Summer of 18-#57-National Museum of the U.S.Air Force-Building 4-Research & Development, Presidental Galleries & Air Park

Friday September 7th, 2018 - Part 3 of 3
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
Here's the remainder of Building 4, and a couple of outside exhibits.

Research & Development Gallery
XB-70 Valkyrie

Avro-Canada VZ-9AV Avrocar

Northrop X-4 Bantam

Douglas X-3 Stiletto

McDonnell XF-85 Goblin

Ryan X-13 Vertijet - When I see a "Ryan" jet I can't help but think of our Ryan, aaaahhhhh!!!!  This one actually fascinated me, hence more pictures, ha!!ha!!

Presidential Gallery

Chance-Vought/LTV XC-142A

Aero-Commander U-4B

Beech VC-6A "Lady Bird Special"

Douglas VC-54C "Sacred Cow" - This was the first aircraft purpose built to fly the President of The United States.  It was originally named "The Flying White House".  The plane was unofficially nicknamed "Sacred Cow" as a reference to the High Security surrounding the aircraft and its special status.
President Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an airplane while in office.  There were concerns about the safety of the plane he was flying in and the VC-54C was built specifically for the President.  His untimely death in April 1945 meant that Roosevelt only got to use it once when he flew to the Yalta Conference in February 1945.   His successor, Harry S Truman used it extensively though, and he signed the National Security Act of 1947 aboard the plane in July of that year.  The Act established the US Air Force as an independent service and so the "Sacred Cow" became the birthplace of the U.S. Air Force.

Douglas VC 54-C (Sacred Cow)

This was one of the Presidential planes that you could walk inside.  Here's the kitchen!!!

Douglas VC-118 "The Independence"

This was the second plane built specifically for the President and replaced the "Sacred Cow"

Here's the interior of this one.

Boeing VC-137C SAM 26000 - The first jet aircraft built specifically for a President.  It flew for 36 years and carried 8 sitting Presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton. The paint scheme was developed by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and designer Raymond Loewy. The words United States Of America were on the fuselage and the American flag on the tail.

Bryan as President

Susie boarding as First Lady!!

Inside

This plane was used to fly President Kennedy's body back to Washington D.C. after he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963. New President Johnson was also on the flight.

These seats were removed by the crew to accommodate President Kennedy's casket.  It felt quite humbling to be standing here all these years later next to where he had lain.

We made our way out of the museum.  You have to walk back using the hallways through all the buildings and back out of the front entrance.

On the way out Bryan tried a simulator.  By this time we were both very tired, and so he couldn't focus well and wasn't there for long.

We left the museum, it was raining, and Bryan drove to the outside exhibits at the Air Park.  Here's a couple of them.

Boeing EC-135E Aria

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

That is the end of a very long, and exhausting, but informative day.  I enjoyed some parts more than others.  The problem is that one plane looks much like another to me.  Whereas Bryan can tell you what plane is in the air before he even sees it.  I can only tell you if it's an A-10, Osprey and possibly an F-111.  I did enjoy the historical content here though.
Bryan will return later this week, but I doubt I will be back, although there are some interesting memorials outside that I would like to take a closer look at.