Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum

The Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (WOR) is located on the former grounds of Lowry Air Force Base

Lowry Air Force Base

Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training and was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World...

in Denver, Colorado. The museum, which opened in 1994, is housed in the 40000 sq ft (3,716.1 m²) Hangar #1 built in 1939. The museum preserves the history of Lowry AFB's operations from 1938 to 1994 in its collections, archives, and research library. Features of the museum's collection includes Colorado Aviation Historical Society

Colorado Aviation Historical Society

The Colorado Aviation Historical Society is located in Denver, Colorado and founded in 1966. CAHS home is at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum...

's Alexander Eaglerock

Alexander Aircraft Company

The Alexander Aircraft Company was an aircraft manufacturer in Colorado in the 1920s. The company began life as the Alexander Film Company, under the brothers J. Don and S. Don Alexander. The company specialized in film advertising, but when the younger J...

biplane built in Englewood

Englewood, Colorado

The city of Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2007, the city is estimated to have a total population of 32,532. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the...

, USAF's B-1A Lancer

B-1 Lancer

The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...

bomber, and many other military and generation aircraft.

Overview

The Wings Museum is open seven days a week and provides services, aircraft collections, a variety of exhibit rooms and cases, hands-on exhibits, and open cockpit demonstrations hosted by trained volunteers and Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...

Cadets. Traveling exhibits and loans offer unique perspectives on military aviation. Such an exhibit was the Francis Gary Powers Memorial, which told his story as a U-2 spy pilot and included displays of memorabilia and photographs of the late U.S. Air Force and civilian aviator.

During the summers, the Museum hosts weekly Space Camp events tailored to different age brackets of children. The children experience the basics of the theory of flight, computer flight simulator

Flight simulator

A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...

s, hand-built aircraft exercises and guided tours of aircraft and cockpits. Activities are supervised by trained staff and volunteers, at all times.

The Museum hosts multiple annual events, such as a B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber Fly-in, Denventure and rides at the local general aviation

General aviation

General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...

Centennial Airport

Centennial Airport is located in Dove Valley, an unincorporated portion of Arapahoe County near Denver, Colorado. The airport’s runways also extend into neighboring Douglas County. The airport opened on May 12, 1967 as Arapahoe County Airport, and was renamed on July 13, 1984...

. The Experimental Aircraft Association

Experimental Aircraft Association

The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....

(EAA) provides the B-17, senior pilots and crew, a traveling gift store, and paid flights with reservations.

Other events include the Annual Gala, a formal affair for fund-raising; silent auctions; and visits by nationally renowned aviators as Burt Rutan

Burt Rutan

Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft...

and Gen. Chuck Yeager

Chuck Yeager

Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...

; each receiving the "Spreading Wings" Award. Annual events are also held for the local Lowry community, Buckley AFB

Buckley Air Force Base

Buckley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado, that was established by the U.S. Army in 1943. The base was named in honor of the World War I Army pilot 1LT John Harold Buckley.-Overview:...

, Colorado National Guard

Colorado National Guard

The Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is a state agency of the Government of Colorado. It supervises both the Colorado National Guard , and non-military state safety agencies.The Department consists of the Department of Military Affairs, and the Division of Veterans' Affairs, and...

and on Veterans Day

Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark...

and other holidays.

The Wings Museum also provides over 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) of special event space for formal gatherings, Presidential engagements, antique shows, arts and crafts expos, company parties, educational programs, local sporting venues, concerts, and military ceremonies.
On April 30, May 1 & 2 of 1999, the official Star Wars Fan Club in conjunction with Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....

held "Star Wars Celebration

Star Wars Celebration

Star Wars Celebration is a fan gathering to celebrate the release of a Star Wars franchise movie. It all began in 1999, when Lucasfilm held the Star Wars Celebration in Denver, Colorado to celebrate the upcoming release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace...

" at the Museum's location. The first of several official Star Wars fan events, Star Wars Celebration

Star Wars Celebration

was host to an estimated 20,000 Star Wars

Star Wars

Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...

fans.

The Museum holds joint events with the Colorado Aviation Historical Society

Colorado Aviation Historical Society

The Colorado Aviation Historical Society is located in Denver, Colorado and founded in 1966. CAHS home is at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum...

and shares aircraft restoration techniques with other Colorado aviation museums. See the list of museums in the Wikipedia Articles and External Links Sections.

Another resident of the Hangar 1 is the Colorado Air Heritage Museum, sponsored by the Colorado Air National Guard Air Heritage Committee, retired Guardsmen and volunteers that displays the long history of the Colorado Air National Guard

Colorado Air National Guard

The Colorado Air National Guard is based at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. The COANG was founded June 27, 1923 and consisted of the 120th Aero Observation Squadron as a part of the Colorado Army National Guard...

Military

Vought A-7D Corsair II
A-7 Corsair II
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...

(No. 73-0996, "Speedwell", Colo. Air Nat'l Guard
140th Wing
The United States Air Force's 140th Wing is a fighter unit of the Colorado Air National Guard, located at Buckley AFB, in Aurora, Colorado....

) attack fighter
Rockwell B-1A Lancer
B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...

(No. 74-0160) strategic bomber, prototype number 3 and one of only two surviving B-1As of the original 4 made
Douglas B-18A Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....

(No. 39-25) 1938 medium bomber based on the Douglas DC-2
Douglas DC-2
The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-engine airliner produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247...

airliner
Boeing GB-52B Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...

(No. 52-005) strategic bomber Google Aerial View
Martin EB-57E Canberra
B-57 Canberra
The Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...

(No. 55-4293) electronic warfare bomber
McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...

(No. 66-0286, "Julie") fighter-bomber
Grumman F-14A Tomcat
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...

(Bu. No. 159829) fleet defense fighter from VF-211 "NG-102"
Republic RF-84K Thunderflash
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...

(No. 52-7266) parasite tactical reconnaissance fighter from the FICON project
FICON project
The FICON program was conducted by the United States Air Force in the 1950s to test the feasibility of a Convair B-36 Peacemaker bomber carrying an Republic RF-84K Thunderflash parasite fighter in its bomb bay. Earlier wingtip coupling experiments including Tip Tow which were attempts at carrying...
North American F-86H Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...

(No. 53-1308) fighter
North American F-100D Super Sabre
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...

(No. 56-3417) fighter-bomber
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo
F-101 Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...

(No. 58-0271) air defense all-weather interceptor
Convair F-102A Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...

(No. 56-0984) air defense interceptor
Lockheed F-104C Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...

(No. 56-0910) fighter-bomber
Republic F-105D Thunderchief
F-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...

(No. 60-0508) fighter-bomber
General Dynamics FB-111A
General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...

(No. 68-0287) fighter-bomber
Goodyear FG-1D Corsair
F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...

(F4U-1D) (No. N194G) racer
Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...

(No. 56-1710) trainer aircraft
Cessna U-3 Blue Canoe
Cessna 310
The Cessna 310 is an American six-seat, low-wing, twin-engined monoplane that was produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engined aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.-Development:...

(No. 57-5894) trainer aircraft
Beech UC-45 Expeditor
Beechcraft Model 18
The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...

(No. 42-37496) transport aircraft
Nord 3202
Nord 3202
|-References:*...

-62 French trainer aircraft (No. N2254R)
Schweizer TG-4
Schweizer SGS 2-33
The Schweizer SGS 2-33 is a United States two-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, training glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York....

(SGS 2-33) Primary Glider as used by the USAF Academy (No. N1192S)

Previously exhibited

Boeing B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

(B-29-60-BW 44-69729 T-Square-54): Arrived December 1986 on low-boy trucks and departed 1996. She was assigned to the 875th Bomb Squadron, 498th Bomb Group, 73rd Bomb Wing
73d Air Division
The 73d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, based at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966.-World War II:...

and completed thirty-seven bombing missions. Converted to KB-29 (aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....

tanker) in June 1949. In 1986 it was extracted out of the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
- About : is part of under Commander, Navy Installation Command and is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately north of Los Angeles. Occupying three counties – Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo – the installation’s closest neighbors are the cities of Ridgecrest,...

and transported to Lowry AFB
Lowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training and was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World...

's Lowry Heritage Museum (LHM); now Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum. It went through its initial level of restoration in 1987 with LHM's volunteers and was readied for its rebirth and rededication of Lowry AFB's 50th anniversary, 2 October 1987. It was restored to its 1944 markings with the "T Square 54" on its vertical stabilizer. In 1995, the National Museum of the United States Air Force
National Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...

transferred T-Sq-54 to the Museum of Flight
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is a private non-profit air and space museum at King County International Airport , south of downtown Seattle, Washington. It was established in 1965 and is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums...

in Seattle. After another level of restoration and change in its markings, it was displayed again 1996.
McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II variants
The McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II variants were numerous versions and designations of the F-4 and are described below.-Variants:XF4H-1F4H-1F TF-4AF4H-1 DF-4BEF-4BNF-4BQF-4BF4H-1P F-110A SpectreF-4CEF-4C Wild Weasel IV...

was part of the original Lowry Heritage Museum collection and transferred to the city of Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...

for display in the late 1990s.
Convair F-106A Delta Dart
F-106 Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...

(59-0134) was part of the original Lowry Heritage Museum collection and transferred to Peterson Air and Space Museum
Peterson Air and Space Museum
Peterson Air and Space Museum is located inside Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Access to the museum is limited due to security concerns, so tour groups should contact the museum curator...

, Peterson Air Force Base
Peterson Air Force Base
Peterson Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located at Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and it provides runways for the adjacent City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport under a shared joint civil-military airport arrangement...

, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

for display in November 1995.
Vertol H-21C Workhorse (No. 55-4218) displayed as a Lowry AFB H-21B rescue helicopter with AF No. 53-4379 from 1987 to November 2009.

Civilian

Adam M-309
Adam A500
The Adam A500 is a six-seat civil utility aircraft that was produced by Adam Aircraft Industries. The aircraft is of pod-and-boom, push-pull configuration with its two Continental TSIO-550-E piston engines mounted to provide centerline thrust....

CarbonAero a pre-Adam A500
Adam A500
The Adam A500 is a six-seat civil utility aircraft that was produced by Adam Aircraft Industries. The aircraft is of pod-and-boom, push-pull configuration with its two Continental TSIO-550-E piston engines mounted to provide centerline thrust....

civilian utility aircraft based on a Burt Rutan
Burt Rutan
Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft...

design (No. N309A)
Alexander Eaglerock
Alexander Aircraft Company
The Alexander Aircraft Company was an aircraft manufacturer in Colorado in the 1920s. The company began life as the Alexander Film Company, under the brothers J. Don and S. Don Alexander. The company specialized in film advertising, but when the younger J...

, 1926 OX-5
Curtiss OX-5
-Bibliography:* Angle, Glenn D., AEROSPHERE 1939. New York: Aircraft Publications, 1940.* Gunston, Bill, World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Somerset: Haynes Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1-85260-509-X...

-powered biplane produced in Colo., on loan from the Colo. Aviation Historical Society
Colorado Aviation Historical Society
The Colorado Aviation Historical Society is located in Denver, Colorado and founded in 1966. CAHS home is at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum...

(No. NC2568)
Aviat
Aviat
Aviat Aircraft Inc. is an American service facility and manufacturer of sport and utility aircraft based in Afton, Wyoming. The company president and owner is Stuart Horn; he acquired the company in 1996....

Pitts Special
Pitts Special
The Pitts Special is a series of light aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944...

sport aerobatic biplane aircraft (No. N15JB)
Ball-Bartoe Jetwing
Ball-Bartoe Jetwing
-Related contents:...

experimental blown wing
Blown flap
Blown flaps are a powered aerodynamic high-lift device invented by the British and used on the wings of certain aircraft to improve low-speed lift during takeoff and landing. The process is sometimes called a boundary layer control system . They were a popular design feature in the 1960s, but fell...

aircraft
Christen Industries
Christen Industries
Christen Industries was a US aircraft manufacturer founded by Frank Louis Christensen in the late 1970s in Hollister, California to produce an aerobatic biplane of his own design in kit form, the Christen Eagle II. In November 1983, the company acquired Pitts Aerobatics, moved to Afton, Wyoming and...

Christen Eagle II sport aerobatic biplane aircraft with a 230 hp Lycoming engine (No. N6LA)
Learjet 24
Learjet 24
|-See also:-References:* Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.-External links:**...

executive jet transport (No. N241JA)
McDonnell Apollo Boilerplate BP-1101A boilerplate for Project Apollo (No. 101), on loan from Smithsonian
Murray Model T homebuilt helicopter, 1st to register in Colo. (No. N7222)
Piper J-3-65 Cub
Piper J-3
The Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time...

light aircraft with Continental engine (No. N42427)
Rand Robinson KR-1 homebuilt kit aircraft (No. N60BV)
Schweizer SGS 1-24
Schweizer SGS 1-24
|-See also:-External links:*...

Brigadoon, on loan from National Soaring Museum
National Soaring Museum
The National Soaring Museum is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York, USA.The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's official repository...

, Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...

(No. N91888)
Sky Star Aircraft Corp Kitfox homebuilt kit high-wing aircraft
Woody Pusher homebuilt high-wing pusher prop with 75 hp Continental engine (No. N393EA)

Exhibits and displays

Space Station Freedom
Space Station Freedom
Space Station Freedom was a NASA project to construct a permanently manned Earth-orbiting space station in the 1980s. Although approved by then-president Ronald Reagan and announced in the 1984 State of the Union Address, Freedom was never constructed or completed as originally designed, and after...

command module mockup built by Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in chemicals, aerospace, and electronics. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. The...
Lucasfilm X-Wing
X-wing
X-wings are fictional starfighters from the original Star Wars trilogy and the expanded universe. They are depicted as the primary interceptor and dogfighter of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic...

, 3/4 scale starfighter built to promote the rerelease of the first three Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...

films in 1997, on long-term loan from Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
The Eisenhower Exhibit Room, displaying artifacts from President Dwight D. Eisenhower's
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

"Summer White House" in Denver

Aircraft engine collection on display
Nuclear weapons collection on display
The Howard Models and Drawings Exhibit Room.

The Aviator Uniform Collection Exhibit Room.
The Stanley Aviation
Stanley Aviation
Stanley Aviation is an aerospace company started by Robert M Stanley, the aviation pioneer, in Buffalo, New York in 1948.The company has since acquired several other companies and has been most recently acquired by Eaton Corporation....

Ejection Seat Exhibit Room
The Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

Exhibit featuring a loan from Lockheed Martin.
The history of Lowry AFB
Lowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training and was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World...

Exhibit.
The History of Avionics Exhibit Room.
The Colorado Air National Guard
Colorado Air National Guard
The Colorado Air National Guard is based at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. The COANG was founded June 27, 1923 and consisted of the 120th Aero Observation Squadron as a part of the Colorado Army National Guard...

Heritage Exhibit Room with Buckley Field and Buckley Air Force Base
Buckley Air Force Base
Buckley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado, that was established by the U.S. Army in 1943. The base was named in honor of the World War I Army pilot 1LT John Harold Buckley.-Overview:...

exhibits.
The Colorado Aviation Historical Society
Colorado Aviation Historical Society
The Colorado Aviation Historical Society is located in Denver, Colorado and founded in 1966. CAHS home is at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum...

's Heritage Hall featuring the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame
Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame
The Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame was established by the Colorado Aviation Historical Society in Denver, Colorado, USA, on November 11, 1969 for the State of Colorado. The original and first ten Colorado aviation pioneers were inducted into the Hall on that date. Guest speaker for the event was...

.
Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217 Memorial

Education and services

Adventures of Flight educational program for kids of all ages.
Summer Space Camp program for kids, including space sciences.
Christmas Kid's Day program for kids winter break in late December.
Annual Aeromodeling Expo in February for exhibits, inside and outside remote controlled(R/C) airraft flying, R/C and modeller club displays, and hobby store booths.
The Technical Aircraft Modeling Services (TAMS) featuring the Kirkham-Anderson Collection of Modeling magazines, drawings, publications, and books.
The Technical Research Library Services.

B-52B Stratofortress s/n 52-005 (previously RB-52B)

Sources: Wings Museum files, USAF History Office Maxwell AFB, and Joe Baugher's website

The B-52B

B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...

was the first truly operational version of the venerable Stratofortresses. The RB-52B was nearly visibly identical to the B-52A, but the primary mission was to be an enhanced reconnaissance aircraft

Surveillance aircraft

A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance — collecting information over time. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, airspace surveillance, observation , border patrol and fishery...

with a new bombing/navigation

Navigation

Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...

system. A few odd-shape panels and sensors protruded from the rear section as it sloped upward to the tail. A total of 50 were built, with 23 being pure bomber

Bomber

A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...

B-52Bs and 27 being dual-capable reconnaissance/bomber RB-52Bs.

Wings Museum’s B-52B, 52-005, was from the February 1951 contract, as an RB-52B. While at Castle AFB

Castle Air Force Base

Castle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about east southeast of San Francisco, California....

, 005's nickname was known as "Balls 5", went through the conversion to a full bomber. It arrived at Lowry AFB

Lowry Air Force Base

in 1966, as a B-52B, to be assigned to Lowry Technical Training Center as a weapons trainer (GB-52B) and was featured in an air show that summer, before Lowry’s runway

Runway

According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...

s were permanently closed that year. Lowry was the premier training site for B-52 ordnance loading and unloading. For 11 years prior, it flew training and live nuclear

Nuclear weapon

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...

flights during the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

.

Similar to its ‘little brother’ bomber, the medium range B-47 Stratojet

B-47 Stratojet

The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...

, downward-firing ejection seats were provided for the bombardier and navigator, in the case of an in-flight emergency. General LeMay insisted that the tandem seats, again similar to the B-47, as demonstrated in the XB-52, was NOT to be the design and the side by side seating arrangement prevailed. The engines of the B/RB versions were turbojets, J-57s, with water injection, the same engines that had powered the B-52A, and also the F-100C,Ds and the F-102A. Great improvements in engine design and increase in thrust occurred in later versions.

The first B-52B took off on its maiden flight in December 1954. The “Strat” had a complex bombing/navigation system, which combined an optical bombsight

Bombsight

A bombsight is a device used by bomber aircraft to accurately drop bombs. In order to do this, the bombsight has to estimate the path the bomb will take after release from the aircraft. The two primary forces during its fall are gravity and air drag, which makes the path of the bomb through the air...

, a radar

Radar

Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...

presentation of target, and an automatic computer, together with radar modifications designed for use in a high-speed aircraft. The bomber included a fire-control system

Fire-control system

A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...

for the tail-mounted defensive armament. This B-52B used an A-3A fire control system, which operated a quartet of 0.50-inch machine gun

Machine gun

A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....

s. The last B-52B was delivered in August 1956.

The first change of Balls-5 was in September 1955, when it was converted from the RB to the B, at Edwards AFB

Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...

. Improvement programs known as Sunflower brought 7 early B-52Bs up to B-52C standards. New Cs and later versions had the Big Belly Modifications. B-52Bs also went through many other modifications in subsequent programs such as Harvest Moon, Blue Band, and Quickclip, which were initially intended for the benefit of subsequent B-52 models. Cold War and training flights with nuclear status were continued.

Historical Dates

March 3, 1955—RB-52B S/N 52-005 Boeing Co.
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

Seattle delivered to USAF
Mar 1955—To 6515th Maintenance Group (Air Research and Development Command), Edwards AFB
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Sep 1955—Modified to B-52B configuration
Oct 1955—To 93d Bombardment Wing (Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

) 330th Bomb Squadron, Castle AFB
Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about east southeast of San Francisco, California....

, CA
Feb 1966—To Davis-Monthan AFB
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....

, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

for storage
Jun 1966—To 3415th Maintenance & Supply Group, (Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...

), Lowry AFB
Lowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training and was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World...

, Denver, Colorado
Oct 1975—To Lowry Technical Training Center (LTTC), Lowry AFB
Lowry Air Force Base
Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training and was heavily involved with the training of United States Army Air Forces bomber crews during World...

, Denver, CO, modified to GB-52B as weapons trainer
Apr 1982—Dropped from inventory, remained at LTTC
Circa 1984—Loaned to Lowry AFB Heritage Museum, Lowry AFB
Dec 1994—Loaned to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, Lowry Campus, Denver, CO (museum name change).

Factoids

In June 1959, the sister ship of Wings' Double-O-5, serial number 52-008, "Balls 8

Balls 8

Balls 8 was a NASA Boeing NB-52B mothership. It derives its nickname from its NASA tail number 52-008: leading zeroes plus the number 8. Among USAF personnel it is common practice to refer to aircraft whose tail number is a single number preceded by multiple zeros as "Balls" and the last number of...

", was transferred to NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

, where it served alongside the NB-52A, 52-003, as a mother ship for the X-15

North American X-15

The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and...

rocket plane and with the Lifting Body

Lifting body

A lifting body is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration in which the body itself produces lift. In contrast to a flying wing, which is a wing with minimal or no conventional fuselage, a lifting body can be thought of as a fuselage with little or no conventional wing...

project (early research for the Space Shuttle program

Space Shuttle program

NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...

). It was credited with 140 of the 199 X-15 flights. It was still active with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center

Dryden Flight Research Center

The Dryden Flight Research Center , located inside Edwards Air Force Base, is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. On March 26, 1976 it was named in honor of the late Hugh L. Dryden, a prominent aeronautical engineer who at the time of his death in 1965 was NASA's deputy administrator...

at Edwards AFB up until retirement in 2004, where 003 retired in the 90s. 008 retired as the gate guard on October 1, 2004 at the entrance to Edwards AFB and 003 retired to Pima Air & Space Museum

Pima Air & Space Museum

The Pima Air & Space Museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres on a campus occupying 127 acres . Located in Tucson, Arizona, it is one of the world's largest, non-government funded aerospace museums...

, Tucson, Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...

Specifications of Boeing B-52B/RB-52B Stratofortress

Manufacturer/Model:

Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

Co., Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
Model 464-67

Engines:

Eight Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...

J57-P-1W, -1WA, or -1WB turbojets, each rated at 11,400 lb.s.t with water injection
Later, -29W/-29WA turbojets rated at 12,100 lb.s.t. (static thrust)

Performance:

Maximum speed 630 mi/h at 19,800 feet, 598 mi/h at 35,000 feet, 571 mi/h at 45,750 feet
Cruising speed 523 mi/h Service ceiling at combat weight 47,300 feet
Initial climb rate 4750 feet per minute
Combat radius 3590 miles (5,777.5 km) with 10,000 pound bomb-load
Ferry range 7343 miles (11,817 km)
Takeoff ground run ranges from 8200 feet to 10,500 feet

Dimensions:

Length 156 feet 6.9 inches
Wingspan 185 feet 0 inches
Height 48 feet 3.6 inches
Wing area 4000 square feet (371.6 m²)

Weights:

164,081 pounds empty
272,000 pounds combat
420,000 pounds maximum takeoff

Armament:

Two 20 mm M24A1 cannon with 400 rpg or four 0.50-inch M3 machine guns with 600 rpg in tail turret
Maximum offensive payload 43,000 pounds (internal and external) with two bomb bays

External Stores:

2 inboard wing hard points for bombs, guided cruise
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...

-like nuclear bombs, or guided missile
Guided Missile
Guided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....

s
2 outboard wing fuel tanks

Avionics:

Offensive radar navigation
Radar navigation
Marine and aviation radar systems can provide very useful navigation information in a variety of situations. When a vessel is within radar range of land or special radar aids to navigation, the navigator can take distances and angular bearings to charted objects and use these to establish arcs of...

and bombing system
Defensive radar warning and fire control system for cannons and electronic countermeasures
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

system of cameras, and wide range radio listening and recording equipment.

External links

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