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South Dakota Air & Space Museum


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Looks like they have grown a bit since the last time I went through which would have been late 90s or early 2000s.

Don't see the scale B-2 anymore? Think it was a quarter scale or half scale test bird that they had on display where the B-1 is now. Came across a couple pics when we were looking for stuff for Mike's service. Might have to try and scan them in.

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We stopped here on a trip 2 years ago....Nice selection of A/C, BUT, many of there were in horrible states of disrepair, quite a shame really. The stuff inside was OK, but the models I saw in the showcases were in really bad shape. Plenty of other sites in the area(Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Deadwood, Custer Park, Badlands, Black Hills, Missle Silo tours), but I wouldn't make a special trip just to see the museum.

Edited by Lumpulus
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We did Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Cozmos and Dinosaur park. Really muggy this Morning! Got rain last night!

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Lots of good things happening at this museum - !

 

Some of the aircraft were getting kinda rough, so several are getting thoroughly refurbished every year. This trend started with the C-54 (which flew the Berlin Airlift in Navy colors), the UH-1F, C-47, etc. Current work underway on the Minuteman-II ICBM; the B-52 is almost finished. Brand new indoor exhibit this summer is the very first production HOUND DOG missile, restored by the 28th MX Group sheet metal folks - what a monster. Next up (I think) is the Douglas A-26K, which will get a SEA paint job. Also expect to see a lunar sample/exhibit here (!) in the next year or so, among others.

 

That "B-2" was actually a TV ad prop, used by Honda for the CRX ad campaign:

and later donated to the museum. It gradually deteriorated in the weather and there is now a mighty BONE, front and center, in its place.

 

Admission to the museum is free. Big Air Force helps a little, but you can help a lot: To help restore these rare planes and see the new exhibits happen, please do contribute to the Ellsworth Heritage Foundation: http://www.sdairandspacemuseum.com/index.htm ...and buy stuff at the gift shop...they have models... :)

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