National Museum of
The United States Air Force
Located near Dayton, OH at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, this is the world's oldest and largest military aircraft museum. This is the pinnacle of museums, a must see for any enthusiast. The museum houses more than 300 aircraft and missiles. There are several galleries in the museum, including the Outdoor Air Park, Early Years Gallery (1903 - WWI), Air Power Gallery (WWII), Modern Flight Hangar (Korea - Vietnam, some Modern Flight), Kettering Gallery (Cold War - Modern Flight), Presidential Hangar, and the Research and Development Hangar. As a tribute to this great museum, an online tour of nearly every aircraft on display has been compiled here.
There are two different guides now available for this museum. Since the completion of the Kettering Gallery in 2003 and the Space and Missile Gallery in 2004, the museum has undergone a complete reconfiguration. The new guide is below, but I have kept the old guide for historical purposes.
Welcome to the all new guide to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. This tour is three years in the making, and still is a work in progress. Some of the ceiling-hung aircraft are missing from this guide, as well as the Outdoor Airpark. Nevertheless, this new guide adds over 250 photos to this section. Together with the old guide, there are now over 575 images of the National Museum of the United States Air Force on this web site. Stay tuned for more updates.
Museum Location
Are you planning a trip to this museum or do you like what you have seen on this web site? Check here for directions to this museum as well as a detailed map.
USAF Museum (Old Guide)
The original USAF Museum guide was completed in 2001. Since the construction of the Kettering Gallery and Hall of Missiles, the museum guide has been totally redone. However, the old guide is still available for historical purposes.
Museum Expansion
The museum is building two new hangars and a hall of missiles. As soon as these facilities are constructed, the museum's indoor exhibit space will nearly double, creating a completely new experience. As of early 2006, the Kettering Cold War Hangar and Hall of Missiles have been completed.
Early Years Hangar
From the beginning of flight through the Great War, the Early Years Hangar at the museum has priceless artifacts like the original Wright Flyer's fabric to the Hawker Hurricane Mk. II.
Air Power Gallery/World War II Hangar
The Air Power Gallery concentrates on aircraft from World War II. Examples of aircraft on display include the A-24, A-26A, B-25B, B-29, P-38L, P-40E, and P-47D.
North Modern Flight Hangar/Vietnam War Aircraft Hangar
This gallery primarily covers aircraft from the Vietnam Conflict era. Examples of aircraft on display include the A-1E, B-52D, EC-121D, F-4C, and RB-66B.
South Modern Flight Hangar/Korean War Aircraft Hangar
The South Modern Flight Hangar primarily covers aircraft from the Korean Conflict. There are over 15 aircraft on display, including the A-26C, F-84E, F-86A, and F-94A.
North Eugene W. Kettering Cold War Gallery
The north side of the Kettering Gallery includes both Cold War-era aircraft as well as Gulf War and modern-day aircraft. Aircraft on display include the B-2A, F-15A, F-111F, SR-71A, and U-2.
South Eugene W. Kettering Cold War Gallery
The south side of the Kettering Gallery primarily covers Cold War-era aircraft. Examples of aircraft on display include the B-36J, F-84F, F-89J, KC-97L, and WB-50D.
Hall of Missiles
The Hall of Missiles at the National Museum of the United States Air Force is a part of the Missile and Space Gallery. This gallery is still a work in progress, but the PGM-19 Jupiter, PGM-17 Thor, LGM-25C Titan II, and HGM-25A Titan I are all currently on display.
Research and Development Hangar
A part of the National Museum of the United States Air Force Annex located on the grounds of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Research and Development Hangar is home to many experimental aircraft, including the XF-92A and YF-12A.
Presidential Aircraft Hangar
Like the Research and Development Hangar, the Presidential Aircraft Hangar is also a part of the museum's annex. It is home to several presidential airplanes including the famous VC-137C #26000, as well as several other miscellaneous aircraft.
Any questions, comments, or complaints, please contact me.
