Florence Air & Missile Museum
Encyclopedia
The Florence Air & Missile Museum was an aviation museum which was located at the entrance to the Florence Regional Airport
, in Florence, South Carolina
. This airport was original known as Florence Field, a World War II
U.S. Army Air Corps training field for A-26 Invader
attack aircraft. Because of its former military connection, and available runway
s, the military was able to fly in aircraft and leave them at the Museum as they were retired from service.
The museum was founded by Tommy Griffin, a former B-29 mechanic who served in the Pacific theater during World War II and former executive director of the airport. The museum built up a collection of World War II and Cold War
era U.S.military aircraft and early space hardware. The museum was located along a route once frequented by travels between Florence and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
. Once Interstate 95
was built, attendance declined. The museum closed in December 1997 and much of the collection transferred to the newly established Carolinas Aviation Museum
in Charlotte, North Carolina
.
Florence Regional Airport
-History:The airport began with the purchase of of land in 1928. During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force used the airport as a training base and added...
, in Florence, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
. This airport was original known as Florence Field, a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
U.S. Army Air Corps training field for A-26 Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
attack aircraft. Because of its former military connection, and available runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s, the military was able to fly in aircraft and leave them at the Museum as they were retired from service.
The museum was founded by Tommy Griffin, a former B-29 mechanic who served in the Pacific theater during World War II and former executive director of the airport. The museum built up a collection of World War II and Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era U.S.military aircraft and early space hardware. The museum was located along a route once frequented by travels between Florence and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
. Once Interstate 95
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...
was built, attendance declined. The museum closed in December 1997 and much of the collection transferred to the newly established Carolinas Aviation Museum
Carolinas Aviation Museum
The Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Exhibits
- Boeing NTB-47B-20-BW StratojetB-47 StratojetThe Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
, 50-0062 (Now on display at Mighty Eighth Air Force MuseumMighty Eighth Air Force MuseumThe Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum is a non-profit 501 organization located in Pooler, Georgia, in the western suburbs of Savannah. It educates visitors through the use of exhibits, artifacts, archival materials, and stories, most of which are dedicated to the history of the Eighth Air Force...
) - Chance Vought Regulus I (Now on display at Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - Convair YF-102A Delta DaggerF-102 Delta DaggerThe Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
, 53-01788 (Now on display at Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - Douglas BTD-1 DestroyerBTD Destroyer|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* A link to the official USN BuAer ACP sheet from USN archives on the Douglas BTD-1 Destroyer.* A three-view plan of the BTD-1 Destroyer.*...
, BuNo 4959 (Now on display at Wings of Eagles, Elmira-Corning Regional AirportElmira-Corning Regional Airport-Top Destinations:-Incidents:On June 23, 1967, Mohawk Airlines Flight 40, operated on a BAC-111 regional jet, crashed in Blossburg, Pennsylvania, shortly after taking off from Elmira-Corning, killing all 34 persons on board....
, Elmira, New YorkElmira, New YorkElmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
). - Douglas MGR-1 Honest John tactical battlefield missiles (2) (Now on display at Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - Grumman C-1A TraderC-1 Trader|-See also:-External links:...
"CODCODCod is the common name for fish of the genus Gadus, as well as being used to refer to several other varieties of fish.Cod or COD may also refer to:-Finance and commerce:...
", BuNo 136790, c/n 43 (Now displayed at Grissom AFB, Indiana.) - Grumman F-11A Tiger, BuNo 141790, c/n 107 (Now displayed at Grissom AFB, Indiana.)
- Lockheed F-104B-5-LO StarfighterF-104 StarfighterThe Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
, 57-1301, c/n 283-5013, (at Kansas Cosmosphere and Space CenterKansas Cosmosphere and Space CenterThe Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a museum and educational facility in Hutchinson, Kansas that is best known for the display and restoration of spaceflight artifacts and educational camps...
, Hutchinson, KansasHutchinson, KansasHutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
by October 2003.) - Lockheed EC-121K Lockheed Constellation, BuNo 141292, c/n 4416 (USN - this aircraft flew the final US Military Constellation mission - Front 50' now in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
- Lockheed T-33A-5-LO Shooting StarT-33 Shooting StarThe Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
, 53-6089 (Now at the Darlington, South CarolinaDarlington, South CarolinaDarlington is a city in and the county seat of Darlington County, in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a center for tobacco farming. The population was 6,720 at the 2000 census and is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Airport.) - Martin RB-57A-MA CanberraB-57 CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, 52-1459, c/n 42, moved to National Warplane Museum, Genesco, New York. Noted Sep 2006 at Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, Elmira, New York. - Martin TB-61C MatadorMGM-1 MatadorThe Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended...
(Now on display at Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - McDonnell F-101F VoodooF-101 VoodooThe McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
, 56-00243 (Now on display at Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - Republic F-84F-40-RE ThunderstreakF-84F ThunderstreakThe Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....
, 52-6553, to Drister Aviation and Space Museum, Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, TexasAmarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, then to English Field Air & Space Museum, Tradewind Airport, Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, TexasAmarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
. - Sikorsky HO4S Chickasaw, BuNo 125506 (Now on display at Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - Sikorsky CH-34A Choctaw, 55-04496, c/n 58-509, (Now on display at Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - WacoWaco Aircraft CompanyThe Waco Aircraft Company was an aircraft manufacturer located in Troy, Ohio, USA. Between 1919 and 1947, the company produced a wide range of civilian biplanes....
CG-4Waco CG-4The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used United States troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4 by the United States Army Air Forces, and named Hadrian in British military service....
WWII era assault glider skeleton, (Now at Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - Boeing KC-97G StratotankerKC-97 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
, 52-02624, c/n 16655 (Parts were used by Don Creason to complete the KC-97 on display at the Carolinas Aviation MuseumCarolinas Aviation MuseumThe Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the...
) - Douglas A-26A Invader, 64-17671, (remanufactured from 44-35820), scrapped for parts
- Douglas WB-66D DestroyerB-66 Destroyer|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Baugher, Joe. USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bomber Aircraft: Third Series of USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bombers, 2001. Retrieved: 27 July 2006....
, 53-00431 reported scrapped - Grumman HU-16 AlbatrossHU-16 AlbatrossThe Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...
, 51-07212 - Martin SM-72 Titan I Ballistic Missile, 61-4499
- North American F-86H-5-NH SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 52-05737 - Northrop F-89J ScorpionF-89 ScorpionThe Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an early American jet-powered fighter designed from the outset as an all-weather interceptor. Though its straight wings limited its performance, it was among the first USAF jet fighters with guided missiles, and notably the first combat aircraft armed with air-to-air...
, 53-02646 - Piasecki CH-21B Workhorse "Flying Banana", 54-04003
- Ryan AQM-91A FirebeeRyan FirebeeThe Ryan Firebee was a series of target drones or unmanned aerial vehicles developed by the Ryan Aeronautical Company beginning in 1951. It was one of the first jet-propelled drones, and one of the most widely-used target drones ever built....
Reconnaissance Drone - Ryan Ryan FirebeeRyan FirebeeThe Ryan Firebee was a series of target drones or unmanned aerial vehicles developed by the Ryan Aeronautical Company beginning in 1951. It was one of the first jet-propelled drones, and one of the most widely-used target drones ever built....
Model G Drone - F-101A Simulator
- T-28 Simulator
- Kaman HH-43A Huskie 58-1833 (now on display at Warner Robins AFB, GA Museum)