WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum welcomes a McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle, the first aircraft of its kind to be accessioned into the Smithsonian collection. The F-15C Eagle is one of the most historically significant fighter planes of the post-World War II period. It arrived at the museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Aug. 13 and will go on display there in the coming weeks.

“We are thrilled to accept the F-15C into the museum’s collection,” said Michael Hankins, modern military curator at the museum. “The Eagle is one of the most iconic American fighter aircraft of the last 50 years, and this particular F-15 has powerful stories to tell.”

The F-15 is historically significant in part because of its combat record in many U.S. conflicts of the past 50 years. The F-15 is a U.S. Air Force air superiority, all-weather fighter aircraft designed to excel in air-to-air combat due to its emphasis on maneuverability. It reaches a maximum speed of Mach 2.5. No F-15 Eagles have ever been lost to enemy action in air-to-air combat, while pilots flying F-15s have shot down more than 100 enemy aircraft.

While piloting this F-15, Cesar “Rico” Rodriguez, then a captain in the U.S. Air Force, achieved two aerial victories against Iraqi MiG fighters during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, flying with the 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron (33rd Tactical Fighter Wing). Rodriguez later shot down another MiG-29 during Operation Allied Force in 1999, while flying a different F-15. This makes him one of only four Americans since 1972 to score three aerial victories, the closest that any American pilot has come to achieving “ace” status since the Vietnam War.