North Carolina Aviation Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1994 |
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| Location | Asheboro, North Carolina, USA |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Founder | Jim Peddycord |
The North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame is an awesome place where you can explore the exciting world of airplanes! It has a huge collection of aircraft, old uniforms, and cool aviation stuff. You'll find many different kinds of planes, from old "warbirds" to unique experimental designs.
Most of the aircraft you see here are privately owned. They are on loan to the museum, and many are still able to fly! This means the collection changes sometimes, so there's always something new to see. A small team of staff and volunteers work hard to keep the museum running and even restore old planes. This museum is different from the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte.
Contents
History of the Museum
The museum started in 1994. A businessman from Asheboro named Jim Peddycord founded it. Back then, it was called the Foundation for Aircraft Conservation. Jim began with a few of his own "warbirds" (old military planes) in an empty hangar at the Asheboro Regional Airport.
In 1996, Jim Peddycord organized an air show to get people interested in the museum. Around this time, Bob Moon became the first manager. Over three years, Bob gathered many different types of aircraft. He later gave these planes to the museum. Many of these model planes still hang from the gift shop ceiling today. The gift shop was named after Bob Moon when he passed away in 2007.
Sadly, in 1997, Jim Peddycord and his son Rick were killed. Their two planes crashed during practice for another air show. The museum was renamed the Peddycord Foundation for Aircraft Conservation (PFAC) to honor Jim. Another local businessman, Craig Branson, then helped keep the museum going.
In 1998, Craig Branson bought a B-25 bomber to restore. He also helped raise enough money to build a second hangar for the aircraft. The B-25 was fully restored by 2004 and even made some special flights.
Between 2001 and 2002, the museum changed its name to The North Carolina Aviation Museum. This showed that it was collecting more than just planes. It also started displaying artifacts, uniforms, and models. During this time, it also became the official home of the North Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame. Now, the museum is known by its full name: the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame.
Craig Branson passed away in 2006. In 2008, the museum featured a rare F4U-4 Corsair. This plane was brought by pilot Doug Matthews. It was one of only about 40 of these planes still able to fly in the whole world!
Amazing Aircraft Collection
The museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft. Many of these planes are still in flying condition!
Current Aircraft on Display
Here are some of the awesome planes you can see at the museum:
- Piper J-3 Flitfire - This plane is super special! Orville Wright, one of the famous Wright brothers, actually flew in this very plane in 1943. He did it to help raise money for a good cause during World War II.
- 1930 Savoia-Marchetti S.56 - This is a very rare plane. It's one of only two left in the entire world! It's on loan to the museum for three years.
- Cessna L-19 Bird Dog - This aircraft was used during the Korean War. Its job was to fly low and help spot enemy positions.
- Stearman PT-13D Kaydet - This plane was a standard trainer aircraft. It was used by the United States and its allies to teach pilots how to fly during the late 1930s and World War II.
- Beechcraft T-34 Mentor - This is a propeller-driven military training aircraft. It was developed from a popular civilian plane.
- Pilatus P-3 - This is a Swiss primary training aircraft. Switzerland designed it to be similar to the T-34 "Mentor."
- Fairchild F-22 - A small, two-seat plane used for sport or light utility.
- Shehane Aerosport Quail - This is an experimental aircraft built in 1978. It uses a Volkswagen engine and is one-of-a-kind!
- Denney Kitfox - You can see the frame of this plane. It's waiting for its engine, outer skin, and controls to be added.
- Purcell Sea Sprite - Another experimental aircraft from 1975, and it's also one-of-a-kind.
- Purcell Flightsail Pelican - An experimental aircraft from the 1990s, also unique.
- Rutan VariEze - This is a special composite aircraft. The one at the museum was the first sold in North Carolina and the third sold in the U.S.
- Link Trainers - These are old flight simulators. They were used to train pilots from the 1930s until the early 1960s. The museum is working to restore them.
- BAI Aerospace Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - This drone was used on a Coast Guard ship until 2002.
- Curtis Wright J-65 jet engine - A powerful jet engine on display.
Cool Vehicles
Besides planes, the museum also has some interesting vehicles:
- A WWII era Plymouth staff car
- A 1942 Harley-Davidson motorcycle
- A 1977 Army Jeep
- President Truman's Presidential Limo (an armored car!)
Past Exhibits
Some amazing aircraft that have been displayed at the museum in the past include:
- F4U-4 Corsair
- B-25
- Beechcraft C-45A
- Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
Large Scale Models
The museum also has more than 150 aircraft models hanging from the gift shop ceiling! Plus, there are some really big scale models. Some of these models have wingspans up to ten feet!
- 1903 Wright Flyer
- P-47D Thunderbolt
- BF-19 Messerschmitt
- P-51 Mustang
Annual Fly-In Event
Since 1996, the museum has hosted a special event called a "fly-in." It happens on the second Saturday in June each year. During the fly-in, many different aircraft visit the museum.
It's a fun day for everyone! Kids can even get free flights in small airplanes. There are also helicopter rides and cool racing car exhibits. You can see Ham Radio demonstrations and get your face painted by the Marines. There are also remote control model aircraft and other scale model displays.
The fly-in has become very popular. In 2009, about 80 aircraft and 1,500 people attended. By 2010, those numbers jumped to 150 aircraft and over 2,500 people! In 2012, between 120 and 150 airplanes came, including a Korean War Hero plane. Over 1,000 people enjoyed the event that day.
See also
- Carolinas Aviation Museum
- North American aviation halls of fame
