Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
Story and photos by Del Laughery
When I think of aircraft museums, my mind quickly notes that, as a rule, most are a fairly stagnant collection of old airframes which must endure to the worst that mother nature can provide. If you’re an aviation fan – and you must be because you’re reading this article on Photorecon.net – you know the kind of museums I’m referring to. When I visit these well-meaning, under-funded, under-staffed sites, I’m saddened by the inevitable truth that the aircraft are in a constant state of decay, and will eventually be taken back by the loaning military branch, or scrapped outright when they arrive at a point where the plane’s physical condition is so poor there are no other choices.
There are exceptions to this rule, of course. Some obvious ones come to mind such as:
– The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH
– The National Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL (photos of which are available here: https://photorecon.net/national-naval-aviation-museum-2/)
– Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, AZ
All of these organizations had very humble beginnings and even the Air Force and Navy museums have more airplanes than indoor space to display them. The Naval Aviation Museum saw damage to outdoor aircraft resulting from Hurricane Ivan during 2004. Pima’s aircraft are in relatively good shape when you consider that most of its collection is outside in an area that only sees 11 inches of rainfall per year, plus they appear to have sufficient staff to keep up with the preventive maintenance that even stationary aircraft require, principally when exposed to extreme temperatures, blowing sand, and the threat of insect infestations.
Now, consider the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, which is far from static, located near the town of Ashland, NE. Originally founded in 1959 under the control of the USAF as simply the Strategic Air Command Museum, it, too, started small. The original museum occupied a small indoor space (where only one aircraft was displayed – an F-86H) and a limited section of ramp (where the remainder of the collection was located outdoors) on the northeast side of Offutt AFB, NE. Interestingly, the remainder of the ramp was active and connected to runway 13/31, and was the pre-flight and recovery area for RAF Vulcan aircraft stationed at Offutt from the late 1950s through the early 1980s as part of a cooperative arrangement between the two countries in support of defense exercises, crew training, and occasionally flight demonstrations.
Throughout its first decade, the collection quickly grew, and by 1970, control of the collection passed from the Air Force to the State of Nebraska. In 1980 it became a non-profit organization. During this period, the state largely ignored the museum until 1995 when the National Museum of the United States Air Force, which owned, or controlled, the majority of the collection noted that the aircraft had deteriorated to such a degree, due to hot summers and snowy winters, that they would be moved to other locations if not better cared for in the future.
In 1998, after raising $32 million, the collection moved roughly 30 miles west to a new facility where nearly every aircraft was on indoor display. Around the same time as the move, the museum lost its C-133B Cargomaster, serial 59-0536, and C-124A Globemaster II, serial 49-0258 (the last A-model in existence), both of which remained on the Offutt ramp until 2000 when they eventually found a home at the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover AFB, DE. Ultimately, the original SAC museum building became the McCoy Airman Leadership School, and the museum ramp used as a parking lot for the 557th Weather Wing.
Today, the museum remains a 501.c.3 non-profit organization that funds itself through contributions, ticket sales and profits resulting from renting space to large groups who wish to host events on the museum floor, sales from its well-stocked gift shop, and other smaller revenue sources. The collection is thoughtfully displayed in two hangars, totaling in excess of 300,000 ft2, connected by the reception, staff, and gift shop areas, while aircraft under restoration are housed in the Durham Restoration Gallery, which is connected to Hangar B and visible from the SAC Lunch Café.
On the day of my visit, I arrived well before the sun came up and managed to capture the exterior features of the outdoor displays and the building in the early-morning sun. Only seven artifacts are displayed outside: two aircraft, a B-1 and a T-39, four rockets/missiles, all in front of the museum building, and F-105D, serial 61-0069, along Interstate 80 used to advertise the presence of the museum which is not visible from the highway. I was then greeted by Jeff Kalasky, VP of Operations and Facility Services, who allowed access well before the building opened to the public and walked with me for about 30 minutes while exchanging experiences related to the museum, its collection, and its history. It was during this moment that I mentioned the last time I had visited the museum was February 1980 – a long time for things to change to say the least.
The museum is open seven days a week. Tickets are very reasonably priced and there is a reduced cost for military members. The museum collection boasts some real standouts, not the least of which is the SR-71, serial 61-7964, hanging in the reception area, displayed in such a manner that you can look right down the spine of the aircraft. It’s quite dramatic, and many visitors linger here to gaze at the aircraft from angles not available at other museums.
Moving into Hangar A, visitors are provided an elevated viewing area along nearly the entire length of the gallery, which provides some wonderful views of the nearby B-17G, serial 44-83559, an aircraft that supported Operation Greenhouse nuclear weapons tests in the Spring of 1951 and which has been in the museum’s collection since it opened, as well as an overwing view of the mammoth B-36J, serial 52-2217, one of only four remaining complete Peacemakers from an original strength of 384.
Hangar A also includes B-58A, serial 61-2059, “Greased Lightning” which set a world speed record in October 1963, flying from Tokyo to London, a distance of 8,028 miles, of 938 mph, which is quite fast given the five aerial refuelings that were necessary to traverse the route.
In the opposite corner of the hangar from the B-58 is NRB-45C, serial 48-0017, the last recon version of this straight-wing bomber in service before it arrived at the museum in 1971. This aircraft served for a time in the mid-1950s at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division in East Hartford, CT, as a test bed for the J57 and J75 engines. What most people don’t know is that the extendable engine pylon within the bomb bay, which facilitated placing the test engine outside the aircraft, but also retracted it for landings and takeoffs, is still present in the museum’s aircraft.
Tucked under the left wing of the B-36 is the stubby XF-85 Goblin, serial 46-0524, an experimental parasite fighter designed to be carried by the bomber. The Goblin would deploy in times of defensive aircraft activity via an extendable trapeze and recover onto the same trapeze via a large hook attached to the nose of the fighter – an act which proved problematic during the fighter’s test period in 1948 and 1949 when leaving from, and returning to, a Boeing EB-29. Although stable and nimble, the aircraft proved slower than the enemy fighter aircraft it would have faced. The Westinghouse XJ34 engine could only get the fighter to a maximum speed of 650 mph, and the project was cancelled with only two prototypes built. Both survive to this day with the other Goblin now residing at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Moving just after of the Goblin, and looking up toward the ceiling provides an interesting view of the sleek Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, serial 51-1714. Also displayed from above are F-86H, serial 53-1375, Lockheed T-33A, serial 58-0548, and Lockheed U-2C, serial 56-6701, an aircraft nicknamed “The Saint” during its operational service.
Unlike Hanger A, Hangar B takes you into a world that is almost entirely occupied by large aircraft. Most notably is the intersection of the noses of Boeing EC-135C, serial 63-8049, Douglas C-54D, serial 42-72724, and Fairchild C-119G, serial 51-8024, all of which were exceptional aircraft in their respective roles. This EC-135 holds a personal significance for me in that my father crewed her in the Emergency Actions NCO role as part of the Looking Glass airborne battle staff during the Cold War.
In a corner of Hangar B, all by herself, is TB-29B, serial 44-84078, a Bell Aircraft license-built Superfortress that came to the museum in 1959 as part of the original compliment of noteworthy SAC equipment. You may be wondering about the aircraft’s designation, specifically the T at the beginning and the B at the end. It turns out that this aircraft, and 310 like her, was designed and delivered with reduced defensive armament (no turrets) to allow for greater range and bomb loads than the original B-29As, thus the B-model label. With regard to the T, the aircraft was modified at the Sacramento Air Material Area (McClennan AFB, CA), and Oklahoma City Air Material Area (Tinker AFB, OK) into a trainer during 1949 – 51. TB-29s were used as radar intercept aircraft, crew trainers, and to tow aerial gunnery targets.
Also in Hangar B is a beautiful KC-97G, serial 53-0198, which joined the museum’s collection in 1964. Some people would not use the term “beautiful” to describe this round-nosed aircraft, but it was astonishingly durable and performed the difficult task of aerial refueling well into the 1960s until KC-135s took to the skies in sufficient numbers. During its relatively short period of service, KC-97s were heavily tasked with providing the missing long-range element to SAC’s mission of intercontinental bombing. KC-97s made, on average, 2,880 contacts per week, or roughly one contact every 3.5 minutes.
If you’re paying attention as you walk around the KC-97, you’ll note that the tail is marked with serial 53-0310. This is true because the tail of 0310 was used in a post-1980 restoration effort of the aircraft without updating the markings. Also of note is a cutaway of the R4360 Wasp Major engine, four of which powered this aerial refueler, sitting near the nose of the aircraft. Pratt and Whitney produced 18,697 of these large, four-row, 28-cylinder, maintenance-intensive engines between 1944 and 1955.
Slipped in behind the C-54 is a chrome beauty, a MiG-21F, and sitting nearby is a MiG-23, which is half in and half out of the restoration area, complete with its F-4 Phantom-inspired (to say the least) engine inlet splitter plates. Both are iconic Russian designs and would have opposed SAC aircraft should a conflict between the two powers have occurred.
Stepping into the restoration area, you may quickly notice a Convair T-29A and Grumman HU-16B that appear ready for return to their normal display areas, but then you’re forced to look up at the nose of Avro Vulcan B.2, serial XM573, which is undergoing a great deal of exterior work to return it to display-worthy status. Despite this aircraft’s sad outward appearance, the Vulcan remains one of the most attractive delta-wing aircraft to have ever flown. XM573 was donated to the museum in 1982 as the Vulcan fleet was retired from active service. Restoration is scheduled for completion on in 2026 and it will remain in the restoration hanger which will convert to display space.
Finally, there are some unusual items in the museum’s collection worth mentioning. First, NASA’s X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) prototype #2 was an 80%-of-intended-normal-size wingless para-foil used to test glide dynamics for a reusable space station craft. Second is the Apollo Block 1 command module which flew aboard a Saturn IB booster in February 1966 to test the heat shield’s ability to withstand the extreme temperatures of re-entry through the atmosphere. It spent only 37 minutes in its suborbital flight. Third, the Dynetics Human Landing System prototype was an unsuccessful submission to NASA as part of the Artemis program to return humans to the moon. You can walk inside to see what life would have been like aboard this reusable craft. Finally, Minuteman III launch control panels are on display to acknowledge the contributions of missileers who stood watch in underground silos through the decades. One need only read the labels for some of the switches to instantly understand the level of responsibility placed into the hands of the young officers who stood these posts.
Strategic Air Command existed from 1946, as tensions with Russia came to pass following WWII, and remained a key deterrent to war until 1992 when the Cold War was deemed over. SAC provided two of the three legs of the nuclear deterrent triad in the form of a rapid-response force equipped with Titan and Minuteman missiles and had armed aircraft on alert from 1957 onward. The Navy’s submarine launched ballistic missiles, which were seen as harder to locate and nullify, supplied the third leg when USS George Washington, SSBN-598, conducted her first nuclear deterrent patrol in late 1960.
Walking through this extraordinary museum you will quickly understand the mindset of Curtis LeMay whose approach to war was summed up in the following quote: “We should always avoid armed conflict. But if you get in it, get in with both feet and get out as soon as possible.” The success of SAC in keeping the peace through 46 years is more than reason enough to travel to Omaha or Lincoln and make the drive to Ashland. Give yourself at least four hours to do so. It can be done in less time, but you’ll want to read about the artifacts and take that information with you as you depart. To understand SAC is to appreciate the security the United States experienced during a time when mistrust and tensions ran high between the world’s superpowers.
If you’re curious what the SAC museum looked like during my February 1980 visit, hit this link:
https://www.del-laughery.com/sac80
