Castle Air Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Castle Air Museum

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Established	20 June 1981
Location	5050 Santa Fe Drive Atwater, California 95301
Type	Military aviation museum
Founder	Gen. James P. McCarthy

Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located in Atwater, California, United States adjacent to Castle Airport, a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base which was closed in 1995, after the end of the Cold War. It is one of the largest aerospace museums displaying vintage aircraft in the western United States.

History and information

The museum opened with 12 aircraft on 20 June 1981 as a branch of the United States Air Force Museum system. When Castle Air Force Base was closed in April 1995 and became Castle Airport, the museum similarly became private. The loss of federal funding eventually caused financial problems for the museum.

It currently displays over 60 restored World War II, Korean War, Cold War, and modern era aircraft. The outdoor museum covers 11 acres (45,000 m²), and among the exhibit highlights are a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (one of only 19 surviving), a Boeing B-52D Stratofortress, and the massive, ten-engined Convair RB-36H Peacemaker, one of only four surviving and the largest mass-produced piston aircraft in history. An indoor museum features artifacts, photographs, uniforms, war memorabilia, aircraft engines, and a restored B-52 Stratofortress flight deck. A crew of volunteers restores and maintains the aircraft on display. The museum also hosts a periodic Open House in which visitors can view the interiors of certain planes.

In May 2008, the museum reached its 50th displayed aircraft milestone with the addition of a Douglas A-4L Skyhawk. The aircraft was shipped to the museum in August 2006, and restored at a cost of $12,000.

In October 2013, the Museum received a retired VC-9C aircraft that had previously served during several administrations as an alternate Air Force One and Air Force Two aircraft when use of the primary VC-137 or VC-25 was impractical. Vice Presidents such as Al Gore, Dick Cheney, and First Ladies such as Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Hillary Clinton, as well as Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, were among the individuals who used the plane.

Alleged paranormal occurrences

The B-29A Superfortress exhibit is reported to be haunted by a spirit named "Arthur." Museum management has reported that visitors, including paranormal investigators, have heard knocking and footsteps from inside the plane. In addition, lights in the aircraft have been known to turn on and off, and the propellers are known to turn even though they are locked in place. An apparition has been photographed on several occasions, and paranormal researchers have detected anomalous readings on equipment. The paranormal occurrences have been featured on an episode of UPN's Real Ghosts (1995).

Collection

Boeing B-29A Superfortress

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

Convair RB-36H Peacemaker

Boeing B-50 Superfortress

Douglas B-23 Dragon

Avro Vulcan

Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter

Boeing B-47 Stratojet

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21

Convair F-102 Delta Dagger

Aircraft on Display

Name	Role	Class	Introduced	Country of Origin
Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck	Interceptor	Jet	1952	Canada
Avro Vulcan B.2	Strategic Bomber	Jet	1956	United Kingdom
Beech C-45G Expeditor	Utility	Propeller	1937	United States
Beechcraft YT-34 Mentor	Trainer	Propeller	1953	United States
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress	Bomber	Propeller	1937	United States
Boeing B-29A Superfortress	Bomber	Propeller	1944	United States
Boeing B-47E Stratojet	Strategic Bomber	Jet	1951	United States
Boeing B-52D Stratofortress	Strategic Bomber	Jet	1955	United States
Boeing CH-47D Chinook	Transport	Helicopter	1962	United States
Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker	Tanker	Jet	1957	United States
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter	Tanker	Propeller	1951	United States
Boeing WB-50 Superfortress	Bomber/Weather Reconnaissance	Propeller	1948	United States
Cessna O-2A Skymaster	Observation	Propeller	1967	United States
Cessna T-37B Tweet	Trainer	Jet	1957	United States
Cessna U-3A Blue Canoe	Utility	Propeller	1957	United States
Consolidated B-24M Liberator	Bomber	Propeller	1941	United States
Convair F-102A Delta Dagger	Interceptor	Jet	1956	United States
Convair F-106A Delta Dart	Interceptor	Jet	1959	United States
Convair HC-131 Samaritan	Transport	Propeller	1950	United States
Convair RB-36H Peacemaker	Strategic Bomber/Reconnaissance	Jet/Propeller	1949	United States
Convair B-58A Hustler	Strategic Bomber	Jet	1960	United States
Convair TF-102A Delta Dagger	Trainer	Jet	1956	United States
Curtiss C-46D Commando	Transport	Propeller	1941	United States
de Haviland Canada L-20 Beaver	Utility	Propeller	1948	Canada
Douglas A-26B Invader	Bomber	Propeller	1943	United States
Douglas A-4L Skyhawk	Attack Fighter	Jet	1956	United States
Douglas B-18 Bolo	Bomber	Propeller	1936	United States
Douglas B-23 Dragon	Bomber	Propeller	1939	United States
Douglas C-47 Skytrain	Transport	Propeller	1941	United States
Douglas R5D-4 Skymaster	Transport	Propeller	1942	United States
Douglas RA-3B Skywarrior	Strategic Bomber	Jet	1956	United States
Fairchild C-119C Flying Boxcar	Transport	Propeller	1949	United States
Fairchild C-123K Provider	Transport	Propeller	1956	United States
General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon	Fighter	Jet	1978	United States
General Dynamics FB-111A Aardvark	Strategic Bomber	Jet	1967	United States
Grumman F-14D Tomcat	Fighter	Jet	1974	United States
Grumman HU-16B Albatross	Amphibious Rescue	Propeller	1949	United States
Grumman S-2 Tracker	Anti-submarine Warfare	Propeller	1954	United States
Kaman HH-43B Huskie	Firefighting/Search and Rescue	Helicopter	1953	United States
Kawasaki KAQ-1	UAV/Target Drone	Propeller	1950	Japan
Lockheed C-130A Hercules	Transport	Propeller	1954	United States
Lockheed C-56 Loadstar	Transport	Propeller	1940	United States
Lockheed F-104B Starfighter	Interceptor	Jet	1958	United States
Lockheed F-80B Shooting Star	Fighter	Jet	1945	United States
Lockheed F-94A Starfire	Interceptor	Jet	1950	United States
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon	Bomber/Maritime Patrol	Propeller	1941	United States
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird	Strategic Reconnaissance	Jet	1966	United States
Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star	Trainer	Jet	1948	United States
Martin B-57 Canberra	Strategic Bomber/Reconnaissance	Jet	1951	United States
McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle	Fighter	Jet	1976	United States
McDonnell Douglas VC-9C	Executive Transport	Jet	1968	United States
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo	Fighter	Jet	1957	United States
McDonnell F-4E Phantom	Fighter	Jet	1960	United States
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21	Fighter/Interceptor	Jet	1956	Soviet Union
North American AT-6 Texan	Trainer	Propeller	1937	United States
North American B-25J Mitchell	Bomber	Propeller	1941	United States
North American B-45A Tornado	Strategic Bomber	Jet	1948	United States
North American F-100 Super Sabre	Fighter	Jet	1954	United States
North American F-86H Sabre	Fighter	Jet	1949	United States
North American RA-5C Vigilante	Strategic Bomber/Reconnaissance	Jet	1961	United States
North American T-39 Saberliner	Trainer/Utility	Jet	1962	United States
Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler	Electronic Warfare	Jet	1971	United States
Northrop F-89J Scorpion	Interceptor	Jet	1950	United States
Northrop T-38 Talon	Trainer	Jet	1961	United States
Republic F-105B Thunderchief	Fighter Bomber	Jet	1958	United States
Republic F-84C Thunderjet	Fighter Bomber	Jet	1947	United States
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak	Fighter Bomber	Jet	1954	United States
Ryan BQM-34	UAV/Target Drone	Jet	1955	United States
Saab J35 Draken	Fighter	Jet	1960	Sweden
Vought RF-8G Crusader	Fighter/Reconnaissance	Jet	1957	United States
Vultee BT-13 Valiant	Trainer	Propeller	1939	United States

Hidden aircraft collection

Castle Air Museum has several aircraft that cannot be displayed outdoors, as their fabric coverings do not hold up in the San Joaquin Valley weather. The museum is working to raise funds for a suitable building to display these and other items that they do not currently have indoor space to display.

Restoration efforts

The museum has recently received several aircraft which are currently under restoration before they will be displayed on the museum grounds:

• Castle Air Museum Visitor's Guide