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Retired shuttle would crown venue's 'priceless' collection

Ty Greenlees Rocket engines and the Apollo 15 Command Module are part of the Missile and Space Gallery of the National Museum of the U. S. Air Force.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer Updated 9:35 PM Saturday, April 9, 2011

A retired space shuttle would significantly enhance the collection and educational programs at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, according to museum officials.

“The shuttle in many ways would be a capstone to the museum’s collection,” which already includes the Apollo 15 command module, Mercury and Gemini spacecraft, and a Titan IV launch vehicle, said retired Lt. Gen. John “Jack” L. Hudson, the museum’s director.

Barring a government shutdown, NASA is scheduled to announce Tuesday which cities will receive one of three shuttles. The Air Force museum and 20 other facilities are competing for the spacecraft, which are expected to be world-class tourist attractions.

If awarded, the shuttle will join more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles, and thousands of historical artifacts on display at the museum, which last year attracted more than 1.3 million visitors. The museum’s 17-acre campus, located six miles northeast of downtown Dayton, includes more than 1 million square feet of public exhibit space. Admission and parking are free.

The shuttle initially would be displayed in the Kettering Cold War Gallery. “It would be open and available for public viewing right away,” Hudson said. The Air Force Museum Foundation is raising funds toward the construction of a fourth building that would become the permanent home of the shuttle and other exhibits in a new Space Gallery, he said.

Space exploration already is an important aspect of the museum. Visitors will spy the NASA logo on a number of experimental aircraft in the Research & Development Gallery located on the controlled-access portion of Wright-Patt. They include the X-15 and two models of the X-24 that helped develop technologies and capabilities that went into the shuttle program, Hudson said.

“The Air Force has put more than $8 billion over the years into the shuttle program,” he said.

If a shuttle lands in Dayton, it will join a host of rare and distinctive items that range from the original B-17F “Memphis Belle” to the only public displays of the B-2 stealth bomber and remotely piloted Reaper.

“They truly are priceless artifacts,” Hudson said.

Here is a look at some other museum highlights.

Early Years Gallery

The gallery chronicles the formative days of military air power, from the Wright brothers through World War I and leading up to World War II.

The gallery includes the only surviving Martin B-10, the first “modern” all-metal monoplane bomber produced in quantity. It also features all four Medals of Honor presented to American airmen during World War I, including that of U.S. ace Capt. Edward Rickenbacker of Columbus.

World War II Gallery

One of the world’s top collections of World War II aircraft features the B-29 “Bockscar” that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki to end the war, as well as the popular P-51D Mustang fighter.

The gallery is highlighted by a collection of military insignias designed by Walt Disney Productions, and 80 silver goblets commemorating the men who flew the Doolittle Raid against Japan in April 1942. At every reunion, surviving Raiders hold a solemn ceremony in which they toast the Raiders who have died since their last meeting, and then turn the deceased men’s goblets upside down.

Korean War Gallery

Opened last year to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, this gallery reflects the emergence of the modern U.S. Air Force, including the birth of jet air combat.

The exhibit is highlighted by the communist MiG-15 and the American F-86 Sabre, which engaged in air-to-air combat. A defecting North Korean pilot flew the MiG-15 to Kimpo Air Base in South Korea in September 1953, providing important intelligence data.

Southeast Asia  War Gallery

The gallery dedicated to the U.S. Air Force’s involvement in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos is under renovation and will re-open in 2012.

The area displays aircraft such as the massive B-52D Stratofortress and the Sikorsky HH-3E helicopter, nicknamed the “Jolly Green Giant.” The helicopter’s crew was credited with the rescue of 27 American airmen, and the helicopter itself escaped with 68 bullet holes during a 1968 attempt to rescue a stranded Marine.

Cold War Gallery

This gallery features the RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, which is capable of flying over dangerous areas for extended periods without risking a human pilot. The unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk and YMQ-9 Reaper also are displayed nearby. “The National Museum is the only facility anywhere that has all three of those on display,” Hudson said.

This area also features the B-2 stealth bomber and sections of the Berlin Wall.

Missile and Space Gallery

Titan, Jupiter and other missiles are displayed in a 140 feet high structure that allows for public viewing from both the ground level and an elevated platform.

The gallery also features an array of satellites, from the Soviet Union Sputnik I that launched the space race in October 1957, to the Northrop Grumman Defense Support Program Satellite, which has provided the U.S. Air Force with early warning for ballistic missile launches or above-ground nuclear detonations since 1970.

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How to go

What: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Where: 1100 Spaatz Street, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Hours: Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day

Admission: Free

More information: Call (937) 255-3286 or visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

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