New England Air Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
New England Air Museum

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Established	1959 (1959)
Location	Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Type	Aviation museum
Founder	Robert Beh Frank Greene Harvey Lippincott Vernon Muse

The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is a cool place in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. It's right next to Bradley International Airport. This museum has three big buildings filled with amazing aircraft. You can see everything from old flying machines to super-fast jets! They also have engines and other cool flight gear.

The museum's main goal is to share the exciting story of aviation. It shows how smart people made flying possible and how it changed our lives forever.

Some of the most special aircraft you can see are:

• The Silas Brooks balloon basket: This is the oldest American-built aircraft still around!
• The Sikorsky VS-44A: It's the only American-made four-engine flying boat that crossed oceans for passengers, and it's still here!
• The Goodyear ZNPK-28 Blimp Control Car: This is a very rare part of a blimp, one of only two left in the world.

How the Museum Started

The museum began with a group of friends who worked at Pratt & Whitney. They formed the Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Association to save an old biplane. Even though that first plane was later lost in a fire, the group kept going.

In 1967, they put up their first display building, which was like a giant inflatable dome.

A big tornado hit in 1979 and destroyed the museum's first location. But the museum didn't give up! In 1981, they built the first of the current buildings you see today.

Since then, they've added more buildings:

• A restoration hangar in 1989 (where they fix up old planes).
• A storage building in 1991.
• A military hangar in 1992.
• A special 58th Bomb Wing Hangar in 2003.
• Another storage hangar in 2010.

In 2017, the museum got a big update. They added mezzanines (like balconies) in two hangars. This lets you see the aircraft from above, which is a really cool view! They also got new heating, air conditioning, and bright LED lights.

In June 2023, the museum opened a new exhibit about the brave Tuskegee Airmen. They also received money to build a recording studio. The next month, they welcomed a new curator and collections manager.

Awesome Exhibits to Explore

The main exhibition hangar, full of amazing aircraft.

The museum has many interesting exhibits for you to discover. You can learn about the history of Sikorsky Aircraft, which made many famous helicopters.

You can also try out computer-based flight simulators. These let you feel like you're flying a plane yourself!

One special exhibit is the 58th Bombardment Wing Memorial. Its main attraction is a beautifully restored B-29A bomber.

Other exhibits teach you about:

• Early French aviation.
• The amazing story of the Tuskegee Airmen.
• The Kosciuszko Squadron.
• Important New England Women in Aviation.
• The 57th Fighter Group.

Aircraft on Display

A huge B-29 Superfortress bomber on display.

The New England Air Museum has a huge collection of aircraft. Here are some of the cool planes and helicopters you can see:

Aircraft Being Restored

The museum also has a team working hard to restore more aircraft so they can be displayed in the future. These include:

Images for kids

• 

  The logo of the New England Air Museum.

See also

• List of aviation museums