Museum Expansion Plans In recent years, the National Museum of the United States Air Force® has continued to add historically significant aircraft to its collection and further develop the storyline contained in its galleries. Foreseeing continued growth, museum officials and the Air Force Museum Foundation, a philanthropic, non-profit organization created in 1960 to assist the museum when federal funds are not available, recognized a need for added facilities and created a multi-phase, long-term facility expansion plan. In 2003 the first phase of the expansion became reality with the opening of the 200,000 square-foot Eugene W. Kettering Cold War Gallery. In 2004 the museum opened the Missile and Space Gallery to exhibit its world-class collection of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and satellite boosters, along with elements of its space collection. The next phase calls for a fourth building to house aircraft from the Presidential Aircraft and Research & Development Galleries, which are currently in a building on the controlled-access portion of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as well as an expanded Space Gallery and select global reach planes. In 2011 the museum developed a 50-year plan for its future expansion needs, including a consolidated campus with relocation of the Collection Management, Research, Exhibits and Restoration facilities, an education center and event space, additional entrance and parking, donor recognition areas and more visitor amenities. Taken as a whole, this vision confirms that exciting times are unfolding at the Air Force's national museum. Phases Eugene W. Kettering Cold War Gallery Named in honor of the first head of the Air Force Museum Foundation's Board of Trustees, this 200,000 square-foot third, $22.3 million building opened in 2003. The Cold War Gallery features historical and modern aircraft such as the massive B-36, a B-1, an F-117 stealth fighter, an A-10 and the world's only permanent public exhibit of a B-2 stealth bomber. Missile and Space Gallery Resembling a missile silo in architectural design, the Missile and Space Gallery currently houses the museum's ICBMs and will eventually feature the satellite booster collection. The $3.4 million gallery stands 140 feet high and contains more than 12,500 square feet. Construction began in December 2002 and finished a year later in December 2003. Featuring an elevated viewing platform, the gallery combines with the Cold War Gallery to tell the story of the U.S. Air Force's contributions in Soviet containment and strategic deterrence during the Cold War. The gallery temporarily houses elements of the museum's space collection until a Space Gallery becomes part of the fourth building. Implementation of the third phase of the expansion plan is underway and includes a 224,000 square-foot building dedicated to four important elements in the history of the Air Force. The new facility will include a Space Gallery, the Presidential Aircraft Gallery, the Research & Development Gallery and the Global Reach Gallery. Space Gallery This gallery will tell the remarkable story of Air Force activities in space. A major exhibit component of the gallery will be the NASA Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT), a high-fidelity representation of a space shuttle orbiter crew station that was used primarily for on-orbit crew training and engineering evaluations. The gallery also will include a Titan IV space launch vehicle, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, and many recently retired NASA artifacts such as a nose cap assembly, landing gear strut and a variety of astronaut equipment. In addition, a range of satellites and related items will showcase the Air Force's vast reconnaissance, early warning, communications and other space-based capabilities. Other new exhibits will be developed to showcase Air Force technologies with many unique characteristics in design, propulsion, payload capacity, human factors, communication, range, speed and operating environment. Presidential Aircraft Gallery The museum is the repository for Air Force aircraft that have been retired from the presidential aircraft fleet. Currently, the museum's presidential aircraft are on display in an auxiliary hangar a mile from the main museum complex on a controlled-access portion of Wright- Patterson Air Force Base. Visitors must be transported by bus to this facility. The new gallery will permit the museum to bring the presidential aircraft to the main facility, allowing all visitors the opportunity to view this historic collection of nine presidential aircraft, among them the Douglas VC-54 used by Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, the Douglas VC-118 used by President Truman, the Lockheed VC-121E used by President Eisenhower and the Boeing VC-137C used by President Kennedy. Research & Development Gallery Like the presidential collection, many of the museum's rare and one-of-kind research and development/flight test aircraft are housed in a hangar on the controlled-access portion of Wright- Patterson Air Force Base. Moving significant aircraft such as the only remaining XB-70 Valkyrie, the X-1B and the flying saucer-like Avrocar to the main complex will allow access to more people than ever before. Global Reach Gallery An important element of Air Force history will be told in the Global Reach Gallery. Providing airlift remains a major mission of the U.S. Air Force and it forms a critical part of the Air Force's ability to maintain global reach. The Global Reach Gallery will give the opportunity to house large aircraft currently in the museum's collection, such as the C-141 Hanoi Taxi, and a C-130E that participated in an Air Force Cross mission during the Southeast Asia War. The Air Force's airlift and air refueling missions will also be explained in this gallery.