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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  • Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero

    The Allies' main opponent in the Pacific air war, the Zero is the most famous symbol of Japanese air power during World War II. The fighter first flew in April 1939, and Mitsubishi, Nakajima, Hitachi and the Japanese navy produced 10,815 Zeros from 1940-1945. Zeros were produced in greater number

  • Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe

    Developed from a 1938 design by the Messerschmitt company, the Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational turbojet aircraft. First flown under jet power on July 18, 1942, it proved much faster than conventional airplanes. Development problems (particularly its temperamental engines), Allied

  • Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet

    The German Me 163, a rocket-powered defensive fighter, was one of the most unusual aircraft of World War II. Fortunately, its potential impact was minimized by technical problems and the small number produced. The Me 163 was the end result of a long line of tailless research aircraft designed by Dr.

  • Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10

    The Messerschmitt Bf 109 began as an entry by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in a Luftwaffe (German Air Force) fighter competition in the early 1930s. Willy Messerschmitt's creation incorporated one of the most advanced aerodynamic designs at the time, with retractable landing gear, an enclosed

  • Macchi MC.200 Saetta

    Developed in the mid-1930s for the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force), the Saetta was one of its principal fighters during World War II. The prototype made its first flight in December 1937, and by Italy's entry into WWII in June 1940, some 156 were in service. A total of 1,151 were

  • McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle

    The F-15A Eagle is an all-weather fighter designed to gain and maintain air supremacy. As the first U.S. fighter with engine thrust greater than its basic weight, the F-15A can accelerate while in a vertical climb. Its great power, light weight, and large wing area combine to make the Eagle a very

  • Maj. Don S. Gentile

    "One man Air Force."- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower upon presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Capt. Don S. Gentile in April 1942Don Gentile (Dominic Salvatore Gentile) was born near the museum in Piqua, Ohio, on Dec. 6, 1920. He learned to fly in high school, and in 1941, he enlisted in the RAF.

  • Maughan’s Dawn-to-Dusk Flight

    The first dawn-to-dusk flight across the U.S. was by Lt. Russell L. Maughan on June 23, 1924, from Mitchell Field, Long Island, N.Y., to San Francisco, Calif. Taking off in a PW-8 at first light, Lt. Maughan raced the sun across the U.S. and after five refueling stops, landed at San Francisco 21

  • Macready's Presentation Saber

    When Capt. Macready resigned from the U.S. Army Air Service, the flying section's test pilots in the Engineering Division at McCook Field presented him with this ceremonial saber on April 17, 1926. Adorned with the Air Service crest on the scabbard and rubies for the eagle's eyes in the handle, this

  • McCook Field Wind Tunnel

    This wind tunnel was designed and built at McCook Field, Ohio, in 1918. Using a 24-blade fan of 60 inches diameter, the tunnel developed a maximum air speed of 453 mph at its 14-inch diameter choke-throat test area.It was used for calibrating airspeed instruments and testing airfoils. The item to be