A Few Photos from the Barksdale Global Power Museum at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
30 May 2013
by
Tom Hildreth
Comments accompanying the photos on this page are those of the photographer
It makes sense that the Global Power Museum, formerly the 8th Air Force Museum, The best known escort fighter for the B-17 was the P-51D Mustang, this example represents a 352d Fighter Group ship,
Coming into the jet age, the museum displays B-47E Stratojet 53-2273, one of more than two thousand produced.
The B-47 was supplanted by the much larger B-52 in SAC service. The museum's B-52D
The Mig-21, seen in this photo, was represented in the media of the day as the nemisis of American Airpower over Vietnam.
In the mid-1950s, SAC operated several Strategic Fighter Wings equipped with the Republic F-84F seen here.
In spite of dire economic conditions gripping the United Kingdom following World War II, the RAF managed to equip itself with
The SR-71A represents the pinnacle of American military operational aircraft design. There was nothing like it before
would posses
a Flying Fortress, in this case B-17G 42-31340.
44-14237, named "Moonbeam McSwine", a character featured in the postwar Lil Abner comic strip.
To me, the Stratojet was the best looking of the jet bombers,and was unique in that it was a six engine aircraft.
56-0623 appears to be the veteran of many missions dropping iron bombs over Vietnam.
Wiser planning by American leadership could have eliminated the enemy fighter fleet on the ground, a technically achievable goal.
The theory was to deploy these aircraft overseas and equip them with tactical nuclear bombs in the face of Warsaw pact forces.
three different nuclear-armed jet bomber designs that became known as the "V-bomber fleet." This is a Vulcan B.2, the most
successful of the three, an aircraft type that
eventually saw combat late in its career in the Falkland Islands.
or since.
Our inability today to purchase much simpler aircraft without undue scandal, cost overruns and delay, does
not speak well of the future of US Mlitary Airpower.
on this museum:
Air Power Park
The End
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