New England Air Museum
Encyclopedia
The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is located at Bradley International Airport
, Windsor Locks, Connecticut
, USA. The museum is housed in three large display buildings consisting of more than 75000 square feet (6,967.7 m²) of exhibit space. In fair weather, the outside storage yard is available for touring as well.
Exhibits include the history of Sikorsky Aircraft
, early war aircraft, early French aviation featuring the Lafayette Escadrille
, a history of air mail, the Tuskegee Airmen
, the Flying Mollisons, and the 58th Bomb Wing Memorial. A new exhibit geared toward children, KidsPort, opened on May 13, 2009. KidsPort is a joint project between NEAM and CATAVIA, LLC, an educational children's software company.
The museum is open daily 10am–5pm (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Guided group tours are available with advanced booking.
The library has books, periodicals, technical manuals and National Air and Space Museum
photographs on laser disk, cataloged and available to researchers. Additional materials such as photographs, microfilm and movies are cataloged on an ongoing basis.
Open 7 days a week, year round, 10 a.m.-5p.m. (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day)
Admission
Directions
The New England Air Museum is situated at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, midway between Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts. Take I-91 North or South to Exit 40 (Rte 20). Take second right exit off Rte 20 onto Rte 75 North for 2.8 miles. Take left at Museum sign onto Perimeter Rd for approximately 1.5 miles. The Museum will be on the right.
They also house a total of 66 airplanes, 26 helicopters, 8 missile
s, 7 gliders, 6 balloons, 1 autogyro
, 1 blimp, and 1 dirigible
.
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
, Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, USA. The museum is housed in three large display buildings consisting of more than 75000 square feet (6,967.7 m²) of exhibit space. In fair weather, the outside storage yard is available for touring as well.
Exhibits include the history of Sikorsky Aircraft
Sikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
, early war aircraft, early French aviation featuring the Lafayette Escadrille
Lafayette Escadrille
The Lafayette Escadrille , was an escadrille of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters.-History:Dr. Edmund L...
, a history of air mail, 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....
, the Flying Mollisons, and the 58th Bomb Wing Memorial. A new exhibit geared toward children, KidsPort, opened on May 13, 2009. KidsPort is a joint project between NEAM and CATAVIA, LLC, an educational children's software company.
The museum is open daily 10am–5pm (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Guided group tours are available with advanced booking.
The library has books, periodicals, technical manuals and National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
photographs on laser disk, cataloged and available to researchers. Additional materials such as photographs, microfilm and movies are cataloged on an ongoing basis.
General information
HoursOpen 7 days a week, year round, 10 a.m.-5p.m. (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day)
Admission
- Adults (12 and up) $10
- Children (4-11) $6
- Children (up to 3) FREE
- Seniors (65 and up) $9
Directions
The New England Air Museum is situated at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, midway between Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts. Take I-91 North or South to Exit 40 (Rte 20). Take second right exit off Rte 20 onto Rte 75 North for 2.8 miles. Take left at Museum sign onto Perimeter Rd for approximately 1.5 miles. The Museum will be on the right.
Aircraft on Exhibit (partial list)
- CH-54 BCH-54 Tarhe|-See also:-External links:* *...
69-18465Sikorsky CH-54 SurvivorsThe Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe is a twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Army. The civil version is the S-64 Skycrane. The Army purchased 105 CH-54s before its discontinuation. The S-64 Aircrane is still in production. There are currently numerous complete...
(the prize of the museum)
- BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
B-29A SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
44-61975Boeing B-29 survivorsList of surviving Boeing B-29 Superfortresses highlights the history of many well known flying and static display B-29s in the United States. A list is also provided of other B-29s on display around the world; including location, model and serial numbers, brief history, nicknames/markings, and...
- Jack’s Hack
- Chance-Vought XF4U-4 CorsairF4U CorsairThe Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
80759 (the official state airplane of Connecticut)
- Sikorsky VS-44Sikorsky VS-44-References:NotesBibliography** early article on VS-44 with cutaway drawing of VS-44 on of three page article.* excellent photos...
"Excambian" flying boat
- North AmericanNorth American AviationNorth American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
B-25H MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
43-4999North American B-25 Survivors-B-25 survivors:-Argentina:Under Restoration.*B-25J Mitchell, s/n 44-31173, Was on display at Vicecomodoro Ángel de la Paz Aragonés Airport. Under restoration to flightworthiness by Gustavo M...
- Dog Daze
- BurnelliVincent BurnelliVincent Justus Burnelli was an American aeronautics engineer, instrumental in furthering the lifting body and flying wing concept.-Early life:...
CBY-3 LoadmasterBurnelli CBY-3-Bibliography:* Townend, David R. Clipped Wings – The History of Aborted Aircraft Projects. Markham, Ontario: AeroFile Publications, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9732020-4-5.-External links:* * *...
CF-BEL-X
- F-105D Thunderchief 57-5778
They also house a total of 66 airplanes, 26 helicopters, 8 missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s, 7 gliders, 6 balloons, 1 autogyro
Autogyro
An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
, 1 blimp, and 1 dirigible
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
.
Museum History
In 1981, the first current building was built after a tornado destroyed everything at the museum's previous location by Route 75 in 1979. The New England Air Museum has many one-of-a-kind exhibits, including:- The last remaining S-44A "flying boat".
- The Silas Brooks Balloon Basket, the oldest surviving aircraft in the U.S.
- The Sikorsky S-39, the oldest surviving Sikorsky aircraft.
- A Kaman K-225 helicopter, the oldest surviving Kaman-built aircraft.
Mission
The mission of the New England Air Museum is "committed to presenting the story of aviation, the human genius that made it possible and the profound effects that it has had on the way in which we live".External links
- NEAM Official Site and information
- Air Museum Photo Library Airplane Pictures/Videos and P38 and F6 airplane manuals
- New England Air Museum Photos of aircraft and aviation related exhibits at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT