[1] From 1923 to 1941, this "museum" existed as a "series of exhibits... housed and displayed in such public locations as were available," with no permanent structure or staff.

"[3] At that time, there was also a large collection of exhibits from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NASA's predecessor NACA) at Langley Field was on display, with an estimated value of $40,000.

[6][2] By 1954, the shape of the museum had evolved from a line into a "T" with the completion of an addition (now the Early Wars, Poster, and African American gallery areas).

[6] The final addition was completed in 1987, in which the left side of the "T" was enclosed to form the Fowler and Weapons Galleries along with the current Education areas and restrooms.

An increasing number of pre-World War I objects were acquired starting in the 1980s, most notable of which are the uniforms of Moses Myers, on loan from the Chrysler Museum of Art.

The museum's collection also includes a section of the Berlin Wall, a handwritten order by General George Washington issued after the Battle of Brooklyn (On loan from the MacIntosh Family), and a great deal of General Officer Uniforms, including former possessions and clothing from Mark Clark, James Doolittle, and Colin Powell.

A search of the National Air and Space Museum Collections Database reveals that four of the engines were given to the Smithsonian in 1972, followed by a World War I USMC balloon basket in 1974.

The warbird was on display at the museum from 1948 until 1986, having lost its engine, tail, and port wing alongside suffering severe damage to its spar as a result of efforts to make it fit within the building.