This Osprey was originally built as a pre-production MV-22B for the USN with BuNo 165839. In 2005 it was modified into a CV-22B and flew more than 200 developmental test missions at Edwards AFB. On transfer to the USAF's 413th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL it flew a further 400 tests before ferrying to Wright Field for the museum in December 2013

PACAF Eagle on static display at Aero India 2015. This aircraft is from the 44th FS "Vampires," 18th FW based at Kadena AB, Japan.

The A-36A dive bomber was the first US Army Air Forces version of North American's famous Mustang, the latter originally developed for the RAF in 1940. It was used in the Mediterranean and Italian campaigns in 1943 but by 1944 it had been found that the high-altitude P-47 and P-51 fighters were more suitable for low-level missions when fitted with bomb racks than the A-36As. The museum's example was raced by the Essex Wire Corp as NX39502 '44' between 1946 and 1949, eventually being donated in 1971. It is painted as an A-36A flown by the 522nd FBS in combat over North Africa and Italy

The Bronco on display in the Southeast Asia War Gallery came to the museum in October 1991 and is painted as it appeared when it served in that theatre. From entry into service in 1969 it was based at a wide range of locations - Bien Hoa AB and Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, Nakhon Phanom R Thai AB, Bergstrom AFB, TX, Osan AB, Republic of Korea, Wheeler AFB, HI, George AFB, CA and lastly Shaw AFB, SC with the 507th TACW

Operated by the 353rd Tactical Fighter Squadron/354th Tactical Fighter Wing (Myrtle Beach AFB, SC) this A-10 flew 57 missions in Operation Desert Storm out of King Fahd Airport at Dammam in Saudi Arabia

Built as a Raytheon 350ER in 2000 and registered N3253Q, in 2009 this aircraft was taken into USAF service after modification to MC-12W as an ISR platform, collecting information using a variety of sensors. Assigned to 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron/332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, it operated until 2016 when the MC-12 mission moved to the US Army. It was ferried to the museum in October that year

The B-45 was the first American production jet bomber, making its maiden flight in March 1947 with a total of 143 built. Flown to the museum in 1971, this example spent its active days on loan to Pratt and Whitney as an engine test bed. Initially displayed as seen in my 1973 photo here, by the early 1980s it had been painted in the markings of the 47th BW (Light), based at RAF Sculthorpe from 1952 to 1958 as a key nuclear deterrent. Also flying from Sculthorpe were USAF RB-45Cs clandestinely operated on reconnaissance missions by RAF crews deep into the Soviet Union

At the start of Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965, the USAF did not have an all-weather precision fighter-bomber but the swing-wing F-111A provided this capability. Introduced to combat prematurely in 1968, the type later returned to play a key role in Linebacker operations over North Vietnam in 1972. This one was delivered to the 429th TFS, 474th TFW at Nellis AFB in 1969, deploying to Tahkli R Thai AB in October 1972. In 1996 it was transferred to the 389th TFS/366th TFW at Mountain AFB, ID with tail code "MO" and was ferried to the museum by mid-1992

With high accident rates when the single-seat F-100 was introduced from 1954, the F-100F two-seater evolved allowing instructor training, while retaining basic combat capabilities. As tactics developed in SE Asia, the F-100F was used for SAM suppression and high-speed Forward Air Control, known as "Misty FAC". Displayed in its 1968 colours, this one was a Misty aircraft assigned to the 37th TFW at Phu Cat AB, Vietnam, serving many Tactical Fighter and Crew Training Wings before and after. To MASDC Sep 1979, selected for QF-100 drone conversion but cancelled and to USAFM 2002

56-4362 was accepted by the USAF in 1957 as a C-123B and went to Vietnam in 1961 to fly as a low-level defoliant sprayer. In 1965, it was redesignated to UC-123B. At about the same time, it became a dedicated insecticide sprayer to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and in 1968 Fairchild converted it to a UC-123K. By then named "Patches" in view of almost 600 bullet hits in theatre, it returned to the US in 1972 via Afghanistan and Iran where it helped combat locust plagues. Lastly operated for AFRes as a C-123K until retirement to the museum in 1980

Having been kept in overall natural metal colours when first displayed at the USAFM (my 1973 photo here), it was restored to the earlier white-top scheme when moved into the Cold War Gallery by 1986. First serving the Military Air Transport Service's 1607th Air Transport Wing (Heavy) at Dover AFB, DE, in 1958 it set a world record for propeller-driven aircraft by lifting a cargo payload of 117,900lbs to 10,000ft. Transferred to the 436th MAW in January 1966 and remaining at Dover, it was flown from there to Wright Patterson for the museum in March 1971

Resplendent in the hi-viz colours of the 57th FIS at Keflavik, Iceland with which it operated between 1962 and 1970 often carrying out Soviet bomber intercepts, this Delta Dagger arrived at the museum in 1971

Delivered new to the 18th TRS/363rd TRW at Shaw AFB, SC in October 1957, next month it participated in Op Sun Run in which three new transcontinental speed records for the type were set. In Oct 1962 it flew low-altitude recon during the Cuban Missile Crisis and helped confirm that offensive missile sites were being dismantled. In March 1966 it went to war with the 45th TRS/460th TRW from Tan Son Nhut AB in Vietnam, seeing deployments to Misawa and Kadena in Japan, Andersen in Guam and Hickam, HI. In November 1970 it was transferred to the 153rd TRS/186rd TRG at Meridian, MS. To USAFM Oct 1978

A recent addition to the Cold War Gallery is this F-15C which achieved the type's first double MiG-29 kill while over the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during Operation Allied Force in March 1999. At the time the aircraft was assigned to the 493rd FS/48th FW at RAF Lakenheath. It ended its career with the 131st FS/104th FW MA ANG at Barnes ANGB and was ferried to the NMUSAF in April 2023

This Starfire flew with the US Air Force and Minnesota Air National Guard before retirement in 1959. Marked for preservation, the aircraft is pictured languishing at Tucson before transfer to the Pima Air and Space Museum and refurbished for display.

31 Jan '51: TOS USAF; to 3rd Strategic Support Squadron, Hunter AFB, GA. Apr '61: 305th Troop Carrier Squadron, Tinker AFB, OK. Mar'62: 442nd Troop Carrier Wing, Tinker AFB. Jul '62: 1502nd Air Transport Wing, Hickam AFB, HI. Mar '63: 1503rd Air Transport Wing, Tachikawa AB, Japan. Jul '64: Returned to 1502nd ATW. Aug '65: 916th Troop Carrier Group, Carswell AFB, TX. Jul '69: Ferry flight to 3902nd Air Base Wing (SAC), Offutt AFB, NE for transfer to SAC Museum. The only C-124A extant, oldest C-124. 1997: 2003: Flown in sections by C-5A to Dover AFB, DE for Air Mobility Museum.