# Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson Az



## Thorlifter (Mar 24, 2012)

I took a trip to the Pima air and space museum today Home : Pima Air Space Museum : Tucson, Arizona . I was very impressed with the entire museum, even though 70% of it are those jet thingys!  However, they have over 150 planes on display and their displays for WWII are pretty good. There is a building for the 390th bomb group that is exceptional. You can see their website here. 390th Memorial Museum 

Their planes range from a Wright brothers flyer replica to huge aircraft like the Super Guppy, 3 B-52's, B-47, and the last B-36 made. 

Funny side note: There was a man and women there and the guy was apparently trying to impress the woman, but he kept saying wrong things. He called the V1 a V2 and he said the little spinner on the nose is what told the V1 when to drop on London. He also told her the A-26 was called a widow maker because it was so unreliable and said the Corsair had a flaw where it couldn't turn very sharp, even though there was a sign that said the Corsair could turn inside of a P-51.

Anyway, here are a few pics I hope you enjoy.


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## davparlr (Mar 24, 2012)

Hey, I saw a C-141 in the background. Made my heart flutter! Looks like a great museum.


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## Thorlifter (Mar 24, 2012)

It looked to me that they had any US plane made after 1960. They also had several vehicles (no tanks) and maybe 15-20 helicopters.

BTW, the 5th pic down is the cockpit of a Waco glider. Here are a few more pics.


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## nuuumannn (Mar 24, 2012)

Holy crap! There's a lot of planes there! Like the Tomcat!


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## Airframes (Mar 24, 2012)

Beaut pics T. Don't you just love it when you get a (normally loud) 'know it all', trying to impress, when they no f*** all !!


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## Thorlifter (Mar 24, 2012)

I was going to correct him Terry, but decided I'd keep it to myself and just laugh on the inside. Ended up following them just to listen to more and more crappola. Dude was so full of crap.

Nuuumann, this is only a small part of what they had. I could have taken a lot more pics, but I'm just not that interested in jets, with only a few exceptions. They did have a good looking Tornado and Harrier.


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## evangilder (Mar 24, 2012)

It's been on my bucket list and I will hopefully be visiting there in a few weeks. Great stuff, TL!


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## nuuumannn (Mar 25, 2012)

Sounds like a terrific place. Is this the one next to the Boneyard, or AMARC or what ever it is now? 

Harrier; mmmmmm  the best imitation of a flying hoover/hair dryer if there ever was one! Impressive aircraft.

The thing about these guys is that they talk really loudly in a deliberate attempt to impress others. The worst ones can be found at airshows talking over engine noises and commentators, You just wanna shout "Shut the F*** up!"


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## Thorlifter (Mar 25, 2012)

I did get to talk with a 41 year USAF mechanic for about 25 minutes. Had a very nice conversation with him.

Yes Nuuuman, it's next to the boneyard. In fact, they offer tours to that and the a Titan missile museum as well. Home

Eric, If you make it soon, let me know and I'll meet you there. I would enjoy getting your perspective on many of these aircraft.


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## Wayne Little (Mar 25, 2012)

Great pics Roland!


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## T Bolt (Mar 25, 2012)

Great pictures! I hadn’t realized there was a B-18 out there other than the one at the Air Force Museum. It looks like a wonderful place, I’ll have to stop there next time I get out west.


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## muscogeemike (Mar 25, 2012)

Thorlifter said:


> I was going to correct him Terry, but decided I'd keep it to myself and just laugh on the inside. Ended up following them just to listen to more and more crappola. Dude was so full of crap.
> 
> I had the same experience at the March AFB Museum (California) during a visit in the ‘80‘s, only the volunteer “guide” was a WWII vet and he was giving all kinds of miss-information to school kids. Among other false statements he told them that the Bell P-59 was based on captured German tech. and that the B-17 had so many protective guns it didn’t need escort!
> 
> ...


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 25, 2012)

Thorlifter said:


> Funny side note: There was a man and women there and the guy was apparently trying to impress the woman, but he kept saying wrong things. He called the V1 a V2 and he said the little spinner on the nose is what told the V1 when to drop on London.



Well he was at least partially right. The propeller in the nose was a primitive form of air computer that did try to gauge the distance flown by the number of rotations and when it reached that preset value it cut the fuel to the pulse jet and down she went…eventually!


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## Crimea_River (Mar 26, 2012)

Great selection of exhibits.


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## Gnomey (Mar 26, 2012)

Good shots!


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## wheelsup_cavu (Mar 28, 2012)

Excellent pictures. 


Wheels


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## evangilder (Mar 29, 2012)

Thorlifter said:


> I did get to talk with a 41 year USAF mechanic for about 25 minutes. Had a very nice conversation with him.
> 
> Yes Nuuuman, it's next to the boneyard. In fact, they offer tours to that and the a Titan missile museum as well. Home
> 
> Eric, If you make it soon, let me know and I'll meet you there. I would enjoy getting your perspective on many of these aircraft.



How long do you think I need to be able to see as much as I can. I'm going to be getting into Tucson on April 15. I think my plane lands about 12:30 at TCS. I figure once I get my bags and the rental, it'll be about 1:30. I may be able to go on the Wednesday after that as well, but it is up in the air. So I was thinking if I had the time on Sunday, that might be the time to do it.


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## Matt308 (Mar 29, 2012)

You will need as much time as you can spare. Looks like they have picked up numerous new aircraft since I was there almost 20 years ago. And even then the museum (if you wanna even call it that... it is really a park) was massive. I literally spent about 12 hours there between two separate trips. And I didn't go to the boneyard nor the missle silo tour (news to me!). Bring water.


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## Thorlifter (Mar 29, 2012)

Yeah, I could have easily made a day of it, just at the museum, but my back started to hurt and I called it quits. I asked about the bone yard and was told all the WWII era planes are gone so my interest in going there into the toilet. I bet the Titan Missile silo would be very interesting.

Matt, it has really grown since you have been there. There are now 5 buildings, a cafeteria, and a gift shop, plus all the planes outside. 

Eric, Not sure if I'll still be in town on the 15th. I'm scheduled to be onsite at the copper mine in a couple weeks and that is 3 hours away from Tucson. If I don't get to meet you then, we can try again at Chino.


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## Shinpachi (Mar 29, 2012)

Nice pics, Thor!


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## Matt308 (Mar 30, 2012)

I've been to the copper mine too (assuming it is one and the same). Is that the one down by the border? If it is that is one massive mine.


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## evangilder (Mar 30, 2012)

I remember a massive one between Phoenix and Tucson as well. So I don't know if I'll get to Pima or not this trip, but I will look into it for future trips since the company I work for has an office in Tucson.


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## Matt308 (Mar 30, 2012)

Well that would be two mines then. The one I was referring to was well south of Tuscon.


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## Trebor (Mar 31, 2012)

if I win the lottery, i'm buying that TWA Constellation they gt there. LOL


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## Thorlifter (Mar 31, 2012)

There are huge mines all over Arizona. I know the ones your both talking about and our company is working at those as well. I will be at the Morenci mine, which is close to the New Mexico border. This is a $1.3 billion project and the mine covers 10-12 sq miles.


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## drgondog (Mar 31, 2012)

We had our banquet dinner at Pima for thr 355th reunion in 08 and they were pretty far along on the B-36. It has an interesting history they may not have told you about. Circa 1970 a bunch of Convair/SAC vets had RESTORED it to operational capability. The restoration site was Great Southwest Airport on the Tarrant/Dallas County line and Hwy 183 just before DFW became operational.

When they got ready to fly it, I heard that the State Department stepped in and shut it down based on the BS that it was a nuclear capable aircraft (and a B-29 is not?). At any rate they forced them to move it (not fly it) and I never heard a word about it until it surfaced at Pima. I do not know if the State Dept story was true but sure it is the same B-36

BTW - there is as good a collection of MiG's at Pima as anywhere in the West except Nellis. They were in the very back section of the museum grounds when I last saw them.


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## fubar57 (Apr 12, 2012)

Great pictures Thorlifter. I was in Tucson for a week in August and didn't know there was a museum. We were training at a mine that is also Komatsu's proving grounds.

Geo


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