ID: 1
Name: B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress was the most capable bomber of World War II. It could carry more payload and fly faster and at higher altitudes than contemporary types such as the Boeing B-17, Consolidated B-24, or Avro Lancaster. Its performance enabled long-range systematic bombing of Japan in 1944 and 1945. Two modified B-29s dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in August 1945, helping end the war in the Pacific. 
The B-29 continued in frontline bomber service through the Korean War. The aircraft was also used in other roles, such as maritime patrol, aerial refueling, weather reconnaissance, and search and rescue. Specific B-29s were adapted as "motherships" for research aircraft in the late 1940s and 1950s, including Chuck Yeager's first supersonic flight in the Bell X-1. The design was further developed as the B-50, introduced in 1947.
The B-29 development program was an unprecedented industrial effort in the early 1940s. The aircraft introduced several innovations for bomber types, including pressurized crew areas, remotely-controlled gun turrets, and dual bomb bays with alternating bomb release. It was the world's heaviest production airplane at the time of its introduction. The B-29's refined aerodynamics benefited from significant wind tunnel testing.
The initial XB-29 prototype first flew from Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington on September 21, 1942. The powerful Wright R-3350 engines experienced chronic overheating issues during testing, leading to the crash of the second prototype just north of Boeing Field on February 18, 1943. Wartime production of the B-29 was spread among Boeing plants in Wichita, Kansas and Renton, Washington and built under license by Martin and Bell. 
The Museum's B-29, known as T-Square 54, fought in the Pacific during World War II, flying at least 37 combat missions with the 875th Bomb Squadron, 498th Bomb Group. After the war, the bomber was converted to an aerial refueling tanker and served in the Korean War. The aircraft was then retired to the China Lake Naval Gunnery Range, where it remained until a rescue was organized in 1986 by volunteers from Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado. Restoration work was begun, but the closure of Lowry in 1994 resulted in the aircraft's transfer to The Museum of Flight, where detailed restoration continues while on public display. This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
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ID: 2
Name: Boeing B-52
The Boeing B-52 was developed as a strategic long-range bomber. Originally designed to deliver nuclear weapons from high altitude, it has demonstrated flexibility in a variety of unforeseen roles. During the Vietnam War, the aircraft was adapted to carry up to 84 500-pound conventional bombs. Over time, advances in anti-aircraft missiles required a shift to a low altitude, under-the-radar mission profile. In the 1980s, the B-52 began a new role as a stand-off cruise missile launch platform. The aircraft continues to adapt to new 21st century missions in response to changing requirements and threats.
The YB-52 prototype first flew at Boeing Field in April 1952, and the B-52A entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were produced in Seattle, Washington and Wichita, Kansas, culminating with the B-52H model last delivered in 1962. Some B-52H aircraft are expected to continue operation until 2040.
The Museum's B-52 was one of 193 G-models built at Boeing's Wichita plant. The G-model incorporated numerous improvements in avionics, fuel system, and flight controls, as well as a shorter vertical fin. The Museum's B-52 was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in October 1960 and spent its entire service life with the Strategic Air Command. It was one of 110 B-52Gs that saw combat during the Vietnam War as part of Operation Bullet Shot/Linebacker. When it was retired in 1991, it had accumulated 15,305 hours of flight time. It was demilitarized under the terms of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in August 1992.
After its retirement, the aircraft was placed in outdoor storage at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. In June 2017, the Museum launched Project Welcome Home a fundraising effort to restore this aircraft for inclusion in a commemorative park honoring Vietnam War veterans. In 2019, the restored B-52 was relocated to the Museum's main campus, where its serves as the centerpiece of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park.
This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
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ID: 3
Name: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The iconic Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress served the Allied cause around the globe during World War II. Perhaps most famous as the workhorse of the Eighth Air Force's bombing campaign against Germany and occupied territories, the B-17 became legendary for its ability to take punishment and return with its crew. The B-17 design took form as the Boeing Model 299 and first flew in 1935. It was continuously refined and improved based on lessons learned in battle over the ensuing years, culminating in the B-17G. Some B-17s continued in various civil roles, particularly as fire bombers, in the post-war years. A total of 12,726 of Boeing's long-range bombers were built by the end of the war. Much of this production occurred at Boeing Plant 2 in Seattle (6,981), with the rest built under license by Lockheed (2,750, under the name Vega), and Douglas (2,995). Wartime B-17s carried a crew of 10 and were armed with 10 (up to 13 on later G models) .50-caliber machine guns. The Museum’s B-17F, serial number 42-29782, has a long flying history. It began life here in Seattle at Boeing's Plant 2, a mile north of The Museum of Flight, on February 13, 1943. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Forces at Wright Field, Ohio, the plane was immediately modified in Wyoming and then assigned to training units at Blythe Field and McClellan Field, both in California. A month later, it worked its way back to Washington, flying training flights at Moses Lake. During one such flight in September 1943, the right main wheel came off and the aircraft spent some time in the shop with damage to the right wing and engines #3 and #4.
During April to May 1944, the aircraft flew outside the United States, to a destination (thought to be Great Britain) and purpose unknown. The B-17 returned to Drew Field in Florida through the end of the war. In March 1945, it was designated a TB-17, or trainer aircraft.
On November 5, 1945, it was withdrawn from service and shipped to Altus, Oklahoma, for disposal. There, 42-29782 sat until 1946, when the War Assets Administration transferred the airplane to Stuttgart, Arkansas, for display as a War Memorial. Stripped of its turrets, guns, and other war-making items, it nested in a small park for the next five years, with "Great White Bird" painted on its noise. The plane sat derelict until 1953, when the aircraft was sold to the Biegert brothers of Shickley, Nebraska. The plane was eventually completely overhauled into flying condition and converted to an aerial sprayer and fire bomber, with civil registration N17W. It was then leased to Central Aircraft and flown out of Yakima, Washington for several years. In 1961, the plane was sold to Globe Air, which used N17W as a tanker through 1968. That was when our plane started its illustrious movie career.
Appearing in the movie The Thousand Plane Raid in 1968, N17W saw its first action in what would be three Hollywood features. The film Tora! Tora! Tora! in 1970 came next. N17W’s acting career ended in 1989 with the movie Memphis Belle. This final movie, shot on location in England, required more than 50 hours of flying time. In order for the director to give the illusion of many B-17s in a single scene, the plane was painted with one scheme on the left side and a different scheme on the right.
In between movie stints, from 1968 to 1985, the aircraft continued flying for Globe Air, performing spraying, firefighting, and tanker jobs. In 1985, Seattle businessman and then-Museum of Flight trustee Robert Richardson acquired the B-17. Over time, top and bottom turrets were installed and the plane became based at The Museum of Flight. After its work with the Memphis Belle film shoot in England, the B-17 came back to the Museum for good and a thorough restoration began in 1991.
In 1998, the B-17F, newly christened Boeing Bee and registered NL17W, flew from Renton, Washington to Boeing Field for permanent display at The Museum of Flight. It is considered the finest B-17 restoration in the world, completely authentic with all components except guns fully functional.
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ID: 4
Name: CH-47 Chinook
The CH-47 Chinook is a descendent of the banana-shaped Piasecki helicopter designs of the 1940s and 1950s, such as the H-21. Frank Piasecki’s company was renamed Vertol in 1956 and acquired by The Boeing Company in 1960. The first CH-47A Chinook for the U.S. Army entered service in 1962, and the type was widely used in Vietnam. The Chinooks were vital to many aspects of that war, including troop transport, placing artillery batteries in mountain positions inaccessible by other means, and recovering downed aircraft. Chinooks retrieved 11,500 disabled aircraft, worth over 3 billion U.S. dollars, throughout the conflict. 
In the 1980s and early 1990s, a major upgrade program was initiated, converting over 500 “A” models to more powerful and modernized CH-47Ds. Three hundred of these airframes were further modernized in the early 2000s as the CH-47F, with digital flight decks and numerous improvements. Further enhancements are planned, which should keep CH-47s flying into the mid-21st Century.
The Museum’s Chinook, named My Old Lady, was built in 1962, and on January 9, 1963 it became the fifth Chinook accepted by the U.S. Army. The twin-engined helo accommodates a crew of two or three and up to 50 troops. It has served with the U.S. Army and Army National Guard, based at Camp Murray near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, since 2009. The aircraft flew combat missions in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan during 2009-2011. Locally, it was flown in support of domestic emergencies, most recently the Okanogan Complex Wildfire in 2015. It is the only authorized U.S. Army aircraft with nose art. My Old Lady was the oldest flyable Chinook in the world-wide Army inventory when it was taken off of flight status in 2017 after 54 years of service.
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ID: 5
Name: Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV)
Boeing began work on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) in 1969 in support of NASA's planned Apollo "J" lunar-landing missions. These missions used additional Lunar Module weight capability to carry the folded LRV, additional science experiments, and additional life support materials for stays of up to three days on the lunar surface. LRVs were used on the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions in 1971-72, which explored the Hadley Rille, Descartes, and Taurus-Littrow regions of the Moon, respectively. The Apollo 17 LRV travelled the greatest distance, a total of 22.2 miles on three traverses in December 1972. 
The battery-powered LRV was specially designed to meet the demands of extended lunar exploration and featured computerized navigation, a portable television system capable of sending color images back to Earth via satellite, the ability to carry almost four times its weight, and special wire-mesh wheels capable of navigating the difficult lunar surface. Additionally, special materials provided the LRV protection from lunar temperatures ranging from -200°F to over 200°F. It proved to be a robust vehicle and greatly expanded the possible zone of exploration from each landing site.
The Museum's LRV was built by Boeing as an engineering mock-up, used for form/fit checkout and astronaut demonstrations. It was donated by the Friends for Long Island's Heritage in 1991.
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ID: 6
Name: Boeing 707-153 (Air Force One)
The first presidential jet plane, a specially built Boeing 707-153, is known as SAM (Special Air Mission) 970. This aircraft, as well as any other Air Force aircraft, carried the call sign "Air Force One" when the president was aboard. Delivered in 1959 to replace President Eisenhower's Super-Constellation, the high-speed jet transport was a flying Oval Office with a modified interior and sophisticated communication equipment. Eisenhower became the first U.S. president to fly by jet on SAM 970 on August 26, 1959.
SAM 970 was the first of three 707s acquired in 1959 as presidential aircraft, designated the VC-137 series. In addition to Eisenhower, SAM 970 has carried Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, as well as foreign leaders such as Nikita Khrushchev. In 1962, SAM 970 was replaced on primary presidential duty by a newer Boeing VC-137C. It was later used by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for North Vietnamese peace talks in 1970-71, secret talks with the Chinese in 1971, and Middle East "shuttle diplomacy" in 1974. SAM 970 remained in the presidential fleet ferrying VIPs and the Vice-President until June of 1996.
SAM 970 is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
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ID: 7
Name: Caproni Ca.20
The Caproni Ca.20 was an aircraft ahead of its time in design, purpose, and armament. In early 1914, before World War I, this speedy single-seat monoplane was created and equipped with a forward-facing machine gun mounted above the propeller arc. Considered the world's first fighter plane, the Ca.20's pilot could aim the overhead .303-caliber Lewis machine gun at enemy aircraft via false sight at eye level.
The model 20 was a derivative of Caproni's Ca.18 reconnaissance airplane -- the first Italian-made airplane to be used by the Italian military. The new "fighter plane" version incorporated a larger engine (a Le Rhône 110-horsepower rotary engine), shorter wingspan, and a streamlined metal cowling to reduce drag and increase speed. Interestingly, the left wing is 5.5 inches longer than the right wing (presumably to counter the torque reaction of the rotary engine.)
Test flights in 1916 proved that the Ca.20 was an exceptional airplane -- the equal of other military airplanes being made in France and Germany. Yet the Italian military wanted Gianni Caproni's company to focus on heavy bombers and only this single Ca.20 was ever produced.
The Museum acquired the historic aircraft in 1999. The plane was preserved by the Caproni family in Italy for over 85 years. It was eventually stored, strangely enough, in a monastery. To prepare for its move, the Ca.20 was carefully dismantled piece by piece by Museum staff and then lowered through a second story window. The rare aircraft was then shipped to The Museum of Flight and painstakingly reassembled and displayed as it appeared in Europe. The Caproni Ca.20 may not be as crisp, clean, and pretty as the day when it was rolled out from the workshop, but that's part of its beauty. Unlike most aircraft in museum collections, this plane is displayed in almost entirely original condition. It wears covering that was applied long ago, and that battered fabric shows all of the scars and stains of a century of life.
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ID: 8
Name: Concorde
British and French aerospace companies began collaboration in 1956 on design studies of a supersonic transport. Following formal agreement in late 1962, detailed design and development began. French President Charles de Gaulle named the new aircraft "Concorde" in a 1963 speech. First flight of the French-built prototype 001 occurred at Toulouse in March 1969, followed by British-built 002 at Filton, England a month later. The partnership would ultimately lead to 20 Concorde aircraft built between 1969 and 1979. Flying with Air France and British Airways, the glamorous supersonic jets offered a luxurious and speedy trip across the Atlantic and other select routes for 27 years. Capable of speeds over two times the speed of sound and at altitudes up to 60,000 feet (18,290 m), Concorde could fly from London to New York and return in the time it took a conventional aircraft to go one way. A tragic accident in Paris in 2000 led to flagging demand and rising operating expenses, and Concorde service ultimately ended in 2003.
Concorde's elegant "ogival" delta wing design took advantage of vortex lift at the lower speeds associated with takeoff and landing. This configuration eliminated the need for complex and heavy high-lift mechanisms. The Olympus 593 engine and its inlet/exhaust design, a joint project of the British Rolls-Royce and French SNECMA firms, was a significant contributor to Concorde's performance. It was the only turbojet with reheat (afterburner, used for takeoff) in commercial service during its flying career.
The Museum's aircraft, registration code G-BOAG, is referred to as Alpha Golf. It was first flown in April of 1978 and delivered to British Airways in 1980. It was the eighth British-built production Concorde. Equipped with four powerful Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk. 610 turbojet engines, Alpha Golf logged more than 5,600 takeoffs and over 16,200 flight hours while in service. It flew the last British Airways commercial Concorde flight, from New York to London, on October 24, 2003. 
On its retirement flight to The Museum of Flight on November 5, 2003, Alpha Golf set a New York City-to-Seattle speed record of 3 hours, 55 minutes, and 2 seconds. Much of the flight was over northern Canada, where it flew supersonic for 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 4 seconds.
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ID: 9
Name: A-4 Skyhawk
The nimble and speedy A-4 Skyhawk bucked the trend of "bigger is better." In 1952, Douglas designer Ed Heinemann, who had been the company's chief engineer since 1937, proposed that the Navy's newest attack plane be smaller, lighter, and faster than its contemporaries. Heinemann's team produced an A-4 design that surpassed all of the Navy's requirements for a light attack aircraft at about half the requested size and weight. Starting in 1955, the small but powerful A-4 flew with Navy and Marine units, eventually flying combat missions during the Vietnam War. The Skyhawk was the aircraft flown by the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Blue Angels, for the 1975-1986 seasons.
A small package with a powerful punch, the Skyhawk enjoyed many advantages over larger Navy planes. A-4s were easy to manage on an aircraft carrier deck and their stubby modified delta wings didn't need to be folded for storage. Without complex wing-folding mechanisms, the Skyhawk was even lighter and simpler to maintain. These attributes allowed it to stay in operational service with the U.S. and several other countries for over 35 years. The Skyhawk had one of the longest production runs of any American combat aircraft, with 2,960 built over 26 years.
The Museum's A-4 was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1967. From 1967 to 1970, it served with attack squadrons VA-125, VA-93, VA-23, and VA-22 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore in California. It is believed to have seen action over Vietnam while VA-22 was deployed aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) in 1970. During 1971-1972, the aircraft was assigned the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, then to the Naval Air Training Command at Pensacola, Florida until 1975. Afterwards, it was transferred to training and service squadron VF-43 at NAS Oceana, Virginia, where it served in land-based capacities until 1980.
In May 1980, with 2,773 flight hours logged, the Skyhawk was assigned to the Blue Angels. Several modifications, including removal of the upper fuselage avionics "hump," were completed to configure the aircraft for its new role. From 1980 to 1986, the Blue Angels flew the aircraft in positions 2, 3, 4, and 6. When the squadron transitioned to F-18 Hornets in 1987, their A-4s were retired. The Museum's A-4 sat at the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for several months before overland transfer to Seattle in June 1987. The aircraft is now painted as Blue Angel number 4, associated with the "slot" position; when the Blue Angels fly in diamond formation, the slot flies directly behind the leader, surrounded on three sides by other aircraft.
This aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida.
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ID: 10
Name: Chance Vought F4U Corsair
The Chance Vought F4U Corsair is considered the premier Navy and Marine fighter of World War II. The Corsair, along with the Grumman Hellcat, are credited with turning the tide of the Pacific air war by overwhelming the once-fearsome Japanese Zero fighter. Besides its role in air-to-air combat, Corsairs were used as night fighters and as fighter-bombers at the tail-end of World War II and throughout the Korean War.
The Corsair had an unusually long production run for a World War II-era aircraft with 12,571 examples, the last in 1952. During the war, demand for Corsairs was so high that additional production lines were established by Goodyear and Brewster. The license-built Goodyear FG-1D is equivalent to the Vought F4U-1D; Goodyear manufactured 1,997 FG-1Ds and a third of all Corsairs during the war.
In 1941, with war on the horizon, Chance Vought lead designer Rex Beisel (a graduate of Seattle's Queen Anne High School and the University of Washington) was directed to design a fighter around the large Pratt & Whitney R-2800 "Double Wasp" 2,250-horsepower engine and massive propeller. Instead of building long, awkward landing gear needed for propeller clearance, the bent-wing design of Beisel's team allowed for shorter, stronger gear for carrier landings. The unusual wing not only gave the Corsair its distinctive shape but also reduced drag, allowing the "Bent Wing Bird" even greater speed. However, the long-nosed configuration posed visibility issues for pilots. This and other technical issues delayed the Corsair's deployment in Navy carrier-based squadrons. The type was initially used to great advantage by the Marines beginning in 1943 and eventually, when carrier suitability issues were solved, by the Navy.
The Museum's Corsair is an FG-1D model built under license by Goodyear. It was delivered to the U.S. Navy in April 1945 and served aboard the USS Intrepid. After the war, it was transferred to the Naval Reserve and eventually stationed at Naval Air Station Sand Point in 1950. That July, Commander Ralph Milleson made a water landing on Lake Washington following a non-fatal midair collision with another Corsair. After 30 years under 190 feet of water, the aircraft was recovered from the lake in 1983 and eventually restored.
This Corsair is dedicated to the memory of Seattle native Lieutenant Jerome Reese Schuchart, USNR, to serve as a tribute to all military aviators. Jerome died April 13, 1989 in the service of his country. The "89" on the landing gear doors represents the year of his death, and the "S" on the vertical fin represents both his last name and NAS Sand Point.
This aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida.