The Bronco on display in the Southeast Asia War Gallery came to the museum in October 1991 and is painted as it appeared when it served in that theatre. From entry into service in 1969 it was based at a wide range of locations - Bien Hoa AB and Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, Nakhon Phanom R Thai AB, Bergstrom AFB, TX, Osan AB, Republic of Korea, Wheeler AFB, HI, George AFB, CA and lastly Shaw AFB, SC with the 507th TACW

The Blue Canoe was of course the military version of Cessna's highly successful 310 series, selected in 1957 by the USAF for service as a light administrative liaison, cargo and utility transport. The aircraft on display here (backed by the U-6A that can be seen here) is one of several USAF U-3As that were transferred to the US Army and in this case operated by the Georgia Army National Guard from 1974. It was flown to the museum in September 1984

Operated by the 353rd Tactical Fighter Squadron/354th Tactical Fighter Wing (Myrtle Beach AFB, SC) this A-10 flew 57 missions in Operation Desert Storm out of King Fahd Airport at Dammam in Saudi Arabia

Built as a Raytheon 350ER in 2000 and registered N3253Q, in 2009 this aircraft was taken into USAF service after modification to MC-12W as an ISR platform, collecting information using a variety of sensors. Assigned to 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron/332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, it operated until 2016 when the MC-12 mission moved to the US Army. It was ferried to the museum in October that year

The B-45 was the first American production jet bomber, making its maiden flight in March 1947 with a total of 143 built. Flown to the museum in 1971, this example spent its active days on loan to Pratt and Whitney as an engine test bed. Initially displayed as seen in my 1973 photo here, by the early 1980s it had been painted in the markings of the 47th BW (Light), based at RAF Sculthorpe from 1952 to 1958 as a key nuclear deterrent. Also flying from Sculthorpe were USAF RB-45Cs clandestinely operated on reconnaissance missions by RAF crews deep into the Soviet Union

At the start of Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965, the USAF did not have an all-weather precision fighter-bomber but the swing-wing F-111A provided this capability. Introduced to combat prematurely in 1968, the type later returned to play a key role in Linebacker operations over North Vietnam in 1972. This one was delivered to the 429th TFS, 474th TFW at Nellis AFB in 1969, deploying to Tahkli R Thai AB in October 1972. In 1996 it was transferred to the 389th TFS/366th TFW at Mountain AFB, ID with tail code "MO" and was ferried to the museum by mid-1992

With high accident rates when the single-seat F-100 was introduced from 1954, the F-100F two-seater evolved allowing instructor training, while retaining basic combat capabilities. As tactics developed in SE Asia, the F-100F was used for SAM suppression and high-speed Forward Air Control, known as "Misty FAC". Displayed in its 1968 colours, this one was a Misty aircraft assigned to the 37th TFW at Phu Cat AB, Vietnam, serving many Tactical Fighter and Crew Training Wings before and after. To MASDC Sep 1979, selected for QF-100 drone conversion but cancelled and to USAFM 2002

56-4362 was accepted by the USAF in 1957 as a C-123B and went to Vietnam in 1961 to fly as a low-level defoliant sprayer. In 1965, it was redesignated to UC-123B. At about the same time, it became a dedicated insecticide sprayer to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and in 1968 Fairchild converted it to a UC-123K. By then named "Patches" in view of almost 600 bullet hits in theatre, it returned to the US in 1972 via Afghanistan and Iran where it helped combat locust plagues. Lastly operated for AFRes as a C-123K until retirement to the museum in 1980

Having been kept in overall natural metal colours when first displayed at the USAFM (my 1973 photo here), it was restored to the earlier white-top scheme when moved into the Cold War Gallery by 1986. First serving the Military Air Transport Service's 1607th Air Transport Wing (Heavy) at Dover AFB, DE, in 1958 it set a world record for propeller-driven aircraft by lifting a cargo payload of 117,900lbs to 10,000ft. Transferred to the 436th MAW in January 1966 and remaining at Dover, it was flown from there to Wright Patterson for the museum in March 1971

Resplendent in the hi-viz colours of the 57th FIS at Keflavik, Iceland with which it operated between 1962 and 1970 often carrying out Soviet bomber intercepts, this Delta Dagger arrived at the museum in 1971

Delivered new to the 18th TRS/363rd TRW at Shaw AFB, SC in October 1957, next month it participated in Op Sun Run in which three new transcontinental speed records for the type were set. In Oct 1962 it flew low-altitude recon during the Cuban Missile Crisis and helped confirm that offensive missile sites were being dismantled. In March 1966 it went to war with the 45th TRS/460th TRW from Tan Son Nhut AB in Vietnam, seeing deployments to Misawa and Kadena in Japan, Andersen in Guam and Hickam, HI. In November 1970 it was transferred to the 153rd TRS/186rd TRG at Meridian, MS. To USAFM Oct 1978

A recent addition to the Cold War Gallery is this F-15C which achieved the type's first double MiG-29 kill while over the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during Operation Allied Force in March 1999. At the time the aircraft was assigned to the 493rd FS/48th FW at RAF Lakenheath. It ended its career with the 131st FS/104th FW MA ANG at Barnes ANGB and was ferried to the NMUSAF in April 2023

Looking absolutely superb, this is a genuine Thunderbirds Super Sabre which (after operating with various TAC units from 1957) flew in the number six position for the 1968 display season. It was restored to its former glory in 1977 by team maintenance personnel at their Nellis AFB, NV home. Having last served the 175th TFS/114th TFG South Dakota ANG at Sioux Falls from 1970 to 1977, it was flown to the USAFM in July 1977 by the ANG and presented by Thunderbirds team staff

In 1965 the USAF sent its first F-4Cs to Southeast Asia, where they flew air-to-air missions against North Vietnamese fighters as well as attacking ground targets. The first USAF pilot to score four combat victories with F-4s there was Col. Robin Olds, a WWII ace. This aircraft is the one in which he and his backseat co-pilot destroyed two MiG-17s in a single day in May 1967. Last serving the 149th TFG (TX ANG) at Kelly AFB from 1983 (and briefly the CA ANG), it was ferried to the USAFM in April 1986

A military version of the civilian Ryan STA, the YPT-16 became the first monoplane acquired by the USAAC as a primary trainer. They ordered 15 after purchasing a single Ryan STA-1 in 1939 for testing as the XPT-16. From 1940-1942, the Air Corps bought nearly 1,200 more similar Ryan trainers as PT-20s, PT-21s and PT-22s. This one was not in fact operated by the military and was registered NC18922 by Ryan, but was used for demonstrations to Air Corps officials here at Wright Field in July 1939. To the museum in 1986

This Thunderchief began operational service in 1964 as a standard F-105F. In 1967 it joined the 355th TFW in Thailand, where it flew combat missions for nearly three years. During this time, it became one of a select few USAF aircraft to claim three MiG kills. In 1970 it was fitted with ECM gear and joined the 388th TFW for "Wild Weasel" duty, attacking enemy surface-to-air missile sites. Converted to full F-105G spec in 1972, it spent a further year in SE Asia before going the 35th TFW at George AFB, CA (my 1979 photo here). Ferried to the USAFM in 1980

The 156 Douglas O-38s made ended a series of biplane observation aircraft begun in the early 1920s. While operating out of Ladd Field near Fairbanks. AK in June 1941, this one crashed due to engine failure at Salcha River. Uninjured, the pilot and his mechanic hiked to safety after supplies were dropped to them. The abandoned aircraft remained in the Alaskan wilderness until recovered in surprisingly good condition some 27 years later using a CH-47 helicopter. It was then flown to the USAFM aboard a C-130, undergoing restoration over the next six years, only the wings needing extensive work

The A-17 series was a direct descendent of the pace setting Northrop Gamma, made famous by the aerial explorer Lincoln Ellsworth. It replaced the Curtiss A-8 and A-12 Shrike and was the last of the pre-WWII single-engine attack aircraft ordered into production by the Army Air Corps. The 'A' model seen here introduced a more powerful engine and fully retractable undercarriage. Arriving at the museum in 1971, it is displayed in the 1938 marks of the 90th Attack Squadron, 3rd Attack Group

First flown in 1948, over 6,500 of this two-seat trainer derived from Lockheed's P-80 jet fighter were built, serving over 30 nations including Bolivia, which was the last to retire the type, as recently as 2017. This one was flown to the museum in 1962

In the late 1930s Douglas developed the B-18 to replace the Martin B-10 as the US Army Air Corps' standard bomber, but by 1942 superior designs such as Boeing's B-17 had supplanted it, many being relegated to transport or anti-submarine work. This example was redesignated as an RB-18A in 1942 and after being used for utility duties, was operated post-war as a crop duster registered N56847. It was ferried to the USAFM in 1971