Base legal office adopts Phantom Published June 11, 2015 By Rebecca Amber Staff writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 412th Test Wing Legal Office arranged a special adoption June 6. Capt. Koley Borchard, 412th Test Wing Judge Advocate Office, along with several judge advocate generals and paralegals, adopted one of the F-4 Phantoms at the Air Force Flight Test Museum. Just like any other adoptive family, they assumed responsibility for the F-4's care, washing and cleaning the recent museum addition. The YF-4E Phantom II, serial number 65-0713, was a career test plane used at Edwards to test a variety of platforms. It started life as an F-4D and was converted to be one of three F-4E prototypes. The aircraft was later configured with the "Wild Weasel" platform, a popular configuration used during the Vietnam War to attack and destroy enemy surface-to-air missile sites. It continued to serve at Edwards for a number of years in numerous test programs including cruise missile chase. According to Borchard, the group hopes to touch up the Phantom's paint and add a shark mouth to the nose by the end of the year. The shark mouth paint scheme originally appeared on the jet during its time at Edwards. The museum has adoptive "families" for eight of their aircraft, but still needs another 12 groups or families to volunteer. Almost all of the aircraft on display have flown at Edwards and were part of various test programs over the years. While most of the aircraft are kept at Edwards, several black program birds are housed at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in the AFFT Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale. Adoptive groups are asked to thoroughly clean the aircraft twice a year. In exchange, a vinyl sign is placed in front of the aircraft with adoptive group's name. For more information or to adopt a plane, call the AFFT Museum at 661-277-8050.