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  • Hospital Walls from Iraq

    "Small Things with Great Love" For U.S. service members, signing a wall is a time-honored way to say "I was here" and to share sentiments with anyone who happens to pass by. These walls are from a hospital at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Many people, including some well-known leaders, signed them. The

  • World War I Binoculars

    Note: This item is currently in storage. Binoculars, known as field glasses, were a very important piece of equipment for U.S. soldiers -- especially critical for observation (by land or balloon). "Field glasses" were in short supply, many soldiers either brought their own personal binoculars or

  • Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant

    The U.S. Air Force developed the Sikorsky HH-3E helicopter, nicknamed the "Jolly Green Giant," to perform combat search and rescue (CSAR) to recover downed Airmen during the Southeast Asia War. A highly modified version of Sikorsky's CH-3 transport helicopter, the HH-3E carried both armor plating

  • Excelsior Gondola

    Project Excelsior successfully tested parachutes to be used for escaping from aircraft at extremely high altitudes. U.S. Air Force Capt. Joseph Kittinger made three jumps from a balloon gondola in 1959-1960, the highest one from a record height of over 102,000 feet.As aircraft like the X-15 began to

  • Stargazer Gondola

    Project Stargazer explored the possibility of doing astronomy from a manned high-altitude balloon. This joint effort by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Smithsonian Institution and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology flew in December 1962.Air Force Capt. Joseph Kittinger piloted the balloon, while

  • Northrop Grumman Defense Support Program Satellite

    Early Warning SatelliteDefense Support Program (DSP) satellites have provided the U.S. Air Force with early warning of ballistic missile launches and nuclear detonations for more than 40 years. The DSP satellite’s infrared sensors detect heat from missile plumes against the Earth’s background. This

  • Fairchild C-82 Packet

    Note: Visitors are permitted to walk in this aircraft.Airlift experience during World War II demonstrated the need for a large-capacity cargo aircraft that could be loaded from ground level, and Fairchild designed the C-82 Packet to meet the U.S. Army Air Forces’ requirements. The prototype first

  • Lockheed C-141C Starlifter "Hanoi Taxi"

    Note: Visitors are permitted to walk in this aircraft.The C-141 Starlifter was the US Air Force’s first major jet aircraft designed to meet military standards as a troop and cargo carrier. Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) built a total of 285 C-141s, and for more than 40 years, C-141s performed

  • Lockheed C-141C Starlifter "Hanoi Taxi"

    Note: Visitors are permitted to walk in this aircraft.The C-141 Starlifter was the US Air Force’s first major jet aircraft designed to meet military standards as a troop and cargo carrier. Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) built a total of 285 C-141s, and for more than 40 years, C-141s performed

  • 166th Aero Squadron Wooden Box

    Note: This item is currently in storage.The 166th Aero Squadron was organized at Kelly Field, Texas, in 1917. Shortly after, it moved to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, where the squadron received training with the Curtiss JN-4 and Standard J-1 aircraft. The 166th Aero Squadron served as a day