Warplanes of the USA: Ohio, Dayton, National Museum of the USAF: Douglas aircraft

National Museum of the USAF: Douglas‍

National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF), 1100 Spaatz St., Wright-Patterson AFB, 45433-7102.

(NMUSAF Photos)

Douglas O-38F, biplane (Serial No. 33-0324), C/N 1117.  Suspended from the ceiling.  The NMUSAF's O-38F was one of the first military aircraft assigned to Alaska, landing at Ladd Field near Fairbanks, Alaska, in October 1940.  This aircraft flew various missions until it crashed on 16 June 1941, due to engine failure about 70 miles southeast of Fairbanks.  Uninjured, the pilot, Lt. Milton H. Ashkins, and his mechanic, Sgt. R.A. Roberts, hiked to safety after supplies were dropped to them.  The abandoned aircraft remained in the Alaskan wilderness until the museum arranged for its recovery by helicopter in June 1968.  Despite being exposed to the Alaskan weather for 27 years, the aircraft remained in remarkable condition.  Only the wings required extensive restoration.

(USAAC Photo)

Douglas O-46A aircraft assigned to the Maryland National Guard's 104th Observation Squadron fly over the Chesapeake Bay on 25 June 1938.  The 104th flew O-46s from February 1937 to June 1941.

(SDA&SM Archive Photo)

Douglas O-46A (Serial No. 35-214), ca 1942.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Douglas O-46A (Serial No. 35-179), C/N 1441.  Suspended from the ceiling.  The NMUSAF holds the only surviving O-46A.  It is currently in storage.  On 27 November 1942, this O-46A of the 81st Air Base Squadron landed downwind at Brooks Field, Harlingen, Texas, ran out of runway and overturned.  Written off, it was abandoned in place.  More than 20 years later it was discovered by the Antique Airplane Association with trees growing through its wings, and in 1967, it was rescued and hauled to Ottumwa, Iowa.  Restoration turned out to be beyond the organization's capability, and in September 1970, it was traded to the NMUSAF for a flyable Douglas C-47 Skytrain.  The (then) Air Force Museum had it restored at Purdue University, and placed it on display in 1974, the sole survivor of the 91 O-46s built.

(NMUSAF Photos)

(Clemens Vasters Photo)

(Clemens Vasters Photo)

(Martin McGuire Photo)

Douglas B-18A Bolo (Serial No. 37-0469), R33, C/N 2469.  Stationed at Wright Field from 1939 to 1942, the B-18A on display intne MNUSAF was acquired and restored by the museum in 1971.  It is painted as a B-18A serving with the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron in 1939.

(NMUSAF Photos)

Douglas C-47D Skytrain (Serial No. 43-49507), painted as (Serial No. 43-15213), L4-W, C/N 15323/26768.  D-Day markings.  The C-47D on display in the NMUSAF was the last C-47 in routine USAF use, and was flown to the museum in 1975.  It is painted and marked to represent the C-47A flown by 2nd Lt. Gerald "Bud" C. Berry of the 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th Troop Carrier Group, to recover gliders used in the invasion of France on D-Day, 6 June 1944.  "Snatched" from the ground in Normandy, the gliders were towed back to England for reuse.  On 22 March 1945, Lt. Berry used that aircraft to "snatch" a glider filled with wounded soldiers at Remagen, Germany.

(USAAF Photo)

Douglas A-20 Havoc from the 416th Bomb Group of the U.S. completing its bombing run, June 1944.

(USAAF Photo)

Douglas A-20 Havoc.

(NMUSAF Photos)

(Dsdugan Photo)

(Goshimini Photo)

(Clemens Vasters Photos)

Douglas A-20G Havoc (Serial No. 43-22200), R, C/N 21847, Reg. No. NL63004.  Painted as (Serial No. 43-21475), "Little Joe".  In 1961 the Bankers Life and Casualty Co. of Chicago, Illinois, donated this A-20G to the NMUSAF.  It is painted to represent "Little Joe" of the 5th Air Force, 312th Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Squadron, with 150 missions.

(NMUSAF Photos)

Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless (BuNo. 10575), Douglas A-24B Banshee (Serial No. 42-54582), painted as (Serial No. 41-15786), C/N 17421.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Douglas B-23 Dragon (Serial No. 39-0037), 17B-9, C/N 2723.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Douglas C-39A (Serial No. 38-0515), 10TG-15, C/N 2072, DC-2-243 ex Reg. Nos. XA-DUF, XA-YAV and N6097C.  Donated to the NMUSAF in 1970.

(USAF Photo)

Douglas C-54G-1-DO Skymaster (Serial No. 45-521), c/n 35974, ca 1960s.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Douglas VC-54C Skymaster (Serial No. 42-107451), painted as (Serial No. 42-72252), President Truman`s “Sacred Cow”.

(USAF Photo)

Douglas B-26 Invader.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Douglas A-26C Invader (Serial No. 44-35733), c/n 29012.  The Marauder on display in the NMUSAF was flown in combat by the Free French during the final months of the Second World War.  It was obtained from the Air France airline's training school near Paris in June 1965.  It is painted as a 9th Air Force B-26B assigned to the 387th Bomb Group in 1945.  It was flown to the museum in September 1957.  It is painted to represent a B-26C used during the Korean War by the 34th Bomb Squadron flying night intruder missions.

(Clemens Vasters Photo)

(NMUSAF Photos)

Douglas A-26A(K) Invader (Serial No. 64-17676), formerly A-26B, 41-39596.   Modified by On Mark Engineering, the B-26K had a rebuilt fuselage and tail, strengthened wings, improved engines, reversible propellers, wing-tip fuel tanks and other refinements.  Redesignated A-26As, Counter Invaders remained in Southeast Asia until 1969 and retired from USAF service.  The aircraft on display in the NMUSAF was originally an A-26C converted to B-26K.  It was one of the first six to arrive at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base in 1966.  In November 1980 it was flown to the museum.

Douglas A-1E Skyraider escorting a Sikorsky HH-3C rescue helicopter on a CSAR mission in 1966. (USAF Photo)

(NMUSAF Photos)

(Valder137 Photos)

Douglas A-1E Skyraider (Serial No. 52-132649), C/N 9506.  The A-1E on display in the NMUSAF is the aircraft flown by Maj Bernard Fisher on 10 March 1966, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam.  For this deed, Fisher received the Medal of Honor.  The A-1E was severely damaged in further combat in South Vietnam, before it came to the museum in 1968 for preservation.

(USAF Photo)

Douglas A-1H Skyraider (BuNo. 137512) of attack squadron VA-152 Friendlies in flight in 1966.  VA-152 was assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing 16 (CVW-16) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA-34) for a deployment to Vietnam from 26 May to 16 November 1966.

Douglas A-1H Skyraider (BuNo. 134600).

(USAF Photo)

Douglas VC-118 Liftmaster (Serial No. 46-0505), C/N 42881/129.  President Harry S. Truman's "Independence", ca 1947.  This aircraft served as President Harry S. Truman's personal aircraft until he left office in 1953.  It later served as a VIP aircraft for other air force personnel, before being retired to the Museum in 1965.

(USAF Photos)

Douglas XD-42A Mixmaster (Serial No. 43-50224).  The XB-42 Mixmaster was an experimental bomber, designed for a high top speed.  The unconventional approach was to mount the two engines within the fuselage driving a pair of contra-rotating propellers mounted at the tail in a pusher configuration, leaving the wing and fuselage clean and free of drag-inducing protrusions.  Two prototype aircraft were built, but the end of the Second World War changed priorities and the advent of the jet engine gave an alternative way toward achieving high speed.  The prototype was struck off charge in 1949 and was given to the NMUSAF, although it is currently in storage and has never been placed on display.  The wings were removed for transport but have since been inadvertently lost . In late 2010, the fuselage was transferred to the museum.

(USAF Photos)

Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster (Serial No. 44-61509).  The Jetmaster was a 1940s jet-powered prototype bomber.  The XB-43 was a development of the XB-42, replacing the piston engines of the XB-42 with two General Electric J35 engines of 4,000 lbf (17.8 kN) thrust each.  Despite being the first American jet bomber to fly, it suffered stability issues and the design did not enter production.  (Serial No. 44-61509) is currently in storage in the NMUSAF awaiting restoration.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Douglas X-3 Stiletto (Serial No. 49-2892).  The twin-turbojet X-3, the only one built, was designed to test sustained flight at twice the speed of sound.  It also explored the use of very short wings and titanium airframe construction.  Engine development difficulties forced the use of lower-powered engines than originally planned, prohibiting the X-3 from achieving its Mach 2 design potential.  Even so, data gained from the X-3 program greatly benefited the F-104, X-15, SR-71 and other high performance aircraft.  The X-3 made its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in October 1952. The X-3 was transferred to the NMUSAF in 1956.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Douglas RB-66B Destroyer (Serial No. 53-0475), JN, C/N 44356.  The aircraft on display in the NMUSAF flew combat missions in Southeast Asia and was delivered to the museum in 1970.

(NMUSAF Photos)

Douglas C-124C Globemaster II (Serial No. 52-1066), painted as (Serial No. 51-0135), C/N 43975.  Most C-124s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard by 1970, and all were released from active service in mid-1974.  The aircraft on display in the NMUSAF was assigned to the 165th Tactical Airlift group of the Georgia Air National Guard following its service with the USAF.  It was flown to the museum in August 1975.

(NMUSAF Photos)

(Martin McGuire Photo)

Douglas C-133A Cargomaster (Serial No. 56-2008), C/N 45245, 436 Military Airlift Wing.  The C-133A on display in the NMUSAF established a world record for propeller-driven aircraft when, on 16 Dec 1958, it carried a cargo payload of 117,900 pounds to an altitude of 10,000 feet.  It was flown to the museum on 17 March 1971.

(NMUSAF Photo)

Douglas KC-10A Extender (Serial No. 84-0181), "Eldorado Canyon". Shown here on its arrival at Wright-Patterson AFB, 15 April 2024.

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