Experimental Airplanes at Wright Patterson AFB Museum

I posted a shot of the X33 on another thread from my trip to the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB this summer and thought I'd post a link to the album. I went mostly to see the new hall that contains the experimental aircraft and the presidential planes because I had not see it before, but we skimmed the other halls too because I had to give the little one the basics in the evolution of aircraft.

If you ever have the chance to visit, do it.  It is free to get in (you paid for the stuff!) and the collection is simply amazing.  In addition to the planes, they have tugs, rifles, jeeps...all the stuff that went into supporting the planes is there too.  If you read everything in all 5 halls, it will take about a week LOL.  

Photo Album

Love that place.  Haven't been in a while, even though it’s only an hour away.  Are the Presidential and experimental planes in areas connected to the rest of the museum now?  Last time I saw the Presidential planes, I had to take a bus from the main museum.

Wright Pat is amazing. I still vaguely remember my visit as a little, little kid and I had a B&W photo book about the collection that I read to destruction.

If you like that sort of thing, the second largest Air Force museum behind Wright Pat is here in Warner Robins, GA (about 500 yards from my desk, actually.)  It's about 10 miles off I-75 for those driving to the challenge.

The 4th hall is now connected, there is actually a 5th hall of missiles that connect the new hall.  The Presidential Planes are neat to walk through, though you have to be pretty skinny to do it!

I'd get there with a big fat master plan...and then spend 5 hours staring at the Valkyrie. 

Haven’t been since I was a kid - the Valkyrie was parked outside on the corner at that time. I really need to get back sometime. 

All I can say is WOW.  I feel like I need to go outside the office and have a cigarette, and I don't even smoke.   I just made up my mind I am going to make a trip to here and the Ford Museum as soon as I can after I retire.     

It is an impressive place.  My grand plans always get derailed when I get to the WW 2 area.

Never been there but I know the collection is impressive.  I did not realize they had so many "furrin" planes.  I do know its one of the very few (3?) places you can see a B-36, that's a BIG plane.  They have one in an outside display at Castle AFB in California and they have one of the gigantic a-bombs it carried sitting next to it (if you are adventurous you can climb up on it and do a Doctor Strangelove shot!).

In reply to spitfirebill :

The Henry Ford is an amazing American history museum! People get misled by the name but doesn't focus on Ford Motor Company at all.

Appleseed said:

I'd get there with a big fat master plan...and then spend 5 hours staring at the Valkyrie. 

Dude, yes. I love that stupid thing.

aircooled said:

Never been there but I know the collection is impressive.  I did not realize they had so many "furrin" planes.  I do know its one of the very few (3?) places you can see a B-36, that's a BIG plane.  

Go to the SAC museum in Omaha. You know you're in a big hangar when it has a B-17, B-36, B-47, B-52, B-58 and F-111 in the same room.

In reply to spitfirebill:

The Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are amazing.  If things go well this fall we're planning to go back in December when it's decorated for the holidays. 

In reply to ultraclyde :

I've been to the Museum of Aviation and agree that it is worth the trip to Warner Robbins. Wright Pat is a place I really want to visit and I'm a lot closer that ever before; not that a six hour drive means really close.

If anyone is in the area and likes Korean War era stuff (plus a lot of 50's equipment) try the Combat Air Museum at Forbes Field in Topeka, KS. They have a few restored Migs (15/17/21) and a Constellation in an early AWACs configuration. Last time I was there (years ago) you could do walk-throughs in the Connie.

Definitely need to make it back there. My oldest is getting to where she would really enjoy this. (3.5 years old!)

Will said:

aircooled said:

Never been there but I know the collection is impressive.  I did not realize they had so many "furrin" planes.  I do know its one of the very few (3?) places you can see a B-36, that's a BIG plane.  

Go to the SAC museum in Omaha. You know you're in a big hangar when it has a B-17, B-36, B-47, B-52, B-58 and F-111 in the same room.

My kids and I spent the better part of a day sanding on the B-29 that they restored. As payment we got to crawl around in a few of the planes such as the B-36. It looks REALLY big when you can poke your head out the top and look at how far the tail is away from you.

Pima air museum in Tucson is also excellent. Their WWII displays are impressive. It would be really cool if they could do the same for the Korea and Vietnam era planes. 

I have this weird bent to travel around the country and see every Blackbird,  SR-71, A-12, YF-12, M-21, and D-21 that is on display. It would make a great excuse for road trips.

Lived in Dayton 7 years, still haven't been inside.  I made a road rally stop there as a checkpoint once, and as a participant on a Fiat dealer-sponsored rally we had to get out and find a call sign on one of the planes.  But still need to go inside (ex-SWMBO was not into it, family forced her to visit too many times I guess.)

I also need to check out the Packard museum.  Also a Dayton attraction.