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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  • Curtiss D-12

    The 375-hp Curtiss D-12 engine, introduced in 1921, became one of the most successful aircraft engines of the 1920s. Developed from Curtiss' K-12 engine used in World War I, the D-12 replaced the gears connecting the crankshaft to the propeller with a more reliable direct-drive connection, hence the

  • Curtiss P-6E Hawk

    Starting in 1925 with the P-1, Curtiss built a long series of fighters carrying the name "Hawk." Of the eight different P-6 models produced, the P-6E remains the best known. Originally designated the Y1P-22, the U.S. Army Air Corps redesignated this aircraft the P-6E because of its similarity to the

  • Curtiss Four-Cylinder

    Curtiss four-cylinder, water-cooled engine used in the 1908 Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1. Developing about 25 hp, it drove a tubular steel shaft 22 feet long on which was mounted a wooden propeller designed by Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge. In the official speed trial, the Baldwin airship reached 19.61

  • Curtiss 1911 Model D

    In 1911 the U.S. Army Signal Corps purchased its second airplane, a Curtiss Model D Type IV. The military version of the Curtiss Model D could be easily disassembled and transported on Army wagons. Like other Curtiss aircraft of the time, the Model D was a pusher, meaning the rear-mounted propeller

  • Combat Pararescue

    Today's Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service descended from units in World War II and the Korean War that pioneered combat rescue using seaplanes and helicopters. In Vietnam, the USAF refined its rescue techniques and organization, greatly improving chances that downed airmen and wounded soldiers

  • Col. (Ret.) Gaillard R Peck Jr.

      "America's SECRET MiG Squadron"March 20, 2013 - 7:30 p.m.Col. (Ret.) Gaillard R. Peck Jr. will address the 10-year period that the U.S. Air Force secretly trained Air Force, Navy and Marine fighter aircrews in an advanced joint training program against actual Soviet MiG jet fighters. The project

  • Col. John Plating

    "Air Transport and the Politics of War"Feb. 21, 2013 - 7:30 p.m.Col. John Plating is an associate professor of history at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He earned his Ph.D. in military history at The Ohio State University, and is the author of The Hump: America's Strategy for

  • Col. Neel E. Kearby Medal of Honor

    Col. Neel E. Kearby, a particularly aggressive fighter pilot and motivating leader, often initiated successful flights against superior numbers. On Oct. 11, 1943, Kearby led three of his pilots against nearly 50 Japanese aircraft near Wewak. Tearing through the enemy formation, Kearby shot down six

  • Cat and Mouse

    As the Wild Weasels steadily acquired better equipment and honed their tactics, the enemy SAM crews constantly made changes to counter them. For instance, to avoid being tracked by Wild Weasels, they launched SAMs without guidance radar at American aircraft, only turning on the guidance when the

  • Characteristics Summary (Jan. 25, 1950)

    Characteristics Summary25 January 1950Fighter - XF-90:Wing area = 350 sq. ft.Span = 40.0 ft.Length = 56.2 ft.Height = 15.8 ft.Status: 1. Teletype Authorization: 11 April 1946 2. Contract Date: 20 June 1946 3. Mock-up Inspection: December 1947 4. Engineering Inspection: April 1949 5. First Flight: