Pima Air & Space Museum

Pima Air & Space museum is one of the worlds biggest aviation museums, featuring over 350 military and civil aircraft. Existing for forty years and located next to the David-Monthan “Boneyard” it has a constant flow of aircraft ranging from the beginning of flight to the Boeing 787.

The majority of the collection is located outside on a 80 acres area. A selection of aircraft are housed in five hangers.

On a beautiful day in October we walked the outdoor exhibition ground first. The majority of the collection is displayed outside. Some aircraft can be found in the hangars. The indoor collection changes from time to time.

Roadrunner Neptune

VAH-21, Road Runners, operated four modified SP-2H Neptunes during the Vietnam War. Designated AP-2H, the all-weather Neptunes were fitted with new technologies like FLIR and LLLTV (low level light TV) systems. They were used to track and attack movements along the Ho Chi Minh Trails. For that a tail turret was fitted. Fuselage mounted grenade launchers and downward firing mini-guns were also added. Bombs and napalm were carried on underwing pylons.

The sensors and weapons were effective, but the aircraft were large and withdrawn from combat in June 1969. The FLIR and LLLTV was later installed in the A-6 Intruders.

The mighty BUFF

Three B-52s are on display in the museum. Besides a D- and G-model, the only existing NB-52A is part of this unique collection. The D-model (55-0067) is well known for its role in the Vietnam war. It is marked as “067 The Lone Star Lady” and operated out of Carswell AFB with the 7th BW. It was withdrawn from service November 1982!

The NB-52A (52-0003) also referred to as “The High and Mighty One” is unique as it was converted to carry the X-15 as launch aircraft. It was the last B-52A re-designated in 1959. A inner wing pylon was installed and additional fuel tanks were added, so the X-15 could be fueled just before launch. First flight with the X-15 was on 8 June 1959. It carried the X-15 on 93 of the 199 flights. Mission marking are visible on the nose. Horizontal markings show glide flights, diagonal show powered flights. NB-52B “Balls 8” took over in 1969.

The G-model (58-0183), marked as “0183 Valkyrie” was operated by 2nd BW out of Barksdale AFB. This aircraft participated in Operation Secret Squirrel, the long-range B-52 cruise missile strike on targets in Iraq during the first Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm 1991. The bomber took off from Barksdale for a 35 hour non-stop mission in total secrecy.

B-36 Peacemaker

The museum’s B-36J, 52-2827, was the last B-36 that rolled of the Forth Worth production line on 1 July 1954. It’s career was short lived as the aircraft was already retired in 1958! This because the jet engine bombers (B-47) took over and made the piston powered Peacemakers obsolete. After retirement it was put on display at Carter Field and then moved to Carswell AFB. It slowly deteriorated and in 1990 was moved, disassembled, indoors. The aircraft was designated for the B-36 Peacemaker museum. As the museum didn’t have resources, so it was moved to Pima.

It is now fully restored as can be seen on the photo’s we took in 2009.

MiG Alley

The museum has an impressive line-up of 8 MiGs (7 when this report was made).

The Mig-15 and MiG-15UTI originated in the Polish Air Force. Acquired by the US Air Force in 1980 and flow by civil contractors from Kirtland AFB, NM. Around 1990 it was put into storage at David-Monthan.

The MiG-17PF is an Polish build Lim-5P serving with the 29th Fighter Regiment. In 1972 it was modified as Lim-6M with ground attack capabilities. Acquired by the US Air Force in 1988 it operated out of Kirtland.

The MiG-19, is a Chinees build J-6A that served with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force. It was imported into the US in the 1990s and put on display at March Field Museum (MiG-19 at March, 2004), before moving to Pima. Its now repainted in Egyptian Air Force scheme.

The MiG-29 was built in the 1980s for the Soviet Air Force and assigned to the 86th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment in Moldavia. After the Soviet Union broke up the aircraft stayed in Moldovia. In 1997 the United States purchased 21 of these aircraft, which were evaluated briefly before they were scrapped or handed over to museums.

YF-4J

T-1 Seastar

Indoors exhibitions

F-107A

The North American F-107 took part in a design competition during the 1950s for a new tactical fighter-bomber. The F-107 was based on the F-100 Super Sabre, with some considerable design changes, like to over-fuselage intake. 55-5118 was the first prototype, which first flew 10 September 1956. The competition was close, but the F-107 eventually lost to the F-105 Thunderchief.

3 prototype aircraft were built of which 2 survive today. One at pima and one at the USAF museum in Dayton, Ohio.

The museum also organizes guided tours to the next-door Boneyard. Be aware you need to make reservations for this tour upfront. Check the open_in_new museum website for details.

The museum is located on 6000 E Valencia Road, Tucson, Arizona. Take the Valencia road exit (267) on Interstate 10.

Inventory

(noted October 2009)

Since the date we noted this inventory, the collection grew substantially. A summary of aircraft added since: C-27A, RC-12K, OH-58D, UH-1M, CH-46, B727-100, B737-300, B747-100, B777-200, B787-8, DC-10, Harrier GR3, GR5, Sea Harrier FA.2, Lightning, Spitfire, Viscount 744, Gazelle, Lynx, PBY-5A, Etendard, HU-25A, C-31A, F-16A, F-16B, EA-6B, TAV-8A, F-18A, MiG-23, Mi-24, Tornado, Jaguar, MH-53, SH-60, UH-60 and DF-8F.