MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS A Significant Addition Birmingham’s The World’s to the Blue Angels Biggest Bi-Plane ! Early Aviation Hanger How can a winged aircraft The Spirit of St. Louis (Registration: The SMF’s new A-4F “Skyhawk” is a hover like a helicopter, FLIGHT N-X-211) is the custom-built, single veteran of the Vietnam conflict and even fly backwards engine, single-seat monoplane flown having served with Navy Attack under certain conditions? by Charles Lindbergh on May 20– Squadron VA-164 'Ghostriders' while 21, 1927, on the first solo non-stop assigned to the aircraft carrier USS The SMF has such an aircraft now transatlantic flight from Long Island, Hancock. Additionally, the aircraft awaiting its opportunity for restoration. New York, to Paris. Lindbergh won was also assigned to the US Navy's The Antonov An-2 Colt is a large bi- the $25,000 Orteig Prize for this Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). plane with a 9-cylinder radial engine 2019 FEBRUARY accomplishment. Known as the The aircraft’s last service was with the that was developed from the Wright "Ryan NYP” (for New York to Paris), 'Challengers’, VF-43 which was R-1820. This aircraft has remarkable the plane was named the "Spirit of St. based at NAS Oceana, VA. durability and high lifting power. The A PUBLICATIONLINES OF THE SOUTHERN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT BIRMINGHAM, AL Louis" in honor of Lindy’s supporters An-2 was designed back in 1947, and WWW.SOUTHERNMUSEUMOFFLIGHT.ORG from the St. Louis Raquette Club in manufactured until 2001. The An-2 his then hometown of St. Louis, MO. was the longest produced aircraft in the world but now that title belongs to the C-130. The An-2 remains in service with military and civilian operators around the world today. The Quonset Air Museum transported the aircraft from Oceana to their location in Rhode Island and Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from restored the aircraft in striking Blue Roosevelt Airfield, Garden City, New Angels livery. York, and landed 33.5 hours later at The key to the plane’s ability to hover, Aéroport Le Bourget in Paris, France, Heavy snowfall during the winter of and even fly backwards in the right a distance of 3,600 miles. One of the 2015 collapsed the museum’s roof conditions, is due to the control best known aircraft in the world, the and the building was condemned. surfaces on the wings. Leading edge Spirit was built by Ryan Airlines in Following an unsuccessful search for slats and flaps bring down the San Diego, California. The Spirit is a new home, the museum announced aircraft’s speed and also increase lift now on permanent display at the on the 16th of December 2016 that it by altering the shape of the wing. Smithsonian Institution's National Air would not reopen and the aircraft in With a headwind of 15 to 20 knots, a and Space Museum in Washington, their collection would be transferred pilot can “hover” the airplane, and if D.C. to other museums. The SMF was the headwind is strong enough, the fortunate to acquire this aircraft on aircraft can move backwards very This Spirit of St. Louis monoplane loan from the National Naval slowly. A pilot can still fly the plane was acquired by the SMF from the Museum, Pensacola, FL and under full control at around 25 mph. In Octave Chanute Aerospace received the Skyhawk from Quonset fact, the flight manual does not have a Museum at Rantoul, IL where their in July 2017. published stall speed! museum volunteers painstakingly constructed the static replica of this Although the striking paint scheme Over 20,000 An-2s were built and the famous historical aircraft. It is now a lends impressive credibility to this number still airworthy is unknown but centerpiece of the SMF’s Early aircraft, it never actually flew with the believed to be at least 2,000. Aviation Hanger. Blue Angels. THE B-25 & A 2,200 MPH NEW ADDITIONS Approximately 5 are flown as warbirds Come visit this fine replica and be But one can imagine! in the USA and Europe. TUSKEGEE DRONE? TO THE INVENTORY impressed. Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 4 MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS The Museum’s B-25 Planning For A Famed In May 1950, after several stateside Lockheed’s The First Black Tuskegee Connection Tuskegee Airman To assignments, McGee was assigned as Base Operations Officer, Clark “GTD-21B” Drone Military Aviator Reunite With “His” B-25 Field in the Philippines. In June 1950, the Korean War broke out. McGee he B-25 medium bomber was n August of 1917, Eugene soon found himself back in a Mustang Jacques Bullard, an American one of America's most famous and in combat. During this tour, he I T volunteer in the French army, became airplanes of World War II. It was used flew 100 bombing and strafing by General Doolittle for the "Tokyo the first black military pilot in history. missions. Returning to Clark Field, Born in Columbus, GA on Oct. 9, Raid" on April 18, 1942. More than McGee took command of the 44th 9,800 B-25s were built during World 1894, Eugene Bullard left home at the Fighter-Bomber Squadron, and flew age of 11 and by 1913, he had settled War II. the F-80. in France as a prizefighter. When This Mitchell bomber, delivered to the WW I began, he enlisted in the French In 1953, McGee graduated from the Foreign Legion and rose to the rank of USAAF on 7 February 1945, is very Air Command and Staff College at special to Alabama and the SMF with Corporal. For his bravery as an Maxwell Air Force Base, and later infantryman in combat, he received its connection to the Tuskegee flew F-89 Scorpions with the Air Airmen. the Croix de Guerre. Defense Command. The B-25J served as a twin-engine Charles McGee attended the While recovering University of Illinois and in 1939 joined McGee was promoted to Lieutenant from combat trainer and was assigned to the n the 1960s, Lockheed's secret Skunk Works developed the Mach 3, A-12 the ROTC. Colonel in 1959. The McGee’s and wounds, he 2143rd AAF Base Unit (Basic/ reconnaissance aircraft for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) along with their three children spent the next few I accepted an Advanced Pilot School) at Tuskegee the concept of a long-range drone that used much of the A-12's technology. After Pearl Harbor in 1941, McGee years on assignments in Italy, North offer to join the AAF in July 1945. The aircraft served The drone was intended to make a one-way trip, eject its camera payload at heard the US Army was recruiting to Dakota and Missouri. By 1967, the French Air Force at Tuskegee until being transferred to the end of the mission for recovery, then self-destruct. The camera and its film train African-American soldiers as Vietnam War returned McGee to as a gunner, but Sheppard AAF in Texas in January magazines were carried in a “hatch” below the drone's air intake and would be mechanics at nearby Chanute Field, for combat. Leading the 16th Tactical then obtained 1946. It is a remarkable coincidence ejected at the end of the mission and snagged out of the air by a C-130. If the the expected African-American flight Reconnaissance Squadron out of Tan permission to that this impressive aircraft and Col. C-130 missed, the equipment was equipped with flotation devices so it could be program. He applied for a pilot’s slot Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon, he become a pilot. McGee may cross paths once again. recovered by ship if released over water. The Q-12, as it was identified, was to and passed the examination. In flew 173 missions in the RF-4C. After completing be air-launched from the back of an A-12. October 1942, he received his orders flight training, he and soon was at Tuskegee Army Air The Air Force next sent McGee to joined the 200 Field in Alabama to begin flight training Germany, promoting him to Colonel in Lockheed wanted to power the Q-12 with a BOMARC missile ramjet engine, other Americans with his fellow black cadets. 1969. In June 1972, he commanded modified to operate at high temperatures for at least an hour and a half at high in the Lafayette the 1840th Air Base Wing at altitudes. A full-scale mockup of the Q-12 was ready by 7 December 1962, and Flying Corps, and he flew combat On June 30, 1943, McGee graduated Richards-Gebauer AFB, near Kansas had already undergone preliminary tests to measure its radar cross-section. missions until November 11, 1917. He from flight school in Class 43-F. By the City, Missouri. On January 31, 1973, became known as the Black Swallow beginning of 1944, 2nd Lt. McGee had after 30 years of military service, However, the CIA was not enthusiastic about the Q-12, mostly because the of Death! joined the pioneering all-black 332nd McGee retired from the Air Force. His agency was overextended at the time. The Air Force, however, was interested Fighter Group, 12th Air Force, flying 409 aerial fighter combat missions in the Q-12 as both a reconnaissance platform and a cruise missile, and the Bullard remained in France as an P-39 Airacobras, P-47 Thunderbolts over three wars still stands is a record expatriate after the war. When WWII CIA finally decided to work with the USAF to develop the new drone.