Castle Air Museum, Atwater, CA

[sksvlad]

A nice medium size air museum https://www.castleairmuseum.org/ at a site of now defunct Castle AFB with some interesting exhibits. Has an AVRO Vulcan, which is a rarity in US. What is a large white missile under a wing of B52?

 

[Eggburt1969]

An AGM-28 (formerly GAM-77) Hound Dog series supersonic, land-attack, nuclear-armed, cruise missile by the look of it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-28_Hound_Dog

 

[Falcon]

I was able to see what was likely the last time a Vulcan will ever be airborne.

The last airworthy Vulcan did a farewell tour flight around the UK in October 2015.

It is no longer permitted to fly due to cost and engineering reasons.

 

[M8owner]

You have to admit it was really cool when a Vulcan flew all the way from the UK to the Falklands in 1981 and cratered the airport runway with a stick of bombs.

 

[sksvlad]

Yes, by memory they refueled at Ascension Island?

 

[Falcon]

Some information at the link below. I have read before that they had to take parts from grounded Vulcans in museums to make it possible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck

 

[HAZORD]

Quite the collection of Aircraft! That's the first SAAB Draken I've seen in the States, and the loaded Zuni pod on the Skyhawk is the first one I've seen in any of your photos!

 

[sksvlad]

May someone enlighten me about the Jeep looking drab painted vehicle at the end of my post? It says "Ford" in front and "Marmon Harrington" on the side. Did these 2 companies manufacture this vehicle together?

 

[ordnance]

May someone enlighten me about the Jeep looking drab painted vehicle at the end of my post? It says "Ford" in front and "Marmon Harrington" on the side. Did these 2 companies manufacture this vehicle together?

Marmon Harrington supplied front driving axles for many years to Ford and other manufacturers. I know their relationship with Ford started in the mid 1930s but am not sure where the installation of the 4 wheel drive components took place.

 

[ordnance]

I'm sure many of us like picking out errors in museum displays, something that is unfortunately not that uncommon in many museums. I had a chuckle at photos 39 and 40 depicting early aviation uniforms and what is supposed to be a WWI bomb, I suppose. Except it's a really scarce WWII Japanese incendiary bomb. Great item but a bit out of place.

 

[Falcon]

The museum website says that they are trying to raise funds to build a hangar to protect some of the aircraft from the weather.

Deterioration of aircraft stored outside is apparently a major problem that can be seen at air museums worldwide.

In the damp UK climate, some have deteriorated so badly that they have had the be dismantled and scrapped.