National Air Race Museum facts for kids

The National Air Race Museum (NARM) was a special place in Sparks, Nevada. It was an aviation museum that showed off the exciting world of air racing. The museum focused on the "Golden Age" of racing and the famous Reno Air Races. It was open for a short time, from 1993 to 1994. One cool thing on display was a copy of the Hughes H-1 Racer, which was a very fast airplane.

Amazing Airplanes on Display

The museum had many interesting airplanes. Some were real planes that raced. Others were exact copies, called replicas, of famous racing aircraft. These planes helped visitors learn about the history of air racing.

Here are some of the aircraft that were shown:

• 1944 Messerschmitt Bf 109G
• 1910 Curtiss pusher
• 1913 Deperdussin replica
• 1925 Curtiss R3C-2 replica
• 1926 Macchi M.39 replica
• 1931 Supermarine S.6B replica
• 1936 Rider R-4 #70 Schoenfeldt "Firecracker" – This plane won a big race in 1938.
• 1938 Rider R-6 "Eightball" – This plane raced in 1938 and 1939.
• 1936 Beechcraft 17R Staggerwing
• 1971 Hanson Special #35 "Sump'n Else"
• 1948 Miss Cosmic Wind #6 – This plane was raced by Bill Stead, who started the Reno Air Races.
• Formula-1 Racer Stinger #21 – This plane was owned and flown by Astronaut Deke Slayton.

Cool Things to See

Besides airplanes, the museum also had other cool items. One special item was a pair of leather gloves. These gloves were left behind by the famous pilot Charles Lindbergh in 1927. He left them when he flew into Blanchard Field, which was Reno's first airport.

The museum also worked with the National Automobile Museum. They would bring in old cars to display next to an antique hot air balloon. This made the exhibits even more interesting.

Learning and Fun at NARM

The National Air Race Museum worked with other museums. They had exchange programs with places like the National Air and Space Museum. This meant visitors could see special items from other collections.

NARM also had an Aviation Art Gallery. Here, you could see amazing artworks about airplanes and flying. There was also a Gift Shop where you could buy souvenirs. A unique part of the museum was the "Fuselage Theater." This theater was built using the inside of a real commercial airliner. It was used to show movies about aviation.

Where the Planes Went

Many of the racing planes and the BF-109G were borrowed from another museum. They came from the Air Museum in Chino, California. The BF-109G was later seen at the Planes of Fame satellite museum. This museum is near the Grand Canyon in Valle-Williams, Arizona.

The museum also had a letter from General Jimmy Doolittle's son. It said that Jimmy Doolittle was too sick to come to NARM's Grand Opening.

As of 2008, many of the other racing planes and replicas were in a hangar. They were at the main Planes of Fame Museum in Chino. The president of that museum, Ed Maloney, said these planes would soon be part of a new air racing exhibit. The copy of the Hughes H-1 Racer is currently being stored.

Museum Closure and Legacy

The National Air Race Museum opened in May 1993. It closed in February 1994. Even though it was open for less than a year, over 20,000 people visited it.

When it closed, the museum was developing a learning center. This center would have included a Flight School for Kids at Risk. It was also for any other children who wanted to learn more about flying.

The Planes of Fame Museum briefly reopened NARM in September 1994. After that, they moved all the museum's contents. The planes and items were taken to Chino and Valle-Williams.