The Palm Springs Air Museum (PSAM), is a non-profit educational institution in
Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...
,
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Uni ...
. The Museum's mission is to exhibit, educate and eternalize the role of the
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
combat aircraft and the role the pilots and American citizens had in winning the war. In addition to flying aircraft, related artifacts, artwork, and library sources are used to perpetuate American history. It contains one of the world's largest collections of flying World War II warplanes, many of which were built in Southern California. Many of these aircraft have been used by motion picture companies in movies set during the second world war.
Located on the north-east side of the
Palm Springs International Airport, the Air Museum is housed in a new structure that includes three main display hangars, theater, gift shop, ramp and airport access for flight demonstrations and visiting planes, research library, simulator and education center.
An extensive collection of aviation art by
Stan Stokes.
History
The museum was founded by Bob Pond and Pete Madison. It opened to the public on 11 November 1996. Originally operating in concert with the
Planes of Fame East Museum in
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Eden Prairie is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 16th-largest city in the State of Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 64,198. The city is adjacent to the north bank of ...
, following the closure of that museum the aircraft were moved to the Palm Springs Air Museum. The museum opened a new hangar, named for Major General Ken Miles, in May 2017.
The museum announced plans to renovate its entrance and add a large classroom in 2022.
Collection
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Aero S-106 ''1112''
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Bell AH-1G Cobra ''67-15574''
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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 Arm ...
– on loan
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Bell P-63A Kingcobra ''42-68864''
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Bell UH-1B Iroquois ''63-8610''
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Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet
The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known ...
''38393''
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Boeing VB-17G Flying Fortress ''44-85778''
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CAC Sabre ''F-8612/F-8607'' – on loan
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Cessna O-2 Skymaster
The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010.
Design and develo ...
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Consolidated PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wi ...
''48426''
*
Convair F-102A Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was an American interceptor aircraft designed and manufactured by Convair.
Built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s, it entered service in 1956. Its main purpo ...
''56-1432'' – on loan
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Convair F-106B Delta Dart ''57-2509''
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Curtiss TP-40N Warhawk ''44-7084''
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Douglas B-26C Invader ''44-35721''
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Douglas RC-47 Dakota ''035''
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Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main carrier-based scout/div ...
''36176'' – on loan
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Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed a ...
''154649'' – on loan
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Erco 415D Ercoupe ''4019''
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Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar ''53-8154'' – fuselage only
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General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon ''163277'' – on loan
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Grumman A-6E Intruder ''154162'' – on loan
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Grumman C-1A Trader ''146048''
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Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat ''94473''
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Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat ''80412''
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Grumman F-14A Tomcat ''160898'' – on loan
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Grumman FM-2 Wildcat ''55627''
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Grumman G-58B Gulfhawk ''D-1262''
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Grumman Gulfstream 1 – owned by
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
, on loan from the Disney Archives
*
General Motors TBM-3 Avenger ''53785''
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Lockheed F-104G Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the "Century Series" of fi ...
''D-8244''
*
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational aircr ...
*
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon ''37211''
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Lockheed TV-2 ''126591''
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McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II ''153851'' – on loan
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McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet ''162403'' – on loan
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North American TB-25N Mitchell ''44-86747''
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North American F-100D Super Sabre ''3-888''
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North American P-51D Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
N ...
''9273''
*
North American T-6G Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
''49-3402''
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North American T-28B Trojan ''138203''
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Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler ''163030'' – on loan
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Piper J-3 Cub
The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is Pi ...
''4594''
*
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak ''51-9531'' – on loan
*
Republic F-105D Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Viet ...
''61‐0108'' – on loan
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Republic P-47D Thunderbolt ''122''
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Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse
The Sikorsky H-34 "Choctaw" (company designation S-58) is an American piston-engined military helicopter originally designed by Sikorsky as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft for the United States Navy. It has seen extended use when ...
''154895''
*
Supermarine Spitfire XIV ''SG108/RM694''
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Vought FG-1D Corsair ''92629''
References
Further reading
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here for Table of Contents
External links
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Organizational Profile–
National Center for Charitable Statistics
The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is a clearing house for information about the nonprofit sector of the U.S. economy. The National Center for Charitable Statistics builds national, state, and regional databases and develops sta ...
(
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations and pr ...
)
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Aerospace museums in California
Museums in Riverside County, California
Buildings and structures in Palm Springs, California
Military in Riverside County, California
Military and war museums in California
Tourist attractions in Palm Springs, California