The Southern Museum of Flight is an aviation museum

Aviation museum

An aviation museum, air museum or aerospace museum is a museum exhibiting the history and artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual or replica aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, models, dioramas, clothing and equipment used by aviators.Aviation museums vary in size from housing...

 located three blocks east of the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...

. It features a valuable collection of aviation

Aviation

Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...

 artifacts spanning the 20th century in the various areas of aviation. It explores eight decades of winged history with both military and civilian aircraft. Artifacts in the museum include the Red Baron, the Tuskegee Airmen

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....

, and the Flying Tigers

Flying Tigers

The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...

, as well as notable female pilots including Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...

 and numerous aviation pioneers.

Also featured are the 1953 defection of Lt. No Kum Sok with F-86 and MiG-15 aircraft, the Lake Murray B-25 Bomber, raised from a lake in South Carolina in 2005, and a helicopter tribute to Vietnam Veterans. The facility has an Early Aviation Hall, Experimental Aircraft Hall, Aviation Art exhibits, Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame, Ready Room for rest and snacks, and 26 additional aircraft in an outdoor exhibit. One of the more popular attractions in the museum are the simulators for military aircraft, ultralights, antique aircraft and RC aircraft. The Southern Museum of Flight is located on 73rd Street North, Birmingham, Alabama. It is open Tuesday through Saturday with hours 9:30 to 4:30 CT.

Permanent display

Aero Commande 680 Aeronca K 1937 Aeronca Aircraft Aeronca, contracted from Aeronautical Corporation of America, located in Middletown, Ohio, is a US manufacturer of engine components and airframe structures for commercial aviation and the defense industry... Aeronca Sedan Aeronca Aircraft Aeronca, contracted from Aeronautical Corporation of America, located in Middletown, Ohio, is a US manufacturer of engine components and airframe structures for commercial aviation and the defense industry...  on floats A-12 Oxcart A-12 OXCART The Lockheed A-12 was a reconnaissance aircraft built for the Central Intelligence Agency by Lockheed's famed Skunk Works, based on the designs of Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. The A-12 was produced from 1962 through 1964, and was in operation from 1963 until 1968. The single-seat design, which first...  single seat variant of SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the... B-26 Douglas 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...  (Air Force United States Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of... ) BD-4 BD-5B BT-13B Valiant BT-13 Valiant The Vultee BT-13 Valiant was an American World War II-era basic trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces... Beagle B.206 Beagle Aircraft Beagle Aircraft Limited was a British light aircraft manufacturer of types such as the Airedale, Bassett, Husky and Pup. It had factories at Rearsby in Leicestershire and Shoreham in Sussex... Beechcraft Starship Beechcraft Starship The Beechcraft Starship is a twin-turboprop six- to eight-passenger pressurized business aircraft produced by Beech Aircraft Corporation .-Development:... 1912 Curtiss Pusher Curtiss Model D |-See also:-External links:...  replica Cessna 337B Skymaster Cumulus Glider DA-2 The first Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...  airplane F4 Phantom F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...  jet fighter F-4 Phantom II F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...  Cockpit Simulator F-14 Tomcat F-14 Tomcat The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...  (Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S... ) F-84F Thunderstreak F-84F Thunderstreak The 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.... F-86 Sabre F-86 Sabre The 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...  (Navy United States Navy The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S... ) Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft... Glasaire II F-T Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft, based in Arlington, Washington, was a designer and supplier of high-performance homebuilt aircraft kits, offering parts and plans to homebuilders. The company's popular Glasair aircraft series are low wing, two-seat fiberglass designs.The Glasair TD of 1979 was the...

Heath Super Parasol 1927 Heath Parasol -See also:-References:* 1929 Flying and Glider Manual* Sport Flying Quarterly, Vol.9 No.7, 1975, pp 54-63.- External links :* * http://www.jimforeman.com/Stories/heath.htm The Heath Story* http://www.maam.org/aircraft/lna40.html LNA-4... Huff Daland crop duster MiG-15 Fagot Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in...  (Air Force United States Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of... ) OH-6 Loach Hughes H-6 The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter with a four-bladed main rotor used for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation...  Helicopter (Army National Guard Army National Guard Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors... ) PL-4A Pazmany Pazmany PL-4 The Pazmany PL-4A is a single-seat, single-engine sport aircraft developed in the United States and first flown in 1972. It is marketed for homebuilding from plans, and 686 sets had sold by 1985. The PL-4A is a conventional, low-wing cantilever monoplane with an enclosed cabin and fixed, tailwheel... PT-19 Fairchild Cornell Fairchild PT-19 |-See also:-Bibliography:* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4.... Piel-Emeraude Piper Cherokee Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....  PA 28-140 Rotec-Rally Ultralight Republic Seabee Republic RC-3 Seabee The Republic RC-3 Seabee is an all-metal amphibious sports aircraft designed by Percival Spencer and manufactured by the Republic Aircraft Corporation.-Design and development:... Sonerai II-LT Monnett Sonerai The Sonerai is a small, VW powered homebuilt aircraft designed by John Monnett. The Sonerai began to compete as a single seat mid-wing Formula-V racer class formed in 1972. The Sonerai soon evolved into a two-seat model called the Sonerai II... Sport Fury Starduster biplane Stinson 10A Stinson Aircraft Company The Stinson Aircraft Company was an aircraft manufacturing company in the United States between the 1920s and the 1950s.-The Company:The Stinson Aircraft Company was founded in Dayton, Ohio, in 1920 by aviator Edward “Eddie” Stinson, brother to Katherine Stinson. After five years of business... Stinson SR-5 Stinson Aircraft Company The Stinson Aircraft Company was an aircraft manufacturing company in the United States between the 1920s and the 1950s.-The Company:The Stinson Aircraft Company was founded in Dayton, Ohio, in 1920 by aviator Edward “Eddie” Stinson, brother to Katherine Stinson. After five years of business... T-6G Texan TG-4A (Civil L-K 10A) T-33A Shooting Star (Air Force United States Air Force The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of... ) Vari-Viggen invented by Burt Rutan Burt Rutan Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan is an American aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient aircraft... Wright Flyer Wright Flyer The Wright Flyer was the first powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it four times on December 17, 1903 near the Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.The U.S... replica

Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame

The museum hosts the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors inductees, serves as a repository of historical documents concerning aviation in Alabama, and provides educational services. Plaques of the honorees are exhibited on the upper level of the museum. The Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame Foundation provides the bulk of the funding for the Hall of Fame.

External links

• Southern Museum of Flight website
• Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame website