National Museum of the United States Air Force
Encyclopedia
The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...

 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum
Aviation museum
An aviation museum, air museum or aerospace museum is a museum exhibiting the history and artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual or replica aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, models, dioramas, clothing and equipment used by aviators.Aviation museums vary in size from housing...

 with more than 360 aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

 and missiles on display. The museum draws over 1.3 million visitors each year making it one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Ohio. Admission to the museum is free.

History

The museum dates back to 1923 when the Engineering Division at Dayton's
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

 McCook Field
McCook Field
McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917-1927...

 first collected technical artifacts for preservation. In 1927 it moved to then-Wright Field
Wright Field
Wright Field was an airfield of the United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces near Riverside, Ohio. From 1927 to 1947 it was the research and development center for the Air Corps, and during World War II a flight test center....

 and was housed in a succession of buildings. In 1954 as the Air Force Museum it was housed in its first permanent facility, Building 89 of the former Patterson Field in Fairborn, which had been an engine overhaul hangar, and many of its aircraft were parked outside and exposed to the weather. It remained there until 1971 when the current facility was first opened. Not including its annex on Wright Field proper, the museum has more than tripled in square footage since its inception in 1971.

The museum announced a new name for the facility in October 2004. The former name "United States Air Force Museum" was changed to "National Museum of the United States Air Force".

Exhibits and collections

The museum's collection contains many rare aircraft of historical or technological importance as well as various memorabilia and artifacts relating to the history and development of aviation. Included in the permanent collections are one of four surviving Convair B-36
Convair B-36
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...

s, the only surviving XB-70 Valkyrie
XB-70 Valkyrie
The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the proposed B-70 nuclear-armed deep-penetration strategic bomber for the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command...

, and Bockscar
Bockscar
Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan....

—the B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

 that dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...

 during the last days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

The museum launched their 360-degree Virtual Tour
Virtual Tour
A virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of video images. They also may use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text....

 in 2010. Visitors can now view the majority of the museum's aircraft and exhibits online.

Presidential aircraft

The museum has several Presidential aircraft
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...

, including those used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

. The centerpiece of the Presidential aircraft collection is SAM 26000, a modified Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...

 used regularly by Presidents John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

 through Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...

 during his first term; after which it served as the backup Presidential aircraft. This was the aircraft that took President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

 and Mrs. Kennedy to Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

 on November 22, 1963—the day of the President's assassination. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...

 was sworn in as president aboard it shortly after the assassination; this aircraft then carried the slain President's body back to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

. It was temporarily removed from display on December 5, 2009, to be repainted. It was placed back on display in the museum on President's Day, 2010. All presidential aircraft are now on display in their own Presidential Hangar next to the R&D/Flight Test Hangar which are both located west of the USAF Museum. As both hangars are behind the perimeter fence on Wright-Patterson AFB property, they are only accessible to the general public by tour bus.

Pioneers of flight

There is a large section of the museum dedicated to pioneers of flight, especially the Wright Brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...

, who conducted some of their experiments at nearby Huffman Prairie
Huffman Prairie
Huffman Prairie, also known as Huffman Prairie Flying Field or Huffman Field is part of Ohio's Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park...

. A replica of the Wrights' 1909 Military Flyer is on display, as well as other Wright brothers artifacts. The building also hosts the National Aviation Hall of Fame
National Aviation Hall of Fame
The American National Aviation Hall of Fame is located at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, east Dayton, Ohio...

, which includes several educational exhibits.

Uniforms and clothing

The museum has a large inventory of USAAF and Air Force clothing and uniforms in its collection. At any time over fifty WWII vintage A-2 leather flying jacket
A-2 jacket
The Type A-2 leather flight jacket is a military flight jacket closely associated with World War II U.S. Army Air Forces pilots, navigators and bombardiers, who often decorated their jackets with squadron patches and elaborate artwork painted on the back...

s are on display, many of which belonged to famous figures in Air Force history. Others are beautifully painted to depict the airplanes and missions flown by their former owners. Included in the museum's displays are the jacket worn by Brig. Gen. James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...

, P-38 ace Maj. Richard I. Bong
Richard Bong
Richard Ira "Dick" Bong is the United States' highest-scoring air ace, having shot down at least 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II. He was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces and a recipient of the Medal of Honor...

's sheepskin
Sheepskin (material)
Sheepskin is the hide of a sheep, sometimes also called lambskin. Unlike common leather, sheepskin is tanned with the fleece intact, as in a pelt.-Uses:...

 B-3 jacket and boots, an A-2 jacket worn by one of the few USAAF pilots to leave the ground during the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

, and President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

's peacoat
Pea coat
A pea coat is an outer coat, generally of a navy-colored heavy wool, originally worn by sailors of American and European navies. Pea coats are characterized by broad lapels, double-breasted fronts, often large wooden or metal buttons, and vertical or slash pockets...

.

Other exhibits and attractions

The museum completed the construction of a third hangar and hall of missiles in 2004. It now houses post-Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 era planes such as the B-2 Spirit
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...

 stealth bomber (test aircraft), the F-117 Nighthawk
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...

 stealth ground attack aircraft and others. Fund raising has begun for a fourth hangar to house the museum's space collection, presidential planes and an enlarged educational outreach area, making all more accessible to the public.

The museum has an IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...

 theater that shows, for a fee, aviation and space oriented IMAX films interspersed primarily with other documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...

.

The museum owns other aircraft that are on loan to other aerospace museums in the United States. Most of these loaned aircraft duplicate aircraft exhibited by the museum. The museum's staff has very high standards for the quality of care/restoration of loaned assets, and has, in the past, revoked these loans when it was deemed that these other museums did not have the resources to properly care for an artifact. This happened in the case of the famous B-17, Memphis Belle
Memphis Belle (B-17)
Memphis Belle is the nickname of a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and a 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle...

.

Future developments

The Museum is currently raising funds for the construction of a fourth hangar gallery to be built behind the current Missile Gallery. The project is expected to cost $40,000,000. When completed it will house all the Museum's research and development aircraft as well as the presidential aircraft, freeing those hangars for use in future restoration projects, as well as the eventual display of the Convair XC-99.

Partial list of collection

The museum is divided into galleries, covering broad historic trends in military aviation. These are further broken down into exhibits detailing specific time periods and showing aircraft in their historical context.

All aircraft in this list were designed/built in the United States of America, unless otherwise indicated.

Early years (1901–1917)

  • Wright Brothers
    Wright brothers
    The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...

     1901 wind tunnel
    Wind tunnel
    A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...

  • Wright Military Flyer
    Wright Military Flyer
    -See also:-References:* * United States Air Force Museum - External links :* , NASA Collections Database* * Smithsonian online version of magazine November 1, 2006* reproduction 1908 Wright Model A Military Flyer.-See also:...

     (1909), the first aircraft ever purchased by the U.S. Army Signal Corps
  • Curtiss
    Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
    Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the company was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States...

     1911 Model D
    Curtiss Model D
    |-See also:-External links:...

    , the second aircraft purchased by the Signal Corps
  • Wright Brothers 1911 wind tunnel
  • Blériot
    Louis Blériot
    Louis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000...

     Monoplane
    Monoplane
    A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...

     (France
    France
    The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

    )

World War I (1917–1918)

  • SPAD VII  (France
    France
    The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

     – used by U.S. Lafayette Escadrille
    Lafayette Escadrille
    The Lafayette Escadrille , was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.-History:Dr. Edmund L...

    )
  • Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny" trainer
  • Standard Aircraft
    Standard Aircraft Corporation
    Standard Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, founded in Plainfield, New Jersey, in 1916Standard Aircraft anticipated American entry into World War I, despite an expressed policy of isolationism. The same year it was founded, Standard Aircraft became a very early supplier of...

     SJ-1
    Standard SJ
    |-See also:...

     trainer
  • Thomas-Morse Aircraft
    Thomas-Morse Aircraft
    The Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, until it was taken over by the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in 1929.Founded by English expatriates William T. and his brother Oliver W...

     S-4C Scout
    Thomas-Morse S-4
    |-See also:-Bibliography:* Donald, David, ed. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, p. 875, "Thomas Brothers and Thomas-Morse aircraft". Etobicoke, Ontario: Prospero Books, 1997....

     trainer
  • Avro 504K
    Avro 504
    The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...

     trainer
  • Nieuport
    Nieuport
    Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:...

     28 C.1, used by the first fighter squadron
    Squadron (aviation)
    A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...

    s of the United States Army Air Service (USAAS)
    United States Army Air Service
    The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...

  • Sopwith F-1 Camel
    Sopwith Camel
    The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...

     (Great Britain
    Great Britain
    Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

    , used by the United States Army Air Service)
  • Fokker Dr.I
    Fokker Dr.I
    The Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918...

     (Germany
    Germany
    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

    )
  • Caquot
    Albert Caquot
    Albert Caquot was considered as the "best living French engineer" during half a century. He received the “Croix de guerre 1914-1918” and was Grand-croix of the Légion d’Honneur...

     Type R observation
    Observation balloon
    Observation balloons are balloons that are employed as aerial platforms for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Their use began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War I, and they continue in limited use today....

     dirigible (France – used by United States Army
    United States Army
    The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

    )
  • Halberstadt CL.IV
    Halberstadt CL.IV
    -Bibliography:* Gerdessen, F. "Estonian Air Power 1918 - 1945". Air Enthusiast No 18, April - July 1982. Pages 61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.-External links:**...

     (Germany)
  • SPAD XIII (France) – donated by Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
    Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
    The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a museum of World War I aircraft and antique automobiles that is located in Red Hook, New York, USA.-History:The aerodrome was the creation of Cole Palen, who was partially inspired by the Shuttleworth Collection in England. He regularly flew many of the aircraft...

     upon the passing of Cole Palen
    Cole Palen
    Cole Palen was the founder of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, a "living" museum of vintage aircraft from 1900-1937 located in Rhinebeck, New York...

  • Fokker D.VII
    Fokker D.VII
    The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...

     (Germany)
  • Kettering
    Charles Kettering
    Charles Franklin Kettering was an American inventor, engineer, businessman, and the holder of 186 patents. He was a founder of Delco, and was head of research for General Motors for 27 years from 1920 to 1947. Among his most widely used automotive inventions were the electrical starting motor and...

     Bug Aerial Torpedo
    Kettering Bug
    -External links:* * *...

     (U.S – First cruise missile
    Cruise missile
    A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...

    )
  • Caproni Ca.36 (Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    )

Inter-War years (1919–1941)

  • De Havilland
    De Havilland
    The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...

     DH-4 (U.S. built from a British design)
  • Martin
    Glenn L. Martin Company
    The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...

     MB-2 (First U.S. designed bomber)
  • Consolidated PT-1
    Consolidated PT-1
    The Consolidated PT-1 Trusty was a biplane primary trainer used by the United States Army Air Service.-Design and development:...

     "Trusty" (trainer)
  • Boeing P-12
    Boeing P-12
    The Boeing P-12 or F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Navy.-Design and development:...

    E
  • Curtiss P-6
    Curtiss P-6
    |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bowers, Peter M. "The Great Fighter Fly-Offs: Curtiss vs. Boeing". Wings, Volume 31, Number 1, February 2001....

    E
  • Boeing P-26A Peashooter
    P-26 Peashooter
    The American Boeing P-26 Peashooter, was the first all-metal production fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane used by the United States Army Air Corps...

  • Martin B-10
    Martin B-10
    The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...

  • Douglas O-38
    Douglas O-38
    -References:*The complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, , 1152 pp.-External links:...

    F
  • Douglas O-46A – currently in storage
  • North American O-47
    North American O-47
    |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.* Fahey, James C. U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946. New York: Ships and Aircraft, 1946....

    B
  • Curtiss O-52
    Curtiss O-52
    |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Donald, David. American Warplanes of World War II. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1-874023-72-7....

     Owl
  • North American BT-9
    North American BT-9
    |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Davis, Larry. T-6 Texan in Action . Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1989. ISBN 0-89747-224-1....

    B (trainer)
  • Stearman PT-13D
    Boeing Stearman
    |-See also:-Bibliography:* Avis, Jim and Bowman, Martin. Stearman: A Pictorial History. Motorbooks, 1997. ISBN 0-76030-479-3.* Bowers, Peter M. Boeing Aircraft since 1916. London:Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-804-6....

     Kaydet (trainer)
  • Fairchild PT-19
    Fairchild PT-19
    |-See also:-Bibliography:* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4....

     Cornell (trainer)

Attack Aircraft

  • Douglas A-20G Havoc
    Douglas DB-7
    The Douglas A-20/DB-7 Havoc was a family of American attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft of World War II, that served with several Allied air forces, principally those of the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States. The DB-7 was also used by the air forces of Australia, South...

  • Douglas A-24B Banshee
    SBD Dauntless
    The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...

  • North American A-36A Apache
    North American A-36
    The North American A-36 Apache was the ground-attack/dive bomber version of the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, from which it could be distinguished by the presence of rectangular, slatted dive brakes above and below the wings...


Bomber Aircraft

  • Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress 40-3097 "The Swoose" – under restoration
  • Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress 41-24485 "Memphis Belle"
    Memphis Belle (B-17)
    Memphis Belle is the nickname of a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and a 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle...

     – under restoration
  • Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 42-32076 "Shoo Shoo Baby "
  • Douglas B-18 Bolo
  • Douglas B-23A Dragon – currently in storage
  • Consolidated B-24D Liberator "Strawberry Bitch" 42-72843
    Consolidated B-24 Survivors
    Consolidated B-24 Survivors is a list of flying and static display B-24 Liberators and includes brief history, markings, owners, locations, and aircraft condition or status.-Background:...

  • Martin B-26G Marauder
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Bockscar"
    Bockscar
    Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan....

     – Aircraft used in atomic bombing
    Fat Man
    "Fat Man" is the codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9, 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons to be used in warfare to date , and its detonation caused the third man-made nuclear explosion. The name also refers more...

     on Nagasaki

Cargo Aircraft

  • Douglas
    Douglas Aircraft Company
    The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...

     C-39 – currently in storage
  • Curtiss C-46D Commando
    C-46 Commando
    The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...

  • Douglas
    Douglas Aircraft Company
    The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...

     C-47D Skytrain
    C-47 Skytrain
    The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...


Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft

  • North American
    North American Aviation
    North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...

     F-10D Mitchell
    B-25 Mitchell
    The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...

     43-3374
    North American B-25 Survivors
    -B-25 survivors:-Argentina:Under Restoration.*B-25J Mitchell, s/n 44-31173, Was on display at Vicecomodoro Ángel de la Paz Aragonés Airport. Under restoration to flightworthiness by Gustavo M...

     – (Painted as B-25B – Doolittle Raider's diorama)

Pursuit Aircraft

  • Seversky P-35
    Seversky P-35
    The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft built in the United States by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in U.S...

  • Curtiss P-36A Hawk
    P-36 Hawk
    The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, was an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of both the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation of combat aircraft—a sleek monoplane design...

  • Lockheed
    Lockheed Corporation
    The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...

     P-38L Lightning
    P-38 Lightning
    The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...

  • Bell P-39Q Airacobra
  • Curtiss Hawk 87A-3 (P-40E)
    Curtiss P-40
    The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...

     AK987
    Curtiss P-40 Survivors
    The Curtiss P-40 was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft. Flown by the air forces of 28 nations, when production of the P-40 ceased in November 1944, 13,738 had been built. As of 2008, 19 P-40s remain airworthy, with only three having dual controls...

     – (Flying Tigers
    Flying Tigers
    The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...

     markings)
  • Republic P-47D-15RA "Fiery Ginger"
    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...

     42-23278
    Republic P-47 Survivors
    The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was an American fighter aircraft. Beginning in 1942, 15,686 P-47’s were produced, the last of which was accepted by the United States Army Air Forces from Republic Aviation' Evansville factory.-Background:...

     (razorback)
  • Republic P-47D-40RA "Five by Five"
    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...

     45-49167
    Republic P-47 Survivors
    The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was an American fighter aircraft. Beginning in 1942, 15,686 P-47’s were produced, the last of which was accepted by the United States Army Air Forces from Republic Aviation' Evansville factory.-Background:...

     (bubble-top)


  • North American P-51D Mustang
    P-51 Mustang
    The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...

  • Northrop
    Northrop Corporation
    Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...

     P-61C Black Widow
    P-61 Black Widow
    The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...

  • Bell P-63E Kingcobra
    P-63 Kingcobra
    The Bell P-63 Kingcobra was a United States fighter aircraft developed in World War II from the Bell P-39 Airacobra in an attempt to correct that aircraft's deficiencies...

  • Fisher P-75A Eagle
    P-75 Eagle
    |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Four: Fighters. London: Macdonald & Co., 1961. ISBN 0-356-01448-7....



Trainer Aircraft

  • Curtiss AT-9 Jeep
    Curtiss AT-9
    -Related content:Related development:Comparable aircraft:Beech C-45 Expeditor-Bibliography:* Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8....

     (advanced trainer)
  • Vultee
    Vultee Aircraft
    The Vultee Aircraft Corporation became an independent company in 1939 and had limited success before merging with the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in 1943 to form the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, or Convair.-History:...

     BT-13 Valiant
    BT-13 Valiant
    The Vultee BT-13 Valiant was an American World War II-era basic trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces...

     (basic trainer)
  • Ryan
    Ryan
    -Places:Australia* Division of Ryan, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland*Ryan, New South WalesUnited States*Ryan, California*Ryan, former name of Lila C, California*Ryan, Iowa*Ryan, Minnesota*Ryan, Oklahoma...

     PT-22 Recruit (primary trainer)

Foreign Aircraft

  • Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman
    Noorduyn Norseman
    The Noorduyn Norseman is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Norseman aircraft are known to have been registered and/or operated in 68 countries throughout the world and also have been based and flown in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.-Design and...

     (Canada)
  • Bristol Beaufighter Mk Ic
    Bristol Beaufighter
    The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...

     (Great Britain
    Great Britain
    Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

    )
  • De Havilland
    De Havilland
    The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...

     DH 82A Tiger Moth
    De Havilland Tiger Moth
    The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...

      (Great Britain)
  • De Havilland DH 98 Mosquito Mk 35
    De Havilland Mosquito
    The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...

     (Great Britain)
  • Hawker Hurricane Mk IIa
    Hawker Hurricane
    The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...

     (Great Britain)
  • Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vc
    Supermarine Spitfire
    The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...

      (Great Britain)
  • Supermarine Spitfire Mk PRXI
    Supermarine Spitfire
    The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...

      (Great Britain)
  • Kawanishi N1K-J
    Kawanishi N1K-J
    The Kawanishi N1K Kyōfū was an Imperial Japanese Navy floatplane fighter. The Kawanishi N1K-J Shiden was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service land-based version of the N1K...

     Shiden-Kai "George-21" (Japan) –
  • Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zeke" (Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

    )


  • Yokosuka Ohka
    Ohka
    The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was a purpose-built, rocket powered human-guided anti-shipping kamikaze attack plane employed by Japan towards the end of World War II...

    Trainer (Japan)
  • Fieseler
    Fieseler
    The Gerhard Fieseler Werke was a German aircraft manufacturer of the 1930s and 40s. The company is remembered mostly for its military aircraft built for the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.-History:...

     Fi 156C-1 Storch
    Fieseler Fi 156
    The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a small German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market...

     (Germany)
  • Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9
    Focke-Wulf Fw 190
    The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...

     (Germany)
  • Junkers Ju-88D-1
    Junkers Ju 88
    The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...

     (Germany)
  • Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6
    Messerschmitt Bf 109
    The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...

     610824
    Messerschmitt Bf 109 Survivors
    The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear...

     (Germany
    Germany
    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

    )
  • Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet
    Messerschmitt Me 163
    The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163 was capable of performance unrivaled at the time. Messerschmitt...

     (Germany)
  • Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe
    Messerschmitt Me 262
    The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...

     (Germany)
  • Fieseler Fi 103 (V-1)
    V-1 flying bomb
    The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....

     (Germany)
  • V-2
    V-2 rocket
    The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...

     with Meillerwagen
    Meillerwagen
    The Meillerwagen was a German World War II trailer used to transport a V-2 rocket from the 'transloading point' of the Technical Troop Area to the 'launching point', to erect the missile on the Brennstand , and to act as the service gantry for fuelling and launch preparation...

     (Germany)
  • Macchi
    Aermacchi
    Alenia Aermacchi is an Italian company designing and producing trainer aircraft for military pilots.-Profile:Alenia Aermacchi has sold about 2,000 trainers to more than 40 countries and has collaborated in major international military programs....

     MC.200 Saetta (Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    )


Korean War

  • Douglas A-26C Invader
  • Douglas C-124C Globemaster II
  • Fairchild C-82 Packet
  • Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
  • Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star (First operational U.S. jet fighter)
  • Lockheed F-94A Starfire
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis
    Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
    The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in...

     (USSR – this aircraft was landed in Seoul by No Kum-Sok
    No Kum-Sok
    No Kum-Sok is a former lieutenant of the North Korean Air Force during the Korean War who defected to South Korea...

    , a Korean People's Air Force, supposedly influenced by Operation Moolah
    Operation Moolah
    Operation Moolah was a United States Air Force effort during the Korean War to obtain through defection a fully capable Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter. The MiG-15 was introduced by Communist forces on November 1, 1950 over the skies of Korea...

     and later test flown by Chuck Yeager
    Chuck Yeager
    Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...

     in Japan)
  • North American B-45C Tornado
  • North American F-82B Twin Mustang
  • North American F-86A Sabre
  • North American RF-86 Sabre
  • North American T-6 Mosquito
    North American T-6 Texan
    The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...

     (forward air control
    Forward air control
    Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...

     version of T-6 Texan trainer)
  • Republic F-84E Thunderjet
  • Sikorksy YH-5A
    Sikorsky H-5
    The Sikorsky H-5, is a helicopter built by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, formerly used by the United States Air Force, and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces, as well as the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard The Sikorsky H-5, (aka R-5, S-51, HO3S-1, or Horse) (R-5...

  • Sikorsky UH-19B Chickasaw

Southeast Asia War

  • Bell UH-1P Iroquois
  • Boeing B-52D Stratofortress
  • Cessna YA-37A Dragonfly
    Cessna T-37
    The Cessna T-37 Tweet is a small, economical twin-engine jet trainer-attack type aircraft which flew for decades as a primary trainer for the United States Air Force and in the air forces of several other nations...

  • Cessna O-1G Bird Dog (forward air control
    Forward air control
    Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...

    )
  • Cessna O-2A Skymaster (forward air control)
  • De Havilland Canada C-7 Caribou
    De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou
    The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou is a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing capability...

  • Douglas A-1E Skyraider
  • Douglas RB-66B Destroyer
  • Fairchild C-123K Provider "Patches"
  • General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark
    General Dynamics F-111
    The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...

  • Kaman HH-43B Huskie
  • Lockheed EC-121D Warning Star
  • Lockheed C-141 Starlifter Hanoi Taxi
    Hanoi Taxi
    Hanoi Taxi is a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter strategic airlift aircraft that was in service with the United States Air Force and became famous for bringing back the first returned prisoners of war in Operation Homecoming...

  • Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D Corsair II
  • Martin EB-57B Canberra (U.S. manufactured version of British
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

     design)
  • McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo
  • McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
    Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
    The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR from 1952 and operated by numerous air forces in many variants. Most MiG-17 variants cannot carry air-to-air missiles, but shot down many aircraft with its cannons...

     (USSR)
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PF
    Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
    The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...

     (USSR) (a second MiG-21 is in storage)
  • North American F-100F Super Sabre
  • North American OV-10A Bronco
  • Northrop YF-5A Skoshi Tiger
  • Republic F-105D Thunderchief (besides the fighter version, there is also a Wild Weasel
    Wild Weasel
    A Wild Weasel is an aircraft specially equipped with radar seeking missiles, and tasked with destroying the radars and SAM installations of enemy air defence systems....

     F-105G version on display)
  • Sikorsky CH-3E

Cold War

  • Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck (Canada)
  • Boeing RB-47H (reconnaissance
    Reconnaissance
    Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

     variant)
  • Boeing WB-50D Superfortress
    Boeing B-50 Superfortress
    The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...

     (weather reconnaissance
    Weather reconnaissance
    Weather reconnaissance is the acquisition of weather data used for research and planning. Typically the term reconnaissance refers to observing weather from the air, as opposed to the ground .- Aircraft :Balloon...

     variant)
  • Boeing KC-97L Stratotanker (aerial refueling
    Aerial refueling
    Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....

     tanker)
  • Convair B-36J "Peacemaker"
    Convair B-36
    The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...

  • Convair B-58 Hustler
  • Convair F-102A Delta Dagger
  • Convair F-106A Delta Dart (Cornfield Bomber
    Cornfield Bomber
    The "Cornfield Bomber" was a Convair F-106 Delta Dart, operated by the 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron of the United States Air Force, that made an unpiloted landing in a farmer's field in Montana, suffering only minor damage, after the pilot had ejected from the aircraft...

    )
  • De Havilland Canada U-6A Beaver
  • Dassault Mystere IVA
    Dassault Mystère IV
    |-See also:-External links:*...

     (France) – currently in storage
  • Douglas C-133 Cargomaster
  • Lockheed F-104C Starfighter
  • Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird
  • Lockheed U-2A
    Lockheed U-2
    The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...

  • McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19S
    Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19
    The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet second-generation, single-seat, twin jet-engined fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S...

     (USSR)
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
    Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
    The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet third generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 "Foxbat"...

     (USSR) – two currently in storage
  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25
    Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23
    The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet third generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 "Foxbat"...

     (USSR) – currently undergoing restoration
  • Northrop F-89 Scorpion
  • Piasecki CH-21B Workhorse
  • Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
  • Sukhoi Su-22M-4
    Sukhoi Su-17
    The Sukhoi Su-17 is a Soviet attack aircraft developed from the Sukhoi Su-7 fighter-bomber. It enjoyed a long career in Soviet, later Russian, service and was widely exported to communist and Middle Eastern air forces, under names Su-20 and Su-22.-Development:Seeking to improve low-speed and...

     (USSR) – currently in storage
  • Northrop AT-38 (United States)

Post Cold War

  • Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II
    A-10 Thunderbolt II
    The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...

  • General Atomics RQ-1A Predator
    RQ-1 Predator
    The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle used primarily by the United States Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency...

  • General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
    F-16 Fighting Falcon
    The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

  • Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk
    F-117 Nighthawk
    The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...

  • Lockheed AC-130A Spectre
    Lockheed AC-130
    The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support...

     "Azrael"
  • Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics F-22A Raptor
    F-22 Raptor
    The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...

  • McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II
    F-4 Phantom II
    The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...

  • McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II
    F-4 Phantom II
    The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...

     Wild Weasel
    Wild Weasel
    A Wild Weasel is an aircraft specially equipped with radar seeking missiles, and tasked with destroying the radars and SAM installations of enemy air defence systems....



  • McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
    F-15 Eagle
    The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...

  • Mikoyan MiG-29
    Mikoyan MiG-29
    The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...

     (USSR)
  • Northrop B-2A Spirit
    B-2 Spirit
    The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...

     (static test mock-up)
  • Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk
    RQ-4 Global Hawk
    The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle used by the United States Air Force and Navy as a surveillance aircraft....

  • Panavia Tornado GR4
    Panavia Tornado
    The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...

     (Royal Air Force)
  • Rockwell B-1B Lancer
    B-1 Lancer
    The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...



Missile and Space Gallery

  • Apollo 15 Command Module
    Apollo 15
    Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...

  • Gemini B experimental capsule for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory
    Manned Orbiting Laboratory
    The Manned Orbiting Laboratory , originally referred to as the Manned Orbital Laboratory, was part of the United States Air Force's manned spaceflight program, a successor to the cancelled Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar military reconnaissance space plane project...

  • Jupiter IRBM
  • Thor IRBM
    PGM-17 Thor
    Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...

  • Titan I ICBM


  • Titan II ICBM
  • Minuteman III ICBM
    LGM-30 Minuteman
    The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...

  • Agena SLV
    RM-81 Agena
    The RM-81 Agena was an American rocket upper stage and satellite support bus which was developed by Lockheed initially for the canceled WS-117L reconnaissance satellite program...

  • Peacekeeper ICBM


Presidential aircraft

  • Douglas VC-54C Sacred Cow
    • Used by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and first 27 months of Harry Truman's administration
    • The National Security Act of 1947
      National Security Act of 1947
      The National Security Act of 1947 was signed by United States President Harry S. Truman on July 26, 1947, and realigned and reorganized the U.S. Armed Forces, foreign policy, and Intelligence Community apparatus in the aftermath of World War II...

      , creating the United States Air Force, was signed aboard this aircraft
  • Douglas VC-118 Independence
    Douglas DC-6
    The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...

    • used by Harry Truman
  • Lockheed VC-121E Columbine III
    Lockheed Constellation
    The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...

    • Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower
      Dwight D. Eisenhower
      Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

  • Bell UH-13J Sioux
    Bell 47
    The Bell 47 is a two-bladed, single engine, light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. Based on the third Model 30 prototype, Bell's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter certified for civilian use on 8 March 1946...

    • Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy
      John F. Kennedy
      John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

  • Boeing VC-137C
    Boeing C-137 Stratoliner
    The Boeing C-137 Stratoliner was a VIP transport aircraft derived from the Boeing 707 jet airliner used by the United States Air Force. Other nations also bought both new and used 707s for military service, primarily as VIP or tanker transports. In addition, the 707 served as the basis for several...

     – SAM 26000
    VC-137C SAM 26000
    SAM 26000 was the first of two Boeing VC-137C United States Air Force aircraft specifically configured and maintained for use by the President of the United States. It used the callsign Air Force One when the President was on board, SAM 26000 otherwise.A VC-137C serial number 62-6000, SAM 26000 was...

     (Boeing 707
    Boeing 707
    The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...

     – first aircraft called Air Force One
    Air Force One
    Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...

    )
    • Used by John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon
      Richard Nixon
      Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...

       during his first term.
  • Beech VC-6A
    Beechcraft King Air
    The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...

     Lady Bird Special (King Air
    Beechcraft King Air
    The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...

     B90)
    • Used by Lyndon Johnson for frequent trips from Austin, Texas
      Austin, Texas
      Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

       to LBJ Ranch
      Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
      Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in central Texas about 50 miles west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country. The park protects the birthplace, home, ranch and final resting place of Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States...

  • Aero Commander U-4B (military version of L-26 Aero Commander)
    • Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1956 to 1960 for short trips
  • North American T-39A Sabreliner
    • Used to transport Lyndon Johnson after leaving office
  • Lockheed VC-140B JetStar
    Lockheed JetStar
    The Lockheed JetStar is a business jet produced from the early 1960s through the 1970s. The JetStar was the first dedicated business jet to enter service. It was also one of the largest aircraft in the class for many years, seating ten plus two crew...

    • Used by Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford
      Gerald Ford
      Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...

      , Jimmy Carter
      Jimmy Carter
      James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

       and Ronald Reagan
      Ronald Reagan
      Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

       for trips requiring a smaller aircraft

Air Force Museum Foundation

The Air Force Museum Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that supports the mission and goals of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

See also

  • American Air Museum in Britain
  • Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
    Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
    The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum is a non-profit 501 organization located in Pooler, Georgia, in the western suburbs of Savannah. It educates visitors through the use of exhibits, artifacts, archival materials, and stories, most of which are dedicated to the history of the Eighth Air Force...

  • United States Air Force Memorial
    United States Air Force Memorial
    The United States Air Force Memorial honors the service of the personnel of the United States Air Force and its predecessors. The Memorial is located in Arlington, Virginia, on the grounds of Fort Myer near The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, at the intersection of Columbia Pike and...

  • National Museum of the United States Army
    National Museum of the United States Army
    The National Museum of the United States Army will be dedicated to telling the complete story of the U.S. Army, from 1775 to present. The museum, to be built at Fort Belvoir, Virginia in 2015, is destined to become the Army’s national landmark, celebrating the Army’s contributions to the nation and...

  • National Museum of the Marine Corps
    National Museum of the Marine Corps
    The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. It is located in Quantico, Virginia and is open to the public with free admission. The museum had its grand opening on November 10, 2006 and is now the number one tourist attraction in Virginia,...

  • National Museum of the United States Navy
    U.S. Navy Museum
    The National Museum of the United States Navy, or U.S. Navy Museum for short, is the flagship museum of the United States Navy and is located in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Naval Gun Factory on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., USA.The U.S...

  • National Museum of Naval Aviation
    National Museum of Naval Aviation
    The National Museum of Naval Aviation is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The museum opened in 1962....

  • Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
    Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
    The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum preserves and interprets the Patuxent River Naval Air Base history and heritage of advancing US Naval aviation technology....

  • Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum
    Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum
    The Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum is a non-profit museum in Horsham, Pennsylvania. It is adjacent to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove...

  • War in the Pacific National Historical Park
    War in the Pacific National Historical Park
    The War in the Pacific National Historical Park is a protected area that was established in 1978 in honor of those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Various sites on the island of Guam comprise the Park...

  • Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
    Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
    The Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, the largest aviation museum in Illinois, occupies part of the grounds of the decommissioned Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. It and the base were named for Octave Chanute, railroad engineer and aviation pioneer...

  • CAF Airpower Museum

External links

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