B-36 + Nostalgia = Big Smile

I have not been down to Dayton since the new addition...waiting 'til next year when the Memphis Belle is displayed.

I remember going there just before I went into the Air Force in 1970.  Back then most of the aircraft were still kept outside.  They even had a maint. scaffold at the B-36 so you could go up and look into the flight deck.  One nickname they had for it was the Aluminum overcast.

When I was in the 5th F.I.S. I was given the job of collecting donations from all the pilots and operations personnel to help build the new building for hte museum.  If they complained or otherwise resisted I was told to mention that the squadron commander wanted to have a good amount of participation to show the other intercepter squadrons how it was done.  Needless to say, we done good.

Built up the old (and huge) B-36 kit back in the '80s when I was in middle school, but before I could paint it I accidentally cracked the tail. So on a variation of stuffing firecrackers into a model, my friend and I sunk it in our neighborhood lake. Might be a fun find for a skin diver.

Thanks for the link Tojo, those are great pictures!  Now I must return to Dayton for a visit.  I gasped out loud when I saw that B-58 Hustler.  I made a model of that as a kid and it looked awesome.  I also remember seeing the XB-70 when it was outdoors.  I'm glad they've built a nice place for all these historic birds to roost.

There's a small, but good, aviation museum here called Wings Over the Rockies that I go to a couple times a year.  I'll try to post some pics.

Cheers, Mark

Heres a bunch of pics from last year

http://s180.photobucket.com/user/tojo72/library/US%20Airforce%20Museum

Hey Mark. Yes, almost everything is indoors. When I was there a few years ago the X-planes were stored on the AFB and we had to bus out to them. They turned us loose in dreamland, really a monster hanger for one hour. All they said was not to touch anything. Wow! We walked around and under dozens of one of one of a kind stuff. XB-70, X-15, A-12 and on and on. This collection is now housed in a new addition. 

Dayton is the best air museum in the world. Anyone with a interest in aircraft should see it. They have a great web site and even 360 virtual cockpit tours. Anything that was ever captured in war was evaluated and stored at the museum. MIG 29, German Komet, missiles and such along with everything the Air Force had. including spy satellites, nukes, missiles  and more. Hundreds of Aircraft on display, hundreds on loan or being restored. What a place!

Max   

Wow Max, that's an awesome model!  I've never built one before, but might have to add it to the list.  When I was a kid I made a B-52 (Monogram... I think?) and hung it from my bedroom ceiling.  I still have a picture of it in a box somewhere. 

Sure would like to visit Dayton again.  That trip in the '60s was the only time I've been there.  Are all the displays indoors now?

Cheers, Mark

Hmmm;

   That , My friend is coitanly one big Boid .Wow ! I never realized how big that model was either ! I did the " Little " one about twenty years ago .I think it was minus 1/144 . It was big anyway !  T.B.

Dayton is awesome,made my 1st trip there last year.

Here's another view of the B-36

It's still at Dayton, restored, indoors, surrounded with nukes and big! It was on my bucket list from the day I saw them flying over our house in the '50s. Built the model as all modelers should and added the Mark 17 nuclear weapon. It hangs in my office and makes me smile. One of my all time favorites!

Cool picture, thanks for posting!

Max

Class A pc desktop image

Very cool! I hope I can get there one day.