Mid-Atlantic Air Museum Reading PA.

Issue 17 Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Reading Pa. November, 2020

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On January 10th, 1945, a P-61 Black Widow took off from Hollandia Airfield on Dutch New Guinea for a training mission. Piloted by 2nd Lt. Logan Southfield, the brand-new P-61B had just 10 hours of total flight time. Manufactured by Northrop in Hawthorn, California, it had been disassembled and shipped to the Pacific where it joined the 550th Night Fighter Squadron. Just a couple of minutes into the local test flight, the Black Widow lost power. Aimed directly at the Cyclops Mountains, Southfield had little choice but to crash land in the jungles of Mount Cyclops. There were four people aboard; Southfield, Lt. Benny Goldstein, his radio operator, and two Army nurses who were unauthorized passengers. Although rescue attempts started immediately, the four injured occupants of the Black Widow were not rescued until two days later. The P-61 was abandoned on the mountainside.

I like to start each blog with an anecdote about a plane in the Museum that has had an interesting story or event, and the tale of the crash of this P-61 fits that bill. The story though, like the operational life of the plane, is short. It is the recovery and restoration of the P-61 that is the really interesting story. In fact, the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum (MAAM) was founded because of this plane.

In 1980, Russ Strine formed the MAAM with the express purpose of recovering P-61 serial number 42-39445 from its jungle crash site. It took about five years of negotiations with the government of Indonesia to obtain the rights to the plane. Among other things, the agreement required the museum to provide a flying example of a Stearman in exchange for the wreck. Once recovery operations started, there turned out to be a local tribal leader who had staked a claim to the land and the plane, but that was also successfully negotiated. More later about the recovery of this P-61.

OUTDOOR DISPLAYS

There are two main areas of the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, the outside ramp and the hangar interior. I started my visit outside accompanied by tour guide Tom Yezerski, who provided an interesting overview of each plane. There are about a dozen aircraft on the ramp, offering a mix of military, airline and civilian aircraft.

Note- it was dark and gloomy on the day I visited, I apologize for the less than good quality of some of the photos.

I was immediately attracted to these two airliners, a Martin 4-0-4 in its original Eastern Airlines paint, and a Vickers Viscount in original Capital Airlines colors.

The Martin 4-0-4 was ordered by just two airlines, Eastern and TWA. Eastern bought 60 aircraft and TWA bought 40. Powered by the Pratt and Whitney R-2800, the 4-0-4 was a well-built and successful airliner that had an excellent safety record. After about 10 years, when they were retired by Eastern and TWA, most of the Martins found their way to regional airlines. They operated with a number of smaller airlines including Mohawk, Piedmont, Ozark, and Southern Airways. The example in the Museum, serial number 14141, served with Eastern from 1952 to 1962. After Eastern, 141 was acquired by Southern Airways, where it flew for 16 years. It then flew on for another few years with Vero Monmouth Airways of South Jersey. Acquired by the Museum in 1991, the Martin 4-0-4 was painted in an original 1958 Eastern Airlines paint scheme.

The Vickers Viscount was designed towards the end of World War II, when the British were looking ahead to compete with the US in the post-war airliner market. Viscount service began in April 1953, with British European Airways (BEA) becoming the world's first airline with scheduled turboprop service. Powered by four Roll-Royce Dart engines, the Viscount was quite advanced for its time. The pressurized plane was very successful, being operated by numerous airlines world-wide, including Northeast, Capital, and United in the US.

Tracing its history back to Pennsylvania Central Airlines, Capital Airlines was the fifth largest US airline in the 1950s. They began operating the Viscount in 1955 and their fleet grew to over 50 of the type. Capital operated frequent shuttle service on various routes connecting NY, Chicago and DC. Capital’s attempt to expand their route system was stymied in the still totally regulated industry and, by 1960, they were in deep financial trouble. In 1961, Capital was acquired by United Airlines, which, at the time, was the largest airline merger ever.

The Museum’s Viscount, serial number 233, was in a group that was ordered by Capital, but was never delivered because of the financial difficulties. Vickers used it as a demonstrator aircraft for a year and then sold it to Northeast Airlines. In 1968 it was sold to a Pittsburgh executive to become a corporate aircraft and later to a company in Milwaukee. By the 1980s, 233 was being used as a freighter in Chino California. Russ Strine purchased it for the Museum in 1991 and flew it to West Virginia where it was given an original Capital Airlines paint job. It was then flown to Reading to become an early member of the Museum.

Sitting alongside of the ramp is this de Havilland Dove, a popular 1950s regional airliner. The Dove has an interesting heritage in common with the Viscount. Both were designed during World War II as a result of what was known as the Brabazon Committee, which was set up to determine the post-war needs of the British commercial aviation industry. The Committee came up with a group of five aircraft types (later expanded to eight) that were expected to have a market after WW-II. The five types were- Type I: a very large, long-range cargo plane for the North Atlantic route. Type II: an economical replacement for the Douglas DC-3 for European services. Type III: a four-engine, medium-range plane for the Empire routes. Type IV: a jet-propelled plane for the North Atlantic. Type V: a twin-engine, fourteen-passenger feeder airliner.

Due to lack of resources (both financial and materials), just one of each type was ordered. There were only two really successful planes to come out of this effort- the Dove (Type V) and the Viscount (a variation of Type II). Another of the recommendations of the Committee, the trans-Atlantic jet (Type IV), became the de Havilland Comet. The Comet was the first operational passenger jet, but several unexplained accidents grounded the type, which allowed the Boeing 707 to overtake it in sales and popularity. Structural failures due to cabin pressurization, particularly at the corners of the square windows, were eventually determined to be the cause of the accidents. My guide, Tom, pointed out that the Viscount, which is also pressurized, has rounded windows.

The Museum has several very unique historic planes. This Custer CCW-5 Channel Wing was built in 1964. Custer’s original design, the CCW-1, first flew in 1942. The concept is that the pusher prop draws air over the channels, producing lift and giving the plane short take off and landing (STOL) capability. The design works well and, in fact, so well that the first flight was unintended. Custer, who was not a pilot, was taxiing the prototype to show investors and, at a very slow speed, he became airborne in a gust of wind. The resulting ‘landing’ damaged the plane but did not dissuade the investors. Custer’s design evolved and he eventually designed the CCW-5. The first CCW-5 was built by the Baumann Corporation in California, using the fuselage and other existing parts from one of their own designs. It flew in 1953. By 1964, Custer had a facility in Hagerstown, Maryland and this second CCW-5 was built there. Although the design was proven successful, funding was never found and this was the final Custer Chanel wing. The Museum has it slated for restoration, possibly to flying condition.

As we look at the variety of aircraft here, it’s interesting to note that the Museum has as its goal, the restoration of all of its aircraft and, to the extent possible, restoring them to flying condition.

There are several large military aircraft displayed on the ramp that illustrate this goal.

The R-4D-6 Skytrain is the Navy version of the C-47. This particular “Gooney Bird” was delivered to the Navy in 1944 and had an active role as a Navy transport with VR-2 in Norfolk as well as at a variety of Naval Air Stations from Lakehurst, New Jersey to Barbers Point, Hawaii. Retired by the Navy in 1959, BUNO 50819 was part of a batch of R-4Ds acquired by the FAA to serve as flight check aircraft. After 17 years in this role, this R-4D was used for agricultural spraying in Arizona. The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum acquired it in 1981, making this the first aircraft in the Museum’s collection. After extensive restoration, inside and out, 50819 attended EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, and received the “Best Transport” award. Returning to Oshkosh the following year, after final details of the restoration were completed, 50819 won “Grand Champion Warbird” and NAAM received the prestigious Lindbergh Trophy. The Museum website has an excellent description of the life and restoration of this grand old bird, along with many detailed photos. http://www.maam.org/airshow/r4d.html

This Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune is another example of how the Museum’s mission is to keep its planes flying while constantly working towards making them as original as possible.

It’s unfortunate that none of the aircraft in the Museum are open to see the interiors, but you can see how excellent some of the restorations are from photos such as this on the website.

This Neptune, BUNO 145945, also attended the EAA convention in Oshkosh, being awarded “Best Restored Bomber” in 1985. The P-2 also has an excellent page on the website about the history and restoration of the aircraft. http://www.maam.org/neptune/p2_1.html

This Republic Aviation F-84B 'Thunderjet' is a 1946 model (originally designated P-84). Designed during WW-II, the F-84 had many teething problems and was continually modified and upgraded during its operational life. This is one of only three B models known to exist.

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For over 20 years (1950s to 1970s), Reading Airport held a premier air show, which was often compared to the Paris Air Show. For a number of reasons, the show lost popularity and had ended by 1980. Today, the Museum hosts another well-known air show each year, the World War-II weekend.

The Museum’s B-25J “Briefing Time” at the WW-II weekend. Although there are a number of flying B-25s, this is one of only three flying examples restored to such a very high degree of originality. Photo courtesy of MAAM

A few years ago, my sons and I attended the WW-II weekend. It is a very special and unique airshow as there is as much emphasis on presenting ground operations as having flight operations. Visitors can walk all over the ramp which has a variety of very realistic encampments, operations buildings, USO and mess tents and so on. Hundreds of participants spend the weekend in period attire, participating in WW-II style events and just providing visitors an amazing feel of what life was like during WW-II. The air shows are limited to military aircraft and, although there are dog-fight simulations and a variety of fighter aircraft flying, the emphasis is on heavy iron. Participants vary each year but you will always see a number of bombers flying: B-17s, B-24s, B-25s and, occasionally, a B-29. Check the web-site for information about the next event, it is really a great experience.

The three photos above of the WW-II weekend were provided by the ladies of Operation Meatball. It is the effort of three sisters: Liberty, Jubilee, and Faith, dedicated to “Honoring Veterans and Connecting them with the Youth of Today”. Although founded to serve WW-II veterans, Operation Meatball now includes honoring Korean War and Vietnam War vets. A very worthy organization. https://www.operationmeatball.com/

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INDOOR DISPLAYS

The main hangar building is chock full of interesting aircraft. My tour guide, Tom Yezerski, continued his excellent tour inside.

There are several larger aircraft in the hangar and this Beech 18, with a beautiful paint job, caught my interest right away. Although none of the planes in the museum are open to see the interiors, this twin Beech has large windows and you can see into the beautiful corporate interior.

It is a 1961 Model G or Super Twin Beech, with a larger cabin and higher gross weight. This plane received the Reading Airport National Business Air Show top honor in 1962 and was featured on the cover of FLYING Magazine after that show.

One of the several unique aircraft in the Museum is this 1946 Zuck Plane-Mobile 1. With its restoration nearing completion, you can see the level of work that goes into returning even a small sized plane to original condition. The Zuck was one of many attempts in the post-war years to produce a flying car.

A Museum like this, which has literally dozens of interesting, and sometimes unique aircraft, makes it difficult to choose which ones to write about. I have had to leave out a number of planes that really interest me, but you can see photos of the rest of the collection in the photo gallery below. And, of course, you can visit yourself!

There are also many excellent displays around the hangar, and I’ll just mention a couple of them.

This cut away model of a Pratt and Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major can be animated to give a great view of the internal workings of this massive powerplant.

This 1950 Curtiss-Wright Dehmel simulator really caught my attention. Many museums have a pre-war Link trainer on display, but I have not seen one of these post-war second-generation sims before.

Powered by analog computers, these advanced simulators (for their time) were used extensively to train military pilots throughout the 1950s.

Entering WW-II on June 4th, 1942, during the Battle of Midway, the Grumman TBF Avenger got off to a rough start, losing five of the six planes launched that day. Despite this, the Avenger became the Navy’s standard torpedo-bomber for the rest of the war and into the 1950s. To meet production requirements, Grumman subbed out some production to General Motors. This beautiful flying example was built in the GM facility in Trenton, NJ. Aircraft built by GM’s Eastern Aircraft division were designated the TBM.

This beautiful TBM was donated to the Museum by Jack Kosko, who served as a TBM radio operator aboard the USS Langley at the end of WW-II. The plane carries all the colors and marking of the plane Jack flew in with Torpedo Squadron 23 (VT-23).

Let’s finish up by returning to the saga of the P-61 recovery and restoration.

After the five years of negotiations, recovery finally began and the steep slope and thick jungle conditions made it a long process. After much preparatory work on site, a series of very difficult helicopter lifts retrieved all the parts from the mountainside. The parts were finally all crated and shipped from Indonesia in February 1991, arriving in Baltimore by April.

The P-61 was actually in fairly complete condition. Although some parts had been scavenged and some vandalizing had taken place, the remote location kept this to a minimum. Because the plane had crashed at an angle, on the side of a mountain, water had not collected extensively, which kept corrosion to a minimum. Once all the parts were in Reading, the real work began. The Museum website has an excellent page of photos following the arrival in Reading in 1991 all the way up to today, which discusses the recovery and restoration much more completely than I could. http://www.maam.org/p61/p61_rest.htm

The Museum estimates that restoration is about 70% complete. From these photos you can see how far things have progressed and the very high quality of the restoration work.

As the restoration is always on-going, there are many panels open or removed, allowing visitors a great look at the inner workings of the Black Widow and the quality and complexity of the work.

The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum is a great place to visit. It is always expanding its collection (a second display hangar is planned) and restoration and refurbishing projects are always on-going. It is certainly a Museum to visit more than once, as the displays constantly change. And, if at all possible, plan to attend the WW-II weekend.

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To learn about what to do in the local area, museum hours and costs, as well as books to read and other interesting odds and ends, keep reading! At the end you will find a photo gallery of the entire museum.

PLANNING YOUR VISIT

HOURS OF OPERATION: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The museum is closed on Fridays, Sundays, and major holidays. Note: All visitors must take a guided tour and the last tour begins at 3:00 PM

ADMISSION FEE to the museum is $8 for Adults, $6 for Seniors 65 +, $3 for Children 6 to 12, and free for 5 and under. Members are free.

FLYING IN

Reading Airport (KRDG) has two runways, 6350’ (13/31) and 5151’ (18/36), each with ILS and RNAV approaches. There are three FBOs on the field with full services available.

Tie-downs are available right next to the museum.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

Reading Airport sits just to the northeast of Lancaster County with many local attractions both in Berks and Lancaster Counties. https://visitpaamericana.com/

Thirty minutes east, in Berks County, is one of my favorite restored railroads. Running from Boyertown to Pottstown and back, the Colebrookdale Railroad travels along a scenic and historic iron production route. There are special themed trains throughout the year (the Christmas Train is especially fun) and there are a variety of food options on the train. This is really great experience for children and adults. https://www.colebrookdalerailroad.com/

WHERE TO EAT

There are several restaurants north of the Museum on 183 N (Bernville Rd.), and many more in the Wyomissing area, off Rte. 222, just south of the airport.

The passenger terminal is on the opposite side of the airport from the museum and has a restaurant, Klinger's at the Airport. It used to be a great place, but I have not been there for many years, and the Museum staff were not sure if it is still open. Check the website for times before you go. https://www.klingerspubs.com/klingers-at-the-airport

SUGGESTED READING

Race of Aces, by John R. Bruning, is an excellent read. Eddie Rickenbacker, America’s top ace in WW-I, was sent to the Pacific in the fall of 1942 on an inspection trip. At the time, American air power was floundering versus the Japanese due to outclassed aircraft (especially the P-39), harsh operating conditions, and long and unreliable supply lines. While talking to a group of pilots, Rickenbacker sensed that their morale was low and, along with General George Kenny, came up with a challenge to beat Rickenbacker’s top score of 26 kills. This led to a military wide race, throughout the war, to be America’s top ace. Reporters ate it up and the top aces became household names. The book, which focuses on AAF pilots in the Pacific Theater, is thoroughly researched and gives the reader a great insight into the daily lives of front-line fighter pilots.

Race of Aces was recommended by reader Chris Henry who co-hosts the EAA’s Green Dot podcast. This is an excellent podcast covering a wide variety of aviation subjects. They have an episode about every two weeks and you can listen anytime to past issues. It is definitely worth checking out. http://inspire.eaa.org/eaas-green-dot-podcast/ The June 4th, 2020 episode had the hosts chatting about their favorite aviation museums, one of their many excellent podcasts.

MUSEUM WEBSITE

http://www.maam.org/

UP NEXT

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Pooler, Georgia.

MUSEUMS ARE WHERE YOU FIND THEM

This segment is dedicated to finding interesting aviation artifacts that are in public view- but not in an aviation museum. If you see one send a photo!

Jimmy Stewart, besides being a well known actor, is remembered as a B-17 pilot and Air Force General. Over the years, Jimmy also owned two Cessna 310s, a 1955 model and a 1961 F model. Jimmy's home town Airport in Indiana, PA was named after him in 1959.

In 2015, the derelict 310F was about to be broken up for scrap in Dallas. Chuck Jessen, a Cessna 310 enthusiast, heard about the plane and contacted John Hurn, who was the custodian of the airframe. He searched FAA records and discovered that the plane had belonged to Jimmy Stewart. He contacted the airport and eventually members of the local Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) agreed to rescue the plane from the scrap heap. Harold Wood and members of EAA chapter 993 spent over five years raising funds to restore the 310 to its original colors and mount it on a pedestal in front of the airport. The plane turns with the wind, as do the propellers, a great tribute to Jimmy Stewart.

A special thanks to Harold Wood for the photo and information.

A note about research. A wide variety of sources are used in writing this blog, and, as this is basically an opinion piece, not an academic work, sources are not usually cited. Obviously, though, my primary research is on the museum web-site. I never announce my visits beforehand, but I often get helpful answers to questions from museum staff while I am writing. Wikipedia, which, when used with caution, can be an excellent resource, and is frequently consulted. I occasionally get corrections and additional information from readers, and that is greatly appreciated. I also refer to books in my personal library, and I usually purchase a book or two at the museum shop, especially if (as in the case of Omaka in New Zealand), they publish a book about the museum. In this research, I sometimes come across conflicting information (such as how many aircraft were built). I always try to resolve the discrepancy with further sources, and information in this blog aims to be as accurate as possible.

PHOTO GALLERY

Click on any image to enlarge

RAMP AIRCRAFT