Something a bit different, scans of a visit to the Strategic Air Command museum in Omaha, Nebraska, on our first visit to the USA in 1983. Refence to the museum's website shows that nearly 40 years on much of this magnificent collection is now housed indoors - not the case back then - as a result of a move to a new purpose built facility near Ashland NE in 1998. At the time of our visit the location was on the outskirts of Omaha itself, at Offutt AFB.

Built by Convair, I think the B36 strategic bomber has claim to being the largest service aeroplane ever. I will post a wider picture in a later upload. This example dates from 1953 and has a serial 52-2217.

These machines were designed from a specification issued by the US Department of Defence in the early 1940's, that assumed Germany would prevail across Europe in WW2, and that the USA would therefore need a bomber capable of mounting trans - Atlantic missions against a potentially hostile power.

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Built by Convair, these planes were a mainstay of US Air Defence in the 1950's.

This particular example, serial 54-1405 dates from 1956 and saw service in Europe with the USAF from 1959 to 1964, mainly at Hahn AFB in West Germany.

Behind is Avro Vulcan B2, XM 573, one of at least three to end up stateside after withdrawal from the RAF. It is not listed in the Museum's current inventory, but may just be under restoration.

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This helicopter was designed and built by Sikorsky, and also built by Westland in the UK under licence as the Whirlwind.

This example has serial 53-4426 and dates from 1954.

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The Boeing B47 was the US Air Force's first swept wing jet bomber. This example was built in 1955, serial 52-1412.

At right is a Martin B57, essentially a British Canberra modified to USAF specifications. This one dates from 1956, serial 55-4244.

These photos are scans of Ektachrome slides on a rather grim day, whilst the colours have stayed true they are clearly a bit grainy.

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The Douglas C47 Dakota must be one of the world's best known aeroplanes, here is 43-48098 which entered service in July 1944.

The Douglas C124 Globemaster II behind was a mainstay of the !950's USAF Transportation fleet, sadly I don't appear to have a slide of the machine on its own. This particular example has serial 49-0258. It is no longer part of the collection here, having moved in September 2004 to the Air Mobility Command museum in Dover, Delaware.

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