Conference vmszoo::rc

    
    	Well, this isn't going to comment on Dan's ability to cluck/not
    cluck...it's about a museum I went to visit while in Florida last
    week!
    
    	I visited the "Air Force Armament Museum" at Eglin AFB.  It
    is interesting, due to the planes they have there.  I will list
    them according to indoor/outdoor location.
    
    	Indoor  
    	   P51  (WWII)
    	   P47N (WWII)
    	   F80  (Korean Conflict)
    	   F105 (Vietnam)
    
    	The indoor planes are in excellent shape, and seem to be well
    cared for.
    
    	Outdoor
    	   B17
    	   C47
    	   B25
    	   T33
    	   F84
    	   F86
    	   F100
    	   F101
    	   F104
    	   RB47
    	   F4
    
    	The outdoor exhibits were in good shape also, except for the
    B17...this one was missing the engine cowlings, and needed a paint
    job.  I wonder if the cowlings were just being repaired, or if they
    are completely gone?  The place is run by Eglin volunteers, except
    for two paid employees.  I was quite impressed with it, and it was
    fun to check out the planes. (They also had an old Apollo capsule
    outside which looked to be for a future exhibit.)
      They had lots of missles, cannons, etc....things which were used 
    on the respective indoor aircraft displays.
      All in all, a fun way to spend a couple of hours.
    	Directions:  From I10 (east-west interstate), take Rt. 85 south,
    and head west around Eglin to the West gate.  The entrance is just
    past the gate.
    	Brian
    

    You have missed the best.  The Wright Patterson AFB Museum in Dayton
    Ohio.  I have been to several and this one takes the cake.  How
    about a full size B29 liberator setting sideways insinde one end
    of a building soo big that it make the plane look small.
    
    JR

Great idea for a note.

There are two worthwhile museum's in Al Casey's back yard.
Others I'm sure that he'll tell us about.

1.  The Champlain Fighter Museum in Mesa.
	Mostly world one fighters but some new ones
	and probably the best collection of machine guns/cannons
	you will ever find anywhere.

2.  The Pima Air Museum in Tucson.
	Lots of vintage jets - mostly outside and weathering.

Now for the real scale buffs.

===========================================================================

There is a book that tells you where every plane is.

Guide to Aircraft Museums @ $5.00 from
Michael A. Blaugher
124 E. Foster Parkway
Ft. Wayne, IN 46806-1730
(tel. (219)744-1020)

The cover (I'm looking at an advertisement now that is in the last
Model Aviation - page 100) says:

Guide to 336 Aircraft Museums and
208 City Displayed Aircraft

WWII Landmarks
30 Restaurants with Aircraft
(4th Edition)

I'm hoping to get one for father's day.
============================================================================

Bye          --+--
Kay R. Fisher  |
---------------O---------------
================================================================================

    
    
    	Would it be possible to get a "Scale" listing and perhaps a network
    set up to document the locations of full sized aircraft within noters
    driving distance. As an example I'm 14 miles from the "New England
    Air Museum" in Windsor Locks Ct. They have a, P47D,F100,F4U,F4F,
    Quickee,Vari-ease,GEEBEE R1,R2,Laird Solution,Fokker DR1, etc.
    
    I went down Sat. and can appreciate the idea of having the scale
    subject at hand that you want to model. Unfortunately often times
    this isn't the case. If noters log in with planes in their area
    then this becomes valuable information. Perhaps photo sessions
    could be done. What's everyboby else think?
    
    
    Tom

The membership aspects of the Smithsonian are small but nice.  The Smith
has a variety of stores thoughout the grounds and you get about 10% off
the regular price.  One not so often listed aspect is that if you get to 
the DC area, call ahead and you may be able to get into Silver Hill.  The
Hill is were the restoration shops and still to be restored planes are 
stored.  Planes you've probly never seen (or even heard of) are stored like
sardines.  Famous planes like the "Enola Gay" and infamous like the Japanese
suicide rockets (Cherry???) and obscure like the "Channel wing" and the 
"Ascender" (XP-?? pusher/canard).  It's a scale treasure trove and the 
people are usally very co-operative (catch them on a coffee break is best
I've been told)

Th Air & Space museum changes the displays on a regular basis (the ones that 
can change, kinda hard to move a L.E.M.). The first time I went there the
WWI section was being cycled and the "new" planes were coming in the door.
The one I would have liked to see was the DC-3 coming down the Mall...must
have been a sight.  Anyway, Silver Hill is south-east (?) of DC and the 
planes go back and forth from the Hill to the Mall.

There is a book about Silver Hill available from the Smith (mine was given
to me by a dear friend...its facinating.

I've never regreted my membership.

Steve

    b

    Anyone know of a museum in the New Orleans area??
    
    

Depending on how you define the word area, there's an excellent Naval Air museum
at Pennsacola Florida. Just a little closer is the battleship Alabama display
at Mobile, Alabama. Besides the ship, they have a sub and various examples of
aviation on display. I wouldn't make the drive just for the planes but if you're
also interested in the ship and sub its worth it.

>             <<< Note 1001.7 by WRASSE::FRIEDRICHS "Go Bruins!!" >>>
>
>    Anyone know of a museum in the New Orleans area??

From the "FGuide to 341 Aircraft Museums and 217 City Displayed Aircraft"
  by Michael A. Blaugher

Lousisiana

  Bosser City - Barksdale AFB.
    B-17        B-52D        F-84F
    B-24J       B-58A        KC-97L
    B-47E       C-47A        MK-2

  New Orleans - New Orleans Naval Air Station, Alvin Callender Field.
    F-100D      YF-102A

  Patterson   - Wendell Willaims Memorial Foundation, Patterson Airport.
    Aerocommander               Focke-Wulf 190 (1/2 Scale)
    Beech Staggerwing           Stearman of Delta Airlines
    Farley Vincent-Starflight   Windel-Williams Racer #44 Replica
    
Mississippi

  Biloxi      - Keesler AFB
    F-104C      RF-101C      T-33A
    F-105D      T-28         YF-100

  Columbus    - Columbus AFB
    T-37B

  Jackson     - Jackson ANG, Jackson Municipal Airport, Allen C. Thompson Field.
    A-26B       RF-84F       RF-101C

  Petal       - M. W. Hamilton Machine Museum
    B-25J       C-47         F9F 
    PT-17       BT-13        DC-3
    HUB-1

Bye          --+--
Kay R. Fisher  |
---------------O---------------
################################################################################
    

Being of sound mind, I took my vacation in Kansas this year.  No
kidding; its a really nice state despite the 120 deg heat,
humidity, and bugs!

Anyway, my initial objective was the Space Museum in Hutchinson,
but while there I saw a flyer for an aircraft museum in that old
oxymoron, Liberal, Kansas.  So I went.  BTW I'll post a note on
the space museum in the Space notes file, but sufficient to say
its an absolutely first rate operation.

Anyway, the Liberal Air Museum is the 6th largest aviation
museum, and the 4th largest general aviation museum in the United
States.  Naturally, being a general aviation buff I really got
off on the place. There are 57 aircraft on display, including a
few warbirds, some jets, and a bunch of homebuilts.  Here is
the official list:

Douglas A-20
"       A-4 Skyhawk  (in olive drab)
Aeronca 7AC Champ
"       K
"       Chief
"       L3B
Avid Flyer
Beech Bonanza
"     C-45/C-188
Bell H-13H (Heliwopter)
Bell Huey Cobra (Heli)
?    HUP-3 (Heli)
Cavalier SA102-5
Cessna Bobcat
"      120
"      140
"      175
"      195
"      Airmaster
Culver V
Curtis Wright Pusher
Dragonfly
?      F-4 Phantom
?      F-8 Crusader
Fairchild 24-CAF    (CAF=Confederate Air Force???)
"      F-24 CAF
"      PT-19A-FA    (Perfect!)
"      PT-23        (Also Perfect!)
Funk   B-75
Grumman Avenger TBM (Restored)
Interstate Cadet L-6
McCollugh J-2 Gyro-plane
Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero (Worn, but nice)
Mooney Mite   (In drone colors -- I like this one!)
Mustang II    (Homebuilt)
North Americal B-25  (Iron Laden Maiden, pristine)
Northrop target drone
Northwest Porterfield
Phoenix hang glider
Pietenpol     (All white, beaut. cond., cockpits covered)
Piper Cub J-3 (Very nice)
Pober Pixie   (Wow!)
?  QF-80   (P-80)
Rally 3 ultralight
Rand KR-1
Rearwin Sportster 7000 (I think this was in military colors)
Republic P-47 T-bolt (In olive drab, no markings)
Sky Bolt
Stinson 10B
" L5 Sentinel
" V-77 (RCAF colors)
Taylorcraft L-2
Thorp T-18 (I think this was modified)
Varieze
Vultee BT-13  (Aluminum)
Willie II

The above list is from the museum flyer.  They have a shop in the
hanger and are restoring aircraft every day.  There are 13 more
ships in an adjoining hanger, not available.  Also there were
photos and exhibits from the days when it was Liberal Field, a
training base for B-24 crew/maintenance.  Other exhibits on
Kansas flying celebrities are also there. 

I shot about 50 pix in there, mostly of the general aviation
planes, and mostly of color and markings.

The place is well worth visiting, and is in a pretty part of
Kansas.  Dor0thy's (just realized I don't know how to spell that
one!) House, from the Ozzard of Whiz is also nearby
as well as the "world's largest hand-dug well"; if the kids are
nice take them to see Dorothy, if they're nasty throw them in the
well.

(In the right place this time!)

The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in Bedfordshire, Great Britain isn't 
the biggest collection of aircraft you ever saw, but it has a unique flavour! 
Old Warden Aerodrome is a grass strip which houses a wonderful collection of 
mostly flyable aircraft. These include a Sopwith Camel, Pup (replica) and 
Triplane (also a replica, I believe). They also have a Bleriot XI, a Spitfire 
Mk9, a V1 flying bomb (don't think this one's flyable!), Assorted DH Moths 
(Tiger, Fox, etc.), a Gloster Gladiator, SE5a, German LVG (I think it's an LVG, 
it's the oldest flyable German military aircraft in the world), Hummingbird, 
Avro 504K, and more. There's also a lovely collection of engines, a Hucks 
starter, a refuelling bowser, and a great collection of cars and motorbikes. 

They have a collection of Airship bits and pieces (literally!), and their 
restoration workshops are really fascinating to look round, they were 
responsible for the restoration of the De Havilland 88 racer (what a beautiful 
aircraft!), although it's not kept there any longer (it's at the BAe museum in 
Hatfield). 

Best time to visit (if you don't mind queues) is on the last Sunday of the month 
during the summer, when they have flying displays. If the weather's good then 
some really lovely old 'planes stagger into the air. Hairiest of these is 
another replica, that of a Bristol Boxkite. Made for the film "those magnificent 
men and their flying machines", this is a really amazing sight on finals!

The philosophy of the collection is to keep as many of the aircraft flyable as 
possible, and in my opinion they do a great job. If you're in that part of the 
world, and you like you 'planes with more than one wing, and a propellor, go 
there!

Incidentally, this field is also used for model comps through the year, so you 
may be able to kill two birds with one stone.


Cheers

Nigel

    I visited there before I learnt to fly RC. (Some might argue that I
    have not learnt yet!).
    
    They do some great airshows with plane thatyou think will never stay
    together.
    
    memory f  a  d    i n              g
    
    E.