In support of an official event 

The Museum will be closed Sunday, May 25
In addition, the Fourth Hangar will be closed Saturday, May 24

Access to the Presidential Gallery will be limited from May 15 to June 5
 

Fact Sheet Alphabetical List

Fact Sheet Search

  • Bell P-63E Kingcobra

    Note:  This aircraft has been placed on loan to the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB Georgia.(Sept. 2021) This World War II fighter was developed from the P-39 Airacobra, which it closely resembles. The U.S. Army Air Forces never used the P-63 in combat, although some were used for fighter training.

  • North American P-51D Mustang

    The Mustang was among the best and most well-known fighters used by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Possessing excellent range and maneuverability, the P-51 operated primarily as a long-range escort fighter and also as a ground attack fighter-bomber. The Mustang served in nearly every

  • Republic P-47D (Razorback Version)

    The P-47 was one of the most famous U.S. Army Air Forces fighter planes in World War II. Although the P-47 was originally conceived as a lightweight interceptor, it became a heavy fighter-bomber -- the P-47's maximum weight was over 17,000 pounds, while the comparable P-51 Mustang's was about 12,000

  • Curtiss P-40E Warhawk

    The P-40 was the United States' best fighter available in large numbers when World War II began. P-40s engaged Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor and in the Philippines in December 1941. They also served with the famed Flying Tigers in China in 1942, and in North Africa in 1943 with the 99th Fighter

  • Bell P-39Q Airacobra

    The P-39 was one of America's first-line pursuit planes in December 1941. It made its initial flight in April 1939 at Wright Field, Ohio, and by the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, nearly 600 had been built. Its unique engine location behind the cockpit caused some pilot concern at first, but

  • Lockheed P-38L Lightning

    P-38 Lightning DevelopmentThe P-38 was originally conceived as an advanced, high-performance twin-engine interceptor. On Feb. 11, 1939, Lt. Ben Kelsey set a coast to coast record of 7 hours, 48 minutes in the sleek prototype Lightning, but crashed while landing. Despite the accident, development

  • Curtiss P-36A Hawk

    The P-36, developed from the Curtiss Hawk Model 75 originally designed for France, was first produced for the US Army Air Corps in 1938. The Air Corps obtained 243 P-36s, including 30 P-36G export models seized by the US government in 1942 because of the German occupation of Norway. Both France and

  • Seversky P-35

    The P-35, a forerunner of the Republic P-47, was the U.S. Army Air Corps' (USAAC) first production single-seat, all-metal pursuit plane with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. The USAAC accepted 76 P-35s in 1937-1938, and assigned all but one of them to the 1st Pursuit Group at

  • Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero

    The Allies' main opponent in the Pacific air war, the Zero is the most famous symbol of Japanese air power during World War II. The fighter first flew in April 1939, and Mitsubishi, Nakajima, Hitachi and the Japanese navy produced 10,815 Zeros from 1940-1945. Zeros were produced in greater number

  • Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe

    Developed from a 1938 design by the Messerschmitt company, the Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational turbojet aircraft. First flown under jet power on July 18, 1942, it proved much faster than conventional airplanes. Development problems (particularly its temperamental engines), Allied