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.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.