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Florence Air & Missile Museum facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Florence Air & Missile Museum
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Established 1963
Dissolved 1997
Location Florence, South Carolina, United States
Type Aviation museum
Founder Thomas C. Griffin

The Florence Air & Missile Museum was a cool place where you could see old airplanes and missiles. It was located right at the entrance of the Florence Regional Airport in Florence, South Carolina. Sadly, this museum closed its doors at the end of 1997.

A Look Back: The Museum's Story

How It All Started

The airport where the museum was located used to be called Florence Army Airfield. It was a very important training base during World War II. Pilots learned to fly powerful planes like the P-39 Airacobra and P-40 Warhawk here. They also trained with A-20 Havoc and A-26 Invader attack aircraft. Because of this military history, it was easy for the museum to get retired military planes. They could just fly them in!

The museum was started by a person named Thomas C. Griffin. After World War II, he became the main director of the Florence Airport. He had a vision to preserve these amazing machines.

Growing the Collection

From the 1950s through the early 1980s, the museum gathered an impressive collection. It featured aircraft from World War II and the Cold War era. You could also see early military space equipment from the 1950s and 1960s.

Why the Museum Closed

The museum was once a popular stop for travelers driving between the southeastern and northeastern parts of the United States. It was also on the way to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. However, when Interstate 95 was built, many travelers took a different route. This meant fewer people visited the museum. Because of this, attendance went down. The museum closed on October 8, 1997. Many of its amazing exhibits were then moved to the new Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

What Was on Display?

The Florence Air & Missile Museum had many interesting aircraft and missiles. Here are some examples of what visitors could see:

  • Boeing NTB-47B Stratojet: This was a large, powerful jet bomber. It is now at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Georgia.
  • Chance Vought Regulus I: A type of guided missile. You can now see it at the Carolinas Aviation Museum.
  • Convair YF-102A Delta Dagger: A supersonic (faster than sound) fighter jet. It also moved to the Carolinas Aviation Museum.
  • Douglas BTD-1 Destroyer: A dive bomber from the Navy. This plane is currently being restored in Rome, Georgia.
  • Douglas MGR-1 Honest John: A large rocket missile. Several of these were at the museum, and some are now at the Carolinas Aviation Museum.
  • Grumman C-1A Trader: A transport plane used by the Navy. It is now displayed at the Grissom Air Museum in Indiana.
  • Grumman F-11A Tiger: A sleek fighter jet. This plane was once a gate guard at another base before coming to Florence. It is also now at the Grissom Air Museum.
  • Fairchild C-119C Flying Boxcar: A large cargo plane. This aircraft is now displayed near Pope Field in North Carolina.
  • Lockheed F-104B Starfighter: Another supersonic fighter jet, known for its speed. It is now at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Kansas.
  • Lockheed NC-121K Constellation: A large, four-engine transport plane. The front part of this plane is now in a private collection in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • Lockheed T-33A: A jet trainer aircraft. It is now on display at the Darlington, South Carolina Airport.
  • Martin RB-57A Canberra: A reconnaissance (spy) aircraft. It is now at the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in New York.
  • Martin TB-61C Matador missile: Another type of missile. It is now stored at the Carolinas Aviation Museum.
  • McDonnell F-101F Voodoo: A twin-engine fighter jet. This one is also on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum.
  • Republic F-84F Thunderstreak: A fighter-bomber jet. It moved to the English Field Air & Space Museum in Texas.
  • Sikorsky HO4S Chickasaw: A helicopter. It is now on display in Tyler, Texas.
  • Sikorsky CH-34A Choctaw: Another type of helicopter. This one is at the Carolinas Aviation Museum.
  • Piasecki CH-21B Workhorse: A large transport helicopter. It is on display at the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center in Pennsylvania.
  • Kaman HH-43A Huskie: A rescue helicopter. It is now at the Museum of Flight at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Sweet Eloise": A famous World War II bomber. This impressive plane is now on display at the main gate of Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia.

Some other items, like parts of a Boeing KC-97G Stratofreighter and an F-101A Simulator, also found new homes or were used to help restore other aircraft. Sadly, some items, like a Douglas WB-66D Destroyer and a Martin SM-72 Titan I Ballistic Missile, were eventually scrapped.