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| SpaceShipOne |
EAA founder Paul Poberezny proposed the idea of the EAA Air Museum-Air Education center in August 1958. In the late 1970s, his son, EAA president Tom Poberezny, led the campaign to build the current updated EAA museum and headquarters, which was officially opened in 1983.
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| Tom Poberezny |
Some of the more historic and unusual planes include a Curtiss Pusher, Bleriot XI, Curtiss Jenny, Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro, Sikorsky S-38 amphibian flying boat, and the Taylor Aerocar flying car, as well various warbirds and Golden Age aircraft.
A large section on Burt Rutan's aircraft includes a portion of his homebuilts, replicas of his globe-circling Rutan Voyager and the first private spacecraft, Space Ship One, crafted by Rutan's own shop.
Other exhibits include functional replicas of the Wright Flyer and its predecessor, Octave Chanute's hang glider, French and German World War I fighters, Lindbergh's Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" replica (flown in the movie), and a replica of the historic Laird Super Solution 1931 racer.
The museum has a variety of donated aircraft, including the Church Midwing, Funk B, Monnett Moni, and many homebuilt and kitplane aircraft (some foreign)—many built by the original designers. Notable homebuilts on display consist of Van's Aircraft's Van's RV-3, designed by Richard VanGrunsven, Christen Industries' Christen Eagle II, designed by Frank Christensen, and Cirrus Aircraft's first model, the Cirrus VK-30, designed by the Klapmeier brothers.
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| 1896 Chanute-Herring Glider |
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| 1912 Bates Tractor |
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| 1930 Cessna CG-2 Primary Glider |
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| 1896 Langley Aerodrome |
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| D-LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II |
This replica is almost identical to the ill-fated Hindenburg except that the Graf was designed to carry passengers across the Atlantic Ocean. At 804 feet long, these two airships remain the largest flying machines ever built. The Graff Zeppelin II was completed a year after the crash of the Hindenburg, a disaster partially caused by the ship's flammable hydrogen lifting gas. Because the United States refused to export non-flammable helium to Germany, the Graf Zeppelin II also used hydrogen and thus never carried a paying passenger. The airship was scrapped in 1940.
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| The First Graf Zeppelin, D-LZ 127 |
The First Graf Zeppelin was built in 1928. It was conceived to prove the feasibility of intercontinental passenger airship service. Over a nine-year career, the Zeppelin completed 590 flights, covered more than a million miles, and carried more than 34,000 passengers without a single accident or injury. The Graf Zeppelin offered the first commercial transatlantic flight service and also completed many exploratory flights. The airship was withdrawn from service shortly after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937, giving its name to the newer and larger D-LZ 130. The original Graf Zeppelin survived briefly as a museum piece, but was scrapped along with its successor in 1940.
The original Graf Zeppelin's most famous flight took place in 1929. A little more than two years after Charles Lindbergh flew nonstop from New York to Paris by airplane, the airship and 61 passengers and crew flew around the world. Partially sponsored by newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, the "Weltfahrt" (World Flight) covered more than 20,000 miles in 21 days, making it the fastest circumnavigation of the globe at the time. The flight was the focus of worldwide press coverage and made the ship and its captain Hugo Eckener household names.
What's the difference between an Airship, Blimp and Zeppelin? The first successful manned flying machines were lighter-than-air aircraft, balloons inflated with either hot air or a lighting gas such as hydrogen or helium. Balloons, however, can only move with the wind and have no way to control their direction or speed. Efforts to create steerable or "dirigible" balloons began to show promise in the mid-19th century, creating the first aircraft capable of controlled flight.
An airship is any powered, steerable aircraft that uses a lighter-than-air gas to get airborne. There are three basic types of airships:
While it was possible a serious effort at man-powered flight, this aircraft had a few difficulties to overcome. It was a pedal-powered pusher with a high-lift wing design, but is still relatively complex and heavy. It's not known exactly who built it nor how it came to be here.
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| Pedal Plan Prototype |
This Pitts pedal plane is the original "Original." Marv Hoppenworth for his business, Aviation Products, Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which bills itself as "Home of the Originals," built it. The Hoppenworths brought this Pitts to Oshkosh every year from 1985 through 2004 as part of their display, and thousands of children have piloted it. Through their sale of pedal plane plans, they have helped put countless young pilots in their own cockpit.
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| Antique Medal Plane |
This tri-motored biplane pedal plane has seen plenty of use judging by the amount of missing parts. Its exact vintage and origin are being researched, but based on the Wright Whirlwind name on the center engine and its general layout the 1930s is a good bet.
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| 1982 Eipper MX-1 Quicksilver |
This ultralight represents a fast growing new segment of sport aviation. Starting as powered hand-gliders, ultralights have gradually become more sophisticated, yet have retained their simplicity, economy and flexibility of operation. They are limited by regulation to 254 pounds, and a top speed of 63 mph, the single-place ultralight is an excellent way to enjoy local sport flying as well as limited cross-country travel.
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| Homebuilders Basement |
Many projects begin in basements where small components may be built for later assembly, there or elsewhere. Some builders, after completion of their project, have been known to remove a wall rather than disassemble their airplane for removal from the building. Homebuilt aircraft have had origins in all rooms of a house.
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| Meteorite |
Meteorites are some of the oldest objects in our solar system, some as old as 4.5 billion years. Most meteorites come from far out in our solar system, and sometimes fall to Earth's surface. This iron/nickel meteorite was found northwest of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Scientists think it fell to Earth about 4,000 years ago.
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| Space Ship One |
Designed by Burt Rutan, he faced a serious problem when designing Space Ship One. Until now, all spacecraft re-entering Earth's atmosphere would get very hot because of the friction of the air and the tremendous speed of returning to Earth. His dilemma - how could he change that? Burt's solution was to have his space ship fold in half! (Bottom photo). By folding in half, or "feathering," it created a much larger surface going through the atmosphere and that caused the spaceship to slow down, and not get so hot.
June 21, 2004 -- a historic day as SpaceShipOne crosses the 328,000 foot boundary into space, and Mike Melvill becomes the world's first commercial astronaut. A 76 second rocket burn takes the spaceship to a speed of 2.9 Mach, or 2,150 miles per hour. Mike Melvill experiences weightlessness for about 3 minutes, before an uneventful feathered re-entry and glide back to Mojave -- now the nation's first inland Space Port.
Timeless Voices of Aviation ~~ Aviation's history encompasses remarkable people, from the famous to the unsung. Their stories weave together the past, present, and future of flight. To preserve those stories under the banner "Let No Story Go Untold," EAA's oral history project presents a digital archive of interviews with aviation's heroes. These are the Timeless Voices of Aviation, made possible by the generosity of the Wilson Foundation.
Through Wilson Timeless Voices of Aviation, a great-grandchild will be able to see the face, hear the voice, and understand the accomplishments of an ancestor. A teacher can access firsthand accounts of World War II aviation by a veteran from the same town. And the stories of aviators, mechanics, designers, builders, restorers, administrators, and anyone who influenced aviation can be shared with the next generation.
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| Rosie the Riveter |
During the Second World War, the United States geared up its war material production to an astounding level. As more and more men were enlisting or being drafted into the armed forces, women were taking their places in the factory assembly lines. They performed nearly every task that had been assigned to men and their efforts prevented shortages of needed supplies and equipment. The women proved themselves to be capable and efficient workers, setting new production records all over the nation, thus helping to win the war from the homefront.
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| B-17 Maintenance |
The bomber offensive against Germany was the key to weakening the enemy's infrastructure and limiting its war production. During the intense bombing campaign, great demands were placed upon aircraft, flying crews, and ground personnel to keep all facets of the operation running. To help maintain morale and make the war a little less impersonal, the crews of the bombers often painted nose art on their aircraft. Nose art varied from a simple name or slogan to a cartoon, or even a very elaborate picture. It often reflected the pride, love, and reverence that crews had for their aircraft. Even if the aircraft was lost, the name or image lived on in the minds and hearts of those who served with her.
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| Jolly Roger |
The "Jolly Roger" was a B-24 of the 493rd Bomb Group. The 493rd's Liberators arrived at Debach, England, in April of 1944 and the Group went operational on D-Day -- the last of the Eighth Air Force group to do so. Between that date and the end of August 1944 the group flew 47 missions, 1,478 sorties, lost 11 Liberators, and dropped 2,457 tons of bombs. The 493rd operated with B-17s thereafter.
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| Daylight raid over Germany: B-17s escorted by Mustangs |
The panorama depicts a moment in the air war over Europe as the Allies fought Germany's Luftwaffe for control of the skies and, eventually, World War II itself. The mural is an enlargement of an original work by Frank Wootton of Sussex, England, one of the world's foremost aviation artists whose career includes distinguished service in the Royal Air Force during World War II.
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| Messerschmitt/Hispano HA1112-MIL-N109ME |
The HA1112-M1L model is the Spanish version of the German fighter Me-109G. The only difference between the two models is the Spanish version has a Rolls Royce Merlin engine instead of the unavailable Daimler-Benz 605A engine used in the German models. The Spanish government in 1942 arranged a manufacturing license with Messerschmitt AG to build the Bf 109 G-2, with DB 605A engines, propellers, instruments, and weapons to be supplied from Germany. This proved impossible as Germany was incapable of meeting her own needs, let alone Spain's. In the event, only 25 airframes (minus the tails) and not even half the necessary drawings were delivered.
With only 92 hours of flying time, the HA1112-MIL saw most of its "combat" in the 1970 film, "The Battle of Britain." The Messerschmitt was one of 27 planes purchased to play a force in World War II warbirds that recreated the fierce air battles of 30 years before. Prior to the movie, the Spanish Air Force had owned and operated the Messerschmitt, though with only 92 total accumulated hours, it was the lowest time Me-109 still in existence.
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| Sporty's Pilot Shop |
Women in the Military ~~
During World War II, a patriotic Walt Disney assigned several of the studio's artists to create one-of-a-kind designs for Allied military units around the world, from fighter squadrons to tank companies to submarines. Designs created for The Gremlins film found their way onto at least 30 military insignias.
A relative of WASP trainee Byrd Granger (43-W-I) wrote a letter to Walt Disney, requesting a mascot design for the newly created 319th Women's Flying Training Department. The request was approved, and Fifinella first appeared on the 319th's newsletter, fittingly entitled the Fifinella Gazette. When the 319th merged with the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron to become the WASP, Fifinella remained the program's official mascot.
Even after the WASP was disbanded, Fifinella remained part of the WASP identity. The postwar WASP organization was named "The Order of Fifinella," and the character remains forever associated with WASP to this day.
They were called WASP -- Women's Airforce Service Pilots -- and they were part of a historic experiment. During World War II, more than 1,000 volunteers left behind homes, jobs, and schooling to become the first American women to fly combat aircraft. The WASP flew more than 60 million miles, crisscrossing the country in virtually every type of airplane built in the United States for the U.S. Army Air Forces.
Despite a challenging start, the WASP successfully organized to relieve male pilots for combat duty. At the same time, they shattered the myth that women were less capable pilots than men. Though they exceeded the expectations of the Army, their contributions would remain largely unrecognized for more than 30 years. Nevertheless, the WASP set the stage for women to explore new opportunities in aviation.
Although the WASP program had been formed to ferry airplanes, by 1944 female pilots were flying a variety of missions. This included helping train men for combat missions. Flying old bombers and attack airplanes, WASP like Helen (Wyatt) Snapp towed aerial targets, which anti-aircraft gunnery crews fired art, often with live ammunition. It was a dangerous mission and aircraft would occasionally return with bullet holes.
WASP also flew simulated strafing missions to train ground troops. In addition, they flew bombers while male trainees practiced as bombardiers, navigators, and gunners. Some, like Snapp, even took part in top-secret tests of remote-controlled drones, precursors to modern unmanned aircraft.
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| Link C-3 Trainer |
In 1934, Link Instrument Trainers, built by Edwin Link, were used to train Army Air Corps pilots as the Army took over all airmail services from private contractors. By 1941, some 35 foreign countries, including Japan, were also using Link Trainers. When the U.S. entered the war, the armed forces contracted for Link's entire production. The company designed and built 6,271 trainers for the Army 1,045 for the Navy.
It has been estimated that the trainers saved over $300 million in training costs. In 1945, operating an AT-6 training airplane cost over $10 per hour; the Link trainer operated for 4 cents an hour. More important, the Link Trainer saved airplanes and lives. "Crashing" a Link Trainer didn't hurt anything -- except the student's pride.
The Link "Blue Box" Trainer had two parts: the trainer itself, containing flight controls and instruments, the the instructor's desk which contained all equipment to provide radio communications and other flight aids. "Flying" the Link Trainer was realistic enough to provide moments of panic and memories for a lifetime.
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| P-64 |
This rare World War II aircraft is the only surviving NA-68. Six NA-68's were built for Siam (Thailand), but all were seized before delivery when Siam capitulated to the Japanese in 1941. Re-designated P-64, these aircraft were used as advanced fighter trainers and as utility aircraft by the Training Command Headquarters.
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| Bell UH-1B Iroquois (Huey) |
In 1952, the U.S. Army outlined a requirement for a new utility and medical evacuation helicopter. Bell Helicopters responded with the UH-1 Iroquois, although the aircraft was more often called a Huey. It was first deployed to Vietnam in 1962 as a medical evacuation (medevac) helicopter, more than 7,000 of these iconic aircraft were used during the conflict.
Military helicopters were still fragile and temperamental machines when the Korean War broke out in 1950. They nevertheless proved their worth as agile scouts in the mountains and unfamiliar terrain of Korea. Designs like the iconic Bell 47 also proved adaptable, rescuing downed airmen, spotting for artillery, and perhaps most famously, evacuating the wounded. More than 30,000 casualties were evacuated by helicopter to field hospitals during the war.
The Korean War experience demonstrated the helicopter's utility to the U.S. military. Helicopters could reach any part of a battlefield quickly, transporting troops and supplies regardless of the terrain. Ground forces could be deployed close to an objective, avoiding long marches to the battlefield. Armed helicopters could provide close air support, while other helicopters would bring in supplies and whisk out wounded soldiers. This was a new and flexible style of war -- the concept of air mobility.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. Army worked to transform this theory into practice. Experimental units, such as the 11th Air Assault Division (Test), were formed to explore and test new concepts for the use of helicopters. A key piece of equipment in these tests would be a remarkable new aircraft. Bell's workhorse helicopter, the UH-1 Iroquois, best known as the Huey.
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| "Fat Man" |
Project Silverplate: In 1945, no U.S. bomber was equipped to carry the Fat Man. It was decided to modify B-29s, primarily by making their two bomb bays into one. Each aircraft could still only carry one weapon and the upper fins of the tail section had to be ground to allow entry into the bomb bay. For a time, the Manhattan Project was in jeopardy because effective means to load the weapon into the aircraft did not exist.
The actual "Fat Man" test casing is made of 3/8" steel plating which would enclose a sphere of heavy contoured aluminum alloy casting, which in turn was designed to hold nuclear materials in actual weapons. Red and green safing plugs were reversed in aircraft prior to release. Cable assemblies began the arming sequence for a barometric and timing fuse system.
Project W-47: During the final weeks of World War II, the critical phase of assembling and flight testing nuclear delivery vehicles took place at W-47, Wendover Army Base in Utah. Between May 1 and July 31, 1945, 30 "Little Boy" devices (the weapon dropped on Hiroshima) and 33 "Fat Man" devices (the weapon dropped on Nagasaki) were assembled for testing and delivery. W-47 encountered operational challenges that threatened the entire Manhattan Project. Secrecy, danger, and deadlines compounded these unsung efforts. (To read more about the Manhattan Project, please see my blog K-25 History Center.)
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| Voyager |
Circumnavigating the globe non-stop, non-refueled had been considered the "last first" -- the last atmospheric flight record to be broken. Voyager was built specifically to accomplish this feat -- it would require flying over 25,000 non-stop miles on one tank of fuel. Upon receiving recognition from President Reagan, Dick Rutan said, "We are very fortunate indeed to live in America where we are free to take these risks and make these accomplishments."
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| Opener BlackFly V2BF-012 |
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| The BlackFly can be operated from land or water |
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| RotorSport UK MT-03 G-YROX |
The G-YROX is the first autogyro to circumvent the globe. Piloted by Norman Surplus of Northern Ireland, the G-YROX had an extra 23-gallon collapsible fuel tank and a strengthened landing gear. Surplus left Ireland on March 22, 2010. Flying in a series of 300 to 400-mile daytime hops, Surplus reached Japan by the following July, but was then delayed for more than three years after permission to enter Russian air space was withdrawn. Forced to disassemble the G-YROX and ship the aircraft by boat, Surplus resumed his journey from Oregon, eventually becoming the first pilot to autogyro across the Atlantic Ocean before arriving back in Ireland on August 11, 2015. Surplus set 19 Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) world records during the flight. Four years later and now with clearance to fly across Russia, Surplus departed in G-YROX once again on April 22, 2019, landing in Oregon a second time on June 28. The first circumnavigation of the globe by an autogyro had taken four years and 28 days to complete. In the process, the G-YROX flew more than 27,000 nautical miles through 32 countries.
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| Aerocar I |
Designed to combine the attributes of an airplane and automobile, the Aerocar I was conceived in the fertile mind of Molt Taylor in the late 1940s. It was the first roadable aircraft certified by the CAA (now FAA) in 1956. The prototype was restored to flying condition in 1991. Only five Aerocar I's were built and four reportedly still exist today. One had a brief TV career appearing in The Bob Cummings Show. The Aerocar I was followed by later models built around modified production automobiles.
The Aerocar I is high-wing pusher, monoplane that features folding wings which are towed behind the two passenger, front wheel drive cockpit/automobile. It met the motor vehicle regulations of the 1950s. The Aerocar's pusher propeller is driven by a patented "Flexidyne" coupled driveshaft to reduce vibrations.
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| Bugatti Model 100 Racer |
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| Super Chipmunk |
This Chipmunk Trainer was rebuilt in 1958. It had Aerobatic modifications done and is fitted with a high volume smoke system emanating from the engine exhaust. Colored smoke canisters on each wingtip can be used to make a red, white and blue smoke trail for such maneuvers as the "Lomcevak" and outside loops. It also has special pyrotechnic racks for night fireworks displays.
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| Eagle N2FC (Prototype) |
In 1974 Frank Christensen purchased a special Pitts airframe for a 260 hp engine. This plane was the standard for a two-place aerobatic biplane. Frank decided to design out those things he saw as deficiencies -- poor visibility, cramped uncomfortable seats, no canopy and excessive quickness on the runway. He accomplished that by designing the Christen Eagle II. The result is better aerobatic performance and handling. Add a revolutionary paint design and you have what has become an icon in aviation.
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| 1933 Pietenpol Air Camper |
Bernard H. Pietenpol was one of a generation enchanted by flight. His goal to fly an aircraft powered with an automobile engine was first realized on May 20, 1929, when he flew a Model A (Ford) powered plane over the Minnesota countryside. Complete plans for the airframe and Model A engine conversion were published in the 1932 Flying and Glider Manual by Modern Mechanics Magazine. It is the oldest Air Camper existing that was built by Mr. Pietenpol and the first of the "improved" model using a split axle landing gear. It was built in his shops and hanger to first fly on April 20, 1933.
The Pietenpol Air Camper represents early success in using an automobile engine to power an aircraft. Early aircraft manufacturing, plans and kit sales has raised Bernard Pietenpol to a near cult figure in the world of homebuilt aircraft. The Air Camper has probably fueled more dreams of building one's own plane than any other in the decades since its first flight.
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| Bleriot/EAA XI bis Monoplane replica |
Louis Bleriot stunned the world on July 25, 1909, by flying his homebuilt monoplane 23 miles across the English Channel in 36-1/2 minutes to win the $2,500 prize offered by the London Daily Mail. His Bleriot XI, a fragile monoplane with thin, highly cambered wings, was powered by a three-cylinder Anzani engine.
Two months after his channel crossing, Bleriot had more than 100 orders, and by the end of 1911, he had delivered more than 500 Bleriot XIs. Among the lasting influences of the Bleriot is its control system which uses the stick to control pitch and bank and the rudder bar for yaw, a system that has endured today.
Demand for the Bleriot XI led the Queen Airplane Company of New York City began building Bleriots in 1910. This EAA volunteer and staff built replica carries the markings of the Queen Bleriot flown by Earle Ovington when he made the first official U.S. airmail flight on September 23, 1911. It also carries an extremely rare original 25 hp Anzani three-cylinder fan-type engine. Construction began in 2006 and the plane first flew on June 5, 2011.
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| 1912 Curtiss Pusher |
The Curtiss Pusher was used for pilot training at the Curtiss facility on Coronado Island. It was purchased by John J. Kaminski for $5,000 and shipped it to Wisconsin for exhibition use. Kaminski was the first licensed pilot in Wisconsin and it was he who nicknamed the Pusher "Sweetheart." In 1915 the Curtiss Pusher was sold to a blacksmith in Sullivan, Wisconsin who used the engine on an ice boat which later sank and was never recovered.
The airframe was stored in a barn until discovered in 1940 by CAA Inspector, A.C. Goddard, who bought the remains for $15. A restoration was begun, but the task had not been completed when Goddard lost his life in an auto accident in 1956. The aircraft's remains were purchased from the Goddard Estate by Dale Crites and a total rebuild was accomplished over a 10-year period. A 1918 Curtiss OX-5 engine was installed as a powerplant and on June 17, 1966, 53 years after the plane was last flown, Dale Crites flew the Pusher with its unique "yoke" aileron control operated by the pilot's shoulders. Numerous exhibition flights were made over the next several years until Dale Crites donated the Curtiss Pusher to the EAA Museum in 1969. At that time, it was the oldest licensed airplane still flying in the United States.
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| Dale Crites |
Dale Crites flying his OX-5 powered replica of a 1911 Curtiss Pusher, breaks the tape held by Audrey and Paul Poberezny, to open Pioneer Airport on July 24, 1984.
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| Fairchild Anti-Spray Floats |
In 1935 H.F. Johnson led an airborne expedition deep into the jungles of northeast Brazil. The main objective of the journey was to search for the carnauba palm, the leaves of which provided the finest natural wax in the world. Carnauba wax was a vital part of the Johnson Wax company's products. H.F. Johnson hoped to find new growths of the carnauba palms and through scientific study of carnauba farming and refining methods, ensure a sustainable source of raw materials for the future.
The expedition was preceded by almost a year of meticulous preparation for the harsh jungle environment they would encounter. Routes were surveyed, scientific equipment was sent ahead and gasoline coaches were arranged in remote areas of Brazil -- because there were no airports.
Overall the expedition successfully covered 15,550 air miles, into and out of highly inhospitable territory. But it was more than a glamorous aerial adventure -- H.F. Johnson and his team accomplished their purpose. They returned with a wealth of knowledge, which helped ensure a plentiful future supply of carnauba wax for their company and its customers.
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