Massey Air Museum, Massey Maryland — AVIATION HISTORY MUSEUMS

In October 1911, Orville Wright returned to Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. By then, the Wright Brothers were firmly established as leaders in powered flight. They had a contract with the Army, had sold a number of aircraft in Europe, and they had established a factory and flying school in Dayton, Ohio. Orville, though, remained interested in gliders for research and had gone to Kill Devil Hill that year to test an automatic control system, an early version of an autopilot. The test was cancelled after a number of reporters showed up. Orville, as usual, was concerned about the development becoming public before it was patented. Instead of the test, Orville decided to see how long his glider could fly. He remained aloft for 9 minutes and 45 seconds, greatly exceeding the Wright’s previous endurance record. This record would stand for 10 years, and is often considered the beginning of sport gliding.

As you can see, the 1911 glider looked similar to earlier versions, but the pilot sat upright, rather than prone and the elevator had been moved to the rear. Although ailerons were now common on aircraft, the Wrights still used their system of wing warping for lateral control. A full scale replica of this 1911 Wright Glider hangs in the main building of the Massey Air Museum.

The Massey Air Museum bills itself as “reminiscent of rural airports of a bygone era”, and it very much lives up to that billing. Founded in 2001, the Massey Aerodrome is a 3,000’ grass strip in rural farmland on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It was founded specifically to be the home for an aviation museum and a location to showcase flying historic airplanes and sailplanes. The field hosts fly-ins throughout the year as well as many special events and open houses.

The airport is open all year and, in essence, the museum is always open when someone is there- which is most of the time. Guided tours are available for the asking, just find someone working around the field- even mowing the grass! I visited on a Wednesday and I was the only visitor, but there were several groups of people around working on aircraft or just socializing. There are two fact sheets for self-guided tours available which are easy to follow, and most of the planes and displays are well marked, so I just wandered on my own. The museum is not large, but offers a wide variety of aircraft and exhibits.

I started in the main museum building which contains several full-sized craft as well as a number of interesting displays. Although fairly small, this area has many fascinating artifacts, each with a comprehensive description attached.

One of the highlights of the area is the display of a number of fully restored historic powerplants, from a Lycoming 0-145-B2, the first light civilian engine built by Lycoming (introduced in 1939) to a Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone, as used on the B-25. These engines are beautifully restored and nicely presented.

Lycoming 0-145-B2

The history of Lycoming dates back as far as 1845, when they manufactured sewing machines. They began manufacturing automobile engines in 1907 and they built their first aircraft engine in 1929, the very successful R-680 nine-cylinder radial. The O-145 series powerplants were produced through 1950, when they were replaced by the O-235 series. Now owned by Textron, Lycoming still produces very popular light aircraft engines in Williamsport, PA. Displayed next to the Lycoming, which powered the J-3 Cub, there is an earlier Continental A-40, which powered the J-2 Cub.

This is the Wright R-2600, which powered the B-25, as well as other aircraft. It has a cylinder head and piston removed and, if you push a button, you can see the crank operate inside the crank case. This is one of a number of displays in the museum designed to spark the interest of younger visitors, although adults will find them interesting also.

This attractive display case honors the Boeing 314 Clippers, which were also powered by the Wright R-2600. Pan Am operated nine of these majestic seaplanes, mostly on routes across the Pacific. The first Pan Am 314 inaugurated passenger service in 1939, flying from San Francisco to Hong Kong in a little over six days. Although this service lasted only three years, until the entry of the US into WWII, Pan Am and the Boeing Clippers set a standard for international air travel. 314s served military routes throughout the war, but were retired soon after. Unfortunately, none of these beautiful planes survive, the last of the Clippers being broken up in 1951.

The ERCO Ercoupe first flew in 1937 in College Park Maryland. Designed with safety in mind, the Ercoupe has several unique features. The cockpit resembles a bubble canopy, providing excellent visibility. The really unique feature of the Ercoupe is that it has no rudder pedals. The rudders and ailerons are linked together and are both controlled by the yoke. The nose wheel is steerable so the yoke controls turns on the ground and in the air. The plane was designed to be easy to fly, and, when certified, the FAA deemed it "characteristically incapable of spinning." During WW-II, Ercoupes were built for the military for flight training as well as coastal patrol and other uses. After the war, there was a boom in civilian flying and, at one point, the ERCO factory was turning out 34 Ercoupes per day. The boom soon ended and, by 1947, the ERCO name and inventory had been sold. Several companies, including Mooney, produced the Ercoupe through the late 1960s. The model displayed here, without wings, is a 1946 415-C with a Continental C-75 engine.

Most museums have a library and research facilities, but they are usually hidden away behind closed doors. At Massey, the library is a part of the museum hall and offers visitors the opportunity to browse the many aviation volumes, or to sit and look up more information about some of the items on display.

There are many more interesting items to explore here, and even a small gift shop.

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As you enter the airport, you pass by a DC-3 and a An-2 flanking the road. As I left the main museum building, I gravitated towards them.

The DC-3 is open to visitors and is in excellent condition. Although painted in military colors, it never served in the military. This early DC-3A, serial #1983 (NC18111) was built in 1937 and delivered to United Airlines. It was the 117th out of over 10,000 DC-3s built. It flew for United through 1954, when it was sold to American Flyers Airlines. American Flyers operated it until 1973, when it was sold to Shawnee Airlines who operated it in passenger service in Florida until 1980. After 43 years of airline service, NC18111 found its way to New Castle Airport in Delaware where it sat in front of the Air Transport Command Restaurant for 15 years, explaining its military paint job. In 2006, it was donated to Massey Aerodrome and moved to its current site.

Although it now has four abreast seating from its regional carrier days, rather than the three abreast it would have had with United, the interior is remarkably original. With the interior walls missing, you are able to get a good look at the structure of the DC-3 fuselage.

You can visit the DC-3 cockpit and, although some radios and other items have been removed, it gives an excellent feel of an original airplane. In the rear of the cabin, the old galley and restroom add to the original feel. It is the accessibility of the interior of a plane like this that really makes for an excellent museum visit.

The museum has a number of great old photos of this plane dating back to the 1930s. There are also stills and posters from the movie Test Pilot, with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy that NC18111 appeared in in 1938. https://www.flickr.com/photos/massey_aero/albums/72157605906271126

The other plane that greets you at the entrance to the aerodrome is this single engine bi-plane, a Russian Antonov An-2 “Annie”. Produced from 1947 to 2001, with over 18,000 built, it is one of the most widely used aircraft of all time, with almost twice as many built as the DC-3. Annies have been used in many roles, maybe most notably as an airliner, a role it continues in today in many remote areas. It has also been used for crop dusting, sky diving and has had many military applications. The An-2 is powered by a Shvetsov ASh-62 radial engine, which was developed from the Wright R-1820. Although primitive in design and instrumentation, the AN-2 is a very sturdy and stable aircraft. With mechanical leading-edge slats that drop out around 40 MPH, the plane has no stall speed. The aircraft flight manual advises pilots that, in the event of an engine failure, especially at night, they should turn into the wind, pull the yoke full aft and they will have a flat descent with minimum forward speed resulting in a flat landing similar to a parachute landing.

The An-2 is a recent addition to the Massey Museum. It was originally donated to the Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, Delaware (see Issue 9), where it was restored to its present condition. That museum decided that the Antonov did not fit their mission and it was purchased by Mike Macario and donated to Massey in memory of his mother, Kate.

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There are two hangars that are also part of the museum: The East Hangar and the West Hangar. These are basically working hangars, containing aircraft that fly as well as some under restoration. Most of the planes in these hangars are identified on the hand-out sheets and visitors are welcome to walk around all the planes. The 1944 Stearman in the photo is one of two on the field and is available for rides (contact Nick Mirales @ 410-535-4136).

I started in the East Hangar and I was immediately attracted to this great looking Stinson Reliant.

The 1943 V-77 Gull-wing Stinson has a 300 hp Lycoming R-680 engine and is beautifully restored inside and out. It is clearly in flying condition. The nine cylinder R-680 radial engine is the same as mentioned earlier as the first aircraft engine produced by Lycoming. Intruduced in 1930, the R-680 powered a number of aircraft including the Beech A-10, the Stearman PT-13 and the Waco S. Over 26,000 of these powerplants were built through 1945.

The beautifully restored interior of the Stinson is a great example of 1930s design and technology.

At the other end of the East Hangar there was a The Pietenpol Air Camper. These planes first flew in 1928 and many were built from kits in the 1920s and 1930s. They were built with a wide variety of powerplants, often a Ford Model T or Model A engine. Pietenpols continue to be built to this day. In the 1960s, the designer, Bernie Pietenpol, began to favor the air-cooled, flat six Chevrolet Corvair engine to power his planes although planes being built today tend to have modern Continental engines. This 1991 Pietenpol is a design that uses Piper Cub wings. For a description of a Pietenpol built in the 1930s, see Issue 3 and scroll to the end “Museums are where you find them.” https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2019/7/18/museum-of-flight-and-aerial-fire-fighting-greybull-wyoming

This Kitfox “Outback” series 5 has a Rotax 912S engine. Rotax engines, made in Austria, have a combination of air cooling and water cooling and are certified to run on unleaded automotive fuel. These engines are somewhat more fuel efficient and lighter than comparable engines, making them popular for homebuilts, light sport aircraft and ultralights.

Among the other planes in the East hangar is this 1939 Piper Cub J3C-65 with a Continental C90 engine. Hanging above it is a Bailey-Moyes Tempest microlight glider. The Tempest was designed in Florida and built in Australia.

Massey Aerodrome has a number of gliders on the field, both modern and vintage. The field hosts various soaring events throughout the year, such as the Schweizer 1-26 glider fun meet scheduled for September (see the web-site for details).

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The West Hangar contains this 1941 Boeing Stearman B75N1 with a Pratt and Whitney R-985 and this 1947 Aeronca 7CCM (L-16 Grasshopper) with a Continental C-90. Developed from the Champ, the L-16 was used extensively in the Korean War by both the Air Force and the Army.

When you visit, the planes you will see in the East and West hangars will vary somewhat, depending on which are flying, which are in for maintenance, and so on. On my visit, there was a 1975 Bellanca Citabria, a 1963 Piper Colt, and a 1957 Piper Tri-Pacer, all in very nice flying condition, lined up along one side of the West Hangar. Viewing the hangars like this emphasizes the purpose of Massey- to have the look and the feel of an old-time local airport.

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Let’s finish our tour by returning to the replica of the 1911 Wright glider. Sailplane enthusiast Jimmy Dayton, of Mechanicsville, Maryland built the replica from original drawings and photographs. His intention was to fly it at Kitty Hawk for the 100th anniversary of Orville’s record flight. Unfortunately, Jimmy died in a gliding accident just a few months before the event. The glider is displayed in his honor. The Wright glider does not have the lower wing fabric to allow all the excellent workmanship to be seen. This also makes various control elements, especially the wing warping, visible. It is a unique historic item that is artfully displayed.

Massey Aerodrome is a great place to visit. The whole idea is to wander around and just take in the sights and sounds of an old-school local airport. You definitely get the feeling that you want to return, more than once.

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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

Formal hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 11:00AM – 5:00PM, but you can visit any time there is someone around- which is most days. Suggested donation: $5.00.

FLYING IN

Massey Aerodrome (MD1) has a 3000’ grass strip (2/20) and is open to the public. There are no approaches and no services available.

Delaware Air Park (33N) is 10 miles away and has a 4200’ paved runway (9/27) with RNAV approaches to each end and self-service fueling available.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

The museum is in rural and scenic Kent County, Maryland with a variety of small towns, and a number of local attractions and events. https://www.kentcounty.com/

WHERE TO EAT

The town of Galena is not far away, and museum staff recommended Twinny’s – a classic family restaurant.