Skip to content Skip to footer
The museum is open Wed - Sun 10 am - 5:00 pm
775 Aviation Way Colorado Springs, CO 80916
Donate Now
GET TICKETS
The museum is open Wed - Sun 10 am - 5:00 pm
775 Aviation Way Colorado Springs, CO 80916
GET TICKETS

Aircraft

HomeAll PostsAircraft

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

July 1, 2020
The P-38 Lightning was the only successful twin-engine air superiority fighter of the war. It served in both Europe and the Pacific. P-38s were preferred in the Pacific because flying was either over dense jungle or the ocean; the safety of a second engine was…

Read more

North American B-25 Mitchell

July 1, 2020
In 1939, the U.S. Army Air Corps put in an order for new class of “medium” bomber. The proposal called for a twin-engine plane capable of flying 300 mph, carrying a 3,000-pound bomb load, and having a 2,000-mile range. Four aircraft manufacturers designed and built airplanes…

Read more

SBD Dauntless

July 1, 2020
The SBD Dauntless was the most effective U.S. dive bomber of WWII. It sank more Japanese shipping than any other Allied bomber. Navy and Marine SBD squadrons were credited with sinking Japanese carriers in the Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. SBD units…

Read more

Republic P47 Thunderbolt

July 1, 2020
The P-47 was one of the toughest Allied planes during WWII and had the most firepower from its eight .50 caliber guns in its wings (3,400 rounds.) It was even more effective as a ground attack aircraft; it was capable of carrying as much as…

Read more

Grumman F3F Flying Barrel

July 1, 2020
The Grumman F3F-2 was the last Navy and Marine biplane fighter. It entered service in 1936, and retired from front-line service in 1941. Its short operational life served to underscore its role in the Navy’s transition from biplanes to monoplanes. A total of 147 F3Fs…

Read more

Brewster F3A Corsair

July 1, 2020
This Navy Corsair was built by Brewster and Co., Aircraft Division, in Long Island City, NY. The company produced military aircraft from the 1930s until the end of WWII. In 1940, the Vought aircraft company designed one of the best all-around Navy fighters of the war:…

Read more

Grumman F7F Tigercat

July 1, 2020
The Grumman F7F Tigercat was designed to meet a 1941 Navy requirement for a twin engine fighter that could get to altitude fast, had long range, a lot of firepower. The first flight was in December 1943 but the aircraft failed carrier landing tests because…

Read more

PBY/PBV-1A Catalina

July 1, 2020
The amphibious Consolidated PBY Catalina was a versatile, highly-effective military aircraft before, during and after WWII. They were used in anti-submarine warfare, bombing missions, convoy escort duties, search-and-rescue missions, and cargo transport. The last active military PBYs were not retired from service until the 1980s. PBY…

Read more

Chance Vought F4U Corsair

July 1, 2020
An aircraft company better known for producing biplanes hit an aviation home run in 1938 when it unveiled the iconic design of this much-respected WWII fighter/bomber. The Chance Vought Corsair’s unique bent or inverted gull-wing design was driven by two needs: a bigger propeller to make…

Read more

Grumman TBM Avenger

July 1, 2020
The Grumman Avenger torpedo bombers built for the Navy originally carried the designation of TBF. The Avenger came into service in 1942 to replace the Douglas Devastator, but in its first combat at Midway in June 1942, it fared badly. Five out of six were…

Read more

Douglas AD-5 Skyraider

July 1, 2020
The Skyraider was designed during World War II to meet United States Navy requirements for a carrier-based, single-seat, long-range, high performance dive/torpedo bomber, to follow-on from earlier types such as the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and Grumman TBF Avenger. Designed by Ed Heinemann of the Douglas…

Read more

Stinson L-5 Sentinel

July 1, 2020
The L-5 is one of a series of liaison/observation planes that had great utility on the battlefield. Their green paint helped camouflage them on the ground or from the air when flying over forests or fields. These aircraft were built in Wayne, IN, by the Stinson…

Read more

Events

NOTICE
The museum’s two F-7F Tigercats and P-38 Lightning will be on tour Saturday, November 12th through Thursday, December 8th. All other aircraft will be on display throughout this period.

The museum will be closed on the following days during the holiday season:
Thursday, November 24
Saturday, December 24
Sunday, December 25
Sunday, January 1
Happy Holidays!