National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Visit: The Cold War Era

By Fred Harl

The Aero Experience visit to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in our Midwest Aviation neighboring city of Dayton, Ohio finds us in the deep, dark recesses of the Cold War Era.  The dim lighting and dense arrangement of aircraft in the hall brings a sense of foreboding that is reminiscent of the cloud of nuclear threat that hung over the world the forty years following the end of World War II.  The collection reflects the dawning of the jet and rocket age, those weapons that kept the peace by threatening a war of annihilation.  Other aircraft used in the Vietnam War and Gulf War are covered separately.  Here are some views of this amazing collection:

Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird

Convair F-106A Delta Dart

Radar and Infra-Red Falcon Missiles on Convair F-102A

Boeing RB-47H Stratojet

Convair F-102A Delta Dagger

Tightly-Packed Cold War Gallery

Convair B-58A Hustler



GE J47 Engines on Convair B-36J Peacemaker

McDonnell ADM-20 (GAM-72) Quail

Convair B-36J Peacemaker Cockpit

Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighter

Republic RF-84K Thunderflash

Northrop F-89J Scorpion