Piper Aviation Museum Lock Haven PA — AVIATION HISTORY MUSEUMS

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First flown in 1938, the J-3 Cub built the reputation of Piper Aircraft as a producer of simple-to-operate, low-cost planes. The J-3 was widely used during WW-II and a number of improvements were made. By the end of the War, the J-5 was in production and it was renamed the PA-12 Super Cruiser for civilian sales. But it was still, at heart, a Piper Cub.

After WW-II, there was a surge in civilian flying, and two flight instructors in College Park, Maryland, George Truman and Clifford Evans, came up with a plan to promote pleasure flying. An off-hand remark by Evans, that you could fly a Super Cruiser around the world, gave them an idea for a business venture. They went to William Piper with the idea, proposing that he give them two planes and expense money for an around-the-world promotional tour. Piper was reluctant, but he eventually offered them a couple of used PA-12s, and Lycoming threw in two new engines for $1 each.

Truman and Evans went to work on the planes and installed 50-gallon tanks in the rear seats. Truman named his plane The City of the Angels and Evans named his The City of Washington, from where they grew up. After adding the fuel tanks and upgraded navigation gear and radios, the planes were more than 400 pounds over gross weight, so they had to be licensed in the experimental category. With the added fuel, the Super Cruisers now had a 27-hour endurance with a range of 2,600 miles.

The pair left Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, on August 9th, 1947, bound for Newfoundland. They planned to fly together in loose formation, but in the summer haze and with difficult radio transmissions, they were out of sight of each other within ten minutes. With the help of some airline pilots, they met up again in Presque Isle, Maine. The pair were able to stay together for the rest of the 25,000-mile journey and they completed the around-the-world flight on December 10th, 1947. They had numerous difficulties along the way, but none of them were mechanical; the worst problem the planes had was a damaged tail wheel. More about the flight later.

When they returned to Teterboro, The City of the Angels landed first, becoming the first light aircraft to fly around the world. The City of Washington now hangs in the Smithsonian and The City of the Angels is on display at the Piper Aviation Museum in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

Photo courtesy of the Piper Aviation Museum

The roots of Piper Aircraft go back to 1927 with the founding of the Taylor Manufacturing Company by brothers Clarence and Gordon Taylor in Rochester, NY. After the death of Gordon in an aircraft accident in 1928, the company was enticed to move to Bradford, PA by a group of businessmen, who invested in the company and provided a larger facility. The investor group included William T Piper. In 1930, the company declared bankruptcy and Piper purchased the assets of the company for just $761. Although Bill Piper effectively controlled the company, Clarence (CG) Taylor remained as president. At that time the company was producing the E-2 Cub, a simple and inexpensive aircraft, which, even in the depths of the depression, remained successful. In 1935, Piper bought out Taylor, but the name remained the Taylor Aircraft Company. CG Taylor went on to form the Taylorcraft Aircraft Company (which is also still in business today). In 1937, a fire destroyed the factory in Bradford and Piper moved the operation to an abandoned silk mill in Lock Haven, PA, renaming it the Piper Aircraft Corporation. Piper continued manufacturing in Lock Haven until 1984 and the Piper Aviation Museum is now located in the former Engineering Building of Piper Aircraft.

The museum has an upstairs exhibit area, a mezzanine with additional displays, and a hangar floor with over 20 aircraft on display. You enter on the upper floor, through the gift shop right into the exhibit area.

The main display area is arranged by categories with each board offering newspaper articles and original photographs, along with interesting narratives about each subject.

Here we see the display of all the various Piper aircraft operated during WW-II. Among them is the PT-1 that was proposed in response to a 1942 Army request for a new trainer. Piper was one of three companies to submit a proposal but the program was cancelled before production began. Piper built and flew just one prototype and we will see that plane when we visit the hangar floor.

Viewing this board of the lineage of Piper aircraft makes you realize how many types Piper has built over the years and the very attractive display shows how they all evolved.

After briefly browsing through these displays, we headed down to the hangar floor to see some airplanes, and then returned here to finish up viewing some more of the exhibits, let’s do the same.

On the way downstairs, you pass through a small mezzanine area. The centerpiece of this area is a Piper PA-38 Tomahawk that has been converted into a simulator. There was not a simulator operator available the day we visited, but when there is, you can experience flying a Tomahawk for just $5 a ride. This looked like an interesting opportunity for both kids and adults.

The Tomahawk was designed to compete with the Cessna 150 as an economical primary trainer. The PA-38 was originally conceived in 1965 and design began in 1968. After a number of delays, the Tomahawk was first flown in 1977. Between 1978 and 1982, around 2,500 of the type were built.

The Mezzanine has several other types of light aircraft simulators on display, including this restored Link Trainer. On this level a new section of the museum is under construction, which will allow for the addition of more aircraft and exhibits.

The stairs from the Mezzanine down to the hangar floor offer a nice overview of the main part of the museum (there is also an elevator available). All of the aircraft on display are well marked and fully restored.

The silver Cub suspended from the ceiling is a J-2. The J-2 Cub first flew in 1935 and was originally a Taylor J-2. Produced until 1938, the J-2 was the first plane to carry the Piper name.

Another aircraft suspended above is this L-4 Grasshopper. A number of Piper aircraft were used during WW-II, with the L-4 being the first. Accepted by the Army in 1941, the L-4 is identical to the civilian J-3, other than the plexiglass windows and the (non-yellow) paint job. The L of the L-4 designation was for ‘Liaison’ and the Grasshopper was used in a wide variety of roles, becoming known as the Flying Jeep.

One use of the L-4 that I had not previously heard of was shipboard launching. Two Navy LSTs (Landing Ship Tank) were outfitted to carry eight to ten L-4s. The ships were designed to launch the planes, but not land them- they would have to land on shore, sometimes in enemy territory. On the upper floor there is an excellent scratch-built model of LST #525.

The first operational use of the “Cub Carrier” was in 1943 in North Africa, and during the invasion of Sicily. Many ship-launched Grasshoppers also participated in the Normandy invasion.

During the early days of Piper aircraft, before WW-II, their main competitor was Taylorcraft’s Model A. The planes were similar, but the Taylorcraft had side-by -side seating, which was more popular for primary training than the tandem (fore and aft) configuration of the Cub. To compete with Taylorcraft, Piper introduced the J-4. To accommodate the side-by-side seating arrangement, the J-4 had a wider fuselage than the J-3, as well as other improvements. Several models of the J-4 were built between 1938 and 1942; most of the differences were based on the type of engine that was installed. This nicely restored J-4 has a Continental A50-1 powerplant.

One feature of this museum is the availability of a brochure at each aircraft on display. Every plane is well described with a placard, and the brochures add additional information about the plane and other background information such as who donated the plane and how it came to the museum. The brochures are kept well stocked and are free for visitors to pick up.

Developed from the tailwheel equipped PA-20 Pacer, The PA-22 Tri Pacer first flew in 1950. Produced between 1950 and 1964, almost 10,000 Tri Pacers were built, with over 3,000 still registered today. The Tri Pacer on display is a PA-22-160 with a 160 HP Lycoming O-320B.

In the 1950s, Piper Aircraft purchased property in Vero Beach, FL and began manufacturing there in 1960. In 1958, inspired by the P-51, Howard “Pug” Piper planned a version of the PA-24 Comanche that would be the most powerful yet, and be able to fly nonstop from Lock Haven to Vero Beach. The ultimate Comanche was the PA-24-400, powered by a 400 HP Lycoming IO-720-A1B, making it the “World’s fastest single engine production aircraft”.

On display in the museum is N8400P, the first production “400”, which was registered in August of 1963. All of the 4,800+ Comanches built were manufactured in Lock Haven but only 146 were -400 models. N8400P was kept at Lock Haven for testing until being sold in 1966.

At one end of the hangar floor are various interesting exhibits, including displays of props and engines. At the other end is a re-creation of an old Piper dealership. There are several vintage cars parked next to the wooden building, including Bill Piper’s 1953 Buick.

As mentioned in the opening segment, the Super Cruisers had virtually no mechanical problems on their 25,000-mile, four-month journey around the world. They did, however, have plenty of weather issues and delays.

Besides unusual headwinds throughout the trip, Truman and Evans encountered lots of IFR weather. They were delayed in Goose Bay, Labrador for three days due to high winds and low ceilings. When they finally made the overwater leg to Bluie West One, in Greenland, they encountered headwinds and bad weather on the entire flight. Leaving Greenland, they were above an overcast all the way to Iceland, actually missing Reykjavik altogether. Luckily, they realized their mistake and reversed course, landing at Reykjavik just before the field closed for fog. Other weather delays and diverts continued and, in Saudi Arabia, they were held on the ground by customs for six days, even though they had all the correct paperwork. In China they were delayed by a typhoon and, when finally airborne, they encountered 80 mph headwinds (in 100 mph airplanes). Their longest and most difficult leg was from Japan to Shemya, in the Aleutians. Taking off at night, they immediately encountered IFR weather and icing as they began the long flight across the Pacific. Luckily, they had met a B-17 crew in Japan, and they had some helpful “mothering“ from the B-17 all the way to Alaska. That leg took 13½ hours. More delays followed trying to get to Anchorage, as well as through Canada all the way down the West Coast to LA. The final segment, across the US, was relatively easy and they finally landed back in Teterboro on December 10th.

The planes had identical paint jobs and the flags of each country they visited were hand-painted on one side, with the name of each city painted on the other side. The amazing trip accomplished the goal of demonstrating the capability and reliability of Piper aircraft. It is always a highlight of an aviation museum to be able to stand right next to an aircraft such as this that has accomplished something historic.

The Piper Aviation Museum, unlike most of the museums we visit, displays mostly civilian aircraft. More than that, the planes we are seeing are ones that the average visitor may have owned or flown. Many of the planes on display have an interesting history, but they are still every-day aircraft. There are also, however, a number of unique, one-of-a kind planes exhibited here.

Already mentioned, at the WW-II display wall on the upper floor, is this PT-1 trainer. From the very start of the War, Piper Cubs were being used for primary flight training, but the Army wanted a more advanced aircraft for a trainer. The PT-1 was a big departure for Piper, having a low wing and retractable landing gear. It still had tandem seating (fore and aft), and it could be flown solo from either seat.

The PT-1 was a good flying aircraft, but the Army contract was cancelled before any additional aircraft were built. Piper used this prototype for company transportation during the War and then donated it to Penn State College of Technology. It was later acquired by the museum and totally restored.

In the late 1950s, Piper developed plans to build a small, low cost, fiberglass trainer and the result was the PA-29 Papoose, which first flew in 1962. The process of building the all-fiberglass plane was quite complicated and is well described in the pamphlet that accompanies the plane. In general, a ‘plug’ had to be built first- a full scale wooden model, which could then be covered with plaster so that molds could be created. Every part required a mold, and there were many steps in the process. The fiberglass technology of the time was new and the Papoose wound up being much too heavy. The development cost that would be required to reduce the weight was deemed too expensive and the project was cancelled. The one PA-29 continued flying until 1965 and was then donated to the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics. It later went on display at the EAA Museum in Oshkosh, eventually returning to its original home in Lock Haven.

The very successful PA-23 Apache (later called the Aztec) was produced from 1952 to 1981, with almost 7,000 built. In the early 1960s, Piper began plans to build a six-seat pressurized twin. In 1972, it was decided to simply build a pressurized version of the Aztec “D” model that was currently in production. The type was designated the PA-41. The pressurized Aztec was externally the same as the non-pressurized version, except for the rounded windows, needed to withstand the stress of the pressurization. Performance of the PA-41 was similar to the PA-23 but altitudes up to 20,000’ were possible, without supplementary oxygen. The prototype performed well, but testing showed that the fuselage was not strong enough to hold up to the rigorous requirements of certification, and the project was cancelled in 1974. The plane was donated to Mississippi State University, and was used in flight testing until 1979. The one-of-a-kind prototype was donated back to the Piper Museum in 2000.

Among the many aircraft designed during WW-II, intended for the aviation boom that was expected after the war ended, was the PA-8 Skycycle from Piper. There were two versions, the original Cub Cycle (PWA-8) which was soon scrapped, and the similar Skycycle. Although The PA-8 flew well, it was not put into production and the one Skycycle that was built somehow wound up hanging from the ceiling of a Milwaukee department store. In 1945, fifteen-year-old Bob Erdman saw the plane, and became enamored with it. He made some drawings and was inspired to a career in the aircraft industry, working for Cessna and Lear Jet in Wichita. After retiring in 1993, he set to work on his dream of building a Skycycle. The original was long gone, and no production plans existed. Working from a few surviving documents, photographs, and his original sketches, Erdman completed his Carlson Skycycle (named after the original designer) in 1995. His plan was to market the plane as a kit, but he did not get any orders. It was eventually donated to the museum by his son David.

This display is a Piper demonstrator fuselage of the PA-42 Cheyenne 400, the largest aircraft ever built by Piper. Powered by two Garrett turboprops, the Cheyenne had performance to match the Cessna Citation jet. With a top speed of 400 mph, the Cheyenne set a number of records with Chuck Yeager at the controls. Among these records were- time to climb to 3,000 meters (9842’) in 1 minute 48 seconds; to 6,000m (19,685’) in 3 mins 42 secs; 9,000m (29,527’) in 6 mins 34 secs and 12,000m (39,370’) in an amazing 11 mins 8 secs. A number of city-pair class records were also set by Yeager in the Cheyenne 400 including Burbank to New York in 5 hours and 23 minutes. Enroute, Yeager took a detour over his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, setting that record also.

Except for the Piperjet prototype we saw last month at the Florida Aviation museum, Piper never built a jet. In fact, Piper has never built a plane requiring a type rating (although there is a restricted type rating for the PA-42-720R). The Cheyenne 400, however, in many ways, outperformed the Cessna Citation of the day, as well as the larger Beechcraft King Air 200.

Finishing our tour back in the main exhibit hall, we looked at the various displays that give an overview of Piper history. Tracing the history of Piper, the exhibits break it into various eras including: Bradford to Lock Haven 1937; The Early Years 1937-1941; The War years 1941-1945; The Metal Airplanes 1954-1984; and Vero Beach Florida 1958- .

Even before the US entered WW-II, General Hap Arnold saw the need for women aviators to supplement the flying of the Army Air Corps. The idea met with a lot of resistance but, by 1942, with the assistance of Jackie Cochran, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) were formed. The WASPs were only active for two years, but it is a complicated and interesting story, perhaps for a different blog (there is a WASP museum in Sweetwater, Texas). The Piper museum covers the subject in an interesting way, with a series of “Did you know” questions. You open a flap to read about each subject- an interesting activity for children and adults. The exhibit also includes photos and a number of historic artifacts from the WASPs.

There are also many exhibits here honoring various outstanding personalities associated with Piper Aircraft.

Piper Aircraft has a long and interesting history. It follows various intriguing routes and, beginning in 1969, there were a number of owners, as well as a long-running lawsuit between two potential buyers. In 1972, the factory suffered heavy damage from floods caused by Hurricane Agnes and a large number of aircraft were damaged beyond repair. Ownership of Piper changed hands in 1984, 1986, 1987, and Piper filed for bankruptcy in 1991. After emerging from bankruptcy in 1995, majority ownership again changed hands several times. Today, Piper Aircraft still manufactures a number of types in Vero Beach, and is owned by the Kingdom of Brunei.

The Piper Aviation Museum Foundation has done an excellent job of preserving the 90+ year history of Piper Aircraft and presenting it in an interesting and accessible way. This is a wonderful museum to visit.

A special thanks to board member Ron Dremel for providing information for this blog

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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 has a seasonal closing in the winter- check before you go)

Mon-Fri: 9:00-4:00

Sat: 10:00-4:00

Sun: 12:00-4:00

Adults - $6.00

Senior Citizens (55 and Up) - $5.00

Children & Teens (7-15) - $3.00

FLYING IN

Lock Haven Airport (KLHV) has a 3,800’ paved runway (9L/27R) and a 2,179’ grass runway (9R/27L). The airport has only an RNAV (GPS) A, circling approach. There is a full service FBO on the field.

The Piper Aviation Museum is located near the approach end of 9R. The taxiway in front of the museum is narrow and it was a tight fit for my son’s Baron but we found a spot to park and it was a short walk to the museum. If the taxiway looks crowded, you can park at the FBO on the other side of the field and they will provide transportation to the museum.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

https://www.visitpa.com/region/pennsylvania-wilds/lock-haven

WHERE TO EAT

The Village Tavern on Bald Eagle Street is an Italian restaurant that is walking distance from the museum. Recommended by staff at the museum.