Yankee Air Museum
Encyclopedia
The Yankee Air Museum is an aviation museum
located near Willow Run Airport
in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan
. The museum has a small fleet of flying aircraft and a collection of static display aircraft outdoors.
, Aero L-39
, Link Trainer
, artifacts, spare parts, tools, and the Museum's library.
There are plans in place to rebuild. The first building was dedicated on April 16, 2007, and the objective of the Michigan Aerospace Foundation, Inc. is to build a greatly expanded, state-of-the-art aviation museum and aerospace facility to replace the lost facility. The museum reopened to the public on October 10, 2010.
From 2007 until August 2011 the Yankee Air Museum's flyable aircraft were hangared at the Township Airport at Grosse Ile, Michigan.
The Museum's flyable aircraft include:
The Museum Airpark also contains a number of retired aircraft. These aircraft include:
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 near Willow Run Airport
Willow Run Airport
Willow Run Airport is an airport located in Van Buren Charter Township and in Ypsilanti Township, near Ypsilanti, Michigan, that serves freight, corporate, and general aviation clients...
in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan
Ypsilanti Township, Michigan
Ypsilanti Charter Township is a charter township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 49,182...
. The museum has a small fleet of flying aircraft and a collection of static display aircraft outdoors.
History
The Yankee Air Force Inc. was founded in 1981 to pursue these goals:- To preserve a part of Michigan's extensive aviation history.
- Acquire one of the original USAAF hangars and restore it to its original condition.
- Obtain a B-24 Liberator built at the Ford Willow Run plantWillow RunThe Willow Run manufacturing plant, located between Ypsilanti and Belleville, Michigan, was constructed during World War II by Ford Motor Company for the mass production of the B-24 Liberator military aircraft....
, site of the museum.
Fire and rebuilding
On the night of October 9, 2004, the Yankee Air Museum's hangar on the northeast side of Willow Run (KYIP) burned down. The B-17, B-25 and C-47 were saved through heroic efforts by museum volunteers. The Stinson was at another hangar. Everything else inside the hangar was destroyed, including the original prototype North American YOV-10A Bronco, Waco CG-4A Glider, a former Thunderbirds Republic F-105F-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
, Aero L-39
Aero L-39
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia to meet requirements for a "C-39" during the 1960s to replace the L-29 Delfín...
, Link Trainer
Link Trainer
The term Link Trainer, also known as the "Blue box" and "Pilot Trainer" is commonly used to refer to a series of flight simulators produced between the early 1930s and early 1950s by Ed Link, based on technology he pioneered in 1929 at his family's business in Binghamton, New York...
, artifacts, spare parts, tools, and the Museum's library.
There are plans in place to rebuild. The first building was dedicated on April 16, 2007, and the objective of the Michigan Aerospace Foundation, Inc. is to build a greatly expanded, state-of-the-art aviation museum and aerospace facility to replace the lost facility. The museum reopened to the public on October 10, 2010.
Collection
The Museum's flyable aircraft include:
- 1944 Boeing B-17G-110VE Flying Fortress 44-85829Boeing B-17 SurvivorsThe Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Developed by Boeing, a total of 12,731 aircraft had been produced by Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed from 1936 until 1945...
" Yankee Lady - ex-PB-1G 77255
- 1943 North American B-25D Mitchell 43-3634North 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...
" Yankee Warrior - veteran of 8 combat missions over Italy
- 1944 Douglas 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...
Yankee Doodle Dandy
The Museum Airpark also contains a number of retired aircraft. These aircraft include:
- B-52D StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
- UH-1P Huey
- Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
- F-86L Dog Sabre
- F-84F 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....
- RF-84F Thunderflash
- F-101B Voodoo
- Lockheed T-33B
- RB-57A Canberra
- F-4C Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe 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,...
- Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 ArgosyArmstrong Whitworth AW.660 ArgosyThe Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a British post-war military transport/cargo aircraft and was the last aircraft produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft...
- PB4Y-2G, BuNo 59876Consolidated B-24 SurvivorsConsolidated B-24 Survivors is a list of flying and static display B-24 Liberators and includes brief history, markings, owners, locations, and aircraft condition or status.-Background:...
- (the US Navy single tail version of the B-24)
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