THE MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM, Virginia Beach, VA

The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Va

On February 20th, 1963, Leonard Downe, and his co-pilot, Roy Hurst, were flying a B-25 Mitchell from Louisiana to Cincinnati’s Lunken airport. This wasn’t a military mission in a well-maintained B-25, or a flight in a totally restored museum piece, rather it was a cargo flight in a ratty old plane that had been made surplus in 1958. It was typical of the numerous fly-by-night cargo carriers that took advantage of WW-II surplus planes which were cheap to buy. They were often operated on a shoestring, with iffy maintenance and minimal crew training. The cargo in this B-25, however, was not a typical load. Arthur Jones, the owner of the plane, operated a zoo in Slidell, Louisiana. He had three B-25s that would travel around the country giving wild life displays, which is why the flight was heading to Cincinnati. In the back was a collection of exotic animals, including snakes and alligators. Approaching Lunken Field, the number two engine developed trouble and had to be shut down and the crew soon realized that the landing gear would not lower. Downe advised the tower of their problems and circled the field for a while to burn off fuel. He had his co-pilot bail out and he landed in a tree, unharmed. Concerned about what would become of the load of snakes and alligators, Downe made the tower aware of his dangerous cargo. When he finally started his approach, the number one engine began to fail. Downe just made it to the runway for a gear-up landing. Sparks flew and smoke entered the cockpit prompting the pilot to jump out of the overhead hatch even before the plane had come to a stop. The smoke turned out to just be dust from the fuselage scraping the runway and only a small electrical fire developed. Fire and rescue personnel approached the plane cautiously and quickly doused the fire. They eventually just waited until personnel arrived to tend to the animals. The event was filmed and photographed and was featured prominently in newspapers and on the Cincinnati evening news. Downe was lauded as a hero.

“Wild Cargo” accident. Note the pilot running in front of the plane. Photo Courtesy of CAHS Museum-via David Brightwell

That B-25, serial number 44-30129, is now restored and is on display, and flown, at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The above story is true, but there is a postscript to the tale. It turned out that the whole event had been set up as a publicity stunt. Arthur Jones had made his fortune inventing Nautilus exercise equipment and his hobby was collecting wild animals. After building his zoo, he began giving displays around the country. He also produced a TV show, called Wild Cargo, about traveling the world to find exotic animals. In truth, there was nothing mechanically wrong with the plane and the entire event was scripted. Jones and his camera crew were on hand to film the crash and, besides the exposure in the press, he had a dramatic segment for his TV show. I could not find an official accident report, but I assume that the authorities were not amused!

The beginning of the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach goes back to 1994 when Gerald Yagen and his wife, Elaine, attended an Aerostar owner’s convention. Yagan, founder of several aviation maintenance schools, is a long-time general aviation pilot, but a 1940s dance at the convention sparked an interest in acquiring a vintage military plane. His first purchase was a Curtiss P-40 that had been shot down in the arctic during WW-II. As the restoration of this plane started, a Chance Vought Corsair was located nearby, in Virginia Beach, and also purchased. Yagan had never flown a tail-dragger, let alone a high-performance military plane. He started to look for a training plane and one of the most plentiful vintage taildraggers, a Stearman, was purchased. Yeagan soon realized that the Stearman would be a great tail wheel trainer, but it certainly wasn’t high-performance like the Corsair or P-40. The next obvious step up was the T-6 Texan, the most widely used primary trainer in WW-II. A Navy version, an SNJ-4, was purchased, and the stage was set for what has grown into one of the largest collections of historic planes in the country.

The Museum is actually located in Pungo, Virginia, a quiet rural area south of Virginia Beach. It occupies four hangars on the Virginia Beach Airport, a 4800’ private grass strip. The hangars are divided into Army, Navy, WW-I and German collections and, of the 80 or so aircraft on display, most are in flying condition.

As you enter the main hangar, you find a number of volunteers ready to answer questions and give tours. The building contains a central pavilion, with the Navy hangar to the left and the Army hangar to the right. You get a brief overview as you enter and you can see a variety of displays, some, including a replica of a Wright Flyer, being used for discussion and demonstrations. The Army hangar, to the right, and the Navy hangar, to the left are self-guided and I started with the Army side. There is a lot to see here, so I advise getting a guide map and making a plan before you start.

The title of Army hangar only loosely refers to Army Air Corp aircraft in WW-II, as there are British, Soviet, and aircraft from other countries and other eras here also. It doesn’t take long to realize that the main mission of the museum is to maintain the aircraft in flying condition. The planes are randomly placed, and there is not an order to follow, so I just wandered, enjoying viewing each plane. They are all clearly identified and signs offer plenty of information about the general type as well as the specific plane.

The P-63 “Kingcobra”, built by Bell Aircraft, was based on the P-39 Airacobra and the development of the P-63 came from improvements suggested by P-39 crews. The P-63 is larger and faster than the P-39 and its nose cannon is more accessible for arming and maintenance. As can be inferred by the statue of Lenin next to it, this Kingcobra served in Russia during WW-II. Over 3300 P-63s were built with over 2300 being delivered to the Soviet Union. The Air Transport Ferry Command, including many female pilots, would deliver them to Nome Alaska via Great Falls Montana. From Alaska, Soviet pilots, many female, flew them on the Alaska-Siberia route across the Bering Sea. The museum’s Kingcobra traveled that route and served as a ground attack fighter against Japanese forces in far eastern Russia. It was one of several discovered after years of sitting in open storage. The P-63 is probably a lesser-known WW-II plane because the P-51 came on line about the same time and the Army Air Corps never ordered, or flew, the P-63.

In this hangar you will see a British Spitfire and a Hurricane, as well as a German Bf 109. Each of these types fought throughout WW-II, but all three are probably best known for their role in the Battle of Britain. As you walk around these wonderful aircraft, the full extent of the uniqueness of this museum becomes obvious. Because these planes fly regularly, they are moved around a lot, hence they are not roped off at all, and you can stand up close and see all the details of these historic aircraft. Very few museums offer such access.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 (often referred to as the Me 109) was first operational in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. The 109 served throughout WW-II, in all German theaters, with over 33,000 built. Willy Messerschmitt designed the Bf 109 to be simple to build and maintain. It was a favorite of pilots and highly successful, creating many aces. The highest scoring fighter pilot of all time, Erich Hartmann, was credited with 352 victories in the Bf 109, mostly on the Eastern Front.

This Curtiss P-40, mentioned earlier as the first acquisition of the museum, was built in 1941. It was originally sent to England and then later went to the Soviet Air Force in Murmansk, where it was lost in action. It was discovered on the ice in the 1990s. It was returned to flying condition and was fully restored in 2003. Although a pre-war design, the P-40 served throughout the war, and in all theaters. All P-40s flown by the Army Air Corps were called Warhawks but the British and Russian Air Forces called early P-40s the Tomahawk and later ones, like this one, were called Kittyhawks. The museum displays the P-40 in the colors of the legendary Flying Tigers.

The WW-I and the German Hangar (as well as the restoration hangar) are located a little way from the main building. Periodic tours are given and guides assemble a group, provide transportation to the hangars and then narrate the tour.

Our first stop was the WW-I hangar. There are approximately 20 planes here, and, like the WW-I Museum in Omaka, New Zealand (Issue 4), most are replicas. As planes of this vintage were mostly made of wood and cloth, not many survived. The fact that they are replicas does not take away from their historical interest. And again, almost all of them fly on a regular basis.

The German Albatross D. Va was never a very successful fighter. It originally had a number of structural problems and was modified both by the factory and in the field. Introduced in 1917, over 900 were built and it saw service through the end of the war. There are only two original of the type remaining, including one in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Throughout the museum, there are many very knowledgeable volunteers ready to give presentations and answer questions. Here our guide describes the complicated design and operation of a rotary engine.

In July, 1909, Louis Blériot became the first person to fly the English Channel. Fighting gusty wind conditions, Blériot (without the aid of a compass) made the crossing in 36 minutes. He landed heavily, but unhurt, on the British side. He won a £1,000 prize and instantly became famous worldwide. The original Blériot XI now hangs in the Musée des arts et Métiers in Paris. This replica, which flies regularly, was built by a team of enthusiasts in Spain.

(Reader Jenna Scarborough sent additional information about this aircraft).

Harriet Quimby, the first woman pilot licensed in the US, flew a Bleriot similar to this one. In 1912, she was the first woman to fly the English Channel (also without a compass) and she quickly became a celebrity on the air show circuit. Her career was cut short when, flying a demonstration in her Bleriot, she experienced a sudden pitch down and both she and her passenger were ejected from the plane at 1,000’. The plane eventually landed, unharmed, in a field. This event led to increased use of seat belts in aircraft. Thanks Jenna!

This Ely-Curtiss Pusher is the only flying replica of the 1911 Curtiss Pusher. The Pusher was one of the first aircraft to be built in large numbers and it was also the first aircraft type to take off from the deck of a ship (USS Birmingham on November 14, 1910) and the first to make a landing aboard a ship (USS Pennsylvania on January 18, 1911). This replica was built in New Market, Virginia.

Next door to the World War I hangar is The Fighter Factory hangar. This is where all the restoration and maintenance for the museum’s planes takes place. Although not open for tours, as you walk past you can see some of the work going on. It was a very busy place during my visit.

On the other side of The Fighter Factory is the “Cottbus” Hangar, housing a large number of German aircraft. The hangar itself is historic, as it is an original German hangar relocated from the Cottbus Army Airfield near Berlin. This large hangar was built in 1934 and at Cottbus it was designated Hangar 6. During the war it was used for storage and some manufacturing. Damaged in an 8th Air Force attack near the end of the war, it was most likely rebuilt by Polish forced labor. The inscription “Anusia Waclaw Worked Here, 10.14.1944.” can be clearly seen on one of the beams. It is really nice to visit a museum that goes to this type of effort to preserve historic artifacts like this.

This Junkers Ju-52 Tri-motor usually dominates the Cottbus hangar, but during my visit it was parked outside having some brake work done. First produced in 1930, the Ju-52 became a very popular airliner. It carried up to 18 passengers and was flown by a number of airlines. It was equipped with a variety of engines, most notably, nine-cylinder BMW radials. By the mid-1930s, the type became a mainstay of the Luftwaffe, serving as a transport and in other roles throughout WW-II. Production continued into the early 1950s and the Museum’s Ju-52 was probably built in Spain in 1949 for the Spanish Air Force. It is one of only seven examples still flying, and the only one in North America.

The Messerschmitt Bf 108 was built in the mid-1930s as a sport/recreation plane and soon became popular for long distance record setting attempts. The type was used extensively as a utility aircraft by the Luftwaffe during WW-II. Due to its similar look to the Bf 109, the 108 has often appeared in that role in movies. The museum’s “Taifun” was built during the war in the Nord factory in occupied France.

The Cottbus Hangar contains a number of interesting German experimental craft from WW-II. This Lippisch P.13a was under development near the end of the war when Germany was critically low on fuel. Designed to run on coal dust, it was still in the testing stage when the war ended. Wind tunnel tests showed it would be aerodynamically capable of speeds up to Mach 2.6. Germany was running out of all natural resources at the end of the war and turned to designing smaller planes like this. You can see the windshield in the vertical stabilizer, where the pilot would have sat. The museum’s replica was constructed from the original drawings. There are several other interesting experimental planes around the hangar that were built from German plans that were still on the drawing board in 1945.

Photo courtesy of The Military Aviation Museum

If you visit on a sunny day, you may see one of the museum’s planes in flight, such as this de Havilland Mosquito. This Mosquito was built in Canada in 1945 and restored in New Zealand in 2002. It is painted in colors of the New Zealand RAF.

Overlooking the field is an actual tower from a British airbase. RAF Station Goxhill in Lincolnshire, England, was opened in 1941 and turned over to The USAAF in 1942, the first of many bases turned over for American use. Like the Cottbus hangar, the Goxhill “Watch Office” was brought over in its entirety and fully reconstructed here.

Update- May 2024 I recently made a visit to the museum and the Goxhill tower (more accurately, operations building) has been completely restored and is now open to the public. It is interesting to see and very well done.

Back in the main museum building, there are a variety of displays and there are usually discussions and demonstrations going. Here, also, is where the museum displays its many artifacts, models, works of art and so on. Most museums have an eclectic collection of memorabilia and they all find different ways to display them, sometimes tucked into cluttered corners. The Military Aviation Museum is lucky to have a lot of space in their main building. Their displays are spread out and easy to see and the display cases are all nicely laid out and well maintained.

Willy Messerschmitt, designer of the Bf 109 (with Robert Lusser), was arrested after the war and served two years in prison for collaborating with the Nazis. He was also banned for life from working in the aircraft industry. He turned his factories into making consumer goods and even cars. I don’t think I have ever seen a Messerschmitt sewing machine before.

In the center of the main rotunda is a rather unique display of a bi-plane at the top of a loop. You can view it from below or go upstairs for a close-up view. I heard one of the volunteers discussing it with a small group of kids- an interesting way to introduce aerodynamics to youngsters.

On this upper level you can also enter a small balcony on either side to get a good overview of the Army or Navy hangar.

Downstairs in this central area are also some nice vehicles on display such as this restored BMW R75 motorbike and side car. Over 16,000 of these bikes were built. They were technically advanced, having a drive wheel and brakes on the sidecar and a reverse gear. The trailer next to it was also part of the original rig. Behind the motorbike is a pre-war Hanomag Kurier staff car.

There are a number of engines on display, including this cut-away of a Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp. This engine was used on numerous aircraft including the Corsair, the B-26 and the Hellcat.

I have always been intrigued by the story of the German Enigma machine and the code breakers of Bletchley Park in England. It is estimated that 100,000 of these machines were built and many museums I have visited have a preserved Enigma (see also “Suggested Reading” below).

The V-1 flying bomb was put into service just after D-Day and used to attack London and other cities as retribution for the D-Day landings. The missile was unguided, with only a rudimentary auto pilot to keep it straight and level. It was launched from a catapult set-up that gave it enough speed for its pulse jet to become effective. The pulsing sound of the motor gave it the nickname “buzz bomb”. Over 9,000 were targeted on London from bunker installations built throughout France. A timer was set that would stop the motor, presumably over the target, making them very inaccurate, but they caused plenty of destruction. Londoners learned to live with the noise- and to take cover when the noise stopped. The museum’s display includes a complete description of the operation of the V-1. Some of the panels are open so you can see the inner workings and an original starting unit is displayed next to it.

The Navy hangar, like the Army hangar, contains mostly WW-II US Navy aircraft, but the are other eras and other countries represented as well. The variety is partly due to the fact that planes are constantly moved around as they go flying. Here, the P-51 has strayed over to the Navy side.

The Chance-Vought Corsair was designed to operate from carriers, and hence mostly saw action in the Pacific. As mentioned in a previous blog (issue 8), The F4U was difficult to land on a carrier, especially for inexperienced pilots, so the type was originally supplied to shore-based Marine squadrons. Over 12,000 Corsairs were built between 1942 and 1953, making it the longest running manufacturing of a piston-engine fighter. During the war, Goodyear and Brewster Corporations built the F4U under contract. This Corsair, the second plane acquired by the museum, was built by Goodyear in 1945 and served in a Navy reserve squadron on the west coast until the late ‘40s. It also flew in the opening ceremony of the Reno Air Show in 1968. It is painted in the colors of the “Jolly Roger” squadron (VF-17), which was originally land-based in the Solomon Islands. Local pilot, Ray Beacham, the “Kitty Hawk Kid”, was the first pilot in the squadron to record a kill, and the plane is painted in his honor.

The FM-2 Wildcat was built by General Motors under license from Grumman (in a group of five of their factories designated Eastern Aircraft). Originally, Grumman built around 2,000 of these types designated the F4F, then production was totally turned over to GM (who built over 5,000) as Grumman tooled up to build the new F6F Hellcat. The FM-2 and the F4F are basically the same aircraft (the Navy never made its designation system easy!). This Wildcat was built in 1944 and it originally served on the west coast but was later based at NAAF Pungo in Virginia Beach.

With over 80 aircraft and many other items of interest in this museum, it is difficult to pick just a few to write about. There are many other great planes here- all of which you can see in the photo galleries below. I chose this NAF N3N because it is interesting in itself, but also because it allows me to mention the automobiles displayed with it.

The N3N “Canary” (also called the “Yellow Peril”) was built either with conventional landing gear or a pontoon, such as this one. The Naval Air Factory, which was located at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, was unique in that it was solely owned and operated by the Navy. It was opened in 1918 because the Navy had difficulty finding civilian manufacturers who would build small numbers of a specification that the Navy required. A number of types were built by the NAF, usually in small numbers. The Naval Air Factory was disbanded after WW-II. The N3N was by far the most numerous built by the NAF. Production lasted from 1936 to 1941, with a total of almost 1000 built. The N at the end of an aircraft’s designator signified that it was built by the NAF. The leading N designated it as a trainer. The N3N lasted in service until 1961 (as a Naval Academy trainer), making it the last biplane in the US military.

The 1950 Jaguar XK-120, on the left, was partially restored underwater. It was owned by the captain of a nuclear sub who took parts with him to work on during long cruises.

The two cars on the other side of the N3N are both German. The 1966 Amphicar was powered by a Triumph Herald engine and, by all accounts was neither a good car nor a good boat, but it was certainly eye-catching on land or water.

The little car next to it is a Messerschmitt kr200, built in West Germany. Mentioned earlier was the fact that Willy Messerschmitt had been banned from building aircraft after the war- but the idea for a three-wheel, front and aft two-seater, must have come from somewhere! This “bubble car” was quite popular, with 40,000 being built between 1955 and 1964.

Let's finish our tour with "Wild Cargo" from the opening story. North American built almost 10,000 B-25s. They served in many roles, perhaps most notably for Jimmy Doolittle’s raid on Tokyo, launched from the aircraft carrier Hornet. The B-25 was named after Billy Mitchell, a pioneer of aviation and an early proponent of strategic bombing. It is the only US military aircraft ever named for a person. The museum’s beautifully restored B-25 is a J model, which was produced later in the war as a ground attack aircraft. It never saw combat and, from 1945 to 1958, it was assigned to over a dozen different Air Force bases serving in training and administrative roles. In June of 1958, it was sold as surplus from Davis Monthan AFB. After becoming a civilian aircraft, it continued its wandering ways, being sold over ten times, once for $500. After the gear-up landing, it was sold twice before Jerry Yagan bought it in 1997. The B-25 was brought back to airworthiness in 2005, and still flies on a regular basis.

“Wild Cargo” on display after the accident Photo Courtesy of CAHS Museum-via David Brightwell *Many thanks to Charlie Pyles of the Cincinnati Aviation Heritage Society & Museum for providing photos and information.*

One final point about the Military Aviation Museum is that they have various special events throughout the year. Car shows, 1940s dances and children’s events are just some of the special events, all based around the aircraft, of course. And if you visit on a summer weekend, there will almost always be some type of flying going on. After visiting the museum, I signed up for the newsletter which lets you know about all the events. You also receive information about upcoming webinars, I have signed up for a number of these free webinars (donations appreciated) and all of them have been very interesting.

This is a wonderful museum and really worth a visit.

Summer, 2023 Update

I recently visited the Military Aviation Museum and was lucky to see the arrival of the museum’s latest addition, a Curtiss C-46 Commando.

Here is information about the new acquisition from the museum:

The Military Aviation Museum proudly announces the acquisition of the Curtiss C-46 Commando, known as "The Tinker Belle," from its caretakers, the City of Monroe, NC, in partnership with the non-profit organization Warriors and Warbirds. This remarkable aircraft, the only flying example of its kind in a museum collection, is expected to make its debut at the South Pacific Luau and Hangar Dance on July 22nd.

Officially designated as the Curtiss C-46 Commando, "The Whale," as it was affectionately known, played a crucial role in Air Transport Command operations over the Himalayan Mountains, famously referred to as "The Hump," in the CBI (China-Burma-India) Theatre during WWII. The crews who flew these C-46s became the backbone of history's then largest and still longest airlift. Despite their tremendous achievements, this triumph came at a significant cost, with the loss of numerous aircraft, crew, and cargo.

By the end of WWII, the Hump airlift operation was a staggering endeavor, with aircraft crossing every 1.3 minutes on average. Over 34,000 USAAF personnel and 47,000 local laborers from Burma, India, and China were instrumental in making this airlift operation a reality. It even involved utilizing local elephants to replace unserviceable forklifts.

The addition of "The Tinker Belle" to the Military Aviation Museum's collection is a significant milestone, honoring the heroic achievements of the past and preserving the memory of those who served.

#C46 #C46Commando #WWII #TheHump #MilitaryAviationMuseum #Warbirds #LoveVA #VirginaBeach #Virginia

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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

The museum is open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Members, WWII & Korea War Veterans, Children 5 & under – Free. Adults – $15.00. Youth (ages 6-17) – $7.50. Seniors (65+) – $13.00. Active Duty, Retired Military and dependents – $12.00.

FLYING IN

The museum is located on Virginia Beach Airport (42VA) which is owned and operated by the museum. It has a 4800’ grass strip (11/29). Prior permission is required to land here.

KCPK Chesapeake Airport is about 40 minutes away and offers full services.

KONX Currituck County Airport is about 50 minutes away and offers full services.

KORF Norfolk International is about 40 minutes away.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

The beaches and all the other attraction of Virginia Beach are approximately 30 minutes away, making the museum an excellent day trip. The beaches and attractions of the Outer Banks of North Carolina are less than two hours away, also making for an excellent day trip.

The museum has a dinosaur park, “JERRASSIC PARK” at the entrance. Fun for children to explore, and they can participate in a scavenger hunt (this is probably the only time dinosaurs will appear in this blog).

WHERE TO EAT

For this section I usually try out the closest family friendly restaurant(s) to the museum. In this case, when I left the museum, I put restaurants in the GPS and the closest result I got was 3.3 miles away (told you it was in a rural area). It was a pleasant 8-minute drive along country roads to Blue Pete’s. This rustic restaurant has views, indoor and outdoor seating and lots of great seafood and other items.

SUGGESTED READING

There are many excellent books detailing the amazing work of the code breakers of Bletchley Park. Among other things, they broke the codes of the Enigma Machine. For lighter reading on the subject, I very much enjoyed the novel Enigma by Robert Harris. This well-researched historical novel is a good read, while providing a lot of insight into the workings of Bletchley Park.

An excellent, non-fiction, WW-II story is Lady Be Good by Dennis E. McClendon. During WW-II, a B-24 became lost returning to Italy from a mission and was never heard from or found. In 1961, the plane was discovered in the Libyan desert by researchers looking for oil. There were no remains of the crew found and what their fate was remains a mystery. The author theorizes about what happened - aided by a diary kept by one of the crew members. It’s a fascinating read.

MUSEUM WEBSITE

https://militaryaviationmuseum.org/

UP NEXT

The Museum of Flight, Seattle Washington.

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!

Photo Courtesy of http://www.jerrybattle.com/

In 1923, Charles Lindbergh was making a living as a wing walker in a flying circus, but dreaming of flying himself. After saving up some money, he rode his Harley Davidson to Souther Field in Americus, GA, where numerous war-surplus Curtiss JN-4 Jennies were for sale. Lindbergh purchased a brand-new Jenny, still in the crate, and took it to a facility in a nearby hangar where he helped assemble it. Lindbergh had a few hours flying, but he had never soloed. After an unsuccessful attempt to fly his new plane, he paid for a few lessons, soloed, and then flew to Alabama to start his barnstorming career. This monument stands on Souther Field (KACJ- now named Jimmy Carter Regional Airport) to commemorate his first solo. Many thanks to Jerry Battle for the photo.

The Military Aviation Museum has a flying Jenny and the plane Lindbergh bought in 1923, for $500, is on display at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in New York.

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PHOTO GALLERY

click photos to enlarge

ARMY HANGAR