 Our C-5
First, the dedication of our C-5 drew about 1,000 people and ever since we have had it on display people have been coming - rain or snow. Thanks to some diligent digging we were able to acquire a set of airstairs that allows visitors with a guide to enter the Cargo Compartment for tours. Just last weekend a local electrical contractor (KRISS Contracting) installed overhead LED lighting that allows us to "power" the cargo compartment using a little one cubic foot generator. There is plenty of light for photographs without flash and you can watch a video of our C-5 launching an ICBM. Many thanks to KRISS for donating much of the labor to make this happen. They also did the work on the 9/11 memorial in our Commemoration Park. We did not really intend to have the C-5 open for tours during the winter months but we are accommodating tours whenever we have enough spare guides. Starting in the Spring we will also be having tours of the flight deck on the 3rd Saturday of every month. We thought we would have the only C-5 on display for many years but at Davis Monthan AFB, where the aircraft bone yard is located, they have added 8220 to the row of display aircraft you can walk past. No inside tours on theirs but to be fair it is on display. This picture was taken with a cell phone, no flash, in the Cargo Compartment after our lighting was installed.
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The AMC Museum Foundation arranged to acquire a Soviet Era AN-2 Transport plane for us in December. Now why would we want a Soviet airlifter? For many years we had in our Collection's Plan a requirement to have a Soviet era airlifter and a WW II German airlifter to compare with our American designs of the 40s and 50s. When we compare the AN-2 to a C-47 and the German Ju-52 you can see the vast differences and similarities the different nations developed to fulfill comparable missions. All three were used as military and civilian airlifters. All three could carry more than two tons of useful payload, all three were used for cargo, paratroops, air-ambulances and all were occasionally armed to fulfil other roles. All were built to be rugged and dependable. But there the similarities end. The AN-2 had one engine, the C-47 had two and the Ju-52 had three. The AN-2 was a bi-plane, the other two were not. The Ju-52 had corrugated skin, the AN-2 had fabric covered wings. As soon as we get the AN-2 into proper display shape we will expand the comparisons for you. Oh, and by the way, we have a line on two possible Ju-52s that may become available. We'd love to have all three for you to compare in person.
In the meantime our restoration team is doing great work cleaning and restoring the fuselage and the engine. Next we will be recovering the wing in light aluminum to replace the totally deteriorated fabric covering.
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Special Visitors
We frequently have visitors that come to see our beautiful birds but this week we have had some beautiful birds fly in that have brought a new kind of visitor - birders. Four Snowy Owls have decided to stop over at Dover AFB for a while and the birder network has been humming with reports. We have had dedicated birders from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia as well as Delaware come to see these huge white birds. According to what we have learned from our visitors the owls can weigh around six pounds and have a five foot wingspan.
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 New Exhibits
Our Vietnam Airlift exhibit is about three quarters of the way finished and it will be awesome. We are also just starting on an Explosive Ordnance Device (EOD) exhibit that will have two real bomb resistant suits and an operational Bomb Disposal Robot. More to follow next issue-and I hope to be a little quicker with the next issue. |
