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2 21- 3 The Membership Newsletter for The Winter 2010 Y A M Are Getting Warmed Up for Airshow by RR “Boom” Powell 0 Restoring and maintaining old warbirds The Fi 156 Storch (Stork) has been undergo- 201 is a diffi cult endeavor. The are ing restoration at the Fighter Factory and should be old, parts are hard to come by. Even with ready to go as soon as the staff pilots fi ght out who the talented crew at The Fighter Factory, keeping gets to fl y it. The Storch was the ’s ubiq- warbirds airworthy is not a sure thing. All of which is uitous liaison with short takeoff and land Volume 3, Issue 1 a preamble to what you can anticipate for the big War- (STOL) qualities that rival a ’s. Besides be- birds Over the Beach event in May. The plan is to in- ing Feldmarschall Rommel’s favored method of mov- troduce four exciting new acquisitions to the museum, ing around the battlefi elds of North Africa, the Storch but there are no guarantees. gained fame as the aircraft which lifted Mussolini off an Alpine mountain and landed on a street pi- loted by the head of the Luftwaffe, von Greim, and aviatrix Hannah Reitsch for a last meeting with Hitler Military Aviation Museum in his bunker. www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org Another aircraft used by the Luftwaffe is a Ju 52, fondly called “Tante Ju”, about to be fl own up from Virginia Beach Airport Texas. Distinctive with three engines and corrugated www.VBairport.com skin, the Ju 52 was the German equivalent of the DC- 3 and was in European airline service before becom- Fighter Factory ing a military transport. www.FighterFactory.com Fi 156 Storch (Stork) Continued on page 2

Inside this Issue: Annual Warbirds Over the Beach Airshow On May 21st through May 23rd, the Military Aviation from the fi rst half of the last century when everything Hangars Sprouting 2 Museum is hosting their 2nd annual Warbirds Over was much simpler, and everyone knew right from Planes and Trains 3 the Beach Airshow. wrong and good from evil. Experience an era when our country engaged an adversary that was clearly 504K 4 The Museum owns and displays dozens of aircraft defi ned and easy to confront. from the 1940s and earlier, which are all meticulously Prince and the Dragon 5 restored to fl ying condition. Plus, dozens more air- Travel to the Hangar Happenings 6 craft will be on display from other museums and per- warmth of Vir- ginia Beach, sonal collections from all around the country. Upcoming Events 6 alongside the • Watch many of our Warbirds fl y overhead. bright shine Veterans Share • Visit the re-enactor encampments. of the Atlan- Experiences 7 • Interact with Allies, Axis and friendly troops. tic shoreline, MAM Library and Crew 7 • See vehicles, armor and artillery demonstra- where German tions. submarines Museum Display at • Shop our vendors and military fl ea market. hunted mer- Norfolk Airport 8 • Meet distinguished veterans from World War II. chant ships in Original Airshow Artwork • Schedule yourself a ride in World War II Aircraft. the Gulfstream TheTh AAmerican i BBelles, ll a ttribute ib t ththe Now for Sale 8 waters. Look Andrew Sisters Join us on that weekend for a trip back in time to up in the sky, those memorable days of the World War II era. A time Continued on page 3 PAGE 2 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1

Warmed Up... Continued from page 1 There’s already a WWI in the museum,m but it was built for display oonly (It does have a realistic rotary en- ggine where the cylinders swing around wwith the propeller.) A fl yable replica is ono its way from and should joinj the DR1 for the airshow.a Besides the static 504, the FokkerF D-VII, and another DR1 at the museum,m a Halberstadt Cl-II (OK, so DeHavilland DH-89 DH 89 Dragon Rapide it’si not full scale and has an inappro- (nom de guerre Dominie) were used by the Ju 52 aka “Tante Ju” priatep engine) stored at the Suffolk Air- RAF, this was the model used as the per- port and might make up a three plane sonal transport for HRH Prince of Wales formationf of Great War aeroplanes. in the late 1930’s. It been repainted in the A noteworthy addition to the civil original royal blue and red scheme. airplanesa (Waco and Bücker Jung- The actual show will have groupings of meister)m at the museum is a DeHavil- trainers, , and fi ghters as last year landl DH-89 Dragon Rapide which in formation and doing fl y pasts, but there hash been completely rebuilt in New will be fl ying throughout the day of various ZealandZ and should be shipped, reas- airplanes. Our goal is to always have some- sembled,s and test fl own in time for thing interesting in the sky.  WWI Avro 504 thet airshow. Although, many Rapides Hangars Sprouting Up from the Farmland In 2008, the Virginia Beach Airport and was created in 1996 to restore one of the constructed of stone in Waukesha County, Military Aviation Museum approached the fi rst aircraft in the collection. This was the Wisconsin, at the Waukesha County Airport city to add several additional structures Curtiss P-40E that now proudly fl ies with in 1937. It was a prewar design and similar needed for the growing collection of histor- Flying Tiger’s markings. This all began in a to what many fi rst hangars looked like dur- ic airplanes. There was already one muse- small mini warehouse across the back road ing these early days of aviation. In 1995, um hangar building completed in 2006, but of the Norfolk Airport. Today, this team of the original stone hangar was redrawn by a that was now full, with no spare room for craftsmen is led by an IA Inspector and a local architect and then disassembled to be the many aircraft that continued to arrive. dozen full time aircraft mechanics, who are moved to Popular Grove Airport in Illinois, all paid staff and not volunteers. The main- where it sits today as home to the Wings However, even more pressing were the tenance hangar in Suffolk is 12,000 square and Wheels Museum. The new Virginia maintenance concerns for when an feet in size and has two additional hangars, Beach Airport maintenance hangar will be was in need of repairs. The mechanics con- stuffed full of historic aircraft. If you have erected using this exact same 1937 design. tinued to operate out of the related Fighter not yet seen this, it is an experience well It will also have an equal size concrete tar- Factory hangar housed at the Suffolk Mu- worth the drive. It is open to the public, but mac in front of the hangar doors facing the nicipal Airport, over 30 miles away to the only visit on weekdays, as these employees crosswind runway/taxi-way and setting sun west. If an aircraft had a maintenance prob- do not work on the weekends. towards the west. lem, it had to be temporarily jury-rigged to fl y across three cities to have the dedicated The new Fighter Factory maintenance han- staff repair the problems. In some extreme gar being built at the Virginia Beach Airport Continued on page 3 cases, the airplane had to be moved there is designed to be 16,000 on a fl at bed truck. This was a problem that sq. ft. in size, to include needed to be corrected. a 10,000 sq. ft. of open repair hangar, workshops, The city council of Virginia Beach agreed parts storage rooms, small and in January 2009, granted the museum paint room, offi ces, and permission to add some much needed build- a visitor entry area for ings. The fi rst three have recently com- guests coming to tour and menced construction, but somewhat slowly marvel at how these air- because of the excessive rain and several craft are brought back to nor’easters that have pounded the city. life. Maintenance Buildings The original building de- The building style for the new maintenance hangar at the Virginia Beach Airport The restoration and maintenance arm of the sign came from a hangar museum is called the Fighter Factory and VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 PAGE 3 Planes and Trains: Model Trains Mix with Real Size Airplanes by Steve Prescott The weekend of November 27-29 saw a fl y, carnival rides go round and round and with a hearty laugh and was chauffeured new type of event at the Military Aviation whistles blow. On that Saturday children into the hangar in the museum’s WWII Museum. The Tidewater Division of Mod- and adults could hear the radio transmis- military jeep. Once in the hangar, hun- el Railroaders set up train displays among sion of an incoming fl ight. A special guest dreds of children lined up to sit beside the planes. The following module groups appearance was made by Santa as he ar- Santa in the jeep and tell him their Christ- participated: Atlantic Coast S Gauge Asso- rived in the Stearman, a yellow bi-plane. mas wishes. Everyone got into the spirit ciation, South N-trak Club, As he disembarked, he greeted everyone of the holidays and the donations were Tidewater O Gauge Association ggenerous to “Toys For Tots”, (TOGA), Hampton Roads Lego aas the Marines collected a User Group, and Great Lakes & tototal of $1,522 and 88 toys Southeast (HO scale). ffor the organization. It was a fun family weekend. Next The groups were set-up beside yyear’s Trains and Planes will the FG-1D Corsair and under oonce again happen the three the wings of the PBY Catalina, ddays after Thanksgiving and it looked great. Museum guests SSanta promised to fl y-in on were amazed at what you can bboth Saturday and Sunday! create with Lego’s, even trains that run. Everyone had a great TThank you to Sharon Prescott time at the S gauge modules ffor sharing the taking the where you could push buttons pphotographs used in this ar- to make oil wells work, kits Santa coming in on his ““sleigh”,sleigh” the Stearman ticle.i 

Airshow... Continued from page 1 New Hangars... Continued from page 2 Hangars were not common and when built, they were often similar to wooden barns where you will see fi ghters and bombers of Warehouse with open fronts and no doors. Bessaneau our armed forces patrol the countryside to The museum has three packed warehouses hangars were even less sturdy as bowed protect our homeland from the Axis forces. secreted away in the local community, full framework built of wood and walls cov- of disassembled airplanes, engines and a You will experience all this and more dur- ered in canvas. Obviously, neither of these vast collection of spare parts, necessary would be ideal for hurricane prone Virginia ing the weekend before Memorial Day with to keep these airplanes safe to fl y. We are Beach. hundreds of re-enactors, actual warplanes constructing the fi rst of three 10,000 sq. of these times, and entertainment reminis- ft. warehouses across the driveway from The design is a 15,000 sq. ft. hangar built in cent of the 1940s. Visit with us to experi- the maintenance facility. The fi rst stor- three bay sections and fabricated complete- ence a romantic and by-gone era of a time age building will also be able to house the ly out of wood. The truss frame structure long gone, but fondly remembered. museum’s open top double decker bus and is common to how large barns were built at keep it dry from the winter weather. The Live entertainment begins on Saturday and the start of the last century. The roof will be building is metal clad, but will be painted in tin and the big wooden hangar doors need Sunday mornings at 10:00 am. It ends at 10:00 green and brown camoufl age markings, so to be manually pushed to open and close. pm on Saturday and at 5:00 pm on Sunday. often used during the Second World War. • American Tribute to the Andrew Sisters. Approximately a dozen bright and color- • Abbott and Costello on Stage World War One Hangar ful multi-winged airplanes will fi t into this • Theresa Eamon Sings Favorites from The museum’s growing collection of histor- building to be built next door to the main- the 40s. ic airplanes is including many more wood tenance hangar. Pulling the light weight • Metro Band and Symphonic Artistry and fabric aircraft from the First World War. planes out the front entrance will allow • Tribute to Frank Sinatra Impression In order to house them, Steve Atkin, noted them to be parked on the grass and permit the building to be used for small functions • Silver Slippers Tap Dance Routine architect in the , is going and gatherings. • Saturday Evening Hangar Dance to research and design a World War One era hangar as might have been found near It is scheduled for all three of these new ad- Your Saturday or the front lines of the fi ghting. The obvious problem with this is that the airplane fi rst ditions to be completed by the end of the Weekend Combo ticket includes summer 2010, but fi rst it has to stop rain- admission into the Saturday fl ew in 1903 at nearby Kitty Hawk, NC. The start of The War to End All Wars was ing. Then two original buildings from the Evening Hangar Dance with Glenn in 1911, just eight years later and hangar Second World War that were disassembled Miller-Style Swing Band. design had lagged even behind the design in Europe and are already here in storage of the fl imsy observation planes struggling and waiting to be added. Think of it some- Come dressed in uniforms and into the air. what like Bridge, which was relo- vintage clothing. cated to Arizona.  PAGE 4 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1

The WWI Aircraft, the Avro 504K by Felix Usis The word REPLICA can be a dirty word to aircraft fi rst fl own only two days before the Following the end of the war, the type con- some. But when it comes to aircraft made of derby started. tinued in service as the standard trainer of wood and canvas, it means the difference be- the RAF. In , the 504Js were tween seeing an original as static display, dy- Early 504s had a clocked speed of 80.9 declared obsolete, but the 504Ks carried on ing in some building, or actually hearing the mph with a stall speed of 43 mph. The air- for many years. Large numbers of surplus sounds and smelling the aromas as you expe- craft also established a new British altitude aircraft became available for sale, for civil rience the thrill of early aeroplane fl ight. record of 15,000 feet breaking the In this case, it is the latter as the Military old record of Aviation Museum has some of these repli- 13,140 feet on 4 cas. The latest arrival, an Avro 504K, is just February 1914. one in the growing number of ‘Great War’ () airworthy aircraft at the mu- Small numbers seum. Our Avro 504K is beautifully crafted were purchased replica built by Pur Sang, an Argentinean both by the Roy- company better known for rebuilding and al Flying Corps making replicas of vintage Bugatti cars. (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air The fi rst of two Avro 504Ks to arrive from Service (RNAS) Pur Sang is for static display only, and is prior to the start Avro 504K, a ‘Great War” (World War I) aircraft hung in the northeast corner of the Army of the ‘Great Hangar. The second that is to arrive shortly War’, and were taken to when the use. More than 300 504Ks were placed on will be a fully airworthy with a new Rotec war started. On 22 , an RFC the civil register in Britain. These aircraft . Avro 504 was the fi rst British airplane to were being used for training, pleasure fl y- be brought down by the enemy. It was shot ing and banner towing. Civilian Avro 504s The museum will be displaying and fl ying down by infantry fi re in , and may continued fl ying in large numbers well into these aircraft along with many other air- have provided the Germans with the fi rst the 1930s. worthy museum aircraft during the ‘Great positive evidence that British forces were War’ air show / fl y-in called “Bi-planes and in the war against them. In 1925, Avro introduced the improved, rede- ” on 25 / 26 September 2010. signed, radial engine 504N. The new engine The RNAS used four Avro 504s to form a powered aircraft was selected by the RAF Alliot Vernon Roe founded A.V. Roe and special fl ight in order to bomb the to replace the older 504Ks. There were 592 Company, Ltd., with his brother Humphrey works at Friedrichshafen on the shores of built between 1925 and 1932, to equip RAF in 1910. Of the company’s early planes, Lake Constance. They set out from Belfort training schools. The 504N was also export- the Avro 504 was the most successful. The in northeastern France on 21 November ed to the militaries of Belgium, , , characteristic that made the Avro 504 bi- 1914, carrying four 20 lb. bombs each. The , , and South Af- plane instantly identifi able was the skid be- fi rst three got airborne, the last broke a tail rica, with licensed production taking place in tween its wheels. The purpose of the skid skip and was unable to take off for the raid. Denmark, Belgium, and . was to protect the propeller if the plane The raid was successful, with several direct should land with its tail too high. hits on the airship sheds and destroying the Production, which began in 1913, ended in hydrogen plant. On the return leg back to 1932, and down through the years the Av- The original Avro 504 was designed in base, one of the aircraft was shot down and ros gave long and faithful service, having 1912 and it was decided to introduce this its pilot nearly lynched after crashing. acquired an astonishing variety of engines aircraft to the aviation scene by entering with the passage of time. it in the second Aerial Derby, which was However, the Avro 504 was not a successful scheduled for 20 September 1913, to gain combat aircraft and was withdrawn from the In 1918, a new Avro 504K airframe less the as much interest and free publicity as pos- Western Front at the end of 1914. It came engine and instruments, cost £868 19s (that sible. It was built behind closed doors and into its own as a trainer, with major produc- is 868 English Pounds Sterling 19 shillings it was seen in public for the fi rst time when tion types being the 504J and 504K. In July or about US$ 4,340); a 100 hp Gnône engine fl ew to Hendon to take part in the race. It 1918, 52 Le Rhône-powered 504Ks were cost £696; a 110 hp le Rhône engine cost £771 was perhaps something of an anticlimax purchased by the for the use of 10s; and a 130 hp Cherget engine £907 10s. that it did not win. It came in fourth at an the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) as The English Pound Sterling (£) was equal to average speed of just over 66.5 mph. But trainers. By the conclusion of the ‘Great War’ about 5 US Dollars (US$) at the time. But this was a considerable achievement for an in 1918, 8,340 Avro 504s had been produced. today the cost is just a little higher.  VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 PAGE 5 The Prince and the Dragon The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide land Metal Spinning Ltd. in Wolverhamp- lis Simpson continued, but was not made was a British passenger of the ton. Thereafter, the plane was sold to a fi rm public, because of her position as a divorcée. 1930’s. Designed by the de Havilland in Ireland, then France, and fi nally to the They traveled to the quiet family homes of company in late 1933, it became the most United States in 1972. the Royal family and most likely even used successful British built commercial passen- the Royal Dragon Rapide for such getaway ger aircraft of that decade. The prototype George V became King of England in 1910 jaunts. However, marriage was impossible fl ew in April 1934 and over two hundred after the death of his father, King Edward for the new King of England and his beauti- had been built for owners before the out- VII. He had four sons of which Edward ful young American divorcee. break of World War II. At the start of the and Albert were fi rst in successive line for war, many Rapides were requisitioned by the throne. Edward the oldest became the On December 11, 1936, King Edward the British armed forces and served as the Prince of Wales and heir apparent to be- shocked the world with the announcement de Havilland Dominie. They were used come King upon the eventual passing away of his intention to abdicate the throne and for passenger duties and radio navigation of his father. give up his crown in order to “marry the woman I love.” His brother Albert, then al- training. Total production rose to 734 with In the First World War, Prince Ed- many survivors entering commercial ser- ward served near the front lines. vice after the war. He undertook his fi rst military This particular Dragon Rapide was re- fl ight in 1918 and later gained his stored in 2010 in the markings of aircraft pilot’s license. Prince Edward, the G-ADDD as used by HRH King Edward young and handsome Prince of VIII. The aircraft originally was manufac- Wales was known as the fl amboy- tured by the de Havilland Company in 1944 ant playboy that had many affairs and registered as G-AKPA. It was used by with the ladies of the Royal Court. IIn 1931, he fi rst mmet Wallis Simp- sson, a Philadelphia ssocialite married to a shipping execu- ttive of English and HisHi Royal R l HiHighness, h Prince P i Edward, Ed d the th PPrince i of f WWales, l AAmerican descent. disembarks from his Dragon Rapide (G-ADDD) A few years later in 1934 she separated ready Duke of York, became King George ffrom her American husband VI, the new King of England. They moved MilitaryMilitary AAviationviation MuMuseum’sseum’sd dee HaHavillandvilland RaRapidepide iinn cicivilianvilian and became his mistress. into Buckingham Palace with their two markings while being refueled somewhere in the United Kingdom In 1935, Prince Edward or- daughters Elizabeth and Margaret. It con- dered the purchase of a de Havilland DH- tinued this way through World War Two, the British government during the Second 89 Dragon Rapide, specially built for him- until 1952 when King George VI passed World War (RAF Serial HG724) and sold self and painted in the bright Red and Blue away and Princess Elizabeth rose to the as a group of dilapidated parts in 1946 to colors of the Royal Guards. It was used position as Queen Elizabeth II, and Royal Charles Callendi and his brother-in-law, for offi cial trips and travel to the numerous leader of all of England and the Common- Bill Lyle, who were trying to start their own royal family homes. The aircraft was outfi t- Continued on page 6 airline company. ted with six comfortable chairs with the The aircraft was completely rebuilt and Prince of Wales feathered crest embossed professional “dope girls” (as they were on the back of each red leather seat, and known in those days) did the fabric sew- was equipped with Marconi radio wire- ing and doping during their spare weekends less equipment. off. In the summer of 1948, the company established an offi ce in Croydon, England, On the night of January 20, 1936, King under the name of Newman Airways to of- George V passed away and Prince Ed- fer fl ights from Croydon to the Channel ward, former Prince of Wales, was imme- Islands. When they failed to obtain a news- diately installed as King Edward VIII of paper hauling contract that next year, it was the Royal Empire. King Edward became decided to soon close Newman Airways. the fi rst English monarch to fl y in an air- craft when he traveled from Sandringham The aircraft continued doing some charter HighHi h speed d engine i test at AArdmore d AiAirport iin AAuck- k to London for his Accession Council. The fl ights until it was sold in 1951 to the Mid- land, , this past January romance between King Edward and Wal- PAGE 6 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1

Hangar Happenings Grapes, Glamour and Glory

The Military Aviation Museum will be having its fi rst wine tasting event on Saturday, March 20th from 12pm-5pm. Six to eight wineries from Virginia and North Carolina will offer samplings of their wines. Guests will be able to pur- chase the wines they like best. There will be food samplings and one of the highlights of the event will be a Retrospective Fashion Show brought to you by Echoes of Time. Models will show the different styles from the 1880’s to the 1980’s! It will all take place in a hangar amongst some of the museum fi ghter planes. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door and may be purchased online at www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org or at the museum. Sponsoring the event is Harbourway Assisted Living and Echoes of Time.

Banquets, Weddings, Reunions and Meetings

The Military Aviation Museum has been a place for many group and individual Prince and Dragon... Continued from page 5 events. We see return visits because of the unique venue and we work hard to wealth. She had married Prince Philip in 1947 and had ensure our guests have a good time. We are thrilled to see groups return like the a son, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and planned Virginia Beach Crime Solvers for their annual Pig Pickin in June. The National successor to the throne. He, of course, married Prin- Wild Federation will once again have their annual banquet at the mu- cess Diana, who eventually divorced him, but died in a seum on Friday, March 26th Thank you to all who have let us host their special tragic automobile accident in an underpass in Paris. occasion, the dollars go towards preserving a part of history. King Edward VIII became the Duke of Windsor after For information on booking your event contact Debi Ernest, Event Coordina- his abdication and during World War Two, he governed tor at (757) 721-7767 or email [email protected] the Bahamas with his wife Wallis, Duchess of Windsor. He passed away in Paris, France, in 1972 at the age of 77 and his wife followed him in death 14 years later. Our Dragon Rapide is painted in the royal colors of the Kings Guards. The registration of the plane is G- ADDD, as the King favored double letters like these. Inside the aircraft, it is plush and eloquently designed, fi t for a king. On the back of the seats are the feathered bloom symbol for the crest from the Prince of Wales. This recreation of the Royal Dragon Rapide fi rst owned and fl own by the British Royal family in 1937 is dedicated to the union of the two countries with the marriage of the former King of England to a common- er from Philadelphia. Just imagine what it must have been like during this era of English history, all before the Second World War. The Rapide is currently undergoing fi nal testing in Auckland, New Zealand, where it is being rebuilt and restored. It is scheduled to do its fi rst fl ight since “Taken from the Tale Spinners Newsletter September 1943” cartoonist Sgt Holly 1994, before the end of this month. It will then have its fi rst public outing and premier display at the Wa- naka Airshow on Easter weekend on the South Island Upcoming Events of New Zealand. Thereafter, it will be carefully disas- April 17th - Docent Training, come and learn how to be a museum docent sembled, packed in a container, and shipped here to with a museum historical overview, learn policies and procedures and com- Virginia. It is hoped to be fl own and displayed at the munication skills with guests. Warbirds Over the Beach Airshow on the weekend of May 22/23rd. To see some recent video, check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7gyJ7OS8-Y  VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 PAGE 7

Aviation Veterans Share Their Experiences by Ed Dillingham Every month, the Military Aviation Mu- two speaking events per month. The muse- Don Wagner. Col Wagner fl ew 47 combat seum has the honor to host WWII aviation um’s fi rst special guest is retired Major Herb missions in a B-25 similar to the museum’s, veterans who delight museum guests with Horst, who will discuss his missions over and will discuss his ground attack missions stories of their experiences during the war. Japan as a B-29 navigator. On February as a member of the 500th Bomb Squadron The Spring ’10 series of speaking events 27th, the museum is honored to host retired in the Pacifi c theater. The promises to be even more exciting, with 6 Chief Master Sergeant Grant Williams, an is the subject of our April 24th event. RAF of these special seminars through April. original Tuskegee Airman, who along with veteran Stan Hubbard will be onboard to other Tuskegee Airmen, will discuss their host the event that discusses how the RAF In February, the museum hosts the fi rst of experiences during the social changes of the prevailed during the onslaught of the Luft- three “double features” where there will be Air Force during WWII. waffe during the summer of 1940. In March, the museum will host a special The Military Aviation Museum is honored salute to women in the armed forces dur- to host these special guests, and invite all ing WWII. The March 13th event will host our members to attend these events to learn several original WAC’s and WAVES whose more about the crucial aviation events of honorable service during the war did much WWII.  to contribute to victory. Our March 27th event features retired Navy Commander Louis Cobb who fl ew F6F Hellcats from the aircraft car- rier Yorktown during the middle stages of WWII. Veteran’s exciting speaking events continue throughout April. On the 10th, the museum is delighted to host our favorite B-25 pilot and story teller extraordinaire, Air Force Col. AirAir FoForcerce CoCol.l DDonon WWagneragner The MAM Library and Crew Just like the Warbirds, books and libraries Be sure to check out the library link on the resource for researchers, students of history need maintaining. Since the library began MAM homepage (www.militaryaviation- as well as a reference tool for the museum in 2008, Joel and Marcia Hart have been the museum.org). When you do, you will be and The Fighter Factory. MAM library crew. Marcia is employed by taken to the MAM’s part of the website-li- the City of Virginia Beach with the library brarything.com. This is where Marcia and When you see the door open, stop by and department. Joel (Marcia’s son) is an amateur Joel catalog the materials in the collection. take a look at the progress. You may fi nd historian who has studied WWII for years. This site uses the Library of Congress and Marcia and Joel hard at work making the li- Amazon as well as several other sources to brary a fi rst-class part of the Military Avia- Starting with an empty room and a heap of make sure the correct volume information tion Museum!  boxed books, the library has progressed. is added to the col- Currently the library has almost 1000 books lection. that have been processed (cleaned, repaired, stamped, scanned, labeled, added to the cat- Currently, only do- alog and fi led on the shelves). Also in the cents, volunteers collection are approximately 1,500 periodi- and museum staff cals that are being inventoried and entered are used the books into our catalog. Recent acquisitions will on-site. We hope to almost double the number of books in the have a formalized library. More shelves will soon be added to borrowing proce- hold this bounty of historical aircraft infor- dure in place soon mation related to prop planes. The various that will be open colored labels on the books, denote differ- to museum mem- ent categories the books have been divided bers. Our goal is to JoelJ l HHart t and d his hi mom, Marcia, M i have h been b taking t ki care of f ththe liblibrary into, such as country and subject. make the library a since it began in 2008 PAGE 8 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 Original Warbirds Over the Museum on Display at Beach Artwork is on the Way Norfolk Airport The Military Aviation Museum’s gift store will soon feature limited If you happen to travel down concourse “A” at Norfolk Interna- edition prints of the original artwork showcased on our posters for tional Airport between January and April check out the Museum’s both the 2009 and 2010 Warbirds Over The Beach shows by local display cabinets. Virginia Beach artist Alan Hailston. The illustrations Alan created The three display cases show examples of period clothing, aviation were produced in a unique 2-step process. The fi rst step involved a and survival equipment along with models of the museum’s planes. highly detailed black & white ball point pen rendering of the aircraft Two of the cases depict the Pacifi c and European theaters and the followed with a watercolor over- third case displays a selection of archive items relating to the Vir- lay. Printing is now underway of ginia Beach area, photographically recording the navel airfi elds of both the original B&W and color Oceana, Pungo and Creeds. There are photos of President George versions of his unique artwork. “It H. W. Bush piloting his TBM Avengers at Creeds airfi eld. Also on was an honor for me ddisplay, is an original German to have this opportu- ““Enigma” encryption machine nity and I’m pleased aalong with a U-boat diorama, to now be able to sshowing how this contributed share this artwork aalong with research and docu- with others”, says mmentation to a number of his- Alan. This is a fi rst- totorically signifi cant shipwrecks time ever release of trtragically lost during World War his highly collectible III, including U.S. and British prints. They will be nnaval vessels and merchant ma- available for sale in rrine vessels lost off the VA and the museum’s gift NNC coast. 

The museum display at Norfolk Airport

store soon. 

9:00 am - 5:00 pm 5:00 - am 9:00

Open Daily Open

(757) 721-PROP (757)

Virginia Beach, VA 23457 VA Beach, Virginia

1341 Princess Anne Road Anne Princess 1341

The Military Aviation Museum Aviation Military The Current Resident Current Membership Newsletter for for Newsletter Membership