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

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  • Fairchild XSM-73 Bull Goose

    The Fairchild XSM-73 Bull Goose was a pilotless decoy missile designed in the 1950s to simulate the radar signatures of large bombers. If several ground-launched, intercontinental-range SM-73 decoys saturated and confused enemy defenses, the real bombers had a better chance of getting through to

  • American Helicopter Co. XH-26 Jet Jeep

    In 1951 at the request of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force developed the XH-26, a one-man, pulsejet-driven helicopter. Rather than having an internal engine like other helicopters, the Jet Jeep was powered by two pulsejets on the end of each rotor blade tip. American Helicopter chose the name

  • McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry

    The XH-20 was essentially a test stand built to research ramjet-propelled helicopter rotor blades. The XH-20 first flew in May 1947, but its fuel was delivered through a flexible line from tanks on the ground. In May 1948, it made its first flight with self-contained fuel tanks. Being a test stand,

  • Bell XGAM-63 Rascal

    Please note: This aircraft is in storage.The Rascal was an air-to-surface, supersonic guided missile tested in the 1950s. It was a “stand-off” nuclear weapon to be launched from Strategic Air Command (SAC) bombers up to 100 miles away from the target.The first launch of a guided Rascal took place in

  • Convair XF-92A

    The XF-92A was the world's first jet aircraft to fly with the radical delta-wing configuration pioneered by Germany's Dr. Alexander Lippisch. Convair used the knowledge learned from the XF-92 to design the delta-wing F-102, the U.S. Air Force’s first operational supersonic interceptor. The original

  • Form for Dropped Messages

    Note: This item is currently in storage.This standardized form for dropped messages was used by aircraft observers to quickly report enemy ground movement to friendly troops and waiting intelligence officers. The hand-written report was dropped on Oct. 5, 1918, by pilot Lt. William C. Thomas and

  • McDonnell XF-85 Goblin

    The McDonnell Aircraft Corp. developed the XF-85 Goblin "parasite" fighter to protect B-36 bombers flying far beyond the range of conventional escort fighters. The "parent" B-36 would carry the XF-85 within a bomb bay -- if enemy fighters appeared, the Goblin would be lowered on a trapeze and

  • Republic XF-84H

    The turboprop-driven XF-84H -- a joint Air Force/Navy project -- was designed to combine the speed of jet aircraft with the long range, low fuel consumption, and low landing speed of propeller-driven aircraft. The XF-84H’s modified F-84F airframe included a T-tail and a triangular fin behind the

  • Chance-Vought/LTV XC-142A

    Five tilt-wing XC-142As were built in the 1960s to explore the suitability of Vertical/Short TakeOff and Landing (VSTOL) transports. VSTOL transports permit rapid movement of troops and supplies into and out of unprepared areas. XC-142As were tested extensively by the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air

  • North American XB-70 Valkyrie

    Click here for the March 2025 Overflight Video.     Click here for the XB-70 Full Playlist The futuristic XB-70A was originally conceived in the 1950s as a high-altitude, nuclear strike bomber that could fly at Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound) -- any potential enemy would have been unable to