The new hangar at the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is set to open to the public June 8. The 224,000 square foot building—built with $40.8 million raised by the Air Force Museum Foundation—will display the VC-137C (SAM 26000) that flew John F. Kennedy’s body to Washington, D.C., the C-141C Hanoi Taxi, and the only remaining XB-70 Valkyrie, along with many other aircraft, vehicles, and artifacts, according to a May 17 release. Four galleries—presidential, research and development, space, and global reach—and three learning nodes will be housed in the building. A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:15 a.m. will kick off the opening, according to the release. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m., and the first 100 guest over the age of 16 will receive a $10 gift card that can be used at the museum. More activities are scheduled for the weekend of June 11-12.
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.