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 a cool place in Asheboro, North Carolina. It shows off many different airplanes, old uniforms, and other items related to flying. You can also see a huge collection of model airplanes!
Most of the airplanes you see here are owned by private collectors. They are loaned to the museum for everyone to enjoy. These planes are kept in great shape, ready to fly. This means the planes on display can change from time to time. A small team of staff and volunteers helps keep the museum running and restores old aircraft.
Contents
History of the Museum
How It All Started
The museum began in 1994. A businessman from Asheboro named Jim Peddycord started it. It was first called the Foundation for Aircraft Conservation. He began with a few of his own "warbirds" (old military planes) in an empty hangar at the Asheboro Regional Airport.
Growing the Collection
In 1996, Jim Peddycord organized an air show. This event helped get more people interested in supporting the museum. Around this time, Bob Moon became the museum's first manager. For three years, Bob Moon gathered many different types of aircraft. He later gave these planes to the museum. Many of the model planes he collected still hang from the ceiling in the museum's gift shop. The gift shop was named after him after he passed away in 2007.
A New Name and More Growth
In 1997, another air show was planned. Sadly, Jim Peddycord and his son Rick died in a plane accident the day before the show. They were practicing when their two planes crashed. To honor Jim Peddycord, the museum was renamed the Peddycord Foundation for Aircraft Conservation (PFAC). Another local businessman, Craig Branson, continued to help the foundation grow.
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. It even made some special flights in 2004 and 2005.
Between 2001 and 2002, the museum changed its name again to The North Carolina Aviation Museum. This new name showed that the museum was collecting more than just planes. It also started collecting uniforms, weapons, artwork, and models. During this time, the museum also became the official home for 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 special F4U-4 Corsair plane. This plane was on loan from pilot Doug Matthews. It was one of only about 40 of these planes that could still fly in the world!
Aircraft Collection
The museum has many interesting aircraft. Here are some of the planes you might see:
- Piper J-3 Flitfire: This plane is very special because Orville Wright (one of the Wright Brothers!) flew in it in 1943. He did this to help raise money for a good cause.
- 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 plane was used during the Korean War. Its job was to find enemy positions.
- Stearman PT-13D Kaydet: This was a common training plane. The United States and its allies used it to teach pilots how to fly in the late 1930s and during World War II.
- Pilatus P-3: This is a Swiss training aircraft. Switzerland created it to be similar to the T-34 "Mentor" plane.
- Fairchild F-22: A small, two-seat plane used for sports or general flying.
- Shehane Aerosport Quail: This is an experimental aircraft built in 1978. It uses a Volkswagen engine and is one of a kind!
- Denney Kitfox: The museum has the frame of this plane. It's waiting for an engine, outer skin, and controls before it can be finished.
- Purcell Sea Sprite: Another experimental aircraft from 1975, also one of a kind.
- Purcell Flightsail Pelican: An experimental aircraft from the 1990s, also unique.
- Rutan VariEze: This plane is made of composite materials. It was the first of its kind sold in North Carolina and the third in the U.S. It is currently being restored.
- Link Trainers: These are old flight simulators. They were used to train pilots from the 1930s to the early 1960s. They are waiting to be restored.
- 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.
Other Vehicles
Besides airplanes, the museum also has some cool vehicles:
- A Plymouth staff car from the World War II era.
- A 1942 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
- A 1977 Army Jeep.
- President Truman's Presidential Limo / armored car.
Large Scale Models
The museum has over 150 small aircraft models hanging from the gift shop ceiling. It also has much larger models, some with wingspans up to ten feet! These include:
- A model of the 1903 Wright Flyer.
- A model of the P-47D Thunderbolt.
- A model of the BF-19 Messerschmitt.
- A model of the P-51 Mustang.
Annual Fly-in Event
Since 1996, the museum has hosted a special "fly-in" event every year. It happens on the second Saturday in June. At this event, you can see many visiting airplanes. Kids can even get free rides in small airplanes! There are also helicopter rides, racing car displays, and demonstrations by Ham Radio operators. You might also see face painting by the Marines, remote control model aircraft, and other cool 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, there were between 120 and 150 airplanes, including a Korean War Hero plane and a Beech 18, with over 1,000 visitors.
See also
- Carolinas Aviation Museum
- North American aviation halls of fame
