Warplanes of the USA: Colorado, Colorado Springs, Edward J. Peterson Air & Space Museum

Colorado Springs, Edward J. Peterson Air & Space Museum, 150 East Ent Avenue, Peterson AFB, CO, 80914-1303.  Telephone: 719-556-8278, FAX: 719-556-8509.

The museum is located on Peterson Air Force Base (PAFB) in Building 981 at the intersection of Peterson and Ent Boulevards.  Peterson Air Force Base is approximately seven miles east of Colorado Springs on Highway 24.

Peterson AFB is located at the eastern edge of Colorado Springs.  It is host to the 21st Space Wing, and its major tenants are Northern Command (NORTHCOM), North American Aerospace Command (NORAD); Air Force Space Command; Army Space Command; 302d Airlift Wing (AFRC); and the Edward J. Peterson Air and Space Museum).  The AFB was first activated in 1942.  It is named for 1st Lt. Edward J. Peterson, who was killed in the crash of his Lockheed P-38 Lightning on the 8th of August 1942.

The museum is housed in the original Art Deco style Colorado Springs Municipal Airport Passenger Terminal building which was constructed in 1941.  The museum is located within an 8.3-acre State Historic District, site of Colorado Springs’ first Municipal Airport, founded in 1926.  The Historic District has been entered on the National Register of Historic Places.  The museum preserves and portrays the rich aviation and space history of Colorado Springs to include the early aviation history of the City, the Second World War Peterson Army Air Base (PAAB), Air Defense Command (ADC), North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and United States Air Force Space Command (USSPACECOM)  The museum offers unguided “discovery” tours and is fully handicapped accessible.  A Braille guidebook is available for the visually impaired.

Public Access: Non-military visitors may be required to show a current driver’s license, automobile registration and proof of insurance to the Gate Guard or Base Visitor’s Center located at the Main Gate to gain entry to Peterson Air Force Base to visit the Museum).  A temporary pass will then be issued to visit the Museum).

The museum features exhibits, models, satellites, uniforms and other artifacts pertaining to the early aviation history of Colorado Springs and the history of Peterson AFB from 1942 to present day Air Force, space and satellite operations.  Also featured are special exhibits on the Second World War Prisoners of War (POW) in Germany; the Home Front during the Second World War, War trophies and Souvenirs of the Second World War, and several the Second World War and present day model aircraft.  The museum also operates a small gift shop and a 37-seat video theater with several titles and topics to choose from.  The following aircraft and missiles are on static display at the PA&SM:

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Avro CF-100 Mk. 5C Canuck, RCAF (Serial No. 100779), 779, C/N 679.  This aircraft was acquired by the museum in May 1976.

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Boeing CIM-10A BOMARC Missile (Serial No. 59-2051).

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Convair F-102A Delta Dagger (Serial No. 56-1109).  Initially mounted on a pylon, it is now on display in the Air Park.

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Convair GF-106A Delta Dart (Serial No. 59-0134), C/N 8-31-23, 144th FIG, CA ANG.

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(KJKlock Photo)

(Mike Kaehler Photo)

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk (Serial No. 1356255), “Lynn II”, fibreglass replica, mounted on a pylon.  When they took the original P-40 down as directed by the National Museum of the USAF, it still had gas in the tanks and ammunition in its gun bays. The P-40 had taxied off the runway and was lifted on the pylon.  The NMUSAF had informed them if they didn't move it indoors, they would lose it - which is what happened, and it went to a museum in Florida.  The volunteers in the area found a few bits and pieces of scrapped P-40s and married them to this fibreglass replica.

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Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (Serial No. 57-0713), C/N 580-1362.

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Lockheed F-94C Starfire, (Serial No. 50-970), while being used as a testbed for Lockheed out of their Burbank, California, facility. This aircraft was painted in standard markings for type, with all lettering in black, a black nose radome, a beige plastic wing leading edge rocket pod nose cap (note that the pod on the left wing is apparently of aluminum construction, thus indicating its possible use as a test instrumentation bay), black wing leading edge de-icing boots, and a light green nose anti-glare pane

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Lockheed F-94C Starfire (Serial No. 50-1006), FA-006, C/N 880-8051.

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Lockheed F-104C Starfighter (Serial No. 56-0936), painted as (Serial No. 56-0808), (F-104A), FG-808, mounted on a pylon.

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(KJKlock Photo)

(Louis DePaemelaere Photo)

Lockheed EC-121T Warning Star (Serial No. 52-3425), C/N 4343, 30D.

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(KJKlock Photo)

Martin EB-57E Canberra (Serial No. 55-4279), C/N 381.

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McDonnell CF-101B Voodoo, RCAF (Serial No. 101044), USAF (Serial No. 57-0381), 044, C/N 559.

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McDonnell F-101B Voodoo (Serial No. 58-0274), mounted on a pylon.

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McDonnell F-4C Phantom II (Serial No. 64-0799), C/N 1118, painted as 63-0589.

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McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle (Serial No. 76-0024), C/N 204, A176.

McDonnell Douglas CF-188A Hornet, RCAF (Serial No. 188723).  (NORAD and USNORTHCOM Photo)

(Louis DePaemelaere Photo)

This aircraft was donated by the Government of Canada to the USAF Heritage Program as a gesture of appreciation for the United States and Canada’s longstanding and continuing partnership through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).  The aircraft was transferred to Colorado from 3 Wing Bagotville, Quebec.

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(KJKlock Photo)

(Louis DePaemelaere Photo)

North American F-86L Sabre Dog (Serial No. 53-0782), FU-782, C/N 201-226.

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Northrop F-89J Scorpion (Serial No. 52-1941), FY-941.    

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(USAF Photo)

(Mike Kaehler Photo)

Republic P-47N Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-89425), "Wild Hair".  Originally mounted on a pylon, this aircraft has been restored and is now on display inside the museum hangar.

US Army Hawk Missile.

US Army MIM-3 Nike Ajax Missile.

US Army MIM-14 Nike Hercules Missile.

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