what did it looked like?”

In summary, it is a captivating look at some of the work that took place at the Point Mugu test centers. A follow-on volume will cover succeeding organizations and their aircraft, missiles, and test efforts from 1975 onward. The quantity and quality of content presented in this without precedents volume make for an interesting and unmissable read and as a welcomed reference on bookshelves of aviation historians, photographers, modelers.