Air Force Armament Museum
I like museums, so I took advantage of the one overcast day we had on the Florida panhandle to visit the Air Force Armament Museum on the Eglin Air Force Base, the largest air force base in the world. As with most museums, it's not possible to cover everything and it's easy to go down rabbit holes. Here are some of the highlights.
Above and below is the cool-looking jet with the cool name, the F-104D Starfighter. The F104 made its first flight in 1954. It was the first aircraft to hold world records for speed, altitude, and time-to-climb all at the same time. The version of the jet pictured here was a trainer with a second cockpit added. The Starfighter could fly 1,150 mph and reach a ceiling of 58,000 feet.
One of the reasons the Starfighter was interesting to me is a sad one. This very type of jet was the jet Bradley graduate Major Robert Lawrence was in when his trainee crashed the plane and Major Lawrence perished. I wrote about the recently dedicated statue of Major Lawrence on the campus of Bradley University here.

Sixteen B-25's took off from the Hornet, and all hit their military targets in Japan. Three aircraft crashed along the Chinese coast, 12 crews bailed out over China, and one made in to the Soviet Union. Three men died and eight were captured by the Japanese. Despite these losses, the mission was considered a success and made the Japanese change their war strategy.
One of the men, Ed Horton, manned the turret gun and fought off multiple attacks by Japanese Zeroes and other aircraft. After their mission was complete and with a damaged plane and out of fuel, the crew had to bail out over China.
It's easy to go down rabbit holes researching interesting exhibits at museums. Below is Major Annie Gayton Fox. She was a nurse serving at Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941.
Above and below is the cool-looking jet with the cool name, the F-104D Starfighter. The F104 made its first flight in 1954. It was the first aircraft to hold world records for speed, altitude, and time-to-climb all at the same time. The version of the jet pictured here was a trainer with a second cockpit added. The Starfighter could fly 1,150 mph and reach a ceiling of 58,000 feet.
One of the reasons the Starfighter was interesting to me is a sad one. This very type of jet was the jet Bradley graduate Major Robert Lawrence was in when his trainee crashed the plane and Major Lawrence perished. I wrote about the recently dedicated statue of Major Lawrence on the campus of Bradley University here.
Above is a MIG, the notorious fighter jet of the Soviet Union (AKA the Evil Empire) that we all learned about from Top Gun. This 21F-13 Fishbed was the first in the series of MIG 21's to be produced. It was obtained from Indonesia.
Above is the Huey, which saw widespread use in Vietnam. Five thousand of the copters did it all: evacuate patients, command and control, air assault, and transporting personnel and materials.
Above and below is the F-15A Eagle, an extremely successful tactical fighter. These jets are designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. According to the placard, the jet has achieved a perfect combat record of 101 victories and zero defeats. Its maximum air speed is 1,875 mph with a ceiling of 65,000 feet.
"Let's roll." The famous words from Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer as the passengers readied themselves to take on the hijackers.
Above is the B17 Flying Fortress. It got its name because of its ability to sustain heavy damage and still return to base. According to the placard, it is one of the most famous aircraft every built, with 12,371 rolled off the production lines. During WWII, it dropped more than 640,000 tons of bombs, 200,000 tons more than all other Allied aircraft combined.
Above, a painting of a little boy in England watching an Allied aircraft.
Below is the B25 Mitchell.
The B-25 was used by General Doolittle in the Tokyo Raid. The Doolittle Raiders trained for their secret mission carried out in April 1942 at Eglin Air Force Base.

The men who volunteered for the Raid were not informed of the purpose of the mission by the mission's leader, Col. Jimmy Doolittle, which was to bomb military targets in Japan, including some located in Toyko. Twenty-five B-25's would be transported on an aircraft carrier to the Pacific. The men had to learn to take off with only 500 feet of runway, which was all that was available to them on the aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet.
"Horton's aircraft commander, 1st Lt. Richard O. Joyce, recalls Horton's response when given the order to bail out: 'Okay, Lieutenant, here I go and thanks for a swell ride!' Joyce also remarked: 'I couldn't help but laugh at that and it made me feel good. Here we had been flying for about 14 hours, had been in combat and hit, and now had to bail out and he thanked me for the ride! Horton's spirit of discipline was typical of my whose crew and I was thankful.'"
Above is a replica of The Fat Man, the second nuclear bomb detonated by American forces, this one over the Japanese city of Nagasaki. It looks like a cartoon bomb. This museum is filled with the most amazingly sophisticated technology, which in order to defend, destroys property and life. Sad that humanity has come to this.
You can see how the jet might have gotten the name Blackbird.
Above is a replica of The Fat Man, the second nuclear bomb detonated by American forces, this one over the Japanese city of Nagasaki. It looks like a cartoon bomb. This museum is filled with the most amazingly sophisticated technology, which in order to defend, destroys property and life. Sad that humanity has come to this.
Above and below is the Blackbird. I remember learning about this plane as a kid and being fascinated. For one, it looks very cool and dangerous. It was a spy plane used during the Cold War to gather intelligence on enemy countries. The plane could fly at MACH 3.3+ or 2,510 mph and at an altitude of 85,000 feet. Crazy fast and high.
Like all the branches of the military, the Air Force has special forces. They are now called Air Force Special Opperations Command (AFSOC) and used to be called Air Commandos.
It's easy to go down rabbit holes researching interesting exhibits at museums. Below is Major Annie Gayton Fox. She was a nurse serving at Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941.
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