Tillamook Air Museum
Encyclopedia
Tillamook Air Museum is an aviation
museum
located south of Tillamook
, Oregon
at Tillamook Airport
. The museum is housed in a former military blimp
hangar
, called "Hangar B", which is the largest clear-span
wooden structure in the world. Tillamook Air Museum has been described as "one of the country's top private World War II aircraft collections".
Constructed by the US Navy
in 1942 during World War II
for Naval Air Station Tillamook
, the hangar building housing the aircraft is 1072 feet (326.7 m) long and 296 feet (90.2 m) wide, giving it over 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of space. It stands at 192 feet (58.5 m) tall. The doors weigh 30 tons each and are 120 feet (36.6 m) tall. Hangar "B" is one of two that were built on the site originally, Hangar "A" was destroyed by fire in 1992.
A portion of the blimp hangar is now leased by the Hillsboro, Oregon
-based American Blimp Corporation
which is the largest manufacturer of blimps in the United States.
The Museum also features an exhibit hall with a large collection of rare historical wartime and aviation artifacts including pieces of the great German airship the Hindenburg and a WWII Luftwaffe flight jacket.
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:...
museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
located south of Tillamook
Tillamook, Oregon
The city of Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 4,352 at the 2000 census...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
at Tillamook Airport
Tillamook Airport
Tillamook Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles south of the central business district of Tillamook, a city in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. It is owned by the Port of Tillamook Bay...
. The museum is housed in a former military blimp
K class blimp
The K-class non-rigid airship was a class of blimps built by the Goodyear Aircraft Company of Akron, Ohio for the United States Navy. These blimps were powered by two radial air-cooled engines mounted on outriggers on the side of the control car that hung under the envelope...
hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
, called "Hangar B", which is the largest clear-span
Span (architecture)
Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
wooden structure in the world. Tillamook Air Museum has been described as "one of the country's top private World War II aircraft collections".
Constructed by the US 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...
in 1942 during 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...
for Naval Air Station Tillamook
Naval Air Station Tillamook
Naval Air Station Tillamook, located just south of Tillamook, Oregon, was a U.S. Naval Air Station during World War II. It was used primarily to house blimps. It was commissioned in 1942 and decommissioned in 1948. It includes US Naval Air Station Dirigible Hangar B, listed on the U.S...
, the hangar building housing the aircraft is 1072 feet (326.7 m) long and 296 feet (90.2 m) wide, giving it over 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of space. It stands at 192 feet (58.5 m) tall. The doors weigh 30 tons each and are 120 feet (36.6 m) tall. Hangar "B" is one of two that were built on the site originally, Hangar "A" was destroyed by fire in 1992.
A portion of the blimp hangar is now leased by the Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
-based American Blimp Corporation
American Blimp Corporation
-External links:** of ABC's Lightship Group subsidiary...
which is the largest manufacturer of blimps in the United States.
Collections
The museum features a collection of over 30 aircraft. This is a listing of some of the more notable:- Aero Spacelines Mini GuppyAero Spacelines Mini GuppyThe Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy is a large, wide-bodied US cargo aircraft used for aerial transport of outsized cargo components. The Mini Guppy is only one of the Guppy line of aircraft produced by Aero Spacelines, Inc..-Mini Guppy versions:...
- Aero L-29 DelfinAero L-29 Delfin|-See also:-References:* Gunston, Bill, ed. "Aero L-29 Delfin." The Encyclopedia of World Air Power. New York: Crescent Books, 1990. ISBN 0-517-53754-0....
- Bellanca Air Cruiser 1938Bellanca AircruiserThe Bellanca Aircruiser and Airbus were high-wing, single engine aircraft built by Bellanca Aircraft Corporation of New Castle, Delaware. The aircraft was built as a "workhorse" intended for use as a passenger or cargo aircraft. It was available as land, sea or ski plane. The aircraft was powered...
- Boeing PT-17 StearmanBoeing Stearman|-See also:-Bibliography:* Avis, Jim and Bowman, Martin. Stearman: A Pictorial History. Motorbooks, 1997. ISBN 0-76030-479-3.* Bowers, Peter M. Boeing Aircraft since 1916. London:Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-804-6....
- Chance Vought A-7 CorsairA-7 Corsair IIThe Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
- Chance Vought F4U-7 Corsair 13372
- Consolidated PBY-5A CatalinaPBY CatalinaThe Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
- Douglas AD-4W SkyraiderA-1 SkyraiderThe Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...
- Douglas A-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe 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...
- Douglas A-4B SkyhawkA-4 SkyhawkThe Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...
- Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomberSBD DauntlessThe Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
- C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
- Fairchild GK-1
- Martin AM-1 MaulerAM Mauler|-See also:-References:NotesFootnotesBibliography* Andrade, John. U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909, Midland Counties Publications, 1979, ISBN 0 904597 22 9...
- Grumman F-14A TomcatF-14 TomcatThe 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...
- Grumman FM-2 WildcatF4F WildcatThe Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
- Grumman TBM AvengerTBF AvengerThe Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
- Kaman HTK -1 HelicopterKaman AircraftKaman Aircraft is a U.S. aerospace company, with headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut. It was founded in 1945 by Charles Kaman. During the first ten years the company operated exclusively as a designer and manufacturer of several helicopters that set world records and achieved many aviation...
- Lockheed PV-2 HarpoonLockheed VenturaThe Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises...
- Lockheed P2V-7 NeptuneP-2 NeptuneThe Lockheed P-2 Neptune was a Maritime patrol and ASW aircraft. It was developed for the United States Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon, and being replaced in turn with the Lockheed P-3 Orion...
- Lockheed P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
- Messerschmitt Bf 109Messerschmitt Bf 109The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR from 1952 and operated by numerous air forces in many variants. Most MiG-17 variants cannot carry air-to-air missiles, but shot down many aircraft with its cannons...
- Nakajima Ki-43 OscarNakajima Ki-43The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa was a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II...
- Nord 1101Nord AviationNord-Aviation was a state-owned French aircraft manufacturer. It was created on October 1, 1954 upon the acquisition of SFECMAS by SNCAN...
- North American P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
The Museum also features an exhibit hall with a large collection of rare historical wartime and aviation artifacts including pieces of the great German airship the Hindenburg and a WWII Luftwaffe flight jacket.
See also
- Evergreen Aviation MuseumEvergreen Aviation MuseumThe Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is an aviation museum which displays a number of military and civilian aircraft and spacecraft, most notably, the Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose". The museum is located in McMinnville, Oregon, across the street from the headquarters of Evergreen...
, in McMinnville, OregonMcMinnville, OregonMcMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
: houses the Spruce Goose - List of aerospace museums
- Marine Corps Air Station TustinMarine Corps Air Station TustinTustin Legacy is a planned community in Tustin, California being developed on the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. The project, under construction, will include parks, a commercial retail center and various densities of housing, for a total of 4,600 units.The City’s vision for Tustin Legacy...
- Moffett Federal AirfieldMoffett Federal AirfieldMoffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale, California, USA. The airport is near the south end of San Francisco Bay, northwest of San Jose. Formerly a United States Navy facility, the former...
- Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile MuseumWestern Antique Aeroplane & Automobile MuseumThe Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum is located in Hood River, Oregon, United States, adjacent to the Ken Jernstedt Memorial Airport...
in Hood River, OregonHood River, OregonThe city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,831...