Sunteți pe pagina 1din 24

1

town, Dave Andrews and Vincent Groh to document, dismantle and preserve the o riginal 1920s Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Its hard to believe that its been less than a year since the factory building, out of which grew Hag erstowns aircraft Hagerstown Aviation Museum was offici ally founded, and manu factu ring industry. Im happy to say that the preliminary what a year it has been! After nearly a decad e of wo rking to work is complete on the Kreider-Reisner Little Green Shed establish an aviation museum, this past year has been a defin- along Pennsylvania Ave. and we plan to have it taken down by spring. Once dismantled, it will be put in storage pending fuing one in the preservation of our local aviation history! ture display in the museum. Last July, after four months of h ard work In addition to constantly being on the lookpreparing the 2000 square foot facility and out for artifacts and displays to enhance the designing and constructing the displays, the museum collection, we are actively seeking museum opened its doors to the public in aircraft that played a role in Hagerstowns the Discovery Station at 101 West Washingaviation history. Since these airplanes are beton Street in downtown Hagerstown. coming scarce, it is imperative that we locate Much has happened since our opening and acquire them for the museum. We have and much more is in store! Over the next located several aircraft that should be in the several months we will be adding to the mumuseum and are currently exploring means to seum displays and our much-anticipated Hagerstown Aviation Museum offiacquire them. And there are treasures out there interactive Cessna 150 will be arriving at cers: Left to right, John Seburn, Trea, to be found! In this newsletter youll see phothe museum. Thanks to the generosity of Jack Seburn, Sec, Kurtis Meyers, Pres, tographs from our expedition to Georgia and donors, we have received some fascinating Tracey Potter, VP. Board member Joe read a moment-by-moment account o f the Boyle not pictured. donations. We have and will continue to finding o f a real Geo rgia peach! weav e them into the displays or add them to As Hagerstown Aviation Museum activities expand, and our archives and research library, which already contain thouespecially as we acquire aircraft, the need for more members, sands of books, documents, photographs and memorabilia. volunteers and donors grows enormously. We invite you to Although the opening of the museum itself consumed much become involved in the museums effort to pres erve Hagersof our time throughout the year, we have also been involved in towns rich aviation heritage. many other activities. For the past year we hav e been working

Welcome to The New PEGASUS

with the Maryland Historic Trust, Preservation Maryland, the National Park Services Historic American Building Survey, the Washington County Historical Society, the City of Hagers-

Kurtis Meyers, President Hagerstown Aviation Museum, Inc.

The Old & New PEGASUS


The Hagerstown Aviation Museum has titled its public information publication The New Pegasus. While Bellanca, the Reisners, Kreider, Custer and others all made significant contributions to Hagerstowns aviation heritage, it was the citys long association with Sherman Fairchild and his Fairchild Aircraft Corporation that put Hagerstown on the aviation map. Since the Fairchild Corporations public information publication was the July 1945 Pegasus, the museum felt it appropriate to continue this tradition in the new Pegasus. The museum dedicates The New Pegasus to the many members of our aviation community who played an active role in developing the aviation heritage we now honor. The New Pegasus is made possible through the generous support of its advertising sponsors.

Richard A. Henson
1911-2002
This, the Premier Issue of the New Pegasus, is in memory of Richard A. (Dick) Henson. For many years it was our privilege to work side by side with Dick in creating the Hag erst own Avi at ion Museum. Even though he is no longer with us, his dedication to the cause continues to inspire us.
Dick Henson with the KR-31 Challanger he and Charlie Shue donated to the museum.

Cover Photo:
Fairchild 24R9 in front of the old brick hangar at the Hagerstown Airport. 1939 See story on page 10

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to The New PEGASUS. Page 2 Hagerstowns Aviation Past..Page 3

The Hagerstown Aviation M useum, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the regions more than 90 years of extraordinary aviation history. Highlights of Hagerstowns Aviation Past
1916-1920 Giuseppi Bellanca builds the CD and CE biplanes for the Maryland P ressed Steel Company in the Pope Building located in south Hagerstown. 1921-1925 Lew & Henry Reisner operate an aircraft repair business and eventually partner with local shoe manufacturer Ammon Kreider to sell Waco Biplanes. 1926 The newly formed Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Company designs and builds the KRA Midget to participate in the 1926 National Air Race in P hiladelphia. 1927-1929 Kreider-Reisner develops and produces the C-2, C-4 & C-6 Challenger Biplanes that gain them much acclaim. 1929 Sherman Fairchild of Fairchild Aircraft Company, Long Island, NY purchases a majority stock interest in Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Company of Hagerstown. 1930s Fairchild Aircraft Company produces the F22, F24, F45, F46 and F92 Amphibian. 1931 Richard (Dick) Henson purchases the Hagerstown Airport and founds Henson Flying Service. 1933 Richard (Dick) Henson becomes Test Pilot for Fairchild Aircraft. 1939-1943 Fairchild develops and produces over 5000 P T19 P rimary trainers for the US Army and Navy as well as the AT-21 Gunnery Trainer and UC-61 Utility Cargo Aircraft. 1942-1948 Fairchild develops and produces over 200 of the first all metal cargo aircraft specifically designed for the task, the C82 P acket. 1949-1955 Fairchild develops and produces the C-119 Flying Boxcar of which over 1100 were produced. 1954-1958 Fairchild produces over 300 of the C123 P rovider cargo aircraft. 1954-1966 Fairchild helps to develop the Fokker designed F-27 Friendship turbo-prop transport and produces over 200. 1962-1983 Richard (Dick) Henson begins the Hagerstown Commuter which eventually becomes the Allegheny Commuter and P iedmont Regional Airline. 1965 Fairchild purchases Republic Aviation of Farmingdale, L.I., NY. 1973-1983 Fairchild/Republic awarded A-10 Attack Aircraft contract and produces 713 for the United States Air Force. 1984 Aircraft production ends in Hagerstown.

Premi er Theater Showing of Hagerstown: Remembering Our Aviation Heritage.Page 3 The Museum is Born!.Page 4 The Ribbon Is Cut! - Museum Opens...Page 5 Documentary Broadcast on MD Public TV.Page 5 The Annual Fly-In & Fairchild Reunion.....Page 6 Four Generations Honor Their Aviation Ancestor.Page 8 Finding the Fairchild UC-61C.....Page 10 Saving the Little Green Shed...Page 14 The Museum Builds a Float.....Page 16 For Pilots to BeDeveloping Interactive Aviation Ex hibits...Page 17 The Last Flying Fairchild C-82...Page 18 Whats in The Museums Future?..Page 20 Museum Visitor Information...Page 22 Museum Membership/Donations....Page 23

Premier Theater Showing of Hagerstown: Remembering Our Aviation Heritage


The former Colonial Theater in downtown Hagerstown was the setting for the premier theater showing on November 6, 2004 of the 80 minute documentary Hagerstown: Remembering Our Aviation Heritage. The theater, which now serves as home for the Faith Chapel, hosted large viewing audiences during most of the years that aviation was a major contributor to life in and around Hagerstown. The theater retains much of its earlier ambiance and was a most appropriate setting for viewing the documentary. Approximately 600 people, many of them former Fairchild employees, attended the showings. The theater lobby, which was filled with local aviation memorabilia, saw many old acquaintanceships renewed and heard many stories o f th e old days of Hagerstown aviation. A number of those attending expressed their appreciation that their effo rts and contributions had not been forgotten and that future generations would be able to look back at Hagerstowns seventy years of aviation history. The producers of the do cumentary were pleased that the program was so well received by both those who lived the story and by those who wanted to learn about the story. It was clear that the Hagerstown community still has considerable interest in its aviation past. 3

The Museum is Born!


The number of people attending the November, 2004 premier showing of the documentary Hagerstown: Remembering Our Aviation History, their interest in local aviation topics and the desire to preserve local aviation history encourag ed members of the group working to establish a local aviation museum to work even hard er to make such a museum a reality. The search for a suitable facility for the museum was continuing when, in February, 2005, museum director John Seburn received a phone call from Marie Byers, Director of the Discovery Station scheduled to open in a few months in downtown Hagerstown. Mrs. Byers asked if the museum group would be interested in utilizing a large area o f the second floor to set up a museum display consistent with the Discovery Station concept. Discovery Station states that one of its primary goals is to create a h ands-on center with interactive exhibits on science, technology, and local history. Museum members visited the Discovery Station site, a large

Tracey Potter, John Seburn, and Jack Seburn, along with some helpers from Hagerstown Aircraft Services, worked many long hours on repainting ceiling and walls prior to new carpet installation. At the same time facility renovation was in progress, museum members were selecting John Seburn paints wall. arti facts, organizing memorabilia and d ev elopi ng exhibits. Our effo rts were greatly aided by Cathy Allen, Director of the College Park Aviation Museum, who not only donated items fo r exhibits but also Cathy Allen assembles display panels. provided excellent advice, gained from h er College Park experience, on museum organization and display. Prior to the museums grand opening, Cathy came to Hagerstown and spent a long day with museum m emb ers arran g i n g an d completing exhibits. Thanks also go to Dave Friedrich and staff at National Airviews for p h oto enl arg ements and mounting. Much of the museum would not have been possible without Daves generous donation of time , talent and material. All of this effo rt came together by the evening of July 13, 2005, and not a moment too soon! On the morning of July 14, the Hagerstown Aviation Museum officially opened its doors to the public. The museum was born!

Jack Seburn, Kurtis Meyers and Joe Boyle repair ceiling.

marble and glass fo rmer bank building in downtown Hagerstown, and studied the area o ffered by Mrs. Byers. Since the 2,000 square foot museum area was available immediately, and since the goals of Discovery Station and the goals of the Hagerstown Aviation Museum were very similar, the decision was made to accept Mrs. Byers generous offer. Work began immediately on the museum area. Mrs. Byers hoped that the museum would be progressing su fficiently by the April grand opening o f Discovery Station to be included in the opening activities. Museum members Joe Boyle, Kurtis Myers,
Joe Boyle spray paints ceiling.

ing Our Aviation History and also the big annual fly-in and Fairchild Reunion hosted by Hagerstown Aircraft Servi ces, Inc.

The Ribbon Is Cut!


Hagerstown Aviation Museum Opens
On July 14, 2005 a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony offi cially launched the new Hagerstown Aviation Museum! Wielding the grand opening scissors were Allen Clopper, former Fairchild engineer; Kurtis Mey ers, President of Hagerstown Aviation Museum; Dori Nipps, County Commissioner; Donald Trump, Mayor o f Hagerstown and Marie Byers o f Discovery Station. Also in attendance were other local dignitaries, former Fairchild employees, museum members and interested citizens.

Documentary Broadcast on MPT


The July 14, 2005, grand opening of the Hagerstown Aviation Museum coincided with Maryland Public Televisions broadcast premier o f the documentary, Hagerstown: Remembering Our Aviation Heritage. The program was shown on Maryland Public Television on July 12 at 10:00PM and again on July 15 at 11PM. The documentary was produced by Vintage Video Productions and the special broadcasts were sponsored by the Richard A. Henson Foundation, Inc. and the Hagerstown -Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Maryland Public Television said in a news rel ease: The unique and untold story of Hagerstowns aviation past unfolds in this new documentary film by Vintage Video Productions. With many never before released images and an extensive collection of rare local film footage, this documentary is sure to pique the interest of Fairchild and Hagerstown aviation enthusiasts everywh ere! Tom Riford, President of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, stated, We are very pleased to partner with the Henson Foundation to help bring this positive story to the television screen. To have this documentary shown on prime-time TV is a wonderful testament to the hard work of the movies production team who are also behind the new Hagerstown Aviation Museum. Riford also said that thousands of people will learn about Hagerstowns aviation history, right before the week end o f the big annu al Fly-In and Fairchild Reunion set for July 15-17. Its an exciting event, the ribbon cutting, the movies TV premier and the fly-in, all happening in the same week!

Hagerstown Aviation Museum President Kurtis Meyers said, The museums collection came from dedicated p eople throughout the community who have a strong desire to display memorabilia from Hagerstowns aviation past. Our county was home to significant manu facturers including Bellanca, Kreider-Reisner, and Fairchild. Hagerstown was known fo r making world famous airplanes, and the new museum is a collection that will help sustain interest in the part that Hag erstown play ed in this industry. We welcome people to visit the Hagerstown Aviation Museum and experience the pioneering achievements that for over seventy years mad e Hag erstown one o f th e nations leading centers o f aircraft manu facturing . Sharing the spotlight with the museum opening during this July week was the broadcast on Maryland Public Television of the Vintage Video produced documentary Hagerstown: Remember5

See page 22 to purchase this documentary

The Annual Fly-In and Fairchild Reunion

The seventh annual Hagerstown Aircraft Services/EAA FlyIn and Fairchild Reunion took place in Hagerstown on July 16 and 17, 2005. Hagerstown Aircraft Services, Inc. was host for the fly-in with the local Exp erimental Aircraft Asso ciation chapter 36 and the Hagerstown Aviation Museum supporting the event. Mother Nature did not smile on us that weekend and fog, clouds and low ceiling prevented the participation o f a number of aircraft. Some pilots did not want to miss the event so they drove, rather than flew, to Hagerstown.

der-Reisner KR-31 biplane, as well as Fairchild and other aircraft on display. The weather improved during the afternoon of the last day of the fly-in, permitting EAA members to conduct free flights for young people through their Young Eagles program. Using a bus provided by Tom Riford, President of the Hagerstown -Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kurtis Meyers conduct ed tours of aviation relat ed sites in and around Hagerstown, including a stop at the new museum facility in downtown Hagerstown. Aviation enthusiasts commented on how interesting the tours were and local citizens were surprised that so much history had occurred in and around their neighborhoods. One tour participant stated th at he had driven by that old building many times but had no idea that so much history had occurred there! Museum directors are discussing the possibility of placing descriptive signs at stops along the tour route and developing a map to make available for sel f-guided tours. The 2006 Fly-In and Fairchild Reunion and will be scheduled in late summer or early fall. Go to the museum website at www.HagerstownAviationMuseum.org for more inform ation.

Matthew, Andrew and Nicholas Potter check out the KR-31 Volunteers Bill and Betty Rinn greet visitors.

In spite of the weather, participants were busy meeting old friends, dining at the EAA food-stand , shopping at the vendors booths, viewing the documentary Hagerstown: Remembering Our Aviation Heritage and inspecting the museums 1928 Krei-

Hagerstown Aviation Museums 1928 KR-31 Challenger

1940 Fairchild F-24W owned by Frank Gochenauer of Chambersburg, PA 7

Four Generations Honor Their Aviation Ancestor

On August 14, 2005, Stonebraker family members gathered at the Hagerstown Aviation Museum for a family reunion to honor their aviation ancestor, Hagerstown native William Paul Stonebraker. Stonebrak er, an Army Air Corps test pilot during the World War I era, became test pilot for pl anes designed by

W. Paul Stonebraker (left)with Giuseppi Bellanca. 1919 grand father was featured in the new Hagerstown Aviation Museum. Stonebraker cam e to Hagerstown fo r the museum opening

W. Paul Stonebraker in rear seat of Bellanca CD. 1919 Giuseppi Bellanca and built by Maryland Pressed Steel Co. of Hagerstown. In 1921, shortly before Stonebraker planned to end his test pilot career, he was killed in a plane crash in Ohio. Grandson W. Paul Stonebraker III, o f Qu eens to wn, M aryl an d, wh ile watching the Vintage Video Production Hagerstown: Remembering Our Aviation Heritage on Maryland Public Television, learned that his test pilot W. Paul Stonebraker, III 8

and his presence added a real life touch to the museums exhibit. Stonebraker contacted family members and a reunion at the museum was planned. On August 14 seventeen members o f four generations of Stonebrakers g athered to honor their ancestor and learn more about his involvement in early aviation. Members of the family donated flying goggles, altimeter and other items used by Stonebraker. These items were placed on display with his uniform, donated by the College Park Aviation Museum, and other memorabilia from his aviation career.

Our Georgia Peach


Finding the Fairchild UC-61C
By Kurtis Meyers
My yearly trip to the American Antique Car Asso ciation (AACA) swap meet held in Hershey, Pennsylvania every October always gets my blood flowing! Upon the sight o f it I feel both the joy of living in a country that originally built and now allows such hordes of industrial junk to be accumulated, as well as an overall inadequacy in my ability to traverse the acres upon acres o f them. Although the meet lasts three days, I normally have only one to devote and thus I find mysel f running through isle after isle scanning only the most obvious and, Im sure, missing much in the process. For us junk hounds, the search for the nugget o f worth beneath the piles of oddly shaped, rusted, otherwise dejected and for the most part unidentified car pieces beckons us back year after year, but seldom to any avail. But, much like this year has been different in many ways, so to was it different fo r me this year at the swap meet at Hershey. To call it destiny would perhaps be overdoing it, but whatever it was that had me look harder at that one particular booth with its rusted drive shafts, transmission casings and miscellaneous automotive hoo-ha, Ill perhaps never know. But what I saw that day was not the normal and surely nothing that I had seen there before. In front o f me stood a rickety, four-legg ed card table that dated from the early 1950s and look ed as i f it had survived both the rigors of a well used poker-playing home li fe as well as at least a decade of exposure to the rain and mud of this central Pennsylvania swap meet. Standing there precariously in all its bow-legged glory it held perh aps the greatest treasu res to be had in this 10x 15 booth. Obviously weighted beyond its intended capacity, it held gears and casings, chrome pieces, car trim, speedometers and fuel gauges; all the great stuff for the individual who possessed the varied knowledge to know what it was and where it went. Positioned not so strategically, and camoufl aging itself among the similarly colored rusted pieces of automotive history, stood a 10x 14 piece o f roughly-torn lightbrown colored corrug ated cardbo ard that read child 1939, $7000. At first I found mysel f puzzled by this and for a few

seconds testing my skill at automotive trivia, but with no conclusion. Suddenly it clicked! It couldnt be anything elseit just had to be! I walked over, moved back the grimy housing-typething, standing upright, so perfectly hiding the left side of the sign and to my jubilation I was right! The sign, now extracted from the pile, read, Fairchild 1939 $7000. In an instant my day was both made and ended becaus e for me, the guy who has been collecting anything Fairchild for fi ft een y ears and trying with others to start a museum for t en, there was now no thinking o f anything else! Aft er talking for about fi fteen minutes with Mr. Simmons, whose booth it was, I found out that the airplane had been sitting in a shed in Georgia since the middle to late 1950s and it was a model 24. He was not the owner, but he was trying to sell it for an elderly lady whose

10

husband had bought the airplan e. All this stuff and the stories the lady had told him only added to my excitement and anticipation to find out more. I acquired the phone number o f the owners daughter, who was overseeing the selling of the airplane, and arranged for Mr. Simmons to call in two days to introduce me and to noti fy her o f my interest. I called later that same day and sh e quickly told me many o f the s ame stories and history that Mr. Simmons had already relayed to me. With little more in formation to give, she invited me down to take a look at the airplane which I was immediately persuaded to do. To look at an airplane that few people knew about and that had been in hibernation for n early fi fty y ears in an old shed.well, that just doesnt happen anymore..yeeha!!! A few weeks later John Seburn, who, I must say, was as equally excited about the prospect, and I started out on the twelve hour trip to Oxford, Georgia, just east of Atlanta. As you can well imagine, by putting two airplane loving dreamers in a car together for twelve hours, the convers ation was filled with all kinds of hypothetical possibilities for what the airplane was going to be and its prospective meaning for the museum. A lengthy discussion of various restoration possibilities consumed at least four of the twelve hours and due to lack of inform ation took us right back to where we had started.not knowing!! Oh well, twelve hours is a long time for just idle chit-chat, so we had to talk about somethingwhy not that! We arrived on Saturday evening and went scouting immediately fo r the place we were to meet Lynn the next day at 2:00pm. The anticipation was of course gnawing on us and our biggest worry was how we were going to use up those idle hours in the morning and early afternoon before our sch eduled meeting. We decided to do some sight seeing around the area and found the n ear-by town o f Covington to be very beauti ful and restored in the antebellum fashion. The last two hours were the worst, but they eventually passed and we were finally on our way to Lynns house. We pulled in the drive and found a nice, large pre-Civil War white house to our left and a rather imposing looking black and white horse-size Great Dane to our right. Our hesitation quickly subsided when Lynn walked out of the house and told us that Dog or whatever his name was, was harmless; although both John and I would eventually find the land mines he left in the yard quite destructive to footwear. Lynn led us through a small yard, to a line of brush and low trees. On the other side o f them was a shed that was about sixty feet long and thirty feet deep. It was open on one side and had steel panels on three sides and on the roof. It was packed with nearly ev erything known to man including piles of old furniture, engines, machine shop tools, old suitcases filled with papers,

shoe molds and much more.a pack-rats dream! Along the far wall we caught a glimpse of wh at we had come for; there standing idle for fi fty-years was the 1939 F-24. The wings were off and the engine had b een tak en out and put on a stand that sat up close to the back wall. The fuselage was sitting on tires that

hadnt held air for some time. The nose was pushed back in the corner with one side of the fuselage pushed up against the wall. The airplane had been protected from most of the direct elements of nature, but it still had sat through fifty humid Georgia summers. At first sight it was not much to behold. The fabric covering

11

had rotted and was rolling up like scrolls exposing the wooden slats that made up the airplanes structural skeleton. The inside still had its original seats and there were pieces of the headliner still attached, but it quickly became obvious that many of the areas native varmints called it home. Amazingly, however, upon closer inspection the wooden structure still looked good and the metal tubing that made up the frame did not appear to be overly corrod ed or damag ed. It had surely fallen far from its former glory, but it would be a great project for restoration of wh atever kind! There were signs of the airplane being painted several di fferent colors and on e color instantly got Johns attention. A military enthusiast from way back, with his very first vehicle

of any kind being a WWII military jeep, John is an expert in spotting olive drab. After looking over the airplan e for a good two hours, I began the process o f negotiation with Lynn. The initial offer was mad e and Lynn informed me that she need ed to talk it over with her family and that she would contact me within a week, so John and I started the arduous twelve hour journey home. We had come with great expectations and were not disappointed. We left thinking that it was a rather unusual combination of a 1939 F-24 that had in some way been in the military for a while. Our trip home was filled with the speculation of the dreamers that we are and that little airplane in the shed gave us mile after mile o f fan tastic speculative fodder. Arriving home, we began scouring the museum archives and library for tidbits of in fo rmation. In looking over the photographs o f our trip and upon close examination of the instrument panel, a friend, Charlie Gallagher, noticed a rusty metal tag showing the military call number 70862, a number that also doubled as the airplanes serial number. Finding a book called C Planes, that covered all the ai rplanes given a military cargo designation, we opened the book to the page describing the UC-61 and found our baby! Much to our surprise, the very same serial/call numbers of the airplane we had just looked at were listed, and it was described as being a 1939 Fairchild 24 with a Ranger engine. The airplane had been impressed by the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942 and was given the designation UC-61C, the one and only airplane ever to be given that designation. Over the next few weeks the process o f negotiation continued and a price was finally arrived at. A former Fairchild employee and most generous donor committed to donate the funds for the airplanes purchas e. Im very happy to say that after sixty-six years the one and only Fairchild UC-61C is coming home to Hagerstown !!

12

Fairchild UC-86 in WWII U.S. Army olive drab color and markings similar to the UC-61C during the war. 13

1928 Kreider-Reisner Aircraft advertisment 14

Kreider-Reisner to produ ce over 100 Challenger bi-pl anes in the late 1920s. In the Little Green Shed workers cov ered and doped wings, tails and fuselages o f Kreider-Reisner aircraft. The museums KR-31 was built in this shed.

In the Nick of Time


Saving the Little Green Shed
Driving along the 800 block of Pennsylvania Ave. in Hagers town, Maryland and looking across the railroad tracks to the rear of a vacant lot, one sees a weathered, neglected, decaying little building. Its roof is rusty, its siding is warped and its doors are sagging. Buildings in far better shape have come and gone, but, L to R: Richard Hughes, Josh Phillips, Mindy Marsden, Jack Seburn, fo r some reason, this little shed wont give up. Is there some rea- Doug Reed, Kurtis Meyers son this little building has survived? Richard Hughes o f the Maryland Historic Trust, Josh Phillips Or is it simply a of Preservation Maryland and Mindy Marsden o f the Washingstroke o f luck that ton County Historical Society realize the importance of this the shed, out of piece o f Marylands industrial heritage and have provided advice whi ch g r e w and support for the project. Christopher Marston, a National Hagerstowns air- Park Service architect, has done an extensive documentation of craft manu facturing the building for the Historic American Building Survey. Doug industry, has with- Reed o f Preserv ation Associates, Inc. is supervising and assiststood the ravages ing in the dismantling of the building. of time, waiting to Some of the structure has rotted away but Doug believ es be rescued? much can be saved. After examining the building and considerThe shed, which ing the dismantling options, Doug feels we should stabilize and move sections rather Views of the Green Shed in the late 1920s than taking the building apart a board at a time. Our goal is to preserv e as much of the Little Green Shed as possible. Vincent Groh, owner of the Fairchild factory which replaced the shed, has donated space in the factory building to saftely store the shed until it becomes an exhibit in measures 16 by 30 feet, is actually two buildings moved to the the Hagerstown Aviation Museum. The rescue began on a cold, snowy December day when three site and joined. The 1940 photograph clearly shows the deteriorating con- members of the Hag erstown Aviation Museum and Doug Reed dition of of Pres erv ation Associates, Inc. began the dismantling of the the build- Kreider-Reisner Little Green Shed. The first task was to reing sixty- move the large metal sheets cov ering one side o f the building. fiv e years These sheets were used to close up the side when the add-on ago. Be- sheds were remov ed many decad es ago. From inside the buildhind the ing we could see that the sheets contained drawings which ap shed can peared to be patterns. As the sheets came off they beg an to rebe seen the veal another significant event in Hagerstowns aviation history! 1929 Fair- The story of the Little Green Shed , its metal panels and the Condition of the shed around 1940 child factory which replaced the collection of buildings used by treasures in its loft will be continued.

15

The Museum Builds a Float

and his 30 foot trailer on which to construct the float displays. Since the float was to contain an aircraft and aircraft parts, Traceys expertise and equipment were invaluable. The experimental homebuilt aircraft designed and built by Dean Truax, local Experimental Aircraft Association member, was featured at the front of the float, piloted by Nicholas Potter and serviced by Matthew Potter. Depicting the role of women in the history o f local aircraft manu factu ring were Laura Seburn and Gena Rodriguez, two Rosie the Riveters, constructing an airplane wing. Background fo r the riveters was a huge photograph of the Fairchild C-82 assembly line. The rear o f the float contained another large photograph showing the initial roll-out of the first Fairchild C-82. Each side of the float displayed photographs of many of the aircraft built in Hagerstown between 1916 and 1984. The float brought back memories for some form er Rosie the Riveters along the parade route as well as garn ering some offers of volunteer help in the museum effo rt.

7:00 PM, Oct. 29, Tracey Potter releas es the brake, steps on the gas and the Hagerstown Aviation Museum float begins its journey through the streets of Hagerstown Several months befo re the local Alsatia Mummers Halloween parad e, museum members decided to build and enter a float in the parad e. Since tens of thousands o f people view the parad e, members felt this would be another good way to get the museum name and mission before the public. Tracey Potter, museum board member and owner of Hagerstown Aircraft Services, Inc., offered his truck to pull the float

Matthew and Nicholas Potter

Laura Seburn and Gena Rodriguez

16

For Pilots to Be
Developing Interactive Aviation Exhibits
The Hagerstown Aviation Museum shares an impressive downtown Hagerstown building with Discovery Station at Hagerstown, Inc. A primary goal of Discovery Station is to create a hands-on center with interactive exhibits on science, technology and local history. In keeping with this goal, the Hagerstown Aviation Museum is developing aviation related hands-on activities aimed at the young people who visit the museum. One such interactive activity is a flight simulator which takes would-be pilots through the real procedu res o f flying an airplane. The simulator, donated through the College Park Aviation Museum by Mr. Volker Zinser, is a big hit with young aspiring pilots. A much anticipated interactive exhibit is the museums Cessna 150. Tracey Potter, museum member and President of Hagerstown Aircraft servi ces, Inc., donated a Cessna 150 air-

been covered or removed. The young pilots will take their turns at working the controls, checking the instruments and tuning the radio while listening to information and instructions from airport flight controllers. The complete Cessna aircraft, minus its tail because of space limitations, will be positioned in front o f a large aerial view o f the Hagerstown Regional Airport. Getting the completed Cessna into the museum will require considerabl e effort since there are no doors large enough to accommodate the airpl ane. Our plan is to remove the wings and landing gear and bring the fusel age through a larg e second floo r window. If we measured everything correctly, and i f Lady Lu ck smiles on us, well get the Cessna into the museum without scratching the paint or damaging the window. To keep info rmed on this special project you are invited to become a museum member. See page 23 for details.

Tracey Potter demonstrates knobs and buttons for children to use.

craft and is providing the labor and materials to convert it to a museum ready, child friendly interactive exhibit. The plane was partially disassembled and then reassembled making sure that all aspects of the plane would be safe for young people to explore. The cabin is carpeted and any sharp or protruding edges have

17

Fairchild C-82 information sheet. 1945 18

The Last Flying Fairchild C-82 Packet Flying Boxcar


1945 Fairchild C-82A Packet N9701F Serial Number: 10184 USAF Serial number 45-57814

Above: After military service, this C-82A was used by TWA to fly aircraft engines to airports around the world to maintain its fleet . The Fairchild J44 jet engine installed on this C-82 gave TWA the distinction of being the first U.S. airline to operate a jet powered aircraft. It was owned by TWA from 1956 to 1972.

Below: C-82A N9701F has been restored and preserved by Hawkins & Powers aviation of Grey Bull, WY. It is now available and the Hagerstown Aviation Museum is seeking your financial assistance to acquire this aircraft and return it to Hagerstown, MD for display. Contact the museum to make a donation .

19

Whats in the Museums Future?


The Hagerstown Aviation Museums goal of pres erving local aviation history is well under way. The downtown Hagerstown facility contains not only exhibits that chronicle the development of Hag erstown aviation but also serves as the collection site for research materials and local aviation memorabilia. While museum members continue to develop exhibits, conduct research and collect memorabilia, they are also planning to identify and document aviation sites in and around Hagerstown. The museum will seek funding to develop and install interpretive signs at these sites and to design and print a self-guided tour map of the sites. The museum is actively involved in locating aircraft, with the goal of acquiring at least one aircraft repres entative of each major development in local aviation history. This ongoing task will require much time, effo rt, funding and volunteer assistance.

Fairchild UC-61C will look like this when restored.

is also asking for your donations of PT-19 parts that can be used to assemble a static display PT-19. Some parts have already been offered and several period vehicles are availabl e to enhance a WWII era display. If you know that you can donate an aircraft, parts or funds, contact the museum.

Original Bellanca CE of 1918

Members of the museum are in contact with the owner of a Bellanca CE replica. The building of the plane was a l abor o f love, and the story of its construction adds immensely to the significance of the plane.

Fairchild PT-19

And now to the BIG planes! The museum is currently in contact with owners of Fairchilds largest aircraft: the C-82, C-119,

The museums 1928 KR-31 and restorer Charlie Shue.

The museum owns a restored 1928 Kreider-Reisner Model 31. This aircraft was don ated by Dick Henson, Hagerstown aviation pioneer, and Charles Shue, former own er and restorer o f the aircraft. A former Fairchild employee donated a 1939 Fairchild F-24. This aircraft was impress ed by the US Army Air Corps in 1942, militarized and given the military designation UC-61C. The museum plans to restore this aircraft to its military configuration and will be looking for volunteers to assist. The museum is seeking the donation of a Fairchild PT-19 and

The last flying Fairchild C-82 Packet is available.

C-123, and the F-27. While a few of thes e planes are still flying, most are not airworthy. An A-10 Thunderbolt II is available when the museum has a facility large enough to house it. Donated aircraft are, of course, a major boost to the effort, but considerable cost is still involved in transporting the planes 20

The Vision for the Museums Outdoor Static Display Aircraft Park

Flying Fairchild C-119 used in the new The Flight of the Phoenix movie is available.

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar outdoor static display.

Fairchild C-123 is available.

Fairchild C-123 Provider outdoor walk-through static display.

Fairchild Republic A10

to Hagerstown. The museums goal is to have one of each o f these aircraft on display at the Hagerstown Regional Airport. This is a huge undertaking, but the story of Hagerstowns aviation heritage is not complete without these aircraft. These aircraft will be permanent monuments to the thousands of men and women who designed, built, flew and maintained them. With your assistance the museum can bring these aircraft home to Hagerstown to be p reserved fo r gen erations to come! Contact the museum for more information on how you can help make this goal a reality.

Fairchild C-82 Packet outdoor static display.

Fairchild F27

21

Contact Information:
Hours of Operation
Tuesday - S aturday
10:00am - 4:00pm

Sunday
1:00pm - 4:00pm (except July and August) Closed: Mondays, Sundays during July and August, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Independ ence Day.

Museum Display at Discovery Station: Hagerstown Aviation Museum 101 West Washington St Hagerstown MD 21740 Discovery Station phone: 301-790-0076 Mailing address: Hagerstown Aviation Museum, Inc. 14235 Oak Springs Rd Hagerstown MD 21742 Phone: 301-733-8717 please leave message if no answer Fax: 717-597-1958 Website: www. Hage rstownAviationMuseum.org

Admission
Individuals Children under 2 Free Ages 2-17 $6.00 Adults $7.00 Seniors (55 and over) and Military $5.00 Visa, Mastercard, Discover Card accepted. Group Tours (minimum 10) School Children and Youth group members, 17 and under (each ) $2.00 Teachers and youth group leaders, no charge. Adult Group (each) $4.00 Discovery Station at Hagerstown, Inc. 101 West Washington Street Hagerstown, MD 21740 For further information Phone: 301-790-0076 Toll Free: 877-790-0076 Fax: 301-790-0045

Your admission to Discovery Station contributes to the operating expens es of the facility which helps provide a space for the Hagerstown Aviation Museum display.

DVD 3 disk set. The documentary, a DVD collection of original Fairchild films and a Photo CD. $29.95

Companion book to the documentary. 164 pages. $21.95

Collectors Cap, Fairchild Aircraft logo.

$10.00

To order: Call 717-597-9695 or order online at www.vintagevideo.com 22

(A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the museum)

The Museum Needs Your Help!


DONATIONS
You are invited to become a supporter o f th e Hagerstown Aviation Museum, an IRS 501(c)(3) tax ex empt, non-pro fit organization, by making a finan cial donation to the museum. Since the museum is staffed entirely by volunteers, your donation directly supports the operation and continuing activities o f the museum. Your finan cial donation will contribute to the preservation of Hag erstowns aviation heritage and ensure that future generations will learn of the men and women who created that heritage.

VOLUNTEERS
A small group of dedicated volunteers has achiev ed much in the past year and will continue its efforts in the future. As the museum grows and activities expand, the museum will need to increas e its volunteer staff. Whether you can donate an hour a week or can completely restore an antique aircraft, no contribution of time and effo rt is too small. It is the sum total of these contributions that will permit the museum to achieve its goals. Check the box on the membership form to receive volunteer info rmation.

Museum Membership!
Support the Hagerstown Aviation Museum by becoming a member! Add your name to the membership list and gain the satisfaction of knowing that your commitment and support is helping to preserve Hagerstowns aviation heritage.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - cut here or make a copy of this page, fill out form and mail - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hagerstown Aviation Museum Membership Form Name:______________________ Company:_____________________ Street:______________________ City:_________________________ State:_____ Zip:________ Phone:___________________ Email:___________________________
My interest in Hagerstowns aviation history is: _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Please send me information on becoming a museum volunteer.

Membership Levels
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Student Individual Contributing Supporting Patron Corporate Lifetime $15.00 (per year) $30.00 (per year) $50.00 (per year) $100.00 (per year) $200.00 (per year) $500.00 (per year) $1000.00 (lifetime)

Request The New Pegasus for a friend:

Name___________________________________ Street___________________________________ City__________________ State___Zip________


23

Make Check Payable to:


HAGERSTOWN AVIATION MUSEUM 14235 Oak Springs Rd Hagerstown MD 21742

24

S-ar putea să vă placă și