BGuthrie Photos: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Cold War gallery

OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Cold War gallery:

Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.

Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon

underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.

Slide Show: Want to see the pictures as a slide show? [Slideshow]

Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]

Share: Facebook Twitter Digg
[1] NMUSCW_120805_001.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[2] NMUSCW_120805_004.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[3] NMUSCW_120805_008.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[4] NMUSCW_120805_010.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[5] NMUSCW_120805_025.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[6] NMUSCW_120805_029.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[7] NMUSCW_120805_032.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[8] NMUSCW_120805_034.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[9] NMUSCW_120805_041.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[10] NMUSCW_120805_048.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[11] NMUSCW_120805_049.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[12] NMUSCW_120805_053.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[13] NMUSCW_120805_055.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[14] NMUSCW_120805_057.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[15] NMUSCW_120805_058.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[16] NMUSCW_120805_061.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[17] NMUSCW_120805_062.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[18] NMUSCW_120805_065.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[19] NMUSCW_120805_070.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[20] NMUSCW_120805_073.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[21] NMUSCW_120805_078.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[22] NMUSCW_120805_082.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[23] NMUSCW_120805_085.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[24] NMUSCW_120805_091.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[25] NMUSCW_120805_097.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[26] NMUSCW_120805_100.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[27] NMUSCW_120805_106.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[28] NMUSCW_120805_113.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[29] NMUSCW_120805_123.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[30] NMUSCW_120805_134.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[31] NMUSCW_120805_136.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[32] NMUSCW_120805_139.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[33] NMUSCW_120805_140.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[34] NMUSCW_120805_144.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[35] NMUSCW_120805_148.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[36] NMUSCW_120805_152.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[37] NMUSCW_120805_157.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[38] NMUSCW_120805_159.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[39] NMUSCW_120805_163.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[40] NMUSCW_120805_165.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[41] NMUSCW_120805_168.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[42] NMUSCW_120805_175.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[43] NMUSCW_120805_177.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[44] NMUSCW_120805_184.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[45] NMUSCW_120805_187.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[46] NMUSCW_120805_189.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[47] NMUSCW_120805_196.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[48] NMUSCW_120805_198.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[49] NMUSCW_120805_201.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[50] NMUSCW_120805_203.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[51] NMUSCW_120805_208.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[52] NMUSCW_120805_211.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[53] NMUSCW_120805_217.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[54] NMUSCW_120805_221.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[55] NMUSCW_120805_223.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[56] NMUSCW_120805_228.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[57] NMUSCW_120805_230.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[58] NMUSCW_120805_243.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[59] NMUSCW_120805_248.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[60] NMUSCW_120805_253.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[61] NMUSCW_120805_256.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[62] NMUSCW_120805_258.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[63] NMUSCW_120805_262.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[64] NMUSCW_120805_266.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[65] NMUSCW_120805_269.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[66] NMUSCW_120805_276.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[67] NMUSCW_120805_280.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[68] NMUSCW_120805_283.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[69] NMUSCW_120805_285.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[70] NMUSCW_120805_289.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[71] NMUSCW_120805_295.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[72] NMUSCW_120805_299.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[73] NMUSCW_120805_303.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[74] NMUSCW_120805_305.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[75] NMUSCW_120805_309.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[76] NMUSCW_120805_311.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[77] NMUSCW_120805_314.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[78] NMUSCW_120805_316.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[79] NMUSCW_120805_320.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[80] NMUSCW_120805_323.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[81] NMUSCW_120805_327.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[82] NMUSCW_120805_341.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[83] NMUSCW_120805_350.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[84] NMUSCW_120805_356.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[85] NMUSCW_120805_357.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[86] NMUSCW_120805_361.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[87] NMUSCW_120805_366.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[88] NMUSCW_120805_375.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[89] NMUSCW_120805_379.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[90] NMUSCW_120805_384.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[91] NMUSCW_120805_387.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[92] NMUSCW_120805_392.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[93] NMUSCW_120805_396.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[94] NMUSCW_120805_400.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[95] NMUSCW_120805_405.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[96] NMUSCW_120805_407.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[97] NMUSCW_120805_414.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[98] NMUSCW_120805_418.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[99] NMUSCW_120805_420.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[100] NMUSCW_120805_427.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[101] NMUSCW_120805_434.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[102] NMUSCW_120805_437.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[103] NMUSCW_120805_444.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[104] NMUSCW_120805_447.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[105] NMUSCW_120805_451.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[106] NMUSCW_120805_454.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[107] NMUSCW_120805_467.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[108] NMUSCW_120805_471.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[109] NMUSCW_120805_496.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[110] NMUSCW_120805_501.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[111] NMUSCW_120805_507.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[112] NMUSCW_120805_508.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[113] NMUSCW_120805_512.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[114] NMUSCW_120805_515.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[115] NMUSCW_120805_519.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[116] NMUSCW_120805_520.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[117] NMUSCW_120805_526.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[118] NMUSCW_120805_531.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[119] NMUSCW_120805_549.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[120] NMUSCW_120805_555.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[121] NMUSCW_120805_556.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[122] NMUSCW_120805_564.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[123] NMUSCW_120805_573.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[124] NMUSCW_120805_580.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[125] NMUSCW_120805_582.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[126] NMUSCW_120805_586.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[127] NMUSCW_120805_599.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[128] NMUSCW_120805_607.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[129] NMUSCW_120805_609.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[130] NMUSCW_120805_613.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[131] NMUSCW_120805_617.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[132] NMUSCW_120805_619.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[133] NMUSCW_120805_628.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[134] NMUSCW_120805_635.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[135] NMUSCW_120805_636.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[136] NMUSCW_120805_640.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[137] NMUSCW_120805_646.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[138] NMUSCW_120805_648.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[139] NMUSCW_120805_655.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[140] NMUSCW_120805_661.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[141] NMUSCW_120805_662.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[142] NMUSCW_120805_667.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[143] NMUSCW_120805_680.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[144] NMUSCW_120805_689.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[145] NMUSCW_120805_694.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[146] NMUSCW_120805_700.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[147] NMUSCW_120805_705.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[148] NMUSCW_120805_707.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[149] NMUSCW_120805_718.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[150] NMUSCW_120805_724.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[151] NMUSCW_120805_734.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[152] NMUSCW_120805_737.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[153] NMUSCW_120805_747.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[154] NMUSCW_120805_753.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[155] NMUSCW_120805_763.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[156] NMUSCW_120805_767.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[157] NMUSCW_120805_774.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[158] NMUSCW_120805_784.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[159] NMUSCW_120805_792.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[160] NMUSCW_120805_811.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[161] NMUSCW_120805_815.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. NMUSCW_120805_010.JPG: GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS YMQ-9 REAPER The MQ-9 is a long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) with a primary mission of locating and destroying time-critical and highly mobile targets. In addition to this "hunter-killer" mission, the MQ-9 also provides real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to military commanders. Larger and more powerful than its predecessor, the MQ-1 Predator, the MQ-9 was originally named the Predator B. However, based upon recommendations from units in the field, the U.S. Air Force officially designated it the MQ-9 Reaper to represent its lethal nature. The "M" stands for multirole, and the "Q" designates it as an RPA. The Reaper has a 900-hp engine, compared to the Predator's 115-hp engine, and its 64-foot wingspan is 15 feet wider than the Predator. The fuselage is wider and carries more fuel, giving the Reaper a range of 3,682 miles compared to the Predator's 454 miles. With a cruising speed of about 230 mph, the MQ-9 is almost three times faster than the Predator. This greater capability allows the Reaper to have six wing stations for external payloads instead of only two like the Predator. The Reaper can carry a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 500-pound GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, 500-pound GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision-guided bombs, and various reconnaissance sensor packages. A Reaper system consists of the aerial vehicles, a ground control station (GCS) and communication equipment. A pilot and a sensor operator operate the aircraft from a remotely located GCS. The MQ-9 aircraft can be disassembled into major components, loaded into a special container and quickly airlifted to any location around the world. Developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. in 2000, the Predator B first flew in February 2001. After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Congress directed the Air Force to order two pre-production YMQ-9s for testing. On Oct. 17, 2003, the YMQ-9 Reaper made its first flight from the General Atomics facility in California. Because of the pressing need for an RPA with the Reaper's capabilities, the Air Force sent the two YMQ-9s to Afghanistan in 2005. The production model MQ-9 Reaper made its first flight in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM on Sept. 25, 2007. The Reaper on display (S/N 02-4002) is one of the two pre-production YMQ-9s sent to Afghanistan. This aircraft was used for the initial weapons testing, flew 14 missions for the Department of Homeland Defense during October-November 2003, and it was the first Reaper to fly in Afghanistan. In four years, it flew 3,266 combat hours and 254 combat sorties. It came to the museum in May 2009.
2. NMUSCW_120805_025.JPG: The Korean Veterans Memorial Association donated this model casting to the Museum in March 2000. A 13-foot tall granite statue based on this model and representing all the services stands in nearby downtown Dayton.
3. NMUSCW_120805_082.JPG: DOUGLAS B-26C (A-26C) INVADER During the Korean War, the Douglas B-26 played an important part in the U.S. Air Force's interdiction campaign against communist ground forces. Initially, B-26 crews flew during the day, but the introduction of the MiG-15 jet fighter forced them to fly most missions at night. The Douglas B-26 (originally designated the A-26) was a World War II attack aircraft used for level bombing, ground strafing, and rocket attacks. It made its first flight in July 1942, and production delivery began in August 1943. The A-26 entered combat over Europe in November 1944. When production halted after the war, 2,502 Invaders had been built. The A-26 was redesignated the B-26 in 1948 (thus creating everlasting confusion with the WWII Martin B-26 Marauder). Early in the Southeast Asia War, the Invader returned to action for the third time. Also, the USAF ordered 40 modified B-26Bs with more powerful engines and increased structural strength. Designated the B-26K, these airplanes performed special air warfare missions. The A-26C on display (S/N 44-35733) was flown to the museum in September 1957. It is painted to represent a B-26C used during the Korean War by the 34th Bomb Squadron flying night intruder missions.
4. NMUSCW_120805_106.JPG: LOCKHEED F-80C SHOOTING STAR The Shooting Star was the first American aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight, the first American jet airplane manufactured in large quantities and the first U.S. Air Force jet used in combat. Designed in 1943, the XP-80 made its maiden flight on Jan. 8, 1944. (The aircraft was redesignated F-80 in 1948 when "P" for "Pursuit" was changed to "F" for "Fighter.") Four YP-80s were sent to Europe for service tests, but World War II ended before the aircraft saw combat. Although designed as a high-altitude interceptor, the F-80C was flew as a day fighter, fighter-bomber and photo reconnaissance aircraft during the Korean War. On Nov. 8, 1950, an F-80C flown by 1st Lt. Russell J. Brown shot down a Russian-built MiG-15 in the world's first all-jet fighter air battle. The F-80C on display is one of the few remaining Shooting Stars that flew combat missions during the Korean War. Restored and painted as it was in 1950 while assigned to the 8th Fighter-Bomber Group, it was placed on display in 1979.
5. NMUSCW_120805_175.JPG: MARTIN B-57B CANBERRA After the Korean War began in 1950, the U.S. Air Force looked for a jet-powered medium bomber to quickly replace the aging, propeller-driven Douglas B-26 Invader. In March 1951 the USAF contracted with Martin to build the British Canberra in the United States under license. The Martin-built B-57 made its first flight in July 1953, and when production ended in 1959, a total of 403 Canberras had been produced for the USAF. In 1965 the USAF sent two B-57B squadrons to South Vietnam. Until the last B-57B departed in November 1969, the 8th and 13th Bomb Squadrons flew many different types of missions, including close air support and night interdiction, in all combat areas in Southeast Asia. The aircraft on display was assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as a test aircraft in the early 1960s. It was returned to combat configuration to replace combat losses in Southeast Asia. Assigned to the 8th Bomb Squadron at Phan Rang, South Vietnam, in 1967, it flew in combat there for 2 1/2 years. After returning to the United States, it was converted to an electronic countermeasures EB-57B. It was flown to the museum in August 1981, and restored back to its Southeast Asia War bomber configuration in 2010.
6. NMUSCW_120805_258.JPG: BERLIN: CITY HELD HOSTAGE "1948-1959: Humanitarian Triumph" The Berlin Airlift was one of the defining events of the Cold War. The 464-day effort to supply a city's needs solely through the air demonstrated the resolve of democratic nations to oppose communist repression. The massive humanitarian effort was an early triumph for the young U.S. Air Force, and symbolized Western commitment to rebuilding democracy in Europe after World War II. In 1945 the Soviets, Americans, British and French divided Germany into occupation zones. Berlin, although in the Soviet zone, also was divided among the four powers. Opposing political systems and goals strained relationships between the Soviets and their recent allies as the American, British and French prepared western Germany to govern itself. The Soviets isolated Berlin by closing off ground travel to and from the city in June 1948. Airlift was the only way to supply West Berlin and its people. The combined efforts of the newly formed USAF and other American services, plus the forces of Great Britain and France, delivered enough fuel, food and supplies to keep the city going for nearly a year. The blockade finally ended in May 1949, but the Berlin Airlift continued through September 1949.
7. NMUSCW_120805_266.JPG: TRUMMERFRAUEN: "WOMEN OF THE RUBBLE" In the aftermath of World War II, Berlin was in ruins. Its population had been reduced by half, and nearly two-thirds of the city's 2.3 million citizens were women. Many of these German women -- known as Trummerfrauen, or "women of the rubble" -- worked hard to clean up and reclaim the city. In many cases, they cleared bomb-damaged areas through tough manual labor, separating usable bricks and construction materials from other debris. The Trummerfrauen have been celebrated not only for their efforts to clean up the city, but for their role in rebuilding families and society in a city nearly destroyed by Nazism.
8. NMUSCW_120805_269.JPG: COAL, CANDY BARS AND CLARENCE THE CAMEL: THE CARGO The Berlin Airlift carried a total of 2,325,510 tons of cargo into Berlin with coal representing approximately 1,500,000 tons, followed by more than 500,000 tons of food. The rest of the tonnage was miscellaneous cargo that included dismantled steam rollers and electrical power plant machinery, as well as all the daily needs -- from soap to medical supplies to newspapers -- of a city. For the children of Berlin there were tons of candy, and as a special gift from the U.S. 525th Fighter Squadron, a baby camel named Clarence.
9. NMUSCW_120805_276.JPG: BERLIN AIRLIFT DOG PARACHUTE This parachute was specially made for "Vittles," a dog that flew 131 missions with his owner, 1Lt. Russ Steber, during the Berlin Airlift. Gen. Curtis LeMay named the dog and ordered the parachute made for him. Vittles, a boxer, accumulated around 2,000 flying hours, but never had to use the parachute. His owner, Lt. Steber, did have to bail out of a C-47 over the Soviet zone on one occasion, but Vittles was not with him on that trip. Steber was captured and returned to the West a few days later.
10. NMUSCW_120805_283.JPG: BERLIN AIRLIFT SCR-658 RADIO RECEIVER This model SCR-658 Radio Receiver was installed at Tempelhof Central Airport in Berlin by U.S. occupation forces in 1945. During the Berlin Airlift, Air Force weather forecasters used it to track weather balloons, measure the wind's direction and speed, temperature, humidity and air pressure by using radio signals transmitted from the balloons. These measurements aided air traffic control as well as weather forecasting. The highest balloon altitude measurement this unit recorded at Tempelhof was approximately 140,000 feet. This SCR-658 served as backup receiver when more advanced equipment became available ,but it remained in use at Tempelhof until 1975. It was transferred to the museum in 1976 by the 1946th Communications Squadron.
11. NMUSCW_120805_305.JPG: NORTH AMERICAN F-86D SABRE An intelligence warning in 1948 prompted the U.S. Air Force to hurriedly develop an all-weather interceptor. Starting with the basic airframe of its F-86A, North American incorporated two unprecedented concepts into the F-86D (initially designated the F-95). First, a highly sophisticated electronic system replaced the second crewmember carried by other interceptors of the time. Second, the F-86D became the first production single-seat fighter to which air-to-air missiles replaced the classic gun armament. With its air intake reshaped to make room for the enclosed radar, the F-86D -- nicknamed "Sabre Dog" -- presented a distinctive profile. The interception radar (from Hughes Aircraft Co.) and associated fire-control computed the target's position, guided the aircraft on an intercept course to within 500 yards of the target, lowered the retractable tray of 24 rockets, and fired the rockets automatically. The effect of these weapons would have been devastating to an enemy bomber because each 2.75-inch Mighty Mouse folding fin aircraft rocket (FFAR) contained the power of a 75mm artillery shell. The first prototype (YF-86D) flew on Dec. 22, 1949, and North American delivered 2,506 F-86Ds before production ended in September 1953. Although the U.S. Air Force had phased out its F-86D by June 1961, Japan and other nations continued flying them. The aircraft on display came to the museum in August 1957. It is marked as an F-86D assigned to the 97th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, during the mid-1950s.
12. NMUSCW_120805_350.JPG: NORTH AMERICAN F-86H SABRE The F-86H, perfected after the signing of the Korean Armistice, represented the practical application of knowledge gained from the thousands of combat missions flown by the earlier F-86A, E and F variants. Primarily a fighter-bomber, the F-86H was larger and heavier than its predecessors, but it had better all-around performance. The airplane was produced from late 1953 to August 1955, North American produced more than 450 F-86Hs. Although never used in combat, it provided the U.S. Air Force with a formidable fighter-bomber aircraft until the advent of the supersonic F-100. The museum obtained the F-86H on display from the New Jersey Air National Guard in November 1964. It is exhibited with part of its stressed skin removed to show the internal structure and placement of equipment.
13. NMUSCW_120805_357.JPG: NORTH AMERICAN F-86H SABRE The F-86H, perfected after the signing of the Korean Armistice, represented the practical application of knowledge gained from the thousands of combat missions flown by the earlier F-86A, E and F variants. Primarily a fighter-bomber, the F-86H was larger and heavier than its predecessors, but it had better all-around performance. The airplane was produced from late 1953 to August 1955, North American produced more than 450 F-86Hs. Although never used in combat, it provided the U.S. Air Force with a formidable fighter-bomber aircraft until the advent of the supersonic F-100. The museum obtained the F-86H on display from the New Jersey Air National Guard in November 1964. It is exhibited with part of its stressed skin removed to show the internal structure and placement of equipment.
14. NMUSCW_120805_361.JPG: NORTH AMERICAN F-86H SABRE The F-86H, perfected after the signing of the Korean Armistice, represented the practical application of knowledge gained from the thousands of combat missions flown by the earlier F-86A, E and F variants. Primarily a fighter-bomber, the F-86H was larger and heavier than its predecessors, but it had better all-around performance. The airplane was produced from late 1953 to August 1955, North American produced more than 450 F-86Hs. Although never used in combat, it provided the U.S. Air Force with a formidable fighter-bomber aircraft until the advent of the supersonic F-100. The museum obtained the F-86H on display from the New Jersey Air National Guard in November 1964. It is exhibited with part of its stressed skin removed to show the internal structure and placement of equipment.
15. NMUSCW_120805_375.JPG: MARTIN CGM-13B MACE A replacement for the TM-61A Matador, the Mace was a tactical surface-launched missile designed to destroy ground targets. Initially designated the TM-76, then the MGM-13, and finally the CGM-13B, the Mace could be launched from either a mobile trailer or a bomb-proof shelter. Like the Matador, a booster rocket launched the Mace, and a jet engine propelled it to the target. Development of the Mace began in 1954, and the first test firing occurred in 1956. The first version of the Mace, the "A," employed a terrain-matching radar guidance system known as ATRAN (Automatic Terrain Recognition And Navigation) which matched the return from a radar scanning antenna was matched with a series of onboard radar terrain "maps." The guidance system corrected the flight path if it deviated from the maps. In the spring of 1959 the U.S. Air Force deployed the "A" version in Europe, and they remained in service until the mid-1960s. Afterward, some became target drones because their size and performance characteristics resembled those of a manned aircraft. Development of the "B" model began in 1959. In addition to having a jam-proof inertial guidance system, the CGM-13B had twice the range of the earlier version. Initial deployments of the CGM-13B to operational units started in 1961, and they remained operational in Europe and the Pacific until the early 1970s. The Mace "B" on display was based on Okinawa prior to its delivery to the museum in 1971.
16. NMUSCW_120805_694.JPG: BERLIN WALL: CONCRETE SYMBOL OF THE IRON CURTAIN In 1961, Berlin became the focal point of increased tensions between the Western democracies and the Soviet Union. Dissatisfied with the economy and the political conditions in East Germany, thousands of East German refugees fled into West Berlin, the only gap in the Iron Curtain running from the Baltic to the Black Sea. To stop the exodus of their nation's elite -- doctors, teachers, engineers and other professionals -- the East German government sealed the border between East and West Berlin. During the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 13, 1961, East German troops and workers, backed by Soviet tanks, ran barbed wire and built barricades. The wire soon gave way to heavy concrete segments topped with a concrete tube. A parallel barrier later went up in the East, leaving between them a brightly lit Todesstreifen (death strip), consisting of tank traps, fixed guns, attack dogs and land mines. In 1989 communist governments collapsed across eastern Europe, and on Nov. 9, the East German government partially opened the border in Berlin. A resulting flood of East Germans rushed to West Berlin, and following celebrations at the Brandenberg Gate and other locations, the Berlin Wall began to come down. During the 28 years it separated East and West Berlin, more than 5,000 people escaped over, through and under the wall. Approximately 100 people died making the attempt -- most shot by border guards.
17. NMUSCW_120805_700.JPG: TRABANT 601 S "DELUX" Throughout the Cold War, the communists used East Berlin as a showcase for the success of socialism. Visitors were shown carefully maintained areas with shops, department stores and restaurants carrying some of the finest merchandise available in the communist block. However, the average East German only had access to drab shops with little variety and limited amounts of merchandise. The Trabant 601 automobile provided a stark example of how socialism failed to provide the promised worker's paradise. Powered by a 2-cylinder, 2-stroke engine, which produced approximately 28 hp, the Trabant's body consisted of compressed plastic and cotton panels attached to a galvanized steel chassis. The citizens of East Berlin often had to wait eight years or more to get one of these small vehicles. After the reunification of East and West Germany, the Trabant factory could not compete in a free market society with such an inferior product, and the last Trabant came off the assembly line in 1991.
18. NMUSCW_120805_718.JPG: Piece of the Berlin Wall From a section of the wall located between Potsdammer Strasse and Checkpoint Charlie in the city of West Berlin In many ways, the erection of the Berlin Wall in 1961 was a reaction to the success of the Berlin Airlift and became the symbol of the vast division which existed between Eastern and Western Europe from 1945 until 1989. Beginning on 11 November 1989, sections of the Berlin Wall were torn down by the citizens of East and West Germany. Their actions physically recognized the opening of east/west access and reflected a vast change in the political, economic, and cultural nature of Europe and the world. This piece of the wall commemorates the service of the American airmen who served through the forty-four years of the Cold War and whose presence in Europe surely helped to establish the conditions which finally brought the Berlin Wall down.
19. NMUSCW_120805_737.JPG: "IRON MIKE" "Iron Mike," the mascot of the 317th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, prior to its deactivation in late 1969, is a classic example of Air Force esprit de corps. He was considered "fair game" by rival USAF units, and as such, was frequently abducted from Alaska, to reappear mysteriously at some other USAF base, ranging from Greenland to South Vietnam where, it was reported, he was taken to gain some combat experience. It was usually necessary for the 317th to arrange for its own raiding party to re-kidnap him for return to Alaska. Iron Mike is now in a retired status as USAF historical property, having served the Air Force well. All USAF personnel are cautioned that he is no longer considered "fair game."
Multi Column: Number of columns of thumbnails to appear per page (normally defaults to 3): [1 col] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Wikipedia Description: National Museum of the United States Air Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official national museum of the United States Air Force and is located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Riverside, Ohio, just east of Dayton. Over 300 aircraft and missiles are on display, most of them indoors. Admission is free.

Exhibits:
The museum has many rare and important aircraft and other exhibits, including one of four surviving Convair B-36s, the only surviving XB-70 Valkyrie, and Bockscar—the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the second atomic bomb in World War II. In contrast to its better-known Smithsonian counterpart, nearly all of the museum's exhibits are extremely accessible. Most are easily touched, even investigated, by visitors.

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, the first aircraft to be called Air Force One, a modified Boeing 707 used by Presidents John F. Kennedy through Richard Nixon during his first term, after which served as the backup Presidential aircraft. That aircraft was most used by Lyndon B. Johnson.

Pioneers of flight:
There is a large section of the museum dedicated to pioneers of flight, especially the Wright Brothers, who conducted some of their experiments at nearby Huffman Prairie. A replica of the Wright's 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 & clothing:
The museum has a large inventory of USAAF and Air Force clothing and uniforms in its collection. At any time over fifty WWII vintage A-2 leather flying jackets are on display, many of which belonged to famous figures in Air For ...More...
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Directly Related Pages: Other pages with content (OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force) directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_WWIIA: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War II gallery (307 photos from 2012)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_WWI: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War I gallery (187 photos from 2012)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_Space: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Space gallery (14 photos from 2012)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_Art: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Art work (93 photos from 2012)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Miscellaneous (18 photos from 2012)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_WWI: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War I gallery (36 photos from 2007)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Space: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Space gallery (9 photos from 2007)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Field: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Exhibition field (38 photos from 2007)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Cold: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Cold War gallery (37 photos from 2007)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Art: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Art work (24 photos from 2007)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Addon: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Presidential and Experimental hangar (84 photos from 2007)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Miscellaneous (18 photos from 2007)
Sort of Related Pages: Still more pages here that have content somewhat related to this one :
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_WWII: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War II gallery (124 photos from 2007)
Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [Military (Non-Events)] [Museums (History)]
2012 photos: Equipment this year: My mainstays were the Fuji S100fs, Nikon D7000, and the new Fuji X-S1. I also used an underwater Fuji XP50 and a Nikon D600. The first three cameras all broke this year and had to be repaired. Trips this year: three Civil War Trust conferences (Shepherdstown, WV, Richmond, VA, and Williamsburg, VA), a week-long family reunion cruise of the Caribbean, another week-long family reunion in the Wisconsin Dells (with lots of in-transit time in Ohio and Indiana), and my 7th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including side trips to Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, etc). Ego strokes: I had a picture of Miss DC, Ashley Boalch, published in the Washington Post. I had a photograph of the George Segal San Francisco Holocaust memorial used as the cover of Quebec Francais (issue 165). Not being able to read French, I'm not entirely sure what the article is about but, hey! And I guess what could be considered to be a positive thing, my site is now established enough that spammers have noticed it and I had to block 17,000 file description postings for Viagra and whatever else.. Number of photos taken this year: just below 410,000.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Limiting Text: You can turn off all of this text by clicking this link: [Thumbnails Only]
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].