Heavy Bomber “Firsts”

The Memphis Belle was not the first USAAF heavy bomber to finish 25 missions—it was the first to complete 25 missions over Europe and return to the US.  A small number of heavy bombers finished their 25th missions before the Memphis Belle, including: B-17E Suzy-QThe Suzy-Q, a 19th BG B-17E, was the first USAAF heavy bomber to complete 25 missions

Hawker-Beechcraft MC-12W Liberty

Please note: This aircraft is currently in storage and can be viewed on the Behind the Scenes Tours.The MC-12 was a civilian aircraft modified for military duty. In US Air Force service from 2009-2016, the unarmed Liberty collected information using a variety of sensors as an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform.Flying at

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 messages pay tribute to patients and medical staff

HEXAGON KH-9 Reconnaissance Satellite

HEXAGON KH-9 reconnaissance satellites were the largest and last U.S. intelligence satellites to return photographic film to earth. During the Cold War, 19 HEXAGON missions imaged 877 million square miles of the Earth’s surface between 1971-1986.HEXAGON’s main purpose was wide-area search. Analysts pored over HEXAGON’s photos of large areas, then

HEXAGON KH-9 Film Recovery Vehicle

HEXAGON KH-9 reconnaissance satellites featured four recovery vehicles or “buckets” that dropped back to earth from orbit carrying exposed reconnaissance camera film for processing. A mapping camera attached for some missions at the front of the satellite added a fifth, smaller bucket. U.S. Air Force aircraft snatched the parachuting buckets in

Hawker Siddeley XV-6A Kestrel

The British-built Kestrel was a prototype Vertical/Short TakeOff and Landing (VSTOL) aircraft successfully tested in the 1960s. An improved version, known as the Harrier, became the world's first operational VSTOL fighter when it entered Royal Air Force (RAF) service in 1969.The first Kestrel began flight trials in 1961 in Britain. The next year,

Hawker Hurricane MkIIa

From May to August 1941, Number 71 Squadron flew the Hawker Hurricane MkIIa aircraft. The Hawker Hurricane was one of the most famous British fighters of World War II. The prototype was first flown in November 1935 and the first production aircraft made its initial flight in October 1937. Within a matter of weeks, Hurricanes were being delivered to

H-1 Ground Support Heater

Note: This item is currently in storage.Ground support heaters are used to pre-heat the cabins and engines of aircraft during cold weather. This portable heater, manufactured by the American Air Filter Co., was used by ground crews of the 89th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., in support of various aircraft, including VC-140Bs.

Hispano-Suiza V Type

Note: This item is currently in storage. The French Hispano-Suiza (S/N 94757) V type, 8-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine was built in 1918 in the United States by the Wright-Martin Co. The first successful aircraft cannon -- a 37mm M3 cannon -- was mounted in the vee for firing through the hollow propeller shaft.The Hispano-Suiza engine powered the

Heath Henderson Engine

Note: This item is currently in storage.The Heath Henderson engine was developed from the air-cooled Henderson motorcycle and used as a power plant for the Heath line of kit-built, and later certified, aircraft.Donated by Mr. Bruce Bissonette.Click here to return to the Featured Accessions index.