Memphis Belle Crew

The young men assigned to the Memphis Belle represented a typical Eighth Air Force heavy bomber crew.  They ranged in age from 19 to 26 and came from states across the US, including Washington, Indiana, Texas, and Connecticut.  Like their Eighth Air Force counterparts—and contrary to a popular myth—they flew most, but not all, of their missions

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MS “Flogger-E”

The Soviet-built MiG-23 “Flogger” was designed to replace the widely-used MiG-21. The MiG-23’s advanced radar and fire control system could fire missiles at targets beyond visual range. Variable “swing” wing geometry, similar to that of the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, and robust landing gear allowed the MiG-23 to operate from short, remote

Motor Transport Corps Medallion

Note: This item is currently in storage.  At the beginning of World War I, the U.S. Army kept horses as its primary means of transportation of soldiers and movement of supplies and equipment. Even though automobiles had been in use for years before the war began, the U.S. Army maintained that horses were more dependable, less expensive and could

Motor Transport Corps Insignia

Note: This item is currently in storage. The use of motor vehicles by the U.S. Army was in its infancy prior to and at the beginning of the United States’ involvement in World War I. Horses remained the main mode of transportation of soldiers and movement of supplies and equipment.  Training in the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles had not

Metatarsal Pads

Note: This item is currently in storage. Combat boots during World War I tended to lack the cushion and shock absorption that modern-day combat boots are designed to have. These metatarsal pads were worn with the elastic strap over the top of one’s foot. They hold the pad in place over the bottom and just behind the ball of the foot at the arch

Mercury Spacecraft

Project Mercury was the first American human spaceflight program. Its goals were to put astronauts into orbit around the Earth, to find out if they could survive and work in space, and recover the crewmen and spacecraft safely. Between 1961 and 1963, six successful flights proved Americans could fly in space.Mercury flights lasted from 15 minutes

Martin X-24B

The X-24B aircraft showed that a “lifting body” could glide through the atmosphere and make a precise landing on a runway like an airplane. A lifting body is a fixed-wing air or spacecraft in which the body itself produces lift. X-24 studies supported space shuttle development in the early 1970s. The U.S. Air Force, NASA and Martin Aircraft (now

Martin X-24A

This aircraft represents the Martin (now Lockheed Martin) X-24A, which the U.S. Air Force and NASA flew to study flight characteristics and maneuverability of “lifting bodies.” A lifting body is a fixed-wing air or spacecraft -- such as the space shuttle -- in which the body itself produces lift. The X-24A paved the way for the space shuttle by

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, Little Henry was never intended to fly at any

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 released to combat the attackers. Once the enemy had