Smithsonian
National Air and Space Museum

September 17, 2002

Dear Col. Duplessis,

Thank you for your letter received on 10 September 2002, nominating two specific aircraft for display at the new Hazy Center at Dulles.

Both the B-66 and XC-99 are very significant military aircraft. We here at NASM agree that both are worthy of preservation and display. You may not be aware that all of our USAF aircraft are transferred to us by the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. As one of the steps we take in evaluating aircraft for aquisition, we investigate the collection of the Air Force to establish whether or not a particular aircraft is already in their extensive collection. In the case of the B-66, an excellent example of the electronic version of the aircraft has already been collected and preserved in Dayton and several others are locations as noted in your letter. In this case, the NASM would likely not seek to add one of these aircraft to its collection in the near future.

The XC-99 offers a different set of curatorial concerns. Despite the massive nature of the new Hazy Center, this aircraft is still too large to fit inside. The cost of transporting and restoring such a huge aircraft is also well beyond most museum's present budgets. In the case of this aircraft, because of its experimental nature (one of a kind), and because it is a derivative of a previous aircraft, it rightfully belongs in (or near) the new experimental aircraft hangar being constructed at Dayton.

We hope that you and your organization will understand that the preservation of America's military aircraft is part of a nationwide museum team effort that includes, but is not limited to, NASM, the USAF Museum, the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida, and other air museums across the country.