cool aviation museums

When in East Central Florida, (Titusville) hit the Valiant Air Commands Warbird Museum at the Space Center Executive Airport. (Previously named Tico Airport). They have a nice museum there with a few surprises. THey have a couple of flying C-47's and they are restoring an ME208 along with a few other projects. They also now offer flights in a T6. Its close to Kennedy Space Center as well. They have a Warbird show in March where they have a bunch of vintage aircraft fly in.
Its a nice day to walk around and you have easy access to all their displays.

Mike

I do not know what the standard for "cool" would be, but I have enjoyed the following: Tillamook Air Museum (located in the WW II airship hangers!)
and a recently started one in Fargo ND. Both are not as big as the one's mentioned above, but they were great to visit.

I really enjoyed the 8th Air Force Musuem near Savanna just off of I-95.
A long time ago I went to one in FL. Kissimmee I think. Kind of small but they were restoring aircraft. When I was there they were doing a F4U Corsair.
Another one I liked was the aircraft carrier Intrepid docked in NY.

Trevor

Castle AFB Museum near Merced California is a must visit. They have an excellant bomber collection. You can see a B-18, B-23, B-24, B-25, B-29, B-36,B-45, B-47 (last one every to fly), B-50, B-52 and a Vulcan on loan from the RAF. Lots of fighters, and transports too.

I did a virtual tour of Castle and a few others you can see on my site here:

http://www.thetarmac.com/airplanes/airplane.htm


Charlie

Well, here's one I haven't seen anybody mention. The Hill AFB museum about 20 miles north of Salt Lake City, UT has a pretty large collection of "static" planes. I'm not sure if any are flyable, but they are in great shape. I understand that they are in the process of getting a B-24. The big one for me is that this museum is the home of the sole surviving (I believe) SR-71B.

Have a great day, y'all

Bill

All of the museums mentioned in this forum are good. Some others are:
1. Museum of Aviation, Warner-Robbins, Georgia, (south of Macon). They have SR-71, U-2C, B-52, B-29, C-124, C-130, C-121, B-25, B-26, Mig 17 and many others. Beautiful place, big enough to be very interesting and small enough to see in 1/2 day.
2. USAF Armament Museum, Fort Walton Beach, Fl. They have examples of most bombs and other things that go bang as well as SR-71, B-52, B-25, B-47, P-47, P-51, and many more. The front sign is mounted on a 44,000 lb iron bomb. Talk about the "big bang" theory.
3. Museum of the Cosmos, Liberal, Kansas. They have SR-71, other planes and much space related stuff, including Gemini and Apollo capsules.
4. Kalamazoo Air Museum, Michigan. They have SR-71B (they only one), and many WW-II fighters and Korean war jets. Grumman Iron works represented by F-4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, F7F Tigercat, F8F Bearcat, F9F Panther and F9F Couger.
5. Battleship Alabama Museum, Mobile, AL. They have the USS Alabama, submarine USS Drum, A-12 (early version of SR-71), prototype F-105B, P-51, FG-1 Corsair, B-25, H-21, UH-1, F-86D, HU-16, Russian T-55 tank, etc
6. March AFB Museum, Riverside, California. They have SR-71, B-52, U-2C, B-47, B-25, HU-16, F-101, F-100, and many more.
7. Castle AFB Museum, Merced, California. They have SR-71, B-36 (1 of 4 in existence) B-52, B-47, B-25 and many more.
8. San Diego Naval Aviation Museum, Balboa Park, California. They have A-12, Ryan NYP replica, Mig 17, F-4 Phantom, PBY Catalina and many other Navy and AF planes.
9. Travis AFB Museum, Fairfield, Calfornia. They have examples of most of the cargo planes flown by the USAF since WW-II
10. USS Intrepid Museum, WW-II aircraft carrier in New York City with about a dozen planes on her deck including an A-12, RA-5C, FJ4 Fury, F9F Panther

To WIPW.
The SR-71 at Hill AFB, Utah museum is the one and only "C" model. It is actually the rear fuselage and nacelles from YF-12A # 06934 and the front fuselage from an SR-71 mock up. It was glued together to replace the #2 SR-71B # 17957 that was lost in 1968 at Beale AFB, CA.
darwine@accessus.net

Hey, yardbird! Thanks for the info. Very interesting. I'll have to give it a closer look the next time I go over there.

Bill

If you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area try the Cavanaugh Flight Museum at Addison Airport in Addison. They have a great collection including a beautiful B-25 Mitchell, an F-4 Phantom, a Spanish-built HE-111 and Me-109, an F-86 Sabre, and much more. Very nice collection, well displayed. You can also pay and get flight in a Stearman or T-6 Texan.

http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.org

If you really want to get carried away with visiting aircraft museums, get a copy of Michael Blaugher's paperback book titled, Guide to 500 Aircraft Museum's. It has a listing for nearly every place in the US where one or more aircraft are on display.
It lists one eaches in cities, in front of VFWs or American Legions, restaurants, etc. Some of the better hobby shops and museum gift shops carry copies or order direct from Mike. They cost about $8 or $9. The book also has an index where you can look up a particular aircraft and it will tell you all of the museums where one of this particular machine is located.
Michael Blaugher
124 East Foster Parkway
Fort Wayne, IN 46806-1730
1-219-744-1020

Duxford, definately..

Then again, I did go to the Le Bourget airshow in 97 and see the SU-37 do unnatural things to air.. That was so amazing! Forget the cobra manouvre, this thing came along, stopped in mid air whilst doing a back flip, then merrily carried on.. Without losing altitude! Most (if not all) western fighters would have long been a pile of smoking wreckage by then.. Needless to say everything that flew afterwards seemed like they had the agility of a bale of hay.

Thanks for the tip about the book yardbird. Sounds like a must have for any self respecting plane geek.

I started this topic months ago. I'm surprised that people keep adding to it even after it's been pushed way back in the line. It would appear that I'm not the only one dragging their family out to remote corners of the earth just to see an old plane.

thanks
Darren

I too live near "the nation's attic" (the Smithsonian), but my favorite aviation museum isn't good old National Air & Space -- it's Air & Space's "attic", the Garber Facility in Silver Hill -- the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration and Storage Facility; 3904 Old Silver Hill Road; Suitland, MD 20746-3190, to be precise. They claim the Garber Facility "preserves and stores aircraft, spacecraft, and other artifacts, and restores these artifacts to represent a specific period in their history", but really this is where the Smithsonian hanger hounds get their hands dirty. Here's the URL: http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/garber/Garber.html

Two others in the area I enjoyed visiting:
(1) College Park Aviation Museum. URL [duh!]: http://www.collegeparkaviationmuseum.com/ and
(2) Naval Historical Center. URL: http://www.history.navy.mil/

The preceding was brought to you by Quantum Express - When you absolutely, positively, don't know where it's going or when it needs to be there.

I have visited several of the Museums listed and they are all very good.
Hill AFB has not only some good WWII and Modern planes but also some good cargo craft including a C-124. They have just acquired a B-47 and are restoring a B-24D.
I just visited the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL this week and boy was I impressed. I am not a big Naval Aviation fan but seeing a Guardian, Mauler, Tiger, Demon, Fury, Cutlass, etc, etc. Awesome.
Pima has a fantastic amount of aircraft on display and The Naval Museum in San Diego has some very nice aircraft including a SeaDart.
The Air and Space is more for truly historic aircraft and you gotta love the original USS Enterprise model from Star Trek.
I am still trying to get to the Air Force Museum at Wright Pat, maybe next vacation.

I second Lawrence's pick on the National Warplane Museum....they used to have their own B-17 "Fuddy Duddy" that they flew at their airshows. Unfortunately, while the museum is still open, they no longer do airshows :( They were the best-- the last one they had, they had some B-17's and B-25's....as well as P-51s and a P-47. Fifi was also there-- but it was overcast, so they never took Fifi or the fighters up into the air :( The museum also has an excellent Avenger- which they also fly.

On my own separate choice, I would suggest the Old Rhinebeck Airdrome....they have plenty of WWI planes and many of them they fly and demonstrate on the weekends in the summertime. Lots of fun to watch these birds in flight...

The Travis Air Museum at Travis AFB in Fairfield, Ca. C-54, C-118, C-119,
C-124, C-131, A-26C, B-26K, F-84, F-86, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105, B-52D,
Hound Dog missle, and much more

We have a little museum her in Akron, Oh. It belongs to the Military Aircraft Preservation Society. The owner of the squdron theme restaurants asked people here to restore 2 SBD's. They have been working on them for years. In the mean time, they have also acquired a Mig 17, a B26 fuselage and a couple of other airframes. Someone donated and extensive model collection that has been put on display. They have also gotten into the airshow business. The 3rd one will bo this summer. They have a pretty a pretty good turnout of a/c. Also in Dayton, there is a little airport a few miles from the AF museum where they have a replica Wright 1910 flyer. They give flights, due to insurance, the length of the runway. My pilot flew SBD'S he said. It was a great experience.

I would love to see an SBD....flying or static, I don't care! Asmuch as I have enjoyed all the planes I have seen in my life. that is my all-time favorite and one I wish to see someday...wonder how far you are from Albany, NY ;)

One of the neatest and best run museums I've been to (comparable to the Imperial War Museum) is the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas.

A fantastic 'living' museum where many planes are still flying and they're usually working on the planes as your walking through. In addition to the planes, they have some fantastic exhibits, mockups, models and displays.

Last time I went, they were hosting a reunion for the veterans POWs of StalagLuft 17 (?) in Germany (setting for the Great Escape) and had a wonderful discussion with the Navigator of a B-17 that was shot down over Regensburg.

Some of the planes:
B-17
Corsair
Spitfire
P-47 Thunderbolt "Tarheel Hal"
P-38 Lightning "Putt Putt Maru"
P-51 Mustang
Hellcat
Wildcat
Bearcat
Avenger
Dauntless
Liberator
Texan
Catalina
Hustler
Many others



http://www.lsfm.org/index.htm

If you get to the UK i recomend Hendon and Duxford as already mentiond and also Newark air museum and Yorkshire air museum (both have web sites).....Gregers

I have never had the good fortune to be able to cross the atlantic and visit the amazing exhibitions in the USA that I see in pictures, But I would definately add my own recommendation for the RAF and Fleet air arm museums and Duxford. It is worth noting that many of the airframes in the American air museum in Duxford were given freely by US forces, and the Hurricane in the USAF museum was a gift from the British people in memory of the Eagle squadrons.
I don't know if US display any vintage equipment, but I live close to Portsmouth harbour and it is not unusual to see things such as:-
Spitfire flypast to welcome USS Winston S Churchill,
Lancaster flypast to welcome HMS Lancaster,
Swordfish to salute any naval squadron returning from combat, (and scattering the ashes of veterans for burial at sea!)
In addition we have the oldest commissioned warship of any navy in the world, flagship of flag officer Portsmouth; HMS Victory. Victory still has a ships complement and a Royal Marines band and high ranking officers from foriegn navies are entertained to dinner in Nelsons cabin, at Nelsons table with Nelsons silverware.
About 20 years ago a French visitor was laid out by a Royal Navy tour guide for spitting on the quarterdeck. Unsurprisingly the Frenchman complained and the sailor concerned was given an official commendation for upholding the traditions of the service! but that's not funny is it.

For those of you who have the opportunity, this year is the centennial for the birth of aviation in Dayton, Ohio. The city is sponsoring a three week festival culminating with the United States Air Show. In past years, the air show would bring in one of three flying teams - USAF Thunderbirds, Navy Blue Angels, or the Canadian Snowbirds. This year, they are bring in all three. I have family in the vicinity and am planning on attending a few of the events (including the air show). Not sure, but I believe that WPAFB is participating in the festival as well.

I also checked the State of North Carolina and in December of this year, they will be celebrating the Wright Brothers first flight at Kittyhawk. As I understand it, a replica of the first Wright Flyer is being built. Additionally, there is a contest among 4 pilots who will be given the opportunity to play "Orville Wright" and fly the plane. Not sure if I can make that or not, but it does sound pretty cool.

I have a couple that I love.
The old San Diego air and space musium where I was first exposed to the hobby as a child.
Unfortunitly it burnt to the ground several years ago.
At the time it had the only copy of the spirit of saint louis in existance outside of the smithsonion.
The new Musium their is pretty cool to but its not the same as the old one.
My new favorite is the evergreen air musium in Mcminnvile oregon.
Thats where the spruce goose is and that is one big mother.
It looks like a building with wings.
They also just got a SR-71 to display this last week end.
I am going to the show in september to check it out.

Heya james....

The Ole Rhinebeck Aerodrome is building a replica Spirit of St. Louis that they plan on flying...I saw the engine last summer....quite a project!!

I can introduce to you Museum of Polish Air Force in Krakow, Poland - you can look at it on www.muz-lotnictwa.krakow.pl/. Another "cool" place I can recommend is Beck Collection of Aviation, Armor and Military in Mareeba, Queensland, Australia - they have a very broad collection of different planes, cars, armor etc. - mostly from WW II ! Regards ! Aleksander