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
 

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  • Research & Development in the Interwar Years

    Gyroscopic ControlsThe fuselage section of a Sperry "Messenger" airplane was converted into an experimental "guided missile" in 1922. Gyroscopic equipment was installed in the airplane to control its altitude and direction of flight. Later refinements of gyro controls led to the development of

  • Caproni Ca. 36 Restoration

    Recognizing the significance of the Caproni bombers as an important milestone in the evolution of U.S. strategic bombardment doctrine as well as in the history of U.S. wartime combat aviation, the National Museum of the United States Air Force had the good fortune to arrange a long term loan of one

  • Italian Aviation in WWI

    In most historical accounts of the early days of military aviation, our reverence for the activities of the American Expeditionary Force and its French and British companions-in-arms on the western front has led us to overlook the immense Italian contribution to the formation of airpower doctrine.

  • Americans Join the Air War in Northern Italy

    While many of the Foggia graduates were transferred to the Western Front to fly with the American Expeditionary Force, about 75 remained in Italy under the command of Capt. Fiorello LaGuardia, who simultaneously held office as a Congressman from New York, and later served as Mayor of New York City.

  • The Foggiani

    The bombing effort continued to grow in spite of the disaster to the Italian ground forces at Caporetto. In late 1917, due to the lack of suitable training facilities in the United States, a contingent of some 500 Americans were sent to Foggia, Italy, to learn military flying. After completing their

  • Strategic Bombing

    1917 also saw the Italian bomber come into its own as an important and effective weapon. As production of new aircraft increased, additional squadrons were equipped, trained and deployed against the Austro-Hungarians. The first night raids were conducted in early January and soon became a regular

  • About the Caproni Airplane

    The three-engine configuration not only gave the Caproni designs adequate power for heavyweight takeoffs, but provided a margin of economy and even safety since the aircraft could easily maintain flight with just two of the engines operating. An early maintenance, assembly and flight manual for the

  • First World War: The Early Years

    By May 23, 1915, the day Italy entered World War I, Caproni had designed and built a multi-engine bomber with range and bomb capacities to make it a potent offensive weapon. On Aug. 20, 1915, two of these Caproni three-engine bombers attacked the Aisovizza aerodrome with explosive and incendiary

  • Refueling Wagon

    This is an early type 283-gallon capacity refueling wagon for servicing airplanes with gasoline. While this trailer carried enough gas for refueling nine World War I Sopwith Camel airplanes, it would require 181 such tankloads of jet fuel to refuel a single B-52H bomber of the 1970s.Click here to

  • Macready's Presentation Saber

    When Capt. Macready resigned from the U.S. Army Air Service, the flying section's test pilots in the Engineering Division at McCook Field presented him with this ceremonial saber on April 17, 1926. Adorned with the Air Service crest on the scabbard and rubies for the eagle's eyes in the handle, this