Making the last B-36 flight ever, this awesome aircraft flew to the museum from Davis-Monthan AFB in April 1959. I remember being mightily impressed by it during my first visit to the USAFM in 1973, but also disappointed that it was effectively impossible to photograph. Fast forward 51 years and this was the outcome

This F-15A, known as the "Streak Eagle", broke eight time-to-climb world records in early 1975. In setting the last of these, it reached an altitude of 98,425 ft in just 3:28 mins from brake release at takeoff and coasted to nearly 103,000 ft before descending. It was flown in its natural metal finish to reduce weight and was ferried to the museum in December 1980

This JetStar carried Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan a number of times. After 26 years of service, it was retired to the museum in July 1987 and now looks superb in one of the newest display areas, the Presidential Gallery

During WWII, Germany and the United States experimented with forward-swept wings, but both encountered problems with the metal wings bending dangerously at higher speeds. As stronger composite materials became available, the X-29 was developed to explore forward sweep, advanced materials, a forward-mounted canard elevator and a computerised flight control system. After successfully completing the test program, the X-29A on display (one of two built) was retired to the museum in late 1994

The unpowered X-25 'Discretionary Descent Vehicle' was intended as an escape means that could be stowed in an aircraft, ejected with the pilot and deployed during descent should the aircraft receive battle damage rendering it unflyable. The X-25A gyroglider on display here has a small engine giving limited fly-away ability. However with the air war in Vietnam winding down and doubts about feasibility, the program did not proceed. Behind is the McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry 46-0689, constructed to test the concept of using small ramjets at the tips of the rotor blades between 1947 and 1951

The prototype C-82, which lead a long line of twin-boom transports production culminating in the C-119, first flew as long ago as September 1944. This Packet was built in 1948 and served the 54th TCS/5039th Air Transport Group at Elmendorf AFB, AK. In 1955 it was sold as N4752C and joined Northern Air Cargo in 1970. Substantially damaged on approach to Nelson Lagoon, AK in November 1982, N4752C was repaired and ferried to the USAFM in June 1988. It is now displayed in the Arctic high visibility marking carried during its time in Alaska

The YF-12 was developed in the 1960s as a high-altitude, Mach 3 interceptor to defend against supersonic bombers. Based on the A-12 reconnaissance aircraft, the YF-12A became the forerunner of the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance platform. The first of three made its maiden flight in August 1963; this is the second one built and was recalled from storage in 1969 for a joint USAF/NASA investigation of supersonic cruise technology in support of the SST and Space Shuttle programs. It was flown to the museum in November 1979, the other two having been destroyed in accidents

The X-5 was the first high-performance aircraft that could vary the sweep of its wings in flight and was an experimental design based upon that of the Messerschmitt P.1101, discovered in Germany at the end of WWII (sweep only adjustable on ground). Two X-5s were built, the first flight occurring in June 1951. One was destroyed in October 1953 when it failed to recover from a spin at 60 degrees sweepback, the survivor being delivered to the USAFM in 1958

In 1951 at the request of the Army, the USAF developed the XH-26, a one-man observation helicopter powered by a pulse-jet on the end of each rotor blade. It could be packed into a container to be towed by a regular Jeep and stripped for air dropping, re-assembly taking 20 minutes. Five prototype Jet Jeeps were evaluated and performed well, although the pulse-jets were too loud and cost considerations forced the cancellation of the program

Nestled under the XB-70 is the X-1B, which was instrumented to study thermal heating during supersonic flight. In 1957 Neil Armstrong, then a NACA test pilot, tested the installation of a system of small reaction rockets used for directional control. Cracks in the fuel tanks finally grounded the rocket plane with the last of 27 flights being made in January 1958

Displayed with its RAF serial, this Beaufighter was taken up by the RAAF as A19-43 and saw combat in the southwest Pacific with 31 Sqdn. Postwar it was used as an instructional airframe before becoming derelict, finding its way to the Moorabbin Air Museum in 1971. In 1987 it was sold to the USAFM where it was restored to represent the aircraft flown by the Commander of the 415 Night Fighter Sqdn USAAF based in Italy, who shot down a Heinkel He.111 carrying staff officers in September 1944

The 'Flanker-C' trainer on display at the NMUSAF was built in 1989 and served first in the Soviet Navy and then the Ukrainian AF after the Soviet Union collapsed. In 2008, Ukraine sold the demilitarised jet in the US where it was given a CoA as N132SU, and in 2011 the US Air Force bought it, although it was not passed to the Museum until 2023

Bell completed two tilt-rotor XV-3s and began hover tests in 1955. The first one was damaged beyond repair, but testing continued with the second aircraft. The first complete rotation from takeoff to horizontal flight and back took place in December 1958. After testing ended in 1965, the surviving XV-3 went on display at Fort Rucker, AL and later into storage. From 2004 it was restored by Bell Helicopter Textron and arrived at the museum in 2007

Placed on display as recently as May 2024, this was Boeing entry in the Joint Strike Fighter contest started in 1996 and ultimately won by Lockheed Martin's X-35 and developed into the F-35. It was never given USAF markings, remaining in Boeing's ownership

Built in the early 1980s in great secrecy, the revolutionary Tacit Blue tested advanced radar sensors and new ideas in stealth technology. It was inherently highly unstable but had a digital fly-by-wire system to control it. Using advanced sensors, it could loiter behind enemy lines, continuously monitoring and providing valuable information through data links. It flew 135 times before the program ended in 1985. The aircraft was declassified and placed on display at the museum in 1996

This was originally the jet-powered Martin SV-5J, a derivative of the X-24A lifting body built for flight training but never flown. For display purposes, the SV-5J has been modified to represent the X-24A. Martin donated it to the museum in 1971. In 1973 the actual X-24A 66-13551, which made 12 gliding tests in 1969 and 1970 dropped from a NASA modified B-52, was converted into the radically different 'flat-iron' X-24B on display alongside

In June 1939 Beech delivered three examples of its popular commercial Model 17 Staggerwing aircraft for evaluation as executive or courier transports under the designation of YC-43, leading in 1942 to an order for 270 UC-43s. A further 118 were purchased or leased from exiting owners to meet Army and Navy needs, those in service with the latter being designated as GB-2s. This one was BuNo 23733, registered N67198 postwar and after landing wheels-up in 1968, was donated to the USAFM in 1974. It is now displayed to represent a UC-43 assigned to the 8th Air Force in England in 1943

The versatile STOL U-10 could fly as slow as 28mph and found favour in Vietnam War service which included clandestine operations by Air America. Retired to MASDC in 1974, this one is actually 66-14360 which was registered N42022 in 1976 for use by the Screwworm Eradication Program in Texas before joining the USAFM around 1984. It is painted to represent an aircraft operating in SE Asia in 1968 with the 5th Air Commando Sqdn

This is the only VC-54C built, 42-107451, the first dedicated presidential aircraft. It had the fuselage of a C-54A with the wings of a C-54B for extra fuel capacity. Known as "Sacred Cow' in view of its highly sensitive security profile, for President Roosevelt's only flight aboard it to the Yalta Conference in February 1945, it was marked with false serial 42-72252 belonging to a C-54 which had been lost in the Pacific. Roosevelt's successor, Harry S. Truman signed the 1947 National Security Act aboard, creating the USAF. Retired from regular transport work in 1961, it went to the USAFM 1983

More than 5,000 MiG-23s of all types were built. The MiG-23MS was designed for export and was equipped with a less sophisticated radar housed in a smaller radome. The USAF's 4477th Test Squadron, the "Red Eagles," flew this aircraft during Project Constant Peg providing realistic adversary training for US pilots. It is likely an ex Egyptian AF aircraft and was transferred to the museum in February 2017