Archive for the 'Museums' category
Air Zoo Receives Grumman Mallard Donation
May 23, 2007 8:32 pm
Though it was slated to happen this past Sunday, we just caught the news…
From Kalamazoo Air Zoo Museum:
On Sunday, May 20, a 1947 Grumman Mallard is scheduled to land at its new home at the Air Zoo and become the newest addition to the museum’s collection, thanks to the donation of Roland LaFont.
The Mallard is a large, twin-engine amphibious aircraft that was built between 1946 and 1951 and was designed for regional airline operations such as harbor-based city-to-city flights. Of the 59 Mallards produced, the aircraft that will be donated to the Air Zoo was number 14. Today, approximately 32 Mallards remain registered in the United States.
The Mallard has been a “dream plane” of LaFont, who resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He acquired it in 1993. When he decided to donate the plane to an aviation museum, he turned to the Internet to research museums nation-wide to find the right resting place for his aircraft.
He typed “aviation museums” in a search engine and clicked on the first entry: Air Zoo. After looking through the Air Zoo’s website, LaFont decided not to look any further—he knew had found the perfect home for his beloved plane.
“The Mallard represents a unique period in aviation history and is unlike any other aircraft in the Air Zoo’s collection,” says Bob Ellis, executive director of the Air Zoo.
“The romance of flying boats and ability to fly to exotic ports is all but lost in the hectic and completely unromantic airline transportation of today.”
The Mallard will eventually be put on display on the Air Zoo’s Main Campus.
Editors Note: The SW Aviator Magazine covered this plane in a past issue, click here to see that article with photos (photo above from SW Aviator Magazine)
There has been some discussion on the donation of this, a flyable plane, to a static museum on the Warbird Information Exchange, click here to join the discussion.
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Press Release Courtesy of Mike Henniger
Vintage Wings of Canada is pleased to announce the acquisition of another aircraft to the Gatineau based collection. A Westland Lysander has been obtained from Anna Whereatt of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada. This particular example is a Mark IIIa which was operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII as serial number 2365.
Anna along with her husband Harry, obtained the Lysander in 1977, one that had spent much time in open storage on a farm. It was one of two reasonably complete airframes in addition to four other Lysanders which were used as parts sources, all of which were obtained from various locations from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. The Whereatt family progressed the restoration of 2365 over the years and it is now complete. Although 2365 has not been flown since the work was completed it is in very good condition. Michael Potter, founder of Vintage Wings, comments “It will undergo a deep airframe survey and we will have both the engine and propeller overhauled. Until we have the airplane on hand and develop a plan, we are unable to estimate the date of its first flight. Currently we believe that we can do that within 18 months. We will be transporting it to Gatineau over the next week and hope to have it on hand for visitors by the end of the month.”
The acquisition of the Lysander is an important one. The fighter and trainers are well represented in the Vintage Wings collection, but utility aircraft like the Lysander are not. Lysanders were often used in target towing roles in Canada and perhaps are most well known for clandestine operations into France during WWII in support of the Free French. The mission of Vintage Wings is to inspire and educate future generations about the historical significance of our aviation heritage and the Lysander will be a great aid in doing so. This means there are many potential paint schemes. Michael Potter comments, “We do not know how it will be painted. There are so many wonderful stories about this imposing but peculiar airplane and we will certainly want to do something to stimulate interest in this fascinating part of WWII history.” You can be assured the Vintage Wings historical team is looking for a colour scheme which will allow the Lysander crews to be commemorated and future generations to be inspired.
The Whereatt family is happy the Lysander is staying in Canada. They recently visited the Vintage Wings hangar and inspected an airframe formerly owned by Harry, a Hurricane Mk XII, s/n 5447. They were impressed with the hangar, but even more pleased with the crew and are confident the Lysander is going to a good home. Join the discussion on this topic at the Warbirds Information Exchange.
Minnesota Air Guard Museum Fights USAF, CIA Over Blackbird
January 9, 2007 11:57 amCovert Agency Wants Its A-12 Back
The Minnesota Air National Guard Museum has called upon its representatives in Congress to stop a plan by the US Air Force to commandeer the museum’s A-12 Blackbird spyplane, to display outside the Virginia headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Full Story: AERO-NEWS.NET
Warbird Registry Link: Blackbird 60-6931
Story Link Posted by: ScottRose
Some Press About the Tri-State Warbird Museum in the Cincy Post Today
January 8, 2007 3:59 pm
Any positive mention about warbirds in the mainstream media is a good thing these days! It was good to see a little blurb in the Cincinnati Post today about the Tri-State Warbird Museum located in Batavia, OH at the Clermont County Airport.
The growing collection currently includes a P-51 Mustang, B-25 Mitchell, and a TBM Avenger and has a FG-1D Corsair and P-40 Warhawk under restoration. Aircraft are kept in immaculate flying condition and can be seen at many local events and airshows. The beautiful and new museum facility in Batavia is well worth a visit!
Visit the Tri-State Warbird Museum on the web at http://www.tri-statewarbirdmuseum.org/
Posted by Ryan Keough
Fantasy of Flight: New in 2007
January 5, 2007 3:38 pm
Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, FL sent a little blurb about some new attractions and events for 2007:
“New and exciting events for 2007 at Fantasy of Flight will include “The Fun with Flight Center” for the kid in all of us, a new tram tour of the attraction (a guided journey of their otherwise restricted areas) and a brand new Audi Tour to begin in 2007 which will be an educational and entertaining look at 20 aircraft from their collection. New stories from new angles to engage the casual observer and enthusiast alike. There is also the New Wood Shop, Machine & Engine Shop and Sheet Metal & Assembly Tours where one can see where restoration specialists disassemble, restore and rebuild aircraft and engines. Highlights include an Original 1918 DH-4 B. Airmail plane, Seversky P-35, Grumman Hellcat F6F-3 and a Lockheed P-38L Lightning. Fantasy of Flight’s 10th Annual Mustangs and Mustangs Event-Legends Havin’ Fun will take place on April 14, 2007. This is the ONLY Mustang event that features both beautifully restored P-51 Mustang fighters from WWII and Ford Mustang automobiles in Florida. http://www.fantasyofflight.com/ 863/984-3500″
Posted by Ryan Keough
Originally received December 11, 2005.
Vintage Wings of Canada Press Release
Date: 11 December 2006Vintage Wings of Canada (VWC) in Gatineau, Quebec, is pleased to announce the acquisition of three airframes to the collection; a De Havilland DH-83 Fox Moth, a Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk IV and a Vought F4U-4 Corsair. These follow the Swordfish which arrived on October 31st.
The Fox Moth has been acquired from Sir Tim Wallis of Wanaka, New Zealand. It is construction number 4033 and is currently registered ZK-AEK. Originally built for the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VIII) in 1932, 4033 was later used in commercial service in New Zealand and was abandoned in Fiji in 1957. The aircraft was recovered and restored by Colin Smith from 1998 to 1993 in the authentic colours it wore as the Prince of Wales’ airplane. It won the award as Reserve Grand Champion Antique at Oshkosh in 1993. Wallis bought the DH-83 soon afterwards and took it back to New Zealand. The DH-83 Fox Moth has special Canadian interest since many DH-83Cs were built in Toronto after war production came to an end and before the DHC-1 Chipmunk started full production in 1948. The DH-83Cs were used extensively as bush planes in northern Canada. The aircraft is currently being shipped from New Zealand and is expected in the VWC hangar shortly after Christmas. There are no plans to change the paint scheme.
The Kittyhawk was built as a P-40N and is currently under restoration with Pioneer Aero in New Zealand. It is RAAF s/n A29-414, USAAF s/n 42-104827 and construction number 28589. This airframe was operated 78 Squadron RAAF. A29-414 crashed on landing in poor conditions at Tadji in New Guinea in 1944 and was abandoned. A29-414 was recovered and shipped to Pioneer Aero in 2001 and the restoration commenced. The project has been acquired by VWC and the restoration, now well underway, will be completed Pioneer. VWC estimates the arrival of A29-414 at the hangar in 12 to 16 months. VWC has decided to paint the aircraft in the markings of 260 squadron to recognize the remarkable exploits of Stocky Edwards who was a Flight Sergeant at the time and is now the highest scoring World War II fighter ace among living Canadians.
The Corsair is a F4U-4 with Bureau Number 97359, construction number 9513 and is currently registered N240CA. In civilian life this Corsair was used in the filming of the television series “Ba Ba Black Sheep”. It was restored by Pacific Fighters in Idaho Falls, Idaho, from 1998 to 2002 and won the Grand Champion award at Oshkosh. The aircraft will spend this winter at Atlanta and Palm Beach and arrival at VWC is expected in the spring of 2007.
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Planes of Fame Air Museum
January 4, 2007 10:47 am
Coming up this Saturday, January 6th, the Planes of Fame Air Museum will be holding its first monthly event of 2007 in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of its founding. Started on January 12th, 1957 in Claremont, CA by Ed Maloney, the Air Museum “Planes of Fame” has grown from a humble roadside attraction to one of the leading warbird museums in the world. Now located on the warbird-famous Chino Airport in Chino, CA, the Planes of Fame museum posesses a collection of nearly 150 aircraft at the Chino and Arizona facilities.
The January 6th event will also celebrate the dedication of its newest display hangar as well.
The event starts at 10:00 AM at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino and will conclude with a warbird demonstration flight.
See more information in the Highland Community News article of January 4th.
Posted by Ryan Keough
In the Wilmington Star today, an article appeared announcing a new initiative by North Carolina that allows an assortment of non-profit organizations to offer special license plate designs highlighting their cause… and it includes the Carolina’s Aviation Museum as one of the over 150 that can be purchased now. The plates cost $10-$30 more than standard plates, but $10 of the cost goes to the NC Parks and Recreation fund and the remaining amount goes to the organization sponsoring the plate.
Already known for the “First in Flight” license plates, North Carolina is proving to be a bit more progressive in allowing people to show support for their favorite cause! Perhaps readers should consider lobbying their state to introduce the same kind of program… imagine Yankee Air Museum plates, or Planes of Fame plates, or even CAF Diamond Lil plates (because WIX members have shown how popular she is!). Now your support for an aviation museum can be shown with more than just a window or bumper sticker… because if you are like me, you are running out of room in both of those spots!
Posted by Ryan Keough
Palm Springs Air Museum Honors The Passing of Fmr. President Ford
December 29, 2006 7:00 pm
In 1999 the Palm Springs Air Museum dedicated a star on their walk of fame to long time local resident Former President Gerald Ford. Yesterday, the museum bid a heartfelt farewell to President Ford after his passing on December 26th. WZZM News 13 of Grand Rapids, MI reported today on the ceremony at the museum which included a memorial flyover of the Bell P-63 Kingcobra operated by the museum.
Many other memorial ceremonies have been planned over the coming week and Tuesday, January 2nd has been declared a National Day of Mourning for the US.
Posted by Ryan Keough
Photo by Ernie Viskupic / Wingman Photography
This bulletin was sent to us today… please read and help the QAM.
Quonset Air Museum is at risk of being shut down for safety reasons and we need your help. Effective Jan 1st, 2007, the museum is closing to the general public until spring for repairs. We cannot reopen to the public until these repairs have been completed. The immediate concern is damage to the roof and ceiling inside the hangar. These repairs will commence shortly after the start of the New Year and will be lead by our volunteers.
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