1 million piece virtual jigsaw puzzle features National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, along with the National Aviation Hall of Fame, will officially reopen to the public on July 1. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ken LaRock)

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, along with the National Aviation Hall of Fame, will officially reopen to the public on July 1. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ken LaRock)

The Air Force Recruiting Service created a virtual puzzle with 1.2 million pieces that features the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The puzzle is collaborative and users can see other people working on the puzzle in real time.

The picture of the museum’s interior was captured after the building’s opening in 2016 by photographer John Opie. The image is 1.03 gigapixels.

To access the puzzle, users must visit AirForcepuzzle.com where they can work alone or with other players to solve portions of the puzzle. The picture is broken down into tiles that vary in difficulty. As users complete a tile, they earn points based on the number of pieces they assemble, the amount of time spent on a section and the complexity of the image.

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According to National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Director Mr. David Tillotson, the museum was thrilled to be approached by Air Force Recruiting Service about using an image of the museum’s fourth building for a virtual puzzle.

“The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Recruiting Services have similar missions to inspire youth toward careers in the U.S. Air Force,” said Tillotson. “So it’s a perfect fit for the world’s largest military aviation museum to be featured on the world’s largest virtual puzzle.”

Maj. Ross McKnight, Chief of the National Events Branch at AFRS, said the puzzle is a way for players to learn about the museum and opportunities for employment in the U.S Air Force.

“The mission will require highly motivated, independent, and mentally tough individuals with attention to detail in order to complete,” said McKnight. “Those are the exact same traits we need in the next generation Airmen and, just like the puzzle, we want the best qualified applicant with the right job at the right time.”

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