The Museum of Aviation is the second-largest

aerospace museum An aviation museum, air museum, or air and space museum is a museum exhibiting the history and cultural artifacts, artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual, replica or accurate reproduction aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, P ...

of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

. The museum is located just outside

Warner Robins, Georgia Warner Robins (typically ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in Houston and Peach counties in the central part of the state. It is currently Georgia's eleventh-largest incorporated city, with an estimated population of 80,308 in t ...

, and near

Robins Air Force Base Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast o ...

. , the museum included four exhibit buildings and more than 85 historic aircraft, among other exhibits, on its . The museum is also the home of the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. Admission is free to the nearly half-million visitors each year, which makes it the fourth-most-visited museum of the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

History

The Museum of Aviation, originally the Southeastern Museum of Aviation, was founded in 1980, after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

aviator Guy Orlando Stone offered his collection of aviation memorabilia to

if the base could build a museum to house it. The Air Force approved the museum in late 1980, and the Southeastern Museum of Aviation Foundation, a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, was incorporated in 1981 with the support of local civilians and base officials. Also in 1981, the

Air Force Logistics Command The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing fo ...

, under General James P. Mullins, created its Heritage Program to preserve the history of Air Force logistics. The museum became part of the base's contribution to the program. The museum opened its first office in 1982 after the acquisition of another private collection. That same year, the Air Force approved the museum's ten-year plan, and fundraising efforts began to collect the $9.5 million in projected construction costs for a permanent museum facility. The museum's first airplane arrived in 1983; twenty-seven total airplanes were acquired over the course of the year. The museum officially opened to the public in November 1984 with twenty planes on display and twenty more being restored. By 1988, the museum's name had changed to the Museum of Aviation at Robins. In 1989,

Georgia governor The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legi ...

Joe Frank Harris Joe Frank Harris (born February 16, 1936) is an American businessman and Democratic politician who served as the 78th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1983 to 1991. Early life and career Harris was born in the Atco Mill Village o ...

signed legislation to create the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame, to be housed at the museum. Among the original inductees included Stone, whose collection had helped launch the museum. In the 1990s, museum facilities expanded with addition of the "Hangar One" exhibit space in a former

aircraft hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

. In 1992, the museum dedicated its 60,000-square-foot "Phase II" facility, later named the Eagle Building, which housed a theater, a diorama, and more aircraft, among other exhibits. In 1996, the "Century of Flight Hangar" added an additional 60,000 square feet. In 2013, the museum announced that thirty-two aircraft were to be removed from display. Some of these were relocated to other museums, while others were scrapped on-site. In 2019, the museum unveiled a statue of Eugene Bullard, the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

pilot to fly in combat. Bullard, a native of

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it o ...

, served in the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' (

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Ar ...

) during

. He was posthumously commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in 1994.

Aircraft on display

Bombers

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

Boeing B-29B Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a WWII era long range, strategic heavy bomber that was produced in many experimental and production models. XB-29 : ''Section source: Baugher'' The XB-29, Boeing Model 345, was the first accepted prototype or e ...

Boeing B-52D Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

* Douglas VB-26B Invader * Douglas WB-66D Destroyer * Lockheed P-2H Neptune * Martin B-57B Canberra *

Rockwell B-1B Lancer The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...

Cargo aircraft

* Beechcraft C-45G Expeditor * Boeing EC-135N * Boeing KC-97L Stratofreighter *

Cessna UC-78 Bobcat The Cessna AT-17 Bobcat or Cessna Crane is a twin-engine advanced trainer aircraft designed and made in the United States, and used during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engine trainers and larger multi-engine combat aircraft. Th ...

* Curtiss C-46D Commando * de Havilland Canada C-7A Caribou * Douglas C-47A Skytrain * Douglas C-54G Skymaster * Fairchild C-119B Flying Boxcar * Fairchild UC-123K Provider * Douglas C-124C Globemaster II * Lockheed AC-130A Spectre * Lockheed C-130E Hercules * Lockheed C-141C Starlifter * Lockheed EC-121K * Lockheed VC-140B

Fighters

* Cessna A-37A Dragonfly *

Convair F-102A Delta Dagger The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was an American interceptor aircraft designed and manufactured by Convair. Built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s, it entered service in 1956. Its main purpo ...

Convair F-106A Delta Dart The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of the United States Air Force from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last specialist interceptor ...

Curtiss P-40N Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was a WWII fighter aircraft that was developed from the P-36 Hawk, via the P-37. Many variants were built, some in large numbers, under names including the Hawk, Tomahawk and Kittyhawk. Allison-engined Model 75 XP ...

* Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II *

General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...

* General Dynamics F-111E Aardvark * Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star * McDonnell F-101F Voodoo *

McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bowe ...

McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...

* McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle *

McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a ' ...

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 ...

North American F-86H Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

* North American F-100D Super Sabre *

North American P-51D Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs N ...

– Replica *

North American P-51H Mustang Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts. Allison-engined Mustangs N ...

Northrop F-89J Scorpion The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an American all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft built during the 1950s, the first jet-powered aircraft designed for that role from the outset to enter service. Though its straight wings limited its per ...

Republic F-84E Thunderjet The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...

Republic F-105D Thunderchief The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Viet ...

Helicopters

* Bell UH-1F Iroquois *Bell UH-1P Iroquois * Kaman HH-43A Huskie * Sikorsky H-19D Chickasaw * Sikorsky HH-3E * Sikorsky MH-53M * Vertol CH-21B Workhorse

Missiles and drones

* AIM-4D Falcon * AIM-4E Falcon * AIM-4F Falcon * AIM-4G Falcon * AIM-9L Sidewinder * AIM-26A Falcon *

AIM-120 AMRAAM The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced ), is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. It is 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter, and employ ...

* AIR-2A Genie * AGM-28 Hound Dog *

AGM-88 HARM The AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) is a tactical, air-to-surface missile, air-to-surface anti-radiation missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed ...

* AGM-136A Tacit Rainbow * AQM-34N Firebee * AQM-34V Firebee II * BQM-34A Firebee * BQM-34F Firebee II *

Lockheed D-21 The Lockheed D-21 is an American supersonic reconnaissance drone. The D-21 was initially designed to be launched from the back of an M-21 carrier aircraft, a variant of the Lockheed A-12 aircraft. The drone had maximum speed in excess of at ...

* MGM‐13A Mace * MQM-107D Streaker * TM-61A Matador * YCGM-121B Seek Spinner

Trainers

Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known ...

Cessna T-37B Tweet The Cessna T-37 Tweet (designated Model 318 by Cessna) is a small, economical twin-engined jet trainer type which flew for decades as a primary trainer for the United States Air Force (USAF) and in the air forces of several other nations. The T ...

* Fairchild PT-19A * Lockheed T-33A *

North American T-6G Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...

* North American T-28A Trojan * North American T-39A Sabreliner *

Ryan PT-22 Recruit The Ryan PT-22 Recruit, the main military version of the Ryan ST, is a military trainer aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps during WWII for primary pilot training. Design and development The PT-22's fuselage is a simple monocoque ...

* Vultee BT-13A Valiant

Special aircraft

The SR-71A Blackbird on display is the current record holder for the fastest flight airspeed. Serial number 61-7958 set an absolute speed record of on July 28, 1976, which stands today. * 1896 Chanute Glider *

Aeronca 7AC Champion The Aeronca Model 7 Champion, commonly known as the "Champ", or "Airknocker",Bellanca Aircraft Corp, " d: "The Champ only $4,995"" ''Flying Annual & Pilots' Guide,'' 1971 ed., pp.36–37 iff-Davis NY is a single-engine light airplane with a ...

* Cessna O-1E Bird Dog * Cessna O-2A Skymaster * Cessna U-3B * de Havilland Canada U-6A * Epps 1912 Monoplane * Grumman HU-16B Albatross * Helio U-10D * Laister-Kauffman TG-4A * Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird * Lockheed U-2D * Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk *

Rockwell OV-10 Bronco The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forw ...

Stinson L-5E Sentinel The Stinson L-5 Sentinel is a World War II-era liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Ground Forces, U.S. Marine Corps and the British Royal Air Force. It was produced by the Stinson Division of the Vultee Airc ...

Education Center

The museum provides a

education center Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. ...

called the National

STEM Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

Academy. The academy offers

field trip A field trip or excursion is a journey by a group of people to a place away from their normal environment. When done for students, as it happens in several school systems, it is also known as school trip in the UK, Australia, New Zealand an ...

and independent programs that integrate programs and hands-on STEM disciplines with the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at t ...

such as

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

through the Heritage program and others. The programs highlight career opportunities and

workforce development Workforce development, an American approach to economic development, attempts to enhance a region's economic stability and prosperity by focusing on people rather than businesses. It essentially develops a human-resources strategy. Work-force dev ...

strategies. Field trips, workshops, and special events are conducted both at the Museum of Aviation, through outreach at school sites, and via live virtual field trips. Proceeds from all National STEM Academy programs as well as National STEM Academy monetary donations go are used to support the National STEM Academy.

References

External links

Museum of Aviation
{{authority control Aerospace museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Military and war museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Museums in Houston County, Georgia Air force museums in the United States