Trip to the National Museum of the US Air Force
- Thread starter T Bolt
- Start date
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
- Thread starter
- #362
T Bolt
Colonel
MiG-23
Only a couple pictures of this one
Only a couple pictures of this one
- Thread starter
- #363
T Bolt
Colonel
XC-99
This one is rather amazing. It was a transport version of the B-36 bomber with a double deck fuselage. Only the prototype was made but the Air Force still made use of it for years until it was pushed off to the side at Kelly Air Force Base where it sat for years and years until it was dismantled and the pieces flown to the museum in a C-5 Galaxy.
At the time I took this tour I did not know it has been moved from Kelly and was totally amassed to see the horizontal stabilizer in the storage hanger. The thing was so huge my first guess was that it was a DC-3 wing until I read the sign. The pictures of the pieces from above is a satellite picture as even though I saw it as we left the hanger we were not allowed to take pictures out side as it was on Wight Paterson AFB.
This one is rather amazing. It was a transport version of the B-36 bomber with a double deck fuselage. Only the prototype was made but the Air Force still made use of it for years until it was pushed off to the side at Kelly Air Force Base where it sat for years and years until it was dismantled and the pieces flown to the museum in a C-5 Galaxy.
At the time I took this tour I did not know it has been moved from Kelly and was totally amassed to see the horizontal stabilizer in the storage hanger. The thing was so huge my first guess was that it was a DC-3 wing until I read the sign. The pictures of the pieces from above is a satellite picture as even though I saw it as we left the hanger we were not allowed to take pictures out side as it was on Wight Paterson AFB.
- Thread starter
- #364
T Bolt
Colonel
XB-42 Mixmaster
This is one of my favorite mid to late 40's what if prototypes. Thin Allison engines imbedded in the fuselage driving contra-rotating propellers in the tail via drive shafts. Kind of our version of the Do-335, but good looking. I fell in love with this one after seeing it in Lloyd S. Jones's US Bombers and could not believe it when I came across it and its brother the jet powered XB-43 sitting in the storage hanger with the wings sawn off. Wish I could have taken it home with me.
This is one of my favorite mid to late 40's what if prototypes. Thin Allison engines imbedded in the fuselage driving contra-rotating propellers in the tail via drive shafts. Kind of our version of the Do-335, but good looking. I fell in love with this one after seeing it in Lloyd S. Jones's US Bombers and could not believe it when I came across it and its brother the jet powered XB-43 sitting in the storage hanger with the wings sawn off. Wish I could have taken it home with me.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #365
T Bolt
Colonel
- Thread starter
- #366
T Bolt
Colonel
XB-43 Jetmaster
The Jetmaster was a twin turbojet version of the Mixmaster but it too was not produced.
The Jetmaster was a twin turbojet version of the Mixmaster but it too was not produced.
- Thread starter
- #367
T Bolt
Colonel
XB-43 Jetmaster Continued
Zippythehog
Senior Airman
- 599
- Jan 7, 2017
T,
That MIG had a hangar mate at one time. They had them both in front of the Museum next to an A-10 and an F-15. They moved one inside. I wondered what happened to the second one.
I haven't gotten out to the restoration hangar since they moved the Presidential collection. Thanks for the pics.
Tim
That MIG had a hangar mate at one time. They had them both in front of the Museum next to an A-10 and an F-15. They moved one inside. I wondered what happened to the second one.
I haven't gotten out to the restoration hangar since they moved the Presidential collection. Thanks for the pics.
Tim
fubar57
General
Great shots Glenn
Old Wizard
2nd Lieutenant
Robert Porter
Senior Master Sergeant
Very nice! Sad to see aircraft in that state, but at least there is hope of restoration there.
aurora-7
Airman
WOW that 17D is amazing. I had no idea ANY air frames older than the Belle existed.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Good stuff Glenn - some rare beasties there !
Excellent shots Glenn!
- Thread starter
- #375
T Bolt
Colonel
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider
Designed during World War II for the U.S. Navy and used my them in the during the Korean War. The Airforce used the A-1 extensivally during the Vietnam War where its ability to carry an immense amount of weapons and stay over the battlefield for extended periods made it a very useful weapon.
This is one they were working on at the time. The last couple of pictures is of what is essentially a giant vacu-form machine which they were using to form a new bubble canopy for the Skyraider.
Designed during World War II for the U.S. Navy and used my them in the during the Korean War. The Airforce used the A-1 extensivally during the Vietnam War where its ability to carry an immense amount of weapons and stay over the battlefield for extended periods made it a very useful weapon.
This is one they were working on at the time. The last couple of pictures is of what is essentially a giant vacu-form machine which they were using to form a new bubble canopy for the Skyraider.
buffnut453
Captain
One of my favourite exhibits at Dayton is the A-1E flown by Bernie Fisher when he won the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. It's the only surviving MoH airframe in the world. TBolt's pics at post #375 show a different, single-seat, A-1 than Bernie Fisher's airframe...but still very cool!
- Thread starter
- #377
T Bolt
Colonel
The Boeing X-32
I always thought this one looked like a pelican with its mouth open.
It was a multi-purpose jet fighter in the Joint Strike Fighter contest and lost out to the Lockheed Martin X-35 which was further developed into the F-35
I always thought this one looked like a pelican with its mouth open.
It was a multi-purpose jet fighter in the Joint Strike Fighter contest and lost out to the Lockheed Martin X-35 which was further developed into the F-35
buffnut453
Captain
That's ugly with a capital "F".
Looks like an F-16 got amorous with a basking shark.
Looks like an F-16 got amorous with a basking shark.
- Thread starter
- #379
T Bolt
Colonel
- Thread starter
- #380
T Bolt
Colonel
Lockheed XF-90
Ever wonder what a jet aircraft would look like after being in 3 nuclear explosions? Well here it is.
The XF-90 was a bit too far ahead of its time for the power plants available so was not produced and sent to a nuclear test range and suffered through 3 nuclear tests before the hulk was hauled to the museum. It actually looks worse than it was when removed from the test site as the rivets were found to be radioavtive and all had to be removed.
