The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization with a museum facility located in

Pooler, Georgia Pooler is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. According to the official 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 25,711, up 34.3% from the 2010 population of 19,140. Pooler is located northwest of Savannah along Interstates 95 and 1 ...

, in the western suburbs of Savannah. It educates visitors through the use of exhibits, artifacts, archival materials, and stories, most of which are dedicated to the history of the Eighth Air Force of the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

that served in the European Theatre during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Among the many World War II exhibits are aircraft including a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber that can be viewed while being restored, a model of a Messerschmitt Bf 109G fighter, and a 3/4-scale model of a P-51 Mustang fighter. Aircraft on display outside include the

B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft. ...

MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...

, and F-4 Phantom II from the post-WWII Cold War era.

History

Planning for a museum dedicated to the Eighth Air Force began in 1983. Thirteen years later, on 14 May 1996, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum opened to the public. A 2003 statute named the museum as the official State of Georgia center for character education. The museum received a B-17 project from the National Air and Space Museum in January 2009. In February 2011, a fire truck that was used at Hunter Army Airfield during World War II was donated to the museum.

Areas

*Major General Lewis E. Lyle Rotunda *Colonial Group, Inc. Art Gallery *Miss Sophie's Restaurant *Museum Gift Store *Memorial Garden

Aircraft on display

* Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress * Boeing NTB-47B Stratojet * Boeing-Stearman N2S-3 Kaydet * McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II *

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 ...

Photos

File:F4 Phantom at Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA, US.jpg, F-4 Phantom II in front of the museum File:MiG 17 at Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA, US.jpg, MiG-17 in front of the museum File:Boeing B-47 at Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA, US.jpg, Boeing B-47 File:B-17 at Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA, US.jpg, B-17 being restored File:B-17 tail at Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA, US.jpg, Tail of B-17 being restored File:B-17 tail at Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA, US.jpg, B-17 tail view File:B-24 nose art at Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA, US.jpg, B-24 nose art File:B-47.JPG, The B-47 before being repainted File:SAC logo on B-47.jpg, Strategic Air Command logo on the B-47

References

External links