'My Hat's Off to You,' Klaers Tells Volunteers

Museum President and CEO Bill Klaers was thrilled by Tripadvisor's latest popularity ranking of the museum -- eighth best in a list of the top ten tourist attractions in the U.S. in 2025, up from eleventh in 2024. "That is huge," Klaers said October 11 at the museum's annual Volunteer Appreciation Day in the WestPac facility on the museum campus at the Colorado Springs Airport.

Klaers noted an October 4 Tripadvisor review by a contributor named Steve H: "[We] visited the museum on a Wednesday in early October 2025.... [We] chose the $5 a person guided tour, which led us to Larry, an Air Force vet and pilot. The next three hours flew by as Larry led us through the museum and entertained us with stories you won't find on any of the museum's well-designed and informative signage. He pointed out the pans placed under many of the vintage planes to catch the drips of the engine oil from aircraft that still fly. Later, we met Vern [Patterson] and learned about the museum's internship program and plans for expansion. We were highly impressed by the immaculate condition of the planes and other memorabilia, as well as the restoration and fabrication activities, and the parts inventory. These folks know their stuff and love what they are doing. We highly recommend spending a few hours learning about WWII aviation as a tribute to the brilliant men and women who protected the free world from the tyranny of the Third Reich and of Japanese imperialism. This easy-to-find museum is a treasure for young and old. It should be a must see for your visit to the Front Range."

That sums it up, Klaers said. It's not just the airplanes, it's the volunteers, whether they work in such diverse areas as guiding tours, working at the front desk, in the simulator area, or the library. "You breathe life into this museum," he told the volunteers. "Otherwise, it would just be concrete floors and artifacts... My hat's off to you."

It works both ways. Earlier in the day, when four of the planes housed at the museum (B-25, TBM, T-6 and Stearman) took volunteers for rides, one woman said she told him after her flight that "it was the best day of my life." To me, that means a hell of a lot."

He ticked through accomplishments of each of the museum's major components.

* The docent section, under Mark Earle, increased the number of docents over the past year from 55 to 68, and is shooting for 70 active docents by the end of the year. K-12 education, also under Mark Earle, is continuing work on new social studies modules. Work is accelerating on an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) school.

* John Henry and the communications team "provide social media posts, newsletters, YouTube videos, and now podcasts that reach many thousands of people." The Museum’s Facebook page has over 59,000 followers; the newsletter has nearly 5,000 subscribers; and the Museum’s YouTube channel, which hosts both the Winged Victory with Rob and Scott podcast and our historical presentations, boasts over 2,500 subscribers.

* Crystal Ross, volunteer coordinator, has adopted a new volunteer management system. "I'm always amazed at how many of you step forward, often exceeding the numbers we need," he said. "That speaks volumes about your commitment, your passion for the museum, and your desire to make a real difference."

* Flight simulators "have introduced hundreds of museum visitors of all ages to the joy of flying....These simulated flights were so popular that many visitors, especially youngsters, consider them to be among the highlight of their visit to the museum," Klaers said.

* Dan Neff and the library team have catalogued 22,500 books this year, a great portion of which are part of a donation to the museum by William Wolf of Fountain Hills, Arizona. The donation, which also includes videos and manuals, is considered the largest privately held collection of World War II rarities.

* The restoration, maintenance, construction, and exhibit team under Harry Johnson participated in meetings on the design of displays to be featured in the 40,000 square-foot pavilion addition, set for completion next year. The team has finished about 80 percent of the cases for exhibits planned for the addition.

* Gene Pfeffer's history and collections team has "implemented a new artifact database that is more flexible, more easily searched, and can be accessed remotely," Klaers said. It has also "improved the artifact storage system to allow for easier access in selecting items for displays."

* Membership activity under a team led by Kris Toy "is up substantially from last year" Klaers said. The front desk alone "processed a total of 147 memberships in August and September. This includes 67 new memberships."

* One measure of Vern Patterson's work with engineering students of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, may be that, "of eight graduates this year, six found jobs in industry -- several quite good jobs, in fact," Klaers said. The students, who get academic credit for their efforts, do a variety of things, including determining how to use new technology in the operation of WWII-era artifacts such as a gun turret. Another measure, Klaers said, is that funding from the Caine Family Foundation will increase next year, with most of it going to expand the summer program.

* Debi Klaers, who runs the front desk, thanked her husband. "He steers the ship. We all have a place to belong.... Hail to our leader because he does a great job and he takes great care of us."

* Larry McManus, whose team makes lamps, clocks and other attractive items from old aircraft wreckage and parts for sale in the gift shop "has done really a great job in retail sales" and in setting up the "Alchemy Group," which performs such magic. It "has almost become another exhibit where the people can go in and watch these guys."

* Brian Corrado, in charge of security, helped set up a system to train volunteers to administer enhanced first aid to visitors who need it. He also updated the Museum’s emergency preparedness plans.

* Lance James "is doing a really good job" as the new director of development, Klaers said. He's in touch with "a lot of local foundations and individuals."

For the Operations and Aircraft Maintenance unit, which Klaers himself heads, it was "a cool year." It began without the pressure of getting planes ready for the next Pikes Peak Regional Airshow, to be held in 2026, but it then became clear that preparations had to be made quickly for a September visit of the British firm Coleman Television, which planned to shoot a number of air-to-air videos, as well as perform interviews with volunteers, for a documentary about the museum to be released next year. Klaers and his team went to work and did annual inspections of 15 aircraft in just three months.

"It was pretty intense," Klaers said, but "everybody just jumped in and they really did a good job. That, to me, is cool." The Coleman team is slated to return November 8 to shoot videos of the WestPac area.

The August 13 ground-breaking ceremony for the new addition to the museum's pavilion was "huge," Klaers said. Guests included Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, Congressman Jeff Crank representing Colorado's Fifth Congressional District, and representatives of the major foundations which help fund the museum. “We're being recognized as a major factor in this community." said Klaers.

Klaers said this is a measure "of where we are within the community, in the community awareness, especially with the air show that we put on last year. It's just huge.... Every day you wake up and you're getting more good news."

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Photo Credit: Dave Devore

Flights West

Lieutenant Colonel George Hardy (USAF-retired), the last surviving member of the original Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, died September 26 in Sarasota, Florida, at the age of 100.

In a 30-year military career, he flew 136 combat missions in three wars -- 21 in WWII, 45 in the Korean War, and 70 in the Vietnam War. In WWII he flew mostly P-51 Mustangs with the 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group based at Ramitelli Air Base, Italy. In Korea he flew B-29 Superfortresses, and in Vietnam he flew AC-119 gunships.

The Tuskegee Airmen Inc.'s National Office announced Hardy's passing, calling him "a true American hero." It said his "legacy is one of courage, resilience, tremendous skill and dogged perseverance against racism, prejudice and other evils. We are forever grateful for his sacrifice and will hold dear to his memory."

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Photo Credit: i.pinimg.com

John "Lucky" Luckadoo, the last surviving pilot of World War II's 100th Bomb Group, passed away September 1, 2025, at his home in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 103.

Luckadoo, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on March 16, 1922, survived a combat tour of 25 missions with the Bloody 100th. His experience endures in his biography "Damn Lucky" and in the 2023 HBO mini-series "Masters of the Air," for which he was an advisor.

In early 1943, Luckadoo was assigned to the Eighth Air Force's 100th Bomb Group at Thorpe Abbotts, England. He flew 25 combat missions between June 1943 and February 1944 as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot during one of the bloodiest periods of the bombing campaign against Germany.

The 100th is one of the most storied bomber groups of the 8th Air Force during WWII. Its first mission on June 25, 1943, to Bremen in northern Germany, wasn’t easy; three B-17s were shot down and 30 men lost. After four months in combat, few of the flying officers who deployed to England were left on flying status. The others were killed, captured, wounded, or otherwise not fit for duty.

In 1943, the average life of a crew was 11 missions; it took 25 missions to go home. Only fourteen percent of the 100th's flyers who deployed to England completed their tour. They were all young; one lost squadron commander was a 24-year-old Lieutenant Colonel.

In its first 109 days of service, the 100th lost 27 of its 35 aircrews, earning the group the nickname "The Bloody 100th". During a single mission in October 1943, the Eighth Air Force lost 88 bombers; the 100th lost over 100 flyers when only six of eighteen B-17s returned from the mission. Luckadoo's aircraft was one of the six survivors. With the arrival of more bombers and the longer-range escort fighters beginning in late 1943, the survival rate of bomber crews increased substantially.

In total, the 100th flew 306 missions, lost 229 planes, had 768 crewmen killed or missing in action, and 939 crewmen taken as prisoners of war. A tribute to the men of the 100th hangs in the Museum’s briefing room, thanks to aviation art provided by the 100th BG Foundation and Nancy Putnam, whose father served with the 100th.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle & Gene Pfeffer

Photo Credit: www.legacy.com

British Company Films Museum Aircraft and Volunteers for Upcoming Documentary

A multi-part documentary about the museum is being produced by a British TV company and is slated to be released to multiple outlets next year. The documentary by Coleman Television, headquartered in Suffolk, England, will feature air-to-air videos of 16 of the planes housed at the museum at Colorado Springs Airport, as well as interviews with volunteers, docents and museum members.

Much of the week-long filming was done September 22 to 26 with the Museum’s North American B-25 Mitchell "In The Mood" serving as the camera plane; sharp-eyed observers might have noticed that the tail guns were removed to configure for filming.

Plane spotters throughout the Pikes Peak region were treated to views of multiple special formation flights throughout the week, including two Grumman F7F Tigercats and two Corsairs (the Museum’s Brewster F3A-1 and Jim Tobul’s Chance-Vought F4U-4) flying with the B-25; the Curtiss SB2C-1A Helldiver and Douglas SBD Dauntless; and the Lockheed P-38 Lightning flying alongside the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. The B-25 itself was filmed from the North American T-6G Texan trainer.

Nik Coleman, CEO of Coleman Television, said on the company's Facebook page that it was "An unforgettable week at the National Museum of World War II Aviation! Filming these legendary warbirds up close has been incredible and doing it all from a B-25 Mitchell bomber as the camera ship made it even more special. Huge thanks to the National Museum of World War II Aviation for making it all possible. We’ve got even more amazing shots and stories from the skies to share - watch this space!"

Bill Klaers, CEO and President of the museum, warmly welcomed the Coleman team, as did the rest of the museum crew.

With Fall-Winter visiting hours having begun on September 8, the museum is now open Wednesdays through Sundays. It was closed for the first two days of filming on September 22 and 23 but was open again for additional filming until September 30 when the Coleman team's visit ended. Visitors were able to see some of the filming being done, as well as visiting the exhibits and other attractions.

Coleman Television has produced a range of videos, including "History's Greatest Aircraft," a TV series which the company describes as "An in depth look at some of the greatest aircraft that have seen service in different armed conflicts."

Coleman said in a September 23 interview that the new documentary will be "about the museum, the stories, the people...completely new stuff, entirely fresh." A working title for the 15-part series is "Thunder in the Sky."

Photos from the sessions were simultaneously run on the museum's Facebook page, and some videos were similarly released on Coleman's streaming channels "as well as conventional broadcast, which you'll find on [things like] Roku and Amazon," Coleman said.

The series, he said, will be "about the museum, the stories, the people."

A number of museum volunteers, some of whom work in multiple positions, were interviewed by the Coleman team. Rob Gale, for instance, a retired U.S. Navy officer, told Nik that in addition to being a docent he does podcasts and runs the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N “Yellow Peril” flight simulator. Gale was very enthusiastic about the filming. The four-ship formation of two Corsairs and two Tigercats, which was slated for filming from the B-25 later that day, "is going to be an amazing thing" to watch, he said. He was also looking forward to the filming of the SB2C Helldiver and SBD Dauntless flying together. "That's just so cool," he said. "I've grown to like the Helldiver a lot, but I absolutely love the Dauntless."

Liv Creasey, Coleman's lead floor producer for the visit, conducted about 100 interviews with other volunteers just like Rob.

"We started on [September 20] with 16 volunteers who had family members in World War II," she said September 24 as she stood with Nik in the WestPac facility. "There are volunteers, members, docents, all of whom have their own story, and a lot of people here are veterans, ex-military.... I've never met a group of people like this.... Everyone has so many stories to tell, and half an hour never feels like enough." She wanted to get through as many as she could, "and half an hour's got to be enough. You could talk to them for another two hours."

Liv agreed with Nik, who had himself conducted a number of interviews, that the experience was "brilliant."

Other Museum aircraft that flew and will be featured in the documentary include the Grumman F3F Flying Barrel, Douglas AD-5 Skyraider, PT-13 Stearman, and both General Motors TBM Avengers.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Photo Credit: Dave Devore

78th Anniversary of Yeager's Supersonic Flight

On October 14, 1947, seventy-eight years ago, then-First Lieutenant Chuck Yeager became the first man to be recorded as flying supersonic on October 14, 1947. Others have claimed to have exceeded the speed of sound briefly during dives in conventional aircraft, but the claims are doubtful.

Yeager's flight in the rocket-powered Bell X-1 “Glamorous Glennis” (named after his wife) to Mach 1.05 at Muroc Army Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base) in California was a major milestone in the history of aviation. The flight was the result of an intense U.S. effort late in World War II and the early post-war years based on German successes with jet and rocket development.

Yeager grew up in poverty in West Virginia, joined the Army Air Forces, was shot down over France in his P-51 Mustang in March 1944, escaped the Germans and returned to his unit, became an “ace in a day” in October 1944 when he shot down five aircraft on one mission (he ended the war with 11.5 confirmed victories), and went on to become an icon of American aviation, attaining the rank of Brigadier General in the USAF in 1969.

Per the United States Air Force, “His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal with "V" device, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem with oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon. He is a command pilot and has flown more than 10,000 hours in more than 361 different makes and models of military aircraft all over the world.”

Yeager died at age 97 in 2020.

Operation Dynamo

Britain and France declared war on Germany 86 years ago on September 3, 1939, in response to the German invasion of Poland. Britain sent Army and Royal Air Force forces to aid France in the defense of a German attack westward, with France and Britain both stationing their forces along the northern French border. The French believed that if Germany attacked it would be into The Netherlands and northern Belgium, not through the mountainous terrain in southern Belgium.

On May 10, 1940, Germany attacked on a broad front, punching their best armored forces precisely where Belgium was only weakly defended. The Germans quickly broke through the lines.

German forces raced to the English Channel, reaching the coast in just 10 days. British and French forces withdrew to the French coast where Britain evacuated as many men as possible across the English Channel to Britain.

German armored and motorized forces were halted by Hitler outside the port of Dunkirk -- the main port being used to evacuate British forces -- for resupply and refitting. The Luftwaffe attempted destruction of the encircled armies but mostly failed; in the end, some 330,000 mostly British with some French and Belgian troops were safely evacuated over a week’s time during codename Operation DYNAMO.

The heroic efforts of Britain’s Royal Air Force were instrumental in aiding the evacuation. 'Dynamo' began on May 26. Strong defenses were established around Dunkirk, and the Royal Air Force sent all available aircraft to protect the evacuation. Critically, more than 800 ships, both civilian and military, answered a call from the British Admiralty to evacuate troops from the beaches of Dunkirk to safety across the English Channel. The last British troops were evacuated on June 3, with French forces covering their escape.

The French government surrendered on the June 22, 1940.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Photo and Graphics: www.britannica.com

Colorado Veteran Awarded Legion of Honor

Erwin C. Powell, 101 years old and World War II USAAF veteran, was awarded the Legion of Honor medal at his independent living facility in Arvada, Colorado, on September 12. "This event today is certainly a high point in my life," Powell said. "It's quite an honor."

Powell took part in 55 bombing missions in the European theater, including 18 over France, and participated in the Northern France and Rhineland campaigns before being discharged in July 1945. He flew in Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers as a radioman-gunner from bases in England, France, and Belgium, while assigned to the 391st Bomb Group, 572nd Bomb Squadron, his son Nick said in an email.

His significant decorations include the Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf clusters, the Campaign Medal with two battle stars, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Distinguished Unit Citation.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Photo Credit: 9News Denver KUSA

Boeing XB-15 Made First Flight 88 Years Ago

Eighty-eight years ago this month marked the first flight of the Air Corps' first prototype of a true long-range strategic bomber, the Boeing XB-15, on October 15, 1937.

In the years after WWI, air leaders such as General Billy Mitchell developed and championed the concepts of strategic air warfare. These included attacks on an enemy’s ability to wage war. However, it wasn’t until the early 1930s that aircraft technology would allow development of long-range aircraft with heavy payloads that could implement these concepts. It was then that the development of suitable aircraft began.

The initial concept for the XB-15 was a bold step in aircraft design. Boeing’s engineers envisioned an aircraft with exceptional range and payload capacity, pushing the limits of contemporary aviation technology. It included features that were innovative for the time, such as a vast wingspan, multiple engines for extended range, and a focus on crew comfort and endurance for long missions.

The XB-15 was one of the largest aircraft of its time and was a major step forward in the development of strategic bombing capabilities. However, its career was short-lived. The primary issue was its underpowered engines, which, despite their advanced design, could not provide the necessary speed and performance expected of a modern bomber. While the XB-15 did not enter full production, its development was crucial in advancing aircraft technology, leading to the B-17 Flying Fortress. The XB-15 served as a valuable platform for testing and refining bomber concepts.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle & Gene Pfeffer

Battle of Britain Day

Battle of Britain Day is celebrated in the United Kingdom each year on September 15th. It was on that date in 1940 that the largest German Air Force (Luftwaffe) attack on London took place. It was the decisive air battle which ensured that a German invasion of Britain would not take place.

By June 1940, German forces had conquered most of Western Europe; only the United Kingdom stood in the way of a German-dominated western Europe. After having several peace offers rejected by the British, the Luftwaffe was ordered to destroy Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) to gain air superiority as a prelude for an amphibious assault. In July 1940, the Luftwaffe began closing the English Channel to merchant shipping. In August, Operation Eagle Attack was launched against RAF airfields in southern England; by early September, the Luftwaffe had still not achieved air superiority. Germany then turned to bombing cities to damage the British military and civil industries, as well as damage civilian morale.

On Sunday, September 15, 1940, the Luftwaffe launched its largest and most concentrated attack against London which was aimed at drawing the RAF into a battle of annihilation. Fifteen hundred aircraft took part in the air battle, which lasted until dark. The action was the climax of what became known as the Battle of Britain, and resulted in the RAF effectively defeating the raids as the Luftwaffe failed to inflict serious damage on London.

In the aftermath of the raid, Germany postponed and eventually canceled its planned invasion. The Luftwaffe then turned its attention to night bombing of British cities in what became known as the Blitz, which continued through May 1941.

RAF Sergeant Douglas James "DJ" Chipping's logbook for September 1-5, 1940, showing 20 missions and seven enemy engagements. Note the final September 5 entry, "Patrol, engaged ME-109s, damaged one - probably destroyed another and was shot down myself by ack ack". Chipping was shot down by friendly fire over Dover, where gun crews were celebrated for bringing down what they thought was an Me-109 at long range. RAF leadership allowed the story to stick since it was good for morale! (Photo Credit: bbm.org.uk)

Battle of Britain Day, September 15, is now an annual commemoration of the battle in the United Kingdom. In Canada, the commemoration takes place on the third Sunday of September.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle & Gene Pfeffer

WWI Ace Eddie Rickenbacker's

Secret WWII Mission

Eddie Rickenbacker was an American fighter pilot and World War I air hero; he shot down 26 enemy aircraft between April 29 and October 30, 1918, and was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

In October 1942, at fifty-two years of age, Rickenbacker went on special assignment for the Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, departing the U.S. to visit the Southwest Pacific Commander, General Douglas MacArthur. He carried a secret message for McArthur that he memorized.

But his Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber became lost and ditched at sea; he and seven others were on a raft for 24 days before being rescued. One man died; Rickenbacker lost 40 pounds during the ordeal.

See the story and a personal Rickenbacker photo album on your next visit to the musuum!

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

War Winners:

Superchargers and Turbosuperchargers

Superchargers and turbosuperchargers helped the Allies win World War II, allowing aircraft like the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Republic P-47 Thunderbolt to climb quickly to high altitudes.

In a presentation at the museum on October 18, lead docent Les Doggrell explained why that was important for fighters. He noted the first of eight "rules" of dogfighting laid out by World War I German ace Oswald Boelcke: Get in a position of advantage over your enemy, which normally means above and behind. See Boelcke's whole list of rules in the World War I exhibit in our pavilion.

But, Doggrell said, gaining altitude means overcoming a progressive loss of engine power as a climb continues and the atmosphere gets thinner. A big part of the solution is to provide more air to the engine; one way to do that, he said, is with a supercharger. A supercharger is a mechanical system that uses an impeller, or air pump, small airfoils, and a bit of engine power to compress air and feed it back to the engine. Getting more air to the engine offsets, at least for a range of altitudes, the effects of lower pressure and less air for the engine.

The Museum’s North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber has a two-speed supercharger, Doggrell said. It has a clutch that allows running at a higher speed, which is "useful as you climb higher and higher," basically doubling the amount of air going into the engines. Higher-performance aircraft all had this feature by World War II, he said.

But, he asked, if one supercharger works, why not have two? The Merlin engine on the Supermarine Spitfire and the North American P-51 Mustang had exactly that, he said, adding that the Brewster Corsair housed at the museum also has a two-stage supercharger, allowing it to climb to 33,000 feet. Each of the two stages has a separate impeller with gears connecting to the engine.

If two-stage superchargers are better, how about three? It would work but there are diminishing returns, Doggrell said. "You're using engine power to drive the superchargers, the blowers and the clutch mechanism. At some point, that stops being useful." So, during World War II, "the cut-off was [the] two-stage."

Next came the turbocharger which utilizes hot air from the engine's exhaust directed through a turbine disc, which has dozens of little airfoils. The force is enough to spin the discs at 20,000 RPMs. Power is thus extracted from the hot exhaust.

Testing of turbochargers was a problem however, Doggrell said. If it was run at sea level, too much air would be going into the engine and it would blow up. The answer was to test it high above sea level – and one location to do that was on 14,000-foot Pikes Peak here in Colorado, which conveniently also had a road running to the summit. In 1918, a 410 horsepower Liberty L-12 engine fitted with a turbocharger was driven to the top of the mountain on the back of a truck. The engine still produced 410 horsepower at altitude, demonstrating that the idea worked.

The next step was to test it in an aircraft. On September 24, 1919, U.S. Army Major Rudolph Schroeder took off from McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, in a Packard Le Père LUSAC-11 (Lepère United States Army Combat) biplane powered by a Liberty engine with a turbocharger.

Although the aircraft’s operational ceiling was 20,000 feet, he reached 30,900 feet with the turbocharger. In 1921, Lieutenant John A. Macready took the same plane to 40,000 feet. "Very clearly," Doggrell said, "the turbocharger could add the kind of power to get aircraft up to those altitudes.”

Then came the turbosupercharger. It was basically the same system, using hot gas in the turbine to spin an impeller which compressed the air and then fed it to the supercharger, which compressed it even more, Doggrell said. “Air passes through the impeller connected to the turbine disc in the turbocharger and then through the supercharger on its way to the engine. The air gets compressed twice.”

The first application of a turbosupercharger in an operational aircraft was the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. Engines of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator and Boeing B-29 Superfortress, also long-range, high-altitude heavy bombers, used turbosuperchargers as well.

The P-38 has a turbosupercharger on top of each nacelle-mounted engine (as shown in the photo above). The system allowed the plane to fly to 44,000 feet and, with speeds in excess of 400 mph, it was a very high-performance aircraft that used all the power the engines could generate, Doggrell said.

The P-38’s designer, Kelly Johnson, who went on to develop the aircraft like the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady and SR-71 Blackbird, found a way to go without the big, heavy box of the turbosupercharger's intercooler that was used in planes like the P-47, Doggrell said. The intercooler is a heat exchanger that cools compressed air before it enters an engine. Johnson realized that the wing of the P-38 in flight at altitude would be very cold, with possible temperatures to -70 degrees Fahrenheit above 40,000 feet.

So, Doggrell said, rather than putting a whole separate intercooler into the airplane, Johnson came up with the idea of routing the hot compressed air from the turbocharger out to the wing's leading edge through ducts that would serve as an intercooler. "Kudos to Bill Klaers [president and CEO of the museum] and WestPac and company" who restored the wing intercooler on the P-38F, an early variant, which is "the only flying example of this technology." It is "unique in all the world" and a cross section of the wing showing the intercooler tubing is usually on display at the museum beside the P-38.

To help get around the problem of taking a bullet through this structure and thereby losing power, Doggrell said, later models of the P-38, starting with the J model, used an intercooler and a big air intake. The new intake created more drag but the tradeoff was acceptable.

Asked during the question-and-answer period following the presentation how the P-38 compares to the F7F Tigercat, chief pilot Charles Hainline said, "There's no comparison at all. The Tigercat has a lot of advantages over the P-38 ... the visibility is ten times better, the climb's better, the operation of the airplane itself is simpler....".

He said he loved flying the P-38, which he did for an enthusiastic crowd after the presentation, "but it's a workload to fly compared to a lot of those other airplanes like the Tigercat. Cockpit layout is very sporadic because it's a 1930s design. The Tigercat's more of a '40s design, so they made a lot of improvements there. But the visibility out of the '38, it's really challenging. Every time I get in, I'm kind of surprised that it was ever really a fighter because [it was initially] designed for pursuit and to go and shoot bombers down."

The P-38 was "adapted very well to the Pacific [in World War II], mainly, to dogfight," Hainline continued. "But it was more of a slashing attacker than a turning dogfighter, I would say, probably in general."

Klaers said the Tigercat "could go by anything. It's faster than anything, it'll out-climb anything, but it can't go by a fuel stop.”

Two planes housed at the museum, the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R2800 engine and the Lockheed P-38F Lightning, powered by a pair of Allison V12s, have turbosuperchargers. One reason the P-47 is so big, Doggrell said, is that it's designed around the system. It gave the P-47 a service ceiling of 42,000 feet, but at 30,000 feet where air-to-air combat often took place, it "still had excess power to accelerate [or] recover from a turn, so [it was] a good measure of how effective the system was in the P-47." The P-47 "did not operate at [42,000 feet] during the war. The airplane can but the pilot cannot, at least for very long." A P-47 turbosupercharger is on display at the museum in Hangar 3.

Story by Rich Tuttle

Colonel Gene Pfeffer (USAF-ret.), museum curator and historian, contributed to this article

Ralph Brands Named Volunteer of the Third Quarter

Ralph Brands was honored as the 2025 Volunteer of the Third Quarter at a recent ceremony.

Per Ralph's nomination by his Department Lead, Bryan McMeekin, "Ralph started his career at the Museum as a Docent, but decided his real passion was one-on-one with guests on the simulators and became a full-time sim instructor for the Museum."

In his prior career, Ralph was a United States Air Force and Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules pilot.

"He has used his vast knowledge of aviation, his flying and communication skills, and his warm and sincer manner to give our guests of all ages and fun and educational experience" wrote McMeekin.

Ralph authored, edited, and published the guidance that all Museum simulator instructors use. "It is clear and concise, with step-by-step instructions that allow all of our teammates to operate the simulators from start-up to shut-down" and is written so that volunteers of any computer experience level can operate it.

"There's no doubting Ralph's love for the Museum," the nomination details, "His enthusiasm is infectious and our visitors love "flying" with him. Many of the good comments we get on Tripadvisor are attributable to his efforts."

Congratulations, Ralph!

Story Credit: George White

Photo Credit: Dave Devore

Special Presentation:

Iwo Jima – An Essential Island Airbase Bought at a High Price

PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR WINTER HOURS ARE IN EFFECT!

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Museum opens at 9:00 a.m.

Presentation at 10:00 a.m.

After the American conquest of the Pacific islands of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, B-29 Superfortresses had bases from which to strike the Japanese home islands. The island of Iwo Jima lay directly on the route from these bases to Japan, and served as a Japanese early warning station that alerted air defense to prepare for the arrival of American bombers.

For the U.S., Iwo Jima was strategically important since it provided the Japanese a location from which to attack the B-29s both in the air and even at their bases in the Marianas. If Iwo Jima were to be captured by the U.S., it would both eliminate those threats and provide an airfield for U.S. fighters to escort and protect bombers enroute to Japan. It was also planned to be utilized as an emergency recovery base for damaged B-29s returning from Japan. With these objectives in mind, the stage was set for the bloody battle that would follow.

After months of brilliant defensive preparation by the Japanese, three days of heavy shelling by U.S. Navy ships had little effect. Three Divisions of U.S. Marines began landing on the island on February 19, 1945; after weeks of vicious fighting, the island was declared secured on March 16, although Japanese survivors continued attacks for months. The American victory at Iwo Jima had been extremely costly, with the number of Americans killed and wounded exceeding Japanese deaths.

Iwo Jima would eventually serve as an emergency landing site for 2,251 B-29 landings during the war. Some 1,000 fighter escort and 3,000 strike sorties were also flown from Iwo Jima against Japan. However, controversy continues even today whether the benefits to air operations were worth the high cost of seizing the island.

On Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., museum Docent and retired Navy officer Rob Gale will present the full story of the Battle for Iwo Jima.

Standard admission prices are in effect. The purchase of advance on-line tickets is encouraged.

Advance ticket prices are:

Adult - $17

Child (4-12) - $13

Senior and Military - $15

WWII Veterans – Always FREE!

Children 3 and Under – Always FREE!

Museum Members - Included in membership; please call 719-637-7559 or stop by the front desk to make your reservations.

And of course, parking is always FREE!

Story Credit: Colonel Gene Pfeffer (USAF-retired), Museum Curator and Historian

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