Amazing: restored JU-88 with Romanian markings

Check out the museum website at www.nationalmuseum.af.mil to get an idea about the size of their collection. I was there again at the end of April after they flew in the Air Force's first C-17 transport to add to the collection. Over 360 aircraft on display, almost all are army airforce. The presidential aircraft collection is the main exception. Almost the entire collection is now housed inside the three huge hanger like buidings. Unfortunately, as Scott mentioned, these buildings make it hard to get decent pictures of the aircraft. A seperate missile gallery was the last building opened. At present, the presidential and R&D aircraft are still on display in one of the hangers across the old runway. (the "UFO" hangers) Plans exist for constructing another hanger like building to move these planes off the still active part of Wright-Patterson AFB. Building 1 is the early years & WW II, building 2 is Korea & SE Asia, building 3 is cold war & current aircraft. A few years ago they had an F-35 prototype and a 1909 Wright military flyer on display together for an Air Force anniversary, which gives you a good idea about the range of the collection. Probably the best thing about the museum is that it is free.

Hi Scott. First off, welcome to the forum. I've heard about the museum and been planning to visit it for some years now, though I only live a couple hundred miles away.
I'm just wondering, does it have a sizeable number of exhibits? Does it span various eras of aviation, or just WWII? Finally, would a day suffice to see all of it and spend decent time with each item on display, or would multiple days be necessary? In other words, is it the scale of PIMA in AZ (huge), or smaller?
Thanks for your feedback.

Hi, thanks for the welcome. I think if you wanted to see all of the displays and read the panels along with all of the interactive media, you would want 2-3 days. The good news is it is all free except for the IMAX theater.
The museum spans the Wright Bros, through the current war on terror and houses nearly every type of U.S. military aircraft in existence. There are massive hangars that are all inter-connected and each has a theme. Inside you can see the B-29 Bocks Car, a B-52, SR-71, most of the rockets and missiles used for ICBM and space flight, many German, Japanese, Italian, of course our Romanian friend here, and these are just from the two world wars. There are Migs from korea, Vietnam, and up through the Mig-29. In a separate hangar facility you can opt to tour several versions of Air Force One, from Roosevelts, through Kennedy's and a host of experimental and prototype aircraft. There are also uniform displays including a complete corridor of painted flight jackets from WWII.
Sooooo, yes you could see all in a day, but to really take it in you might want more time or a couple of visits. I have never been to Pima, but I do know that nothing is bigger that Dayton. Hope this helps, and feel free to contact me anytime. Scott.

Thanks to both of you for the replies. It seems like it is well worth a weekend visit.
I haven't been to PIMA either, but a close friend who is a huge airplane fan and lives in AZ told me PIMA is also humongous, though some exhibits are outdoors. Apparently you can climb into quite a few cockpits. They also have a mothballed ICBM fire control room on display, and the staff goes through a simulation and let you turn the "red key" for whoever is into that type of stuff.
There is also a huge airplane junkyard nearby.
Thanks again for the info.

mabadesc:

Please do visit WPAFB, and return often! I live in Indianapolis, and go over at least once per year. This is the largest aviation museum in the world. It spans everything - from Montgolfier ballooning, to the Wrights (Dayton was their home, you know) through the wars, to the present (YF-22 and Predator, I think). It would take 2-3 days for the first time visitor to see and read everything in all three giant exhibit halls and the Presidential hangers. A fourth exhibit hall is planned, but I don't think it is started yet. It is a FANTASTIC museum. Many unique aircraft, especially from the 1930's through Korean eras.

Jim Kingsolver

Thanks, Jim. I'm sold on the idea, just trying to set a weekend aside for the drive from Chicago, where I currently reside.

There is another topic with the same subject in WorldWar2.ro, but I am writing now with a different reason:

The other preserved Ju-88 is in Great Britain, due to a German crew who also defected / betrayed.
Unlike the Romanian pilot, who was alone, the other defection involved two members of the crew, who kept at gun point the third member.
Some say that the two Germans who flew the plane into G.B. were actually British agents.
This happened about a month earlier than the Romanian defection. When the Romanian pilot landed into the British airfield, the British already had one Ju-88, so they gave this one as a present to the U.S. Air Force.

This post has been edited by Florin on August 05, 2012 12:49 am

Jim,

I don't know which is the largest aviation museum in the world, but right here in America, isn't the "Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum" bigger ?
(in Washington DC)
Regards,
Florin

.

Unfortunately, there is no sunlight in the hangars. They should punch some windows through that corrugated metal sheet, because the artificial light is deplorable.


This post has been edited by Florin on August 05, 2012 12:54 am

Florin:

Or paint the ceilings white!

You may have a good point there! Both have outstanding collections on display, especially since the Udvar-Hazy center is now open at Dulles. We are lucky to have both here in the U.S.

Jim K.

The following is a quote exactly as it is in Wikipedia:

" On 22 July 1943, it was flown to Cyprus by a Romanian pilot who wanted to defect to the British forces on the island. Four pilots (Flt Sgt Thomas Barker Orford, W/O Arnold Kenneth Asboe, P/O Joseph Alfred Charles Pauley, Flt Sgt H.M. Woodward) in Hurricanes from No. 127 Squadron escorted it to the airfield at Tobruk. "

I am trying to match your post and the quote above.
Did the Romanian pilot reached Cyprus and then took off again toward Tobruk escorted by 4 Hurricanes, or while he was heading to Cyprus he was intercepted and asked to change his direction for Tobruk?

Thank you in advance for answers in this matter.
Florin

This post has been edited by Florin on August 16, 2012 05:19 pm

I believe it is pretty clear what I wrote. He was forced to land in Limassol. What happened after that I do not know.

As the crow flies, the distance Mariupol - Limassol is 1400+ kilometers and Limassol - Tobruk some further 900 km. Taking into account the fact that most likely he did not fly in a straigth line and did not have a full tank when he took off for the mission, it is highly unlikely that he could have made it.

Thank you.
I really needed to clarify the matter for me.

The plane was flow from Romania to Limassol by the Romanian pilot. After that it was flown to Heliopolis in Egypt by the RAF. It was handed to the USAF in Cairo who flew it on 14 October 1943 from Wadi Haifa in Egypt to Freetown in Sierra Leone, Ascension Island, Natal in Brazil, Georgetown in British Guiana, Puerto Rico, Morrison Field in Florida, Memphis Tennessee and finally arrived at Wright Field. There is a lot of information about happened later in the book "War Prizes" by Phil Butler.
Hth,
Radu

Thank you, Radu.

P.S: Only and only for the sake of "100 percent correct": Wadi Halfa is in Sudan.

This post has been edited by Florin on August 17, 2012 04:05 pm

I only quoted the book text. P
Radu

Almost 9 years had passed since Cristian wrote the quoted message.
Was the story published in Modelism "next year" ? (this means 2004).
Any more light now about the Antonescu's government peace offer and Maniu's letter supposed to be handled by Nicolae Teodor ?

My personal note: Why would the Romanian government give this task to a sergeant major, and not to an officer ?

This post has been edited by Florin on August 18, 2012 06:33 pm