Massey Air Museum facts for kids

The Massey Air Museum is an exciting aviation museum located near Massey, Maryland, in the United States. It's part of the Massey Aerodrome, which is a place where planes take off and land.

This museum is a non-profit organization. This means it's run by people who want to share their love for airplanes, not to make money. It has cool exhibits about airplanes with a special type of landing gear called "tail wheel" aircraft. You can also learn about the amazing history of flying in Maryland and Delaware.

Discover the Museum's Collection

The Massey Air Museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft and aviation items. It's a great place to see different kinds of planes up close!

What You Can See

The museum's collection includes:

• A large Douglas DC-3 airplane that doesn't fly anymore but is on display.
• Many other airplanes that can still fly!
• Several gliders, which are planes that fly without an engine.
• A tall tower with a rotating light, like those used at old airports.
• A working windmill with a special cypress wood tank inside.
• It's also home to a local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), where people who love building and flying planes gather.

Airplanes at Massey Aerodrome

Many different types of airplanes are based at Massey Aerodrome. These planes are kept in community hangars or tied down outside. As of December 2019, here are some of the cool aircraft you might find there:

Flying Airplanes

• 1947 Aeronca 7CCM (L-16)
• 1992 Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly
• 1975 Bellanca 7ECA Citabria
• 1941 Boeing Stearman B75N1 PT-17, known as "U.S ARMY 747"
• 1944 Boeing Stearman E75N1, called “VN2S-5”
• 1957 Cessna 172
• 1991 Pietenpol Aircamper BJ-1
• 1967 Piper Cherokee Cruiser PA-28-140
• 1939 Piper Cub J3C
• 1960 Piper PA-25 Pawnee
• 1957 Piper Tri-Pacer PA-22-150
• 1943 Stinson/Vultee V-77, also known as the “Gull Wing” Reliant
• 1990 Wolf W-11 Boredom Fighter

Airplanes in T-Hangars

These planes are kept in special T-shaped hangars:

• 1967 Cessna 150H
• 1981 Cessna 172P
• 1960 Cessna 182D
• 1963 Cessna 182G, which is used by the museum to tow gliders into the air.
• 1940 Piper Clip Wing Cub J3C-65
• 1946 Piper Cub J-3C-65
• 1950 Piper Pacer PA-20
• 1936 Hammond 100 biplane
• 2011 Searey, a type of seaplane
• 1939 WACO ZKS-7

Gliders and Motor Gliders

Gliders are aircraft that fly without an engine, using air currents. Motor gliders have small engines to help them take off or extend their flight.

• Bailey-Moyes Tempest Microlight glider
• 1965 Schleicher K 10 A glider
• 1952 Schweizer SGS 1-23 glider
• 1975 Schweizer SGS 1-35 glider
• 1968 SCHWEIZER SGS 1-26B glider
• 1963 SCHWEIZER SGS 1-26B glider
• 1955 Schweizer SGU 2-22 glider
• 1972 SCHWEIZER SGS 2-33A glider
• 2000 Aviastroitel AC-5M self-launching motor-glider from Russia
• 2005 TeST TST-10 Atlas self-launching motor-glider from the Czech Republic
• 2006 TST-14M Bonus motor-glider

Non-Flying Aircraft

Some aircraft at the museum are not able to fly anymore, but they are still important for display and learning.

• 1963 Piper Colt PA-22-108

Outdoor Displays

Outside the museum, you can see:

• A 1937 Douglas DC-3A, which was once a United Airlines plane. This large plane is a static display, meaning it doesn't fly.

Inside the Museum

Step inside the museum building to discover:

• A replica of a 1911 Wright Glider, built by Jimmy Dayton. This shows what early gliders looked like.
• A 1946 Ercoupe 415-C airplane.

Aircraft Engines on Display

The museum also showcases different types of aircraft engines, helping you understand how planes are powered.

• A powerful 1710 horsepower Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone radial engine. This type of engine was used in famous planes like the B-25 bomber and the B-314 Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat.
• A 160 horsepower Kinner 5-cylinder radial engine.
• A 37 horsepower Continental A40 engine, which was used in early planes like the 1931-1936 Taylor E-2 Cub.
• A 65 horsepower Lycoming O-145-B2 engine.
• A "cut-away" engine, which means part of it is removed so you can see how it works inside. This is a Spanish Elizalde Tigre IVB engine.

Museum Projects

In the West Hangar, the museum has a special project:

• A 1993 Lance Aero (Bellanca 14–13) experimental aircraft. This is an amateur-built plane that is currently a non-flying museum project.