The New Jersey Air Victory Museum Lumberton NJ

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In April 1975, Saigon was under attack by the North Vietnamese People’s Army. The collapse of the city and the government of South Vietnam, which would signal the end of the Vietnam War, was imminent. On April 29 and 30, Operation Frequent Wind took place, the final step in the evacuation of American citizens and ‘at risk’ Vietnamese. In The New Jersey Air Victory Museum in Lumberton, NJ is F-14A, BuNo 158998, which helped provide air cover for the operation. Just the 57th Tomcat to be delivered to the Navy, this F-14 deployed on the USS Enterprise in May of 1974 assigned to the first operational F-14 squadron, VF-1. Operation Frequent Wind was the first combat deployment ever of the F-14 Tomcat.

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The history of the The New Jersey Air Victory Museum goes back to the 1980s when Steven Snyder began collecting artifacts in an old hangar at the South Jersey Regional Airport. Around 1990, Snyder was the winning bidder at an auction and he became the owner of the airport. The museum then began to flourish in a new hangar. Steve Snyder had many other aviation interests, including an F-86 that he flew in airshows. He was also an avid parachute jumper and designed and patented a wrist altimeter for jumpers. Unfortunately, in 1999, while making a low pass in his F-86, he had a compressor stall and lost his life in the crash. After that, Steve’s wife ran the airport and museum and, in 2003, Bob McGonigle took over as president. The museum has continued to thrive and grow, now with Charles Applegate as president . Several years ago, the State of New Jersey bought South Jersey Regional, which will ensure the survival of the airport as well as this excellent museum.

The museum is located in one dedicated hangar with two aircraft on display outside. The hangar is stuffed full of aircraft and interesting displays, but the way it is set up makes it easy to view. I always prefer to make one lap of a museum like this to see the big stuff, mainly the planes, and my second lap is for taking a close look at smaller details. There is a lot to see in this museum, so give yourself plenty of time when you visit.

The first plane that catches your eye as you enter is this North American F-86L Sabre, serial number 53-0635. This plane was discovered as an outdoor display somewhere in the South and trucked to New Jersey. The F-86 L model was developed from the F-86D, with updated avionics as well as a longer wing. Like the other planes in the museum, it has a variety of accessories displayed around it. In the case of the F-86, museum staff manufactured a rocket launcher and fuel tank attachment point to make for a realistic display.

Introduced in 1967, The Chance Vought A-7 Corsair II was designed to replace the A-4 Skyhawk. The lines of the A-7 show its heritage, as Vought used the F-8 Crusader as a starting place. This subsonic, single-engine, single seat, attack aircraft was very successful and was flown by the US Air Force, as well as by a number of other countries.

The A-7 in the museum was built in Dallas in 1969. Originally assigned to several West Coast squadrons at NAS Lemoore, this A-7 (BuNo 154550) soon moved to the East Coast and was assigned to squadrons making cruises on the USS John F Kennedy. Not quite the same as flying an A-7, but I most certainly would have delivered the mail to the pilots and crew of this A-7 aboard the Kennedy in the 1970s.

This photo illustrates some of the interesting details to see at this museum. The RAT (Ram Air Turbine) on the A-7 is shown in the extended position, a detail rarely seen. An airplane’s RAT will be deployed in the event of a loss of electrical and/or hydraulic power. My friend, Ray Dean, did fly the A-7 and I asked him if he ever had to use the RAT. It turns out that he had.

“I did use the RAT one time off of Hawaii. It was night “work ups” before we headed to the Philippines. It was a black night – no moon. The night prior an F-8 had crashed and things were tense on the Big O (Oriskany). I was coming aboard and was a little long and “boltered”. As I raised the nose to go around, the cockpit went black. I immediately reached down near my knee and pulled the RAT. I think you know that on the starboard side of the A-7 a little door opens and the RAT pops out and spools up. It has a small propeller blade, providing emergency electrical power. Yes, the cockpit immediately lit up – it worked! My one and only major “emergency” flying.

Here’s the rest of the story. The pattern was full of A-7 and F-8 aircraft. I requested, and received, “bingo” to the island. I landed in Hawaii and blew a tire, which cost me a case of beer to the base crew. Next morning all was fixed and I flew back to the Oriskany. The Air Boss wanted to see me so I could explain why I decided to divert versus stay in the pattern to land on the ship. He liked my explanation and gave me a thumbs up for head work. That’s it.” Thanks Ray! By the way- Ray is being pretty modest about the severity of this incident. The upwind turn after a cat shot or bolter at night, especially on a moonless night, is one of the most dangerous events at a carrier. Add to that a complete electrical failure, and I am sure it was quite a handful.

It’s always interesting to see a unique plane in a museum, one that can’t be found anywhere else, and this Aereon 26 certainly fits the bill. The “aerobody” was a design concept that could have a variety of possible applications. Designed in the 1960s, this prototype is a small-scale version of the planned aerobody. The concept was a cross between an airship and a lifting body and the idea was to build a vehicle capable of carrying ship-like loads of containers, transporting large amounts of cargo by air. This prototype flew in 1971, powered by just a small drone-sized engine, but the full-sized version would contain hydrogen for lift, and be powered by larger engines.

During flight testing, the small motor did not get the plane out of ground effect on the first two attempts. The prop was redesigned twice and after that, the craft flew well. The engine had a useful life of just 25 hours (and it had been used for 12 hours before it was installed on the Aereon), so not much testing was done. The concept proved viable and various versions were designed and patented over the next few years. Like so many concept aircraft, however, the Aereon idea just faded away and larger versions were never built.

Dramatically displayed in the colors of the Blue Angels, this McDonnell Douglas A-4C was built in El Segundo, CA in 1959. The A-4 replaced the F-4 as the Blue Angels demonstration aircraft in 1974 and the Blues flew the Skyhawk until 1986, when they transitioned to F/A-18 Hornet. As with other displays, there are a number of Blue Angel artifacts and photographs around the Skyhawk.

Most museums have some engines on display, a feature I always enjoy. At the Air Victory Museum, they have taken things a step further by having most of the engines on display in one location.

The Engine Room is nicely presented and has a variety of powerplants on display.

Perhaps the most unique is this Junkers Jumo 004 jet engine. Designed in 1939 and first run in 1940, the Jumo 004 became the first production jet engine and it powered the Me-262 prototype in July of 1942. Although there are Jumo jet engines in other museums, this is the first we have seen in this series. Obviously, everything about this engine is ground breaking, but it is also amazingly similar to modern jet engines. It was an axial flow engine, meaning air passed straight through the engine. An unusual feature that it had was a type of built-in APU for engine start. The challenge of building this engine in Germany during WW-II was the lack of the metals needed for a high pressure and high temperature engine. The designers did well with what they had, but the Jumo engines had a very short life span, averaging around 25 hours before needing a rebuild.

This Jumo engine has a close connection with the development of the museum. In the 1980s, Steve Snyder had an idea to build replica Me-262s. You may remember from Issue 11, NAS Willow Grove had a display of planes along the airport fence, dating back to just after WW-II. As a young boy I recall seeing those planes, and being inspired by them, especially a two-seater Me-262. I had read about Adolph Galland and that amazing jet plane (I met General Galland once, a story for another blog).

Me-262 on display at Willow Grove in 1969 Photo courtesy of DVHAA — Me-262 on display at Willow Grove in 1969 *Photo courtesy of DVHAA*

Snyder made a deal with the Navy museum in Pensacola (who owned the planes) to take the Me-262, disassemble it, and make drawings in order to build replicas. The agreement was that he would build five (flying) replicas and return the original to the museum with a total cosmetic restoration. Steve partnered with a Texas firm to engineer and build the Me-262s. The story of the replicas is a long and complicated one that was, obviously, further complicated by the untimely death of Steve Snyder. Eventually, the various bits and pieces of the disassembled original plane and the partially built replicas were shipped from Texas to Seattle and the project was taken up by volunteer Boeing engineers. Today, the five completed replicas are in various locations around the country, some still flying. The replicas, of course, have a modern jet engine, but the designers made a casting of the original Jumo and the new, and smaller, jet sits inside the casting. If you open the cowling of one of the replicas, the engine looks original. To add to the “originality” of the replicas, Messerschmidt provided five original serial numbers from Me-262 production. If you ever see a flying Me-262, it may be part of this group- see what story you are told about it!

Although the plexiglass covering makes this R-4360 engine display difficult to photograph, the cutaway exhibit is interesting and well laid out. The Pratt and Whitney Wasp Major engine was the largest production radial engine, with four banks of cylinders. I particularly like the way it is displayed here, with models of the aircraft types that the engine powered sitting above.

Right next to the engine Room is this dramatically displayed Pratt and Whitney R-2800 radial. Among other aircraft, the R-2800 Double Wasp powered the Corsair, the P-47, and the DC-6. Engines this size are rarely displayed with the full prop attached but this one achieves the great look because of the large, well-constructed stand it is attached to. A 16-year-old volunteer named Stephanie undertook the project of building the stand, learning the techniques of welding in the process (she went on to get a degree in electrical engineering).

The other aircraft outside of the museum is this Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion, BuNo 158690. Like the E-2, the H-53 series of aircraft is long running and still in active service (although the current model is the Super Stallion). Introduced to the fleet in 1966, the H-53D is a twin engine heavy lift helicopter capable of carrying heavy loads at a relatively high speed. Originally designed for the Marines, the H-53 has also been used in many roles by the Navy and Air Force. Beginning in 1967, the H-53 saw extensive search and rescue operations in Vietnam. The H-53 also played a large part in the failed Operation Eagle Claw, the 1980 attempt to rescue the Iran hostages. Introduced in 1981, the CH-53E Super Stallion has a third engine and an additional rotor blade.

This particular Sea Stallion was delivered to the Navy in 1973. It was originally assigned to a training squadron and then to HM-12 for helicopter mine countermeasures. In 1977 it was assigned to VR-24 in Italy, the transport squadron I served in from 1972-75. Four H-53s were assigned to the squadron and given the name VOD, for Vertical Onboard Delivery (vs. COD, Carrier Onboard Delivery). Although the H-53s gave the squadron tremendous load capability, the experiment was rather short-lived, ending in 1983. Problems with reliability and range made the Sea Stallions less than practical in the far-flung operational theater of the 6th Fleet.

After VR-24, 158690 was returned to heavy lifting and mine operations with several Marine squadrons, serving aboard the USS Okinawa and the USS Guadalcanal (Both LPHs- Landing Platform Helicopter). In 1997 she was retired and a Marine crew flew her to her new home at the Air Victory Museum.

As with the engine room, The Air Victory Museum has built a specific area to display the wide variety of uniforms in their collection. It must be a major undertaking to sort, label, and display so many uniforms and artifacts and the museum has done a great job with the design. Whether you just make a quick lap of the area or you spend an hour reading all the interesting information, you will find this an intriguing part of the museum.

Spread around the museum are a number of aircraft models, large and small. They are all of excellent quality, and some are displayed in dramatic dioramas.

Illustrating the wide variety of displays at the museum is this full-sized replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer.

Nearby the Flyer is this Wright Brothers designed wind tunnel with an excellent discussion of how the Wrights used their experiments to develop lift tables that were more extensive and more accurate than previous calculations.

For the final item in our tour let’s look at this F-4A Phantom II, Bu No. 148273. Again, we see a number of other items with the aircraft, including an F-4 cockpit trainer. This early F-4 started life as an F-4H-1 and was later converted to an F-4A. Most F-4As remained as research and training planes, and few reached the fleet. Like some other planes in the museum, this F-4 was retired at NAS Lakehurst. In this case, it was transported to the museum by a heavy- lift helicopter. It was in bad condition from sitting outside and the museum restored it, painting it in the colors of the VF-84 Jolly Rogers.

The New Jersey Air Victory Museum is one of those museums that has so many great aircraft and exhibits that it is difficult to select which ones to include and which to leave out. Continue to the end to see the photo gallery of many more exhibits. Better yet, go see the museum yourself- it is worth the trip!

A special thanks to Bob McGonigle for his assistance in research 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

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10AM – 4PM

Sunday 11AM – 4PM

Closed on Sundays from the First Sunday in November to the last Sunday in March.

Closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.

Adults (13-64) $5.00

Seniors (65+) $4.00

Children (5-12) $2.00

FLYING IN

South Jersey Regional Airport (KVAY) has a 3881’ paved runway (08/26) with an RNAV approach to each runway, a VOR approach to 26, and even a STAR. There is 24-hour fuel service (100LL and Jet A). Have caution on arrival, the approach end of 26 is right over the Flying W airport. We parked in front of the FBO and it was a short walk to the museum.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

Located due east of Philadelphia, South Jersey Regional is about 30 minutes from the historic city and all it has to offer. One excellent stop is the Battle Ship New Jersey in Camden. https://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/

For the kids, nearby Diggerland is a fun theme park where kids (and adults too) can drive and play with heavy construction equipment. https://www.diggerlandusa.com/

WHERE TO EAT

My son AJ (who once again kindly gave me a ride to the museum in his Baron) and I had lunch after our visit in the Runway Café, next to the FBO. There was a nice diner-style menu, the food was good, and the service excellent.

For a more upscale meal, museum staff recommended Prospector’s Steakhouse and Saloon, seven minutes away. http://www.prospectorsrestaurant.com/

SUGGESTED READING

Not only does my brother Mike edit the blog for me each month, but he is an excellent source of book recommendations. He recently mentioned The Sky Beyond by Sir Gordon Taylor, an autobiography that begins in WW-I and extends through the pioneering of long-haul oceanic flying. The Author of eight books, Gordon Taylor has a very readable style and this book is reminiscent of Ernest Gann’s Fate is the Hunter. Available at reasonable prices from the usual sources.

MUSEUM WEBSITE

http://www.airvictorymuseum.com/ (Note, the website is being updated. Call before you go to be sure of the current opening hours)

UP NEXT

Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory NC

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!

Low Country Regional Airport (KRBW), in Walterboro SC, has its roots as a training base during WW-II. Designated in 1942 as Walterboro Army Airfield, the base primarily served as a B-25 training field. The airfield was also the site of the largest camouflage training base and a large prisoner of war camp.

© 2017 Benton Henry  - Do Not Use Without Written Consent — © 2017 Benton Henry - Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Also significant at Walterboro was that, from April 1944 to October 1945, over 500 Tuskegee Airmen trained as advanced replacement pilots. These pilots were mainly trained for the 332nd fighter squadron ,going on to fly the famous Red Tail P-51s.

Many thanks to Benton Henry for the photo. More of his excellent photography can be found on his website- https://bentonhenry.com/

This Budd BB-1 Pioneer amphibian has been on display in front of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia since 1935. The Budd company specialized in manufacturing with stainless steel (mainly railroad cars) and they contracted with the Italian Company Savoia-Marchetti to use their S.56 design to build the BB-1 (we saw an original S.56 in last month’s issue at Fantasy of Flight). Powered by a Kinner B-5 radial, the BB-1 first flew in 1931 from the now defunct Budd Factory airport. The plane flew for over 1,000 hours of testing, but never went into production.

The Franklin Institute has an excellent aviation section called The Air Show, which will be a future blog. They also have an amazing collection of over 250 original drawings, blue prints, and artifacts donated by the Wright Brothers. Founded in 1824, the Franklin Institute is a world-class science museum, an experience not to be missed.

PHOTO GALLERY

click on any image to enlarge