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Photo Diary: Strategic Air Command Aerospace Museum, Omaha NE [1]
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Date: 2022-09-21
Throughout the Cold War, Strategic Air Command was America’s nuclear spear. From 1950 to 1990, SAC, led by the slightly-nutty General Curtis LeMay, heroically held off the dastardly Commies and protected our precious bodily fluids with an immense destructive power that no sane defense policy should ever require. (Yes, I had to re-watch “Dr Strangelove” before my visit. Wahhhh-hoooo!)
The SAC Aerospace Museum, just outside Omaha, is like an atomic Disneyland, full of bombers, missiles, and other relics of the Cold War.
Some photos from a visit. Alas, the planes are crowded in here and the lighting is pretty crappy. I did my best.
For those who don't know, I live in a converted campervan and travel around the country, posting photo diaries of places that I visit. I am currently in Nebraska.
The museum
Atlas Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile. It was later modified to put the Mercury astronauts into orbit.
B1-A Lancer prototype. A very controversial nuclear bomber from the Carter/Reagan era
SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. Made in the 70s, it still looks futuristic.
Inside the museum
Test model of Apollo space ship
EC-135C jet modified for “Looking Glass”—the Cold War program that kept a command airplane airborne 24 hours a day to respond to any Soviet surprise attack
F-101 Voodoo fighter
KC-97 air to air refueling tanker
B-36 nuclear bomber
B-47 nuclear bomber
B-52 nuclear bomber
B-52 cockpit trainer
XF-85 Goblin. A crazy idea for bombers to carry tiny escort fighters along with them inside the bomb bay.
F-102 Delta Dagger interceptor. Intended to shoot down Soviet bombers before they could reach the US.
B36 nuclear bomb. Came in two versions: 6 megatons, or 19 megatons.
B-58 Hustler nuclear bomber. I wish the lighting wasn’t so awful—this is a sweet-looking airplane. Like something Captain Kirk would fly.
U-2 spy plane
Minuteman missile control station
Quail. Carried by the B-52, it was intended to mimic a bomber and confuse Soviet air defenses.
F-117 stealth fighter awaiting restoration
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