National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Visit: Cold War Draws to an End

By Fred Harl

The Aero Experience visit to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force series draws to a close as the Cold War draws to an end in the late 1980s and the Gulf War is quickly engaged and concluded.  Aircraft in service for decades, such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II and the General Dynamics F-111F were nearing the end of their service lives while others like the Lockheed F-117A, Rockwell B-1B and Northrop B-2A were yet untried in combat.  The rest, as they say, is history.  We still have many of the Cold War weapons systems (though internally updated) soldiering on to the present, as new systems price themselves out of mass production.  Here is a final look back on the end of the Cold War Era:

Yours Truly in the Phantom cockpit

McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel

The Wild Weasel armed with HARM Missiles

McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II  

RF-4C Phantom II nose cameras

Phantom "Spook" Reconnaissance emblem

This RF-4C flew combat in the Gulf War 

McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle 

General Dynamics F-111F Aardvark

General Dynamics F-111F with laser-guided bombs

Grumman EF-111A Raven

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29A Fulcrum

Rockwell International B-1B Lancer

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk

Northrop B-2A "Spirit of Ohio"

Boeing X-45A J-UCAS