Virginia Aviation Museum

Updated on Oct 12, 2024

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Established 1986 (1986) Director Edward Andrews		Type Aviation Museum

Dissolved June 30, 2016 (2016-06-30) Location 5701 Huntsman Road, Richmond, Virginia Website Virginia Aviation Museum

The Virginia Aviation Museum was an aviation museum in Richmond, Virginia, adjacent to Richmond International Airport (formerly "Richard Evelyn Byrd Flying Field"). Erected in 1986, the museum housed a collection of some thirty-four airframes, both owned and on-loan, ranging from reproductions of Wright Brothers kite gliders to the still state-of-the-art SR-71 Blackbird. It is a subsidiary of the Science Museum of Virginia. The current building, known as the Martha C. West Building, was originally planned to be a temporary storage facility until the actual museum building finished construction.

The museum closed June 30, 2016. The SR-71 was moved to the Science Museum of Virginia where it is on display. The remainder of the collection will be relocated and preserved, though a new location has yet be determined.

Exhibits and artifacts

(arranged chronologically by date of original manufacture)

WWI and Golden Age of Aviation

S.P.A.D. VII, B9913, built 1917 by Mann Egerton & Company, Ltd., United Kingdom - one of 19 to Rockwell Field Pursuit Gunnery School, San Diego, California in 1918 (later NAS North Island).

Standard E-1, no registration, built 1918, rescued from barn near Dayton, Ohio in 1950s by Sidney L. Shannon, Jr. and restored.

Curtiss JN-4D, Signal Corps 2975, c/n 450, built 1918, on loan from Ken Hyde, Warrenton, Virginia.

Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing, NC3835, c/n 9, built 1927 - in Eastern Air Transport markings, on loan from the Science Museum of Virginia.

Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket, NX237, c/n 187, built 1928 as a CH-300 Pacemaker, salvaged from a glacier by Preston Synder in 1976 and converted to CH-400 - marked as "Columbia", original of which was destroyed in hangar fire.

Travel Air 2000, NC6282, c/n 721, built 1927.

Fairchild FC-2W2, NX8006, c/n 140, built 1928, "Stars And Stripes" - Richard Evelyn Byrd's Arctic exploration aircraft, on loan from the National Air and Space Museum.

Heath Super Parasol, N1926, c/n 31919, built 1928, donated by Dr. E. C. Garber, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Pietenpol Air Camper and Sky Scout, N9040N, c/n 410, Ford-powered homebuilt, 1928, built and donated by Charles F. Duff.

Brunner Winkle BK Bird, c/n 2025, built 1929, on loan from Dolph Overton.

Curtiss-Robertson J-1D Robin, NC532N, c/n 733, built 1929, restored by Francis Clore.

Fleet Model 1, NC766V, c/n 347, built August 1930 - marked as USAAC YPT-6.

Aeronca C-2N Razor Back, N11417, c/n 151, originally built 1932 as C-1 Clipped Wing Cadet, converted 1932 to C-2N; rebuilt 1962.

Taylor E-2 Cub, NC12628, c/n 33, built 1932.

Aeronca C-3 NC14640, c/n 426, built 1935, donated by Kenneth Brugh, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Waco YOC, NC17740, c/n 4279, built 1935, on loan from the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society - once owned by Hollywood artist Walter Matthew Jeffries who designed the Starship Enterprise.

Curtiss-Wright Speedwing Model A-14D, NC12329, built 1936, on loan from Allen H. Watkins - only one known in existence.

Vultee V-1AD Special, NC16099, c/n 25, built 1936, "Lady Peace II" - once owned by publisher William Randolph Hearst, only one known in existence.

Fairchild Model 24-G, N19123, c/n 2983, built August 1937.

Stinson SR-10G Reliant, NC21135, c/n 5903, built 1937 for American Airlines and marked for that carrier - on loan from the Science Museum of Virginia.

Waco EGC-8, c/n 5062, built for by R. G. LeTourneau, 1938, one of seven total sold - now owned by David Tyndall, Mechanicsville, Virginia - undergoing restoration in the museum shop.

Bücker Bü 133C Jungmeister, N133BU, c/n 251, built 1941 - marked as aircraft of Beverly "Bevo" Howard.

Piper J-3 Cub, N42535, c/n 14812, built 1943.

References

Virginia Aviation Museum Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents

Exhibits and artifacts

WWI and Golden Age of Aviation

References