F-84Gs 51-769, 51-1225, 51-1694 and 51-1867 received an E for Exempt prefix for ZELMAL (Zero-length Launch, Mat Landing) V/STOL trials. A big rocket blasted the Thunderjet into the sky and the pilot was supposed to land, gear up, on an inflatable mat, using an arresting cable. 51-1225 was damaged beyond repair in the first mat landing at Edwards on 2 June 1954. Here it is seen at the Mid-America Jubilee exhibition in Saint Louis, held in September 1956 on the Mississippi riverfront where the Gateway Arch stands today. Note the additions on the nose, already seen in a shot of 51-1225 being launched. Photo by: Gerald Massie / Missouri State Archives

This photo was added on 26 June 2023, and has since been viewed 399 times.