US Air Force Museum

[John Beaman]

Hi Chuck:

One of the things you must learn about the USAF Museum is they care nothing about the accuracy of their "restorations". They care about what "looks cool" to US audiences.

Some years back I pointed out the then director that the Bf 109G-10 they have in the markings of JG 300 was not accurate in that the aircraft is a WNF-built G-10 and we knew the history of the aircraft as it was surrendered by II./JG 52 in May 1945. We even know the exact markings for the machine. He made it quite bluntly clear that he did not care about that. They wanted the markings of a 109 that "flew against the 8th AF", so they took those JG 300 markings from a photo of a Erla-built G-10. I guess JG 300 is considered "bigger and badder" than JG 52. Historical accuracy did not mean anything to him. He made it quite clear that they were tailoring exhibits as "themes" for US visitors.