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| Tuesday May 13, 2008 |
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By L.A. Jackson
From the air, a circa-1953 twin-prop Grumman HU-19E amphibian airplane can easily be seen because of its bright red and white Coast Guard markings. Equally eye-catching in bright white is a SUD Caravelle VI-R airliner from the early 60s. And a closer look by airplane aficionados will also spot a Lockheed TV-2 Shooting Star, a 1950s fighter jet, as well as a Vietnam-era F-8 Crusader. In addition, a few eye blinks and a head scratch will help convince onlookers in the know that, yes, parked on the tarmac is a MiG-15 from the Korean War. Welcome to the New England Air Museum, the largest aviation museum in the Northeast. Located next to the Bradley International Airport, the museum is owned and operated by the Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Association, a private, non-profit educational institution organized in 1959.
In addition to aircraft, the museum houses 172 engines and thousands of other aviation artifacts that include aircraft parts, instruments and flight uniforms. The museum also hosts one of the largest aviation research libraries in the country, with over 65,000 periodicals, 18,000 books, 3000 tech manuals, hundreds of films and thousands of photographs. But the aircraft are the stars of the show, and it is quite an impressive list of who's who from out of the wild blue. One of the most obvious because it is so big is the massive, four-engine Sikorsky VS-44A flying boat, which was previously owned by actress Maureen O'Hara. Another Sikorsky, a S-39 1930s airboat, is the oldest Sikorsky aircraft in existence. Still another old-timer is Connecticut's oldest surviving airplane, a Bunce-Curtis Pusher, a biplane that was built in 1912 by a 17-year-old. For those who have the need to see speed, a replica of the 1930s GeeBee R-1 should satisfy. This stubby racer was the buzz of the aviation world when it set the speed record for aircraft of 296 mph in 1932. Fast on the GeeBee's tail is the Marcoux-Bromberg Special, another 1930s racer, as well as the famous Laird Solution, winner of the first Thompson Trophy Race in 1930. The civilian airplanes at the New England Air Museum provide plenty of aeronautical pizzazz, but it is the military aircraft that exude the macho many "big boys" seek. A blood-red replica of the World War I Fokker DR-1 Triplane that flew with the Red Baron's Flying Circus is a good case in point.
There are, of course, many more aircraft at the museum to see, and the aviation inventory continues to increase. A racing P-51 Mustang that was the winner of the 1948 Thompson Trophy is currently being restored, but the beauty that will make an even bigger introduction because it is, well, so big is a B-29 Superfortress, a gargantuan World War II four-engine bomber. Add to these airplanes, helicopters, gliders, missiles, rockets and exhibits such as a lighter-than-air look back at balloons and dirigibles, and you have one very nice air museum. With more aircraft being restored and set out on display on a continual basis as well as an ever changing calendar of events (thanks to a very active Educational Department), it seems the sky is the only limit to this fascinating salute to flight. Practicalities The New England Air Museum is located just to the northwest of Bradley International Airport (which is served by US Airways as well as Southwest) off I-91. The museum as well as the Wings 'N Things gift shop are open all year, seven days a week for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is adults, $7.50; seniors, $6.50; and children, $4.00. Group rates are available upon request. For more information, call (860) 623-3305 or visit the museum's website at www.neam.org. In the Nearby Area:
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WINDSOR
LOCKS, CONNECTICUT, USA -- Air travelers flying out of the busy Bradley
International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn. (near Hartford), might sometimes
think that, instead of going to Tacoma or Tampa Bay, they are going back
in time because looking out their plane's window on takeoff will often
reveal echoes from aviation times gone by.
The
New England Air Museum sits on 58 acres, and, in addition to the Outdoor
Exhibit Area, it has two large exhibit hangars as well as a Restoration
Building. Most of the aircraft on display are in the two hangers, and,
at last count, the inventory was up to 134 planes and other flying things,
and growing. 
The
roll call continues in the military hanger with World War II being well
represented by such warbirds as a gull-wing Vought XF4U-4 Corsair, a stubby
Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, an even stubbier Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, a
Douglas A-26C Invader bomber and a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber.
War planes from the jet age also come swooping in, led by a F-4D Phantom
that is credited with the downing of a MiG-21. Holding formation with
the Phantom is another Vietnam veteran, a Republic F-105B Thunderchief,
affectionately nicknamed "Thud" by pilots who flew the large fighter-bomber
because that is the sound they thought it would make if this heavyweight
fell to earth. In the hanger, "Thud" is accompanied by a "Hun," the nickname
for the North American F-100A Super Sabre, a large, supersonic fighter-bomber.
Another big bird of the military jet set resides at the museum: a Douglas
A-3D Skywarrior, also called the "Whale" by pilots who flew this carrier-based
aircraft that was the largest used by the Navy. Accompanying the Skywarrior
is a more nimble and lighter on its wings Navy fighter, a Douglas A-4D-1
Skyhawk.