About The Museum
Then there's the B-25 Mitchell, similar to the planes Jimmy Doolittle led off the carrier U.S.S. Hornet during this country's first desperate attempt to bomb Tokyo. The B-29 is here too... the bomber that ended World War II in the Pacific.
On the other end of the spectrum are the B-47 Stratojet and the British Avro Vulcan B.2... this nuclear bomber was the first of it's type to be put on display in the United States... and from our closest allie and northern neighbour Canada, comes the Avro Canada (A.V. Roe Canada, Ltd.) CF-100 Canuck Mk V... the first straight-winged aircraft to ever break the sound barrier!
Preserving Our Military Heritage
The aircraft on display at Castle Air Museum are as much a part of America's heritage as Independence Hall and the Battlefield at Gettysburg, yet only a handful of these flying testimonials of our country's Air Force and Navy have survived decades of neglect and the salvage torch.
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5050 Santa Fe Drive • Atwater, California • 95301
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was the first swept wing jet bomber and the first to be designed to carry nuclear weapons. It was also the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to use " fly by wire " flight control systems. The design of the B-47 relied on swept wing data captured from Germany after World War II. It entered service in 1951. A total of over 2,000 B-47's were built, forming the backbone of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in the mid 1950's. By 1957, 28 bomb wings were flying 1,260 B-47s and another 600 training and recon versions were in use. Several versions were high altitude reconnaissance aircraft and many were used for electronic reconnaissance. The last Air Force B-47 was retired at the end of 1969..... [read more]
Aircraft Feature
When the closure of Castle Air Force Base was announced in 1994, a group of dedicated enthusiasts in the Atwater-Merced area formed a non-profit organization called the Castle Air Museum Foundation, Inc. Their purpose was to assume custody of the collection of aircraft. It was their dream to build a museum in which faithfully restored historic aircraft could be exhibited for public enjoyment.
Castle Air Museum represents history in a way the whole family can share with our awe-inspiring majestic warbirds. To stand under the wing of the Convair RB-36H Peacemaker or the Boeing B-52, you can imagine the sky around the bombers filled with enemy fighters!
The museum has been self-supporting since Castle AFB closed in 1995. Although most of our aircraft belong to the U.S. Air Force Museum, it does not provide any funds for maintenance and repair. Monies to operate the museum, maintain the aircraft and grounds and, hopefully, to add to the collection come from admissions, memberships, fund-raising events and donations. Contact us now and find out how to become a volunteer or a museum member. Since the Castle Air Museum is a non-profit organization, your tax-deductible contributions are also greatly appreciated.
Support The Museum
Featured Item
Former Castle Air Museum curator, Dale Griffin, has just had a book published which highlights the History of Castle Air Force Base and the great units that served there.
$17.95 (plus Tax + S/H)
Castle Air Force Base: Home of The B-52
Upcoming Events
last edited on 12-23-11
You are visitor
since January 5, 2002
MUSEUM HOURS
April 1- September 30
9:00am - 5:00pm
October 1 - March 31
10:00am - 4:00pm
The museum is open
daily year round (weather permitting),
except for the
following days:
New Year's Day,
Easter,
Thanksgiving and
Christmas Day.
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The Douglas RA-3 Skywarrior with its wings on. To view more picture of this magnificent warbird, you can visit our Facebook page or our Current Projects page, here.
RV PARK NEW FEES
RV Space w/ full hook up (water, sewer & 50 amp power): $25.00/night • RV Dry Camp Site: $15.00/night
The North American Aviation (NAA) on the flat-bed at the Castle Air Museum restoration hangar. To view more picture of this wonderful Navy bird, you can visit our Facebook page or our Future Projects page, here.
