Our Viet Nam Memorial Garden
In addition to the flying aircraft in our hangar, we have ex-military hardware from the Viet Nam era on static display. The aircraft are a Vought A-7 Corsair II, a North American F-100 Super Sabre, a Cessna T/A-37 Tweety Bird, and a Northrop T-38 Talon.
The Corsair II is a single-seat attack bomber capable of 698 mph. Although derived from the Vought F-8 Crusader fighter, it was a completely different aircraft. By restricting performance to the subsonic, weight was reduced, range dramatically increased, and weapon load multiplied by about four to 15,000 lb. The Corsair II entered service with the Navy in 1966. Deliveries of the Air Force version with improved electronics and engine began in 1968.
The F-100 Super Sabre was designed as a air superiority fighter and was the first production aircraft in the world capable of exceeding the speed of sound in level flight. In Viet Nam it was used primarily for ground attack. Maximum speed was 864 mph. The usual armament was four 20 mm cannon. It was capable of carrying 7500 lbs of ordnance (C & D versions) on wing pylons.
The T-37 was the first purpose designed jet trainer. It first flew in 1954. In 1967
deliveries of A-37s converted from T-37s commenced. Maximum speed is 507 mph.
Maximum ordnance load is 5680 lb. The A-37 also carries a six-barrel 7.62
minigun.
The T-38 was the first supersonic trainer. It is capable of 860 mph. The F-5 Freedom Fighter is essentially identical. In addition to functioning as a USAF trainer, NASA purchased 24 T-38s for astronaut practice.
Army hardware exhibited outdoors are the Nike Ajax surface-to-air guided missile, M60 tank with the 105 mm gun, and two M114 howitzers.
The Nike Ajax was the world's first operational surface-to-air guided missile (SAM) system. Its origins lay in the immediate post-war time, when the U.S. Army believed that guided missiles were the best way to provide air-defense against future fast high-flying bombers. The first production Nike flew in 1952, and the first operational Nike site was activated in 1954. During the cold war, Nike batteries were arrayed around cities, industrial centers, and bomber bases thought to need anti-aircraft defense. Over the course of 25 years, at least 340 Nike Ajax sites were built around the world. The Nike Ajax could reach a speed of 1700 mph in less than four seconds. The far more advanced Nike Hercules (four times the range, nuclear armed) soon replaced the Nike Ajax, and by late 1963 all Nike Ajax sites in the U.S. were retired. Nike Ajax continued to serve with U.S. overseas and friendly forces for many more years. In total, more than 16,000 Nike Ajax missiles were built.
The M60 served as the primary US main battle tank for two decades prior to the introduction of the Abrams M1 series of main battle tanks. The first M60s came off the production line in 1960. Over 15,000 in various versions were built. The armies of 22 countries use the M60. The main armament is a 105mm gun. A crew of four is required: driver, loader, gunner, and tank commander. The driver is seated at the front of the hull with the other three crew members in the turret. The engine and transmission are at the rear. A 7.62 mm machine-gun is mounted co-axially with main armament. A 50 caliber machine gun is mounted in the commander's cupola. The engine is a 750 hp 12 cylinder air-cooled diesel. Armor varies from 0.5-4.8in. The M60A3, the version on exhibit, was the first American tank to have thermal optics which allows main gun engagements at night without the use of infrared light. It was also the first tank to have a laser rangefinder. These and other features allow accurate engagement day or night against moving targets while the tank is on the move. In Iraq the M60 proved superior to the Soviet Union-provided T72 although crew training and electronics were significant factors.
The M114 155 mm howitzer is a towed weapon first produced in 1942 as medium artillery. Over 6000 were produced. It was used in World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam. The M114 can fire a variety of ammunition including a high explosive round weighing 95 lb., tactical nuclear, illuminating, and chemical. Range is approximately 8.5 miles. Sustained rate of fire is one round per minute. Approximately 30 countries have used the M114. Until recently it was in service with the National Guard.