American Air Museum

The American Air Museum was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 and was updated in 2014.  It tells the story of American air power and its effect on the 20th century, focusing largely on World War II in Europe; this is appropriate as Duxford was known as Base 357, the headquarters of the U.S. 78th Fighter Group, and home of P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs; these aeroplanes acted as fighter escorts on the large US bombing raids over Europe and Germany.  The 78th provided air cover for the Allied invasion fleet on D-Day and shot down the first German Me-262 jet aircraft.

The American Air Museum houses some of the USA’s most famous warbirds and bombers dating from World War I to the modern day including a B-17G Flying Fortress, a B-29 Superfortress named "It's Hawg Wild" and a B-52 Stratofortress.  It is a really interesting hall to visit.Read more