Ever been to the USAF museum in Dayton?

[Wcross]

I dropped by while I was driving through Dayton on my way to Nashville. I thought I would get out and stretch my legs a bit and take a quick look around.........
4 hours later I was exiting the building and realised my easy 9 hour drive turned into a 13 hour day!
I skipped two exhibit halls and still got lost in it all. If you like historical aircraft this IS the place.

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. Grew up in Springfield.

Went at least once a year. I've probably been there over 20 times in my life.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I have not been there......

And in fact, I have never been to Ohio........

But that is about to change, since I am going to the Ohio DU'ers meet-up in August!

And, I will have a car!

So....I gather that you recommend this place?

How far is it from Columbus?

I do enjoy historical aircraft..........:hi:

[Wcross]

3. Not too far from Columbus- Worth the drive in my opinion.

You better make a day of it though. I skipped the "early years" and "space flight" areas due to time. Do you know they have a B-36 bomber under roof there? I really enjoyed the WW2 area, every plane I expected to see and many I didn't.
I recommend it highly.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Thanks!

I will have some extra time....

I really appreciate your recommendation! I will check it out....

:hi:

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

5. Yep. I live in the Greater Dayton Area

Haven't been there in quite a while though

[lizziegrace]

7. Are you on the email list for the Columbus meetup?

If not and you'd like to be, PM your email to me. We're gathering on August 5th in Columbus and CaliforniaPeggy is flying in!

:hi:

[Ptah]

6. Does that museum have a P-38? n/t

[Wcross]

8. Hell, they even have a p-39 air cobra.

Do you think they would leave out the P-38? How about their twin Mustang? Yes, they have some rare and not so rare fighters. The P-38 is one of the more expected of the exhibits.

[hiro]

14. Yay!

I SO have to go there now...



They've got one of my favorite WWII fighters! :)

-H.

[Oeditpus Rex]

16. Check six, dude

That 37mm is nasty. :scared:

[hiro]

17. Yep

Won't get any argument from me on that!

I sometimes wonder if any Zeroes had any fights with P-39s...

-H.

[Oeditpus Rex]

18. They did in Aces of the Pacific

I dunno about RL. The -39 engaged the JNAS over the Aleutians, but I dunno if they had joy with any Zeros. I'd guess they saw mostly Bettys and Sallys.

In AotP, if you got one good shot with the 37mm you'd light his ass up. But staying on a Zero's six for that long's another story.

Russia got a lot of -39s in Lend-Lease. They used 'em as fighter-bombers.

[hiro]

19. Hm...

Weren't they good tank-busters with the Russians?

I mean, if the A-10 Warthog is a good tankbuster with a 30 mm. cannon, imagine what a 37 mm. one could do (and did)...

-H.

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. I believe they were, now that you mention it

The Russians used them a lot during Operation Barbarossa.

Gotta remember, though — the Warthog has the GAU-8/A Gatling gun that fires 3,900 rounds per minute, and the shells are depleted uranium. The Airacobra had only 30 rounds total.

[hiro]

33. 30 rounds?

Aw...just 30 rounds? ;)

-H.

[NoPasaran]

26. They certainly did in the Solomons & New Guinea

I got to spend way too little time at the museum last year---stopped in while driving across country but only about an hour and a half before closing time. P-39? Hell, they have a B-18!

[TheMightyFavog]

22. Yeah, but the 37 mm was pretty useless against aircraft.

The low muzzle velocity, you know. Against ground targets, however, especailly tanks that thing was the cat's ass.

[Oeditpus Rex]

24. Yeah, but Japanese aircraft?

In WWII? Almost no armor and conventional fuel tanks.

One of the bombers was nicknamed "Type One Lighter" because with just a few hits it'd go up like a Roman candle.

[TheMightyFavog]

25. As I said.

With the 37mm's low muzzle velocity, it was damn hard to score a hit with the thing. Especailly against faster fighter aircrafts

But, if you were lucky to get a hit off, you'd most likeley take it down.

However, one of the P-39's problems was performance above 17,000 ft sucked, so the more vulnerable Japanese bombers started to attack from higher altitudes.

[sasquatch]

9. I live in the Miami Valley area, it's almost mandatory if you live here

Most of the local schools go there on field trips.

[CBHagman]

10. When we lived in Dayton...

...we always took visitors from out of town to visit the Air Force museum. It's been more than 30 years since I left the area, and I still have a mental image of some of the exhibits...

[Oeditpus Rex]

11. No, dammit

x(

But I've been inside a B-36. There's one here. http://www.elite.net/castle-air/

My neighbor was one of the people responsible for getting it there.

[Zorro]

12. It is my absolute favorite museum

The main museum is fascinating enough to keep your interest for hours, but there are also a couple of auxiliary hangers where they keep the presidential planes and the experimental planes that should not be missed, either.

Be prepared to spend an entire day there; you won't be disappointed. I personally think it's much superior to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.

[Crabby Appleton]

13. I haven't visited there for many years

but it is definitely the place to go if you have an interest in historic aircraft. When I was a kid I got to sit in a Kamikaze plane there (uh, unused).

I've been to the Air & Space in DC also.

[JesterCS]

15. Been Many of times

about half hour south of Dayton. I never appreciated it as a kid.. it was boring

But now that im an adult and avid aviation buff.. its all so wonderful

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

21. Then I guess I shouldn't mention that

the Huntsville Alabama US Space & Rocket Center is only a couple hours or so drive from Nashville :evilgrin:

[rucky]

23. I live 20 minutes away

and haven't been, but would like to. May have to drop off the wife at the mall for this one. Could turn out to be an expensive day trip.

[ScreamingMeemie]

27. When I was a child my uncle was stationed at Wright Pat...

It was a main part of our visit. I loved the museum. It is amazing that it doesn't get enough press. Another fun thing we used to do there was play flashlight tag in the storage areas of base housing. Some of my best childhood memories are of that place. :hi:

[anarch]

28. hey, I was born on Wright-Patterson!

and yeah, that museum is totally great. I haven't been since I was a kid, but I think I'll have to make a point of it next time I'm in the area. I do have a thing for aircraft.

I'm almost ashamed to say that I haven't yet been to the new Air & Space hangar out by Dulles airport, though. I can't believe I live as close to that as I do and haven't made time to go yet...I understand it's also pretty packed full of great stuff.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

29. That was one of my favorite places our family ever went

On our annual summer vacations when I was growing up. And we went to a LOT of different places throughout the US.

I have very fond memories of that musuem -- and none of us were really expecting that much from it. Just seemed like a convenient museum to stop at at the time.

[madinmaryland]

30. I was there in the mid 70's.

The place is really cool. At the time you could walk up to the aircraft!

[Deep13]

31. Yep, it has the Apollo 15 command module there.

It had an all USAF crew.

[Crazy Dave]

32. There's also a nice one in Ft. Walton Beach, FL

I've been to that one and I've lived at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs which has a lot of exhibits and different displays as it's the Air Force's showcase to the world.