I am fortunate to live fairly close to the largest aviation museum in the world, the National Museum of the United States Air Force, at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, just outside Dayton, Ohio.

The place is really so big that it's a bit overwhelming and takes easily an entire day to really look at everything. I've been there 3 times now and I still see things that are new each time that I missed before. On the last two trips I took several hundred photographs of the planes and thought you guys would be interested in seeing them. They are all uploaded to a new photbucket gallery that I made, and some are shown below. There are nearly 200 photographs, so I am only putting the highlights up here.

The gallery can be found here:

http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/[/url]

And since it's a museum, the lighting is fairly dim inside (except in the experimental hangar), and I did not bring a tripod, so these are the best I could do given what I had to work with. I think most of them turned out pretty decent.

The museum is organized into gallery based on time period. They are all in one building except for a detached hangar that is actually part of the secured portion of the Air Force Base (you have to request access and go through a briefing to take a bus over to see it). That hangar has all of the Experimental and prototype aircraft, as well as all of the US Presidental Aircraft (Air Force One, etc). Some of the prototypes are one-of-a-kind or are the only surviving example left in the world.

Most of the planes are US, although there are several examples from the UK, Japan, Germany, USSR, and other places like Italy and France. It's a pretty good collection, but they did not have everything, including the F-14, A6 Intruder (One of my favorites), Eurofighter EF2000, and several others. They also have quite a few planes in storage, like the X-32 that Boeing made which was later beat in head to head competition by the F-35.

Anyway, here are the photos:


Early Years Gallery

Curtis 1911 Model D:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Early%20Flight%20Gallery/Curtis1911ModelD.jpg

K-2 Autogyro (A deathtrap combination of a plane and helicopter)

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Early%20Flight%20Gallery/K2Autogyro.jpg

DeHaviland DH-4:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Early%20Flight%20Gallery/DeHavillandDH-4.jpg

SPAD XIII C1 (Germany)

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Early%20Flight%20Gallery/SpadXIIIC1Germany.jpg


World War II Gallery:

B-17G Flying Fortress:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/B-17GFlyingFortress.jpg

B-24D Liberator:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/B-24DLiberator.jpg

B-25B Mitchell:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/B-25BMitchell.jpg

B-29 Boxscar (This is the plane that dropped the bomb on Nagasaki):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/B-29Boxscar.jpg

P-47D Thunderbolt:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/P-47DThunderbolt.jpg

P-51D Mustang:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/P-51DMustang.jpg

DeHaviland DH-98 Mosquito:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/DeHavilandDH98MosquitoUK.jpg

DeHaviland C-7A Caribou:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/DeHavilandC7-ACaribouUK.jpg

Hawker Hurricane MK-2A:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/HawkerHurricaneMk2aUK.jpg

Supermarine Spitfire MKVc:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/SuperMarineSpitfireMKVcUK.jpg

Supermarine Spitfire PR-x1:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/SuperMarineSpitfirePR-X1UK.jpg

Me-163b (Germany):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/Me163bGermany.jpg

Me-262a (Germany):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/Me-262AGermany.jpg

Japanese Zero:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/World%20War%202%20Gallery/A6M2ZeroJapan.jpg

Korean and Vietnam War Era Gallery:


F-82B Twin Mustang:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Korean%20and%20Vietnam%20Wars/F-82BTwinMustang.jpg

F-4G Wild Weasel:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Korean%20and%20Vietnam%20Wars/F-4GWildWeasel.jpg

F-86A Sabre:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Korean%20and%20Vietnam%20Wars/F-86ASabre.jp

UH-1P Iroquois:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Korean%20and%20Vietnam%20Wars/UH-1PIroquois.jpg

P-61 Black Widow:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Korean%20and%20Vietnam%20Wars/P-61CBlackWidow.jpg

KC-97 Stratotanker:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Korean%20and%20Vietnam%20Wars/KC-97Stratotanker.jpg

F-100F SuperSabre:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Korean%20and%20Vietnam%20Wars/F-100FSuperSabre.jpg

A-7D Corsair II

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Korean%20and%20Vietnam%20Wars/A-7DCorsairII.jpg


Cold War and Modern Gallery:


A-10 Warthog:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/A-10Warthog.jpg

AC130-A Spectre:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/AC-130ASpectre.jpg

B-1B Lancer (I fricken love this plane):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/B-1BLancer.jpg

B-2 Stealth Bomber

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/B-2StealthBomberFront.jp]

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/B2StealthBomberRear.jpg

F-15 Eagle:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/F-15Eagle.jpg

F-16:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/F-16.jpg

F-22 Raptor:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/F-22Raptor.jp

F-117 Nighthawk:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/F-117Nighthawk.jpg

SR-71:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/SR-71-1.jpg

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/SR-71.jpg

Predator UAV:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/RQ-1PredatorUAV.jpg

Tornado:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/TornadoRG1UK.jpg

MiG-15bis (this is the actual plane of a North Korean defector who flew it to a US air base in South Korea. It was later test flown over Japan by Chuck Yeager).

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/MiG15bisUSSR.jpg

MiG-29:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Cold%20War%20and%20Modern%20Gallery/MiG29AUSSR.jpg


US Space Program and Missile Gallery:


Apollo 15 Command Module:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Space%20Program%20and%20Missiles/Apollo15EndeavorCommandModule.jpg

Missile Gallery:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Space%20Program%20and%20Missiles/MissileGallery.jpg



Experimental and Prototypes:

AFTI F-16 Prototype:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/AFTI-F16F-16Prototype.jpg

Dark Star UAV:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/DarkStar.jpg

XV-6A Harrier Protype (British designed but built in the US):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/BritishXV-6APrototype.jpg

Tacit Blue (Whale) Stealth Demonstrator:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/TacitBlueWhale.jpg

The Avrocar (made by the Canadians for the US Air Force):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/VZ-9AVAvrocar.jpg

Bell X-1 (the first plane to fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/X-1BFirstSupersonicJet.jpg

X-15 (Flew faster and higher than any plane ever):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/X-15.jpg

X-13 Vertijet (vertical take off prototype):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/X-13Vertijet.jpg

X-29 (this was the inspiration for the GI Joe Conquest plane):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/X-29Prototype.jpg

XB-70 Valkyrie Strategic Bomber (I couldn't believe how big this thing was...I could only get the nose in the photo):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/XB-70ValkyrieNose.jpg

YF-12A (SR-71 Prototype):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/YF-12ASR-71Prototype.jpg

YF-22 (F-22 Prototype):

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/YF-22F22Prototype.jpg

1980's Era Air Force One:

http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/silverc222/National%20Museum%20of%20the%20United%20States%20A ir%20Force/Experimental%20and%20Prototypes%20Gallery/AirForceOne-1980sEra.jpg

those are really nice pictures. I was wondering where some of those vehicles went. i haven't been to the presidential hangar in a few years, although i go to the museum about 2-3 times a month. also there is a tour on fridays where you can go into the "back lot tour" and see the areas where they are rebuilding the planes and uniformed figures. the main hangar they work in has a wooden floor made out of 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" wooden tiles made by german POWs in WW2 who were kept at wright patt. and they have a lot of other really cool stuff there.

those are really nice pictures. I was wondering where some of those vehicles went. i haven't been to the presidential hangar in a few years, although i go to the museum about 2-3 times a month. also there is a tour on fridays where you can go into the "back lot tour" and see the areas where they are rebuilding the planes and uniformed figures. the main hangar they work in has a wooden floor made out of 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" wooden tiles made by german POWs in WW2 who were kept at wright patt. and they have a lot of other really cool stuff there.



That's cool. I have seen the sign up forms for the behind the scenes tours they have there, but they seem to only be on a friday, so I would have to take off work. The last time I went there I was on the road at 5:30am so I could get to the museum by the time it opened at 9. There was a huge line to sign up for the bus to go over to the experimental hangar tour, even right as they opened. I was glad to get to see that, but we had to go back after about 45 minutes, so I didn't really get to see much of the other side with the presidential aircraft. Maybe next time. It's a great place and also nice that it's free (and even free parking).

That is awesome. I am going to have to make it a point to go to this museum sometime.

FYI - I think you have the F-4G Wild Weasel labeled wrong. That looks to be an F-105 Thunderchief in the picture. (F-105 Thunderchief | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mvonraesfeld/3216525924/))