National Museum Of The United States Air Force - Dayton Air And Space Museum

The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF has one of the world's largest collections with more than 360 aircraft 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.

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History

The museum dates to 1923 when the Engineering Division at Dayton's McCook Field first collected technical artifacts for preservation. In 1927 it moved to then-Wright Field in a laboratory building. In 1932 the collection was named the Army Aeronautical Museum and placed in a WPA building from 1935 until WWII. In 1948 the collection remained private as the Air Force Technical Museum. In 1954 the Air Force Museum became public and was housed in its first permanent facility, Building 89 of the former Patterson Field in Fairborn, which had been an engine overhaul hangar. Many of its aircraft were parked outside and exposed to the weather. It remained there until 1971 when the current facility 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 changed to National Museum of the United States Air Force.

The museum is a central component of the National Aviation Heritage Area.

Dayton Air And Space Museum Video

 

Exhibits and collections

The museum's collection contains many rare aircraft of historical or technological importance, and various memorabilia and artifacts from the history and development of aviation. The permanent collections include one of four surviving Convair B-36s, the only surviving XB-70 Valkyrie, and Bockscar--the B-29 Superfortress that dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki during the last days of World War II.

The museum launched their 360-degree Virtual Tour in 2010. Visitors can now view the majority of the museum's aircraft and exhibits online.

Presidential aircraft

The museum has several Presidential aircraft, including those used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The centerpiece of the Presidential aircraft collection is SAM 26000, a modified Boeing 707 known as a VC-137C, used regularly by Presidents John F. Kennedy through Richard Nixon's first term; after which it became the backup Presidential aircraft. This aircraft took President and Mrs. Kennedy to Dallas on November 22, 1963--the day of the President's assassination. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President aboard it shortly after the assassination--and the plane then carried the President Kennedy's body back to Washington. 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 displayed in the Presidential Hangar, next to the R&D/Flight Test Hangar west of the USAF Museum. As both hangars are behind the perimeter fence on Wright-Patterson AFB property, the general public can only visit them by tour bus.

Pioneers of flight

A large section of the museum is dedicated to pioneers of flight, especially the Wright Brothers, who conducted some of their experiments at nearby Huffman Prairie. 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, which includes several educational exhibits.

Uniforms and clothing

The museum has a large inventory of U.S. Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force clothing and uniforms in its collection. At any time, over fifty WW II vintage A-2 leather flying jackets are on display, many of which belonged to famous figures in Air Force history. Others are painted to depict the air planes and missions flown by their former owners. Included in the museum's displays are the jacket worn by Brigadier General James Stewart, P-38 ace Major Richard I. Bong's sheepskin 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, and President Ronald Reagan's USAAF peacoat.

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 era planes such as the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber (test aircraft), the F-117 Nighthawk stealth ground attack aircraft and others. Construction of a fourth hangar to house the museum's space collection, presidential planes, and an enlarged educational outreach area is nearing completion, which will make these collections, currently housed in an annex requiring a bus trip onto WPAFB, more accessible to the public.

The museum has an IMAX theater that shows, for a fee, aviation and space oriented IMAX films interspersed primarily with other documentaries.

The museum owns other USAF aircraft, to include former U.S. Army Air Service, USAAC or USAAF aircraft, that are on loan to other aerospace museums in the United States and overseas, as well as those on permanent static display at various U.S. Air Force installations and tenant activities world-wide and at Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard installations across the United States. The museum also oversees those aircraft, missiles and associated artifacts loaned to communities or civic organizations for display at civilian airports (many of them former USAAF and/or USAF bases), public parks and memorials, the facilities of military-affiliated organizations (e.g., VFW, American Legion, etc.), or in other similar venues. Most of these loaned aircraft duplicate aircraft exhibited by the museum. These other aircraft continue to remain the property of the Department of the Air Force and are typically identified at these locations as being "On Loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force." The museum's staff has very high standards for the restoration and quality of care 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.

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Future developments

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is in the midst of a multi-phase, long-term expansion plan. The Air Force Museum Foundation is currently supporting a major capital construction program to expand the museum's current one million square feet of exhibit space with a fourth building that will house the Space Gallery, Presidential Aircraft Gallery, and Global Reach Gallery.

In 2013, the Air Force Museum Theater upgraded its theater from IMAX to digital 3D. This upgrade included a new stage, theater seats, and a new theater screen to support a broader range of programming--including educational presentations, live broadcasts, and expanded documentary choices. The renovations include a 7.1 surround-sound system, audio devices for the hearing or visually impaired, and personal closed captioning systems.

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Partial list of collection

The museum is divided into galleries that cover broad historic trends in military aviation. These are further broken down into exhibits that detail specific historical periods and display aircraft in historical context.

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

Early Years Gallery (1901-1941)

Early years (1901-1917)

• Wright Brothers 1901 wind tunnel
• Wright Military Flyer (1909), first aircraft purchased by the U.S. Army Signal Corps
• Curtiss 1911 Model D, the second aircraft purchased by the Signal Corps
• Wright Brothers 1911 wind tunnel
• Blériot XI monoplane (France)

World War I (1917-1918)

• Avro 504K British trainer
• Caproni Ca.36 Italian bomber
• Caquot Type R French observation kite balloon used by the United States Army
• Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny" trainer
• Fokker Dr.I German fighter replica
• Fokker D.VII German fighter
• Halberstadt CL.IV German ground attack aircraft
• Kettering Bug (Aerial Torpedo) first U.S. cruise missile
• Nieuport 28 C.1, French fighter, first equipment of the United States Army Air Service (USAAS)
• Sopwith Camel British fighter used by the United States Army Air Service
• SPAD VII French fighter used by U.S. Lafayette Escadrille
• SPAD XIII French fighter donated by Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
• Standard SJ-1 trainer
• Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout trainer

Inter-War years (1919-1941)

• Boeing P-12E fighter
• Boeing P-26A Peashooter monoplane fighter
• Consolidated PT-1 "Trusty" primary trainer
• Curtiss P-6E Hawk fighter
• Curtiss O-52 Owl observation aircraft
• Douglas O-38F observation aircraft
• Douglas O-46A observation aircraft (in storage)
• Fairchild PT-19 Cornell (trainer)
• Martin MB-2 First U.S. designed bomber
• Martin Model 139WAA (export version of B-10 bomber, painted in Air Corps livery)
• North American NA-64 (trainer, painted as a North American BT-9 or BT-14)
• North American O-47B observation aircraft
• Stearman PT-13D Kaydet (trainer)
• U.S. de Havilland USD-4 British bomber built in the U.S.

World War II

Attack Aircraft

• Douglas A-20G Havoc
• Douglas A-24B Banshee
• North American A-36A Apache

Bombers

• Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress 40-3097 "The Swoose" - under restoration
• Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress 41-24485 "Memphis Belle" - under restoration
• Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 42-32076 "Shoo Shoo Baby "
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress 44-27297 "Bockscar" - Weapon delivery aircraft used in atomic bombing on Nagasaki
• Consolidated B-24D Liberator "Strawberry Bitch" 42-72843
• Douglas B-18 Bolo
• Douglas B-23A Dragon - in storage
• Martin B-26G Marauder

Cargo aircraft

• Curtiss C-46D Commando
• Douglas C-39 (in storage)
• Douglas C-47D Skytrain
• Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman (Canada)

Reconnaissance aircraft

• North American F-10D Mitchell 43-3374 - (Painted as B-25B - Doolittle Raider's diorama)

Liaison aircraft

• Taylorcraft L-2M Grasshopper

Search and rescue aircraft

• Consolidated OA-10 Catalina

Rotary aircraft

• Sikorsky R-4B Hoverfly

Fighters

• Bell P-39Q Airacobra
• Bell P-63E Kingcobra
• Curtiss P-36A Hawk
• Curtiss Hawk 87A-3 (P-40E) AK987 in Flying Tigers markings
• Fisher P-75A Eagle
• Lockheed P-38L Lightning
• North American P-51D Mustang
• Northrop P-61C Black Widow
• Republic P-47D-15RA Thunderbolt "Fiery Ginger" 42-23278 (razorback)
• Republic P-47D-40RA Thunderbolt "Five by Five" 45-49167 (bubble-top)
• Seversky P-35

Trainers

• Curtiss AT-9 Jeep (advanced trainer)
• North American NA-64 Yale (painted as BT-14) (intermediate trainer)
• Ryan PT-22 Recruit (primary trainer)
• Vultee BT-13 Valiant (basic trainer)

Foreign aircraft

• Bristol Beaufighter Mk Ic (United Kingdom)
• De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth (United Kingdom)
• De Havilland DH 98 Mosquito Mk.35 (United Kingdom)
• Fieseler Fi 156C-1 Storch (Germany)
• Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 (Germany)
• Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIa (United Kingdom, manufactured in Canada)
• Junkers Ju-88D-1 (Germany)
• Kawanishi N1K-J Shiden-Kai "George-21" (Japan)
• Macchi MC.200 Saetta (Italy)
• Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 610824 (Germany)
• Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet (Germany)
• Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe (Germany)
• Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero" (Japan)
• Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman (Canada)
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc (United Kingdom)
• Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk.XI (United Kingdom)
• Fieseler Fi 103 (V-1) (Germany)
• V-2 with Meillerwagen (Germany)
• Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka Piloted Flying Bomb (Japan)

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 Soviet fighter of the Korean People's Air Force defected to Seoul, later flown by Chuck Yeager
• 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 (forward air control version of T-6 Texan trainer)
• Republic F-84E Thunderjet
• Sikorsky YH-5A
• Sikorsky UH-19B Chickasaw

Southeast Asia War

• Bell UH-1P Iroquois
• Boeing B-52D Stratofortress
• Cessna YA-37A Dragonfly
• Cessna O-1G Bird Dog (forward air control)
• Cessna O-2A Skymaster (forward air control)
• De Havilland Canada C-7 Caribou
• Douglas A-1E Skyraider
• Douglas RB-66B Destroyer
• Fairchild C-123K Provider "Patches"
• General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark
• Kaman HH-43B Huskie
• Lockheed EC-121D Warning Star
• Lockheed C-141 Starlifter Hanoi Taxi
• Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D Corsair II
• Martin EB-57B Canberra (American version of British design)
• McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo
• McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (USSR)
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (J6) (PRC) (USSR)
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PF (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 F-105G version on display)
• Sikorsky CH-3E

Cold War

• Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck (Canada)
• Boeing RB-47H (reconnaissance variant)
• Boeing WB-50D Superfortress (weather reconnaissance variant)
• Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighter (aerial refueling tanker)
• Convair B-36J "Peacemaker"
• Convair B-58 Hustler
• Convair F-102A Delta Dagger
• Convair F-106A Delta Dart (Cornfield Bomber)
• De Havilland Canada U-6A Beaver
• Dassault Mystere IVA (France) - in storage
• Douglas C-133 Cargomaster
• Lockheed F-104C Starfighter
• Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird
• Lockheed U-2A
• McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19S (USSR)
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (USSR) - two in storage
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (USSR) - undergoing restoration
• North American F-86D Sabre
• Northrop F-89 Scorpion
• Piasecki CH-21B Workhorse
• Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
• Sukhoi Su-22M-4 (USSR) - in storage
• Northrop AT-38 (United States)

Post Cold War

• Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II
• General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
• General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
• Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk
• Lockheed AC-130A Spectre "Azrael"
• Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics F-22A Raptor
• McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II
• McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel
• McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
• Mikoyan MiG-29 (USSR)
• Northrop B-2A Spirit (static test mock-up)
• Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk
• Panavia Tornado GR4 (Royal Air Force)
• Rockwell B-1B Lancer

Missile and Space Gallery

• Apollo 15 Command Module
• Gemini B experimental capsule for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory
• Jupiter IRBM
• KH-7 Gambit reconnaissance satellite
• Thor IRBM
• Titan I ICBM
• Titan II ICBM
• Minuteman III ICBM
• Agena SLV
• Peacekeeper ICBM
• Moon Rock from the Apollo 16 Mission

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, creating the United States Air Force, was signed aboard this aircraft
• Douglas VC-118 Independence
  • used by Harry Truman
• Lockheed VC-121E Columbine III
  • Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Bell UH-13J Sioux
  • Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy
• Boeing VC-137C - SAM 26000 (Boeing 707 - first aircraft called Air Force One)
  • Used by John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon during his first term.
• Beech VC-6A Lady Bird Special (King Air B90)
  • Used by Lyndon Johnson for frequent trips from Austin, Texas to LBJ Ranch
• 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
  • Used by Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan for trips requiring a smaller aircraft

Research and development aircraft

• American Helicopter XH026 Jet Jeep
• Avro Avrocar
• Bell P-59B Airacomet
• Bell X-1B
• Bell X-5
• Bell XV-3
• Boeing Bird of Prey
• Boeing EC-135 Stratolifter (modified) ARIA Bird of Prey
• Boeing X-32 Joint Strike Fighter (storage)
• Boeing X-45 Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle
• Convair XC-99 undergoing restoration
• Convair XP-81 (two in storage)
• Convair XF-92A
• Curtiss-Wright X-19 (storage)
• Douglas X-3 Stiletto
• Grumman X-29A
• Lockheed YF-12A
• Lockheed YF-22 (storage)
• Lockheed NT-33A
• Lockheed X-7A
• Lockheed XF-90A (storage)
• LTV XC-142A Tiltwing research
• McDonnell XF-85 Goblin
• McDonnell Douglas YF-4E Phantom II (storage)
• McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle Streak Eagle time-to-climb record holder (storage)
• McDonnell Douglas X-36
• Martin Marietta X-24B
• North American XB-70 Valkyrie
• North American F-107A
• North American X-10
• North American X-15 (Hypersonic record holder)(storage)
• Northrop Tacit Blue (Whale) stealth demonstrator
• Northrop YF-23 recently put on display
• Northrop X-4 Bantam
• Piper PA-48 Enforcer
• Republic XF-84H high speed turboprop
• Republic YRF-84F FICON (prototype of F-84)
• Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor
• Ryan X-13 Vertijet

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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.

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