The South Dakota Air and Space Museum is an
aviation museum
An aviation museum, air museum, or air and space museum is a museum exhibiting the history and cultural artifacts, artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual, replica or accurate reproduction aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, P ...
located in
Box Elder, South Dakota
Box Elder (Lakota: ''čhaŋšúška''; " box elder maple") is a city in Pennington and Meade counties in the State of South Dakota. The population was 11,746 according to the 2020 census, making it the 11th most populous city in South Dakota. ...
, just outside the main gate of
Ellsworth AFB. It is dedicated to the history of the United States Air Force, the base and aerospace in South Dakota.
History
The Ellsworth Heritage Foundation was founded as a result of a United States Air Force program began in 1982 to establish museums at various bases around the country.
The museum was co-founded by Gerald E. Teachout in 1983. Fundraising for a new building began in 1985, but the museum was given four former
F-89 hangars and a two-story building that had been planned for demolition.
The hangars and building were moved to the museum's current location near the base's main gate in 1992.
The museum received a mockup of a
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...
from the
American Honda Motor Company in 1989. The following year, it restored a
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
and received a
Boeing B-47 Stratojet from
Pease Air Force Base
Pease, in Middle English, was a noun referring to the vegetable pea; see that article for its etymology. The word survives into modern English in pease pudding.
Pease may also refer to:
People
* Pease family (Darlington), a prominent family in D ...
.
A
Convair B-36 on display in Texas was originally planned to be added to the museum in 1992, but it was eventually transferred to
another museum. In 1994, a
Minuteman II missile silo trainer located on Ellsworth Air Force Base was added to the museum inventory.
The museum received a grant in 1998 to renovate its displays. In 2001, a new entrance with a
Rockwell B-1 Lancer was dedicated. Following a restoration, an
AGM-28 Hound Dog missile was unveiled in 2011. A two-year landscaping project was completed in 2016. In 2017 the museum dedicated a Titan I missile on display in the outdoor airpark. In 2019, the museum partnered with the
Commemorative Air Force to fly a B-25 across the state to recognize the two South Dakotans who participated in the
Doolittle Raid. A model of an AGM-158 missile was placed on display in 2022.
Exhibits
The museum has four interior galleries named for
Frank Hunter,
Duke Corning
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
,
Clyde Ice Clyde may refer to:
People
* Clyde (given name)
* Clyde (surname)
Places
For townships see also Clyde Township
Australia
* Clyde, New South Wales
* Clyde, Victoria
* Clyde River, New South Wales
Canada
* Clyde, Alberta
* Clyde, Ontario, a to ...
, and
Joe Foss. Displays cover the history of aerospace technology, the
World Wars, the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, aviation pioneers, and
Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder, South Dakota, Box Elder.
The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assi ...
. A number of training aids, such as
F-106
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of the United States Air Force from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last specialist interceptor i ...
and
B-1B
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...
cockpits, an
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
simulator, and a
Minuteman Crew Mission Procedures Trainer are on display. Other exhibits include
Stratobowl
The Stratobowl is a compact natural depression within the limits of Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, south-west of Rapid City. In 1934–1935 it housed a stratospheric balloon launch site, initially known as Stratocamp, sponsored by ...
Balloon Launches in the 1930s,
44th Bombardment Group/
44th Strategic Missile Wing, and the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame.
Collection
Aircraft on display
*
Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor ''52-10866''
*
Beechcraft U-8D Seminole ''56-3708''
*
Bell H-13 Sioux
The Bell H-13 Sioux is an American single-engine light helicopter built by Bell Helicopter and manufactured by Westland Aircraft under license for the British military as the Sioux AH.1 and HT.2.
Development
In 1947, the United States Army ...
''58-1520''
*
Bell UH-1F Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...
''65-7951''
*
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
''44-87779''
*
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
''56-0657''
*
Boeing EC-135A ''61-0262''
*
Cessna O-2A Skymaster ''67-21422''
*
Cessna U-3A
The Cessna 310 is an American four-to-six-seat, low-wing, twin-engine monoplane produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engine aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.
Development
The 310 first flew ...
''53-5872''
*
Convair C-131D Samaritan
The Convair C-131 Samaritan is an American twin-engined military transport produced from 1954 to 1956 by Convair. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240 family of airliners.Gradidge 1997, p. 20–21.
Design and development
The design ...
''55-0292''
*
Convair F-102A Delta Dagger ''56-1017''
*
Douglas A-26K Invader ''64-17640''
*
Douglas C-47H Skytrain ''42-93127''
*
Douglas C-54D Skymaster ''42-72592''
*
General Dynamics FB-111A Aardvark
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production variants of the F-111 had roles that included ground attack (e.g. interdiction), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons c ...
''68-0248''
*
Lockheed T-33A ''57-0590''
*
LTV A-7D Corsair II
The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).
The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was ...
''74-1739''
*
Martin EB-57B Canberra ''52-1548''
*
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a ...
''59-0426''
*
North American F-100A Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet engine, jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century S ...
''53-1533''
*
North American F-86H Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...
''53-1302''
*
North American VB-25J Mitchell ''43-4030''
*
Rockwell B-1B Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...
''83-0067''
*
Northrop T-38 Talon ''58-1192''
*
Republic F-105B Thunderchief ''57-5839''
*
Republic F-84F Thunderjet ''52-8886''
*
Stinson L-5G Sentinel ''45-35046''
*
Vultee BT-13 Valiant ''41-22204''
Missiles on display
*
AGM-28 Hound Dog ''59-2791''
*
LGM-25C Titan I ''61-4523''
*
LGM-30F Minuteman II
The LGM-30 Minuteman is an American land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in service with the Air Force Global Strike Command. , the LGM-30G Minuteman III version is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States and re ...
*
MIM-3 Nike Ajax
The United States Army's Nike Ajax was the world's first operational guided surface-to-air missile (SAM), entering service in 1954. Nike Ajax was designed to attack conventional bomber aircraft flying at high subsonic speeds and altitudes above ...
See also
*
List of aerospace museums
*
List of museums in South Dakota
This list of museums in South Dakota encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, ...
*
North American aviation halls of fame
This list of aviation awards is an index to articles about notable awards given in the field of aviation. It includes a list of awards for winners of competitions or records, a list of awards by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, various oth ...
References
Footnotes
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
{{authority control
Aerospace museums in South Dakota
Military and war museums in South Dakota
Air force museums in the United States
Museums in Meade County, South Dakota