Yanks Air Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yanks Air Museum

Preserved North American P-51A Mustang on display
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Established	1972
Location	Chino Airport, Chino, California
Type	Aviation museum
Founder	Charles Nichols

The Yanks Air Museum is a cool place in Chino, California, at the Chino Airport. It's an aviation museum, which means it's all about airplanes! The museum collects, takes care of, and fixes up American aircraft and other items. Their goal is to show how American aviation has changed over time.

History of the Yanks Air Museum

The Yanks Air Museum started in 1972. It was founded by Charles Nichols. Over the years, it has grown into a large collection of historic airplanes.

Past Events at the Museum

In 2007, the U.S. Navy took back two F-14 fighter jets from the museum. This happened because there were concerns that the planes were not made safe enough before the museum got them.

On June 15, 2024, a Lockheed 12 Electra airplane owned by the museum had an accident. It crashed during takeoff at a special event. Two people, including the museum's operator Frank Wright, sadly passed away. The National Transportation Safety Board investigated what happened.

Exploring the Museum's Facilities

The Yanks Air Museum has amazing places to see its planes. It also has areas where old aircraft are brought back to life.

Chino Location and Exhibits

The museum in Chino has one of the biggest collections of American aircraft. These include famous planes from World War II, like fighters and bombers. The collection starts with a copy of the 1903 Wright Flyer. This was the very first successful airplane.

The museum also has planes from the 1980s. These include the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. There are more than 190 aircraft in total. Some of these are the last of their kind left in the world.

The Yanks Air Museum fixes up all its planes so they could fly again. When they restore these rare aircraft, they use the original plans and materials. This makes sure the planes are just like they were when they were first built.

The Chino museum buildings cover a huge area, about 176,000 square feet. The whole museum property is about 10 acres. Visitors can also see the main workshop where planes are restored. There is also a "boneyard" where historic planes are waiting to be fixed. Some planes are so rare that they won't be flown. However, they are still restored to perfect flying condition.

Future Plans: The Greenfield Project

The museum is also working on a second location in Greenfield, California. This new facility will be very large, covering 440 acres. The main museum building will be 250,000 square feet.

This new location will have an active airport. This airport will be used for museum flights. It will also be for private planes of visitors and local pilots. The project also plans to include an advanced education center. There will also be a hotel, restaurants, and shops.

Amazing Aircraft Collection

The museum displays 190 aircraft. These planes cover the years from 1903 to 1984. This includes planes from between the World Wars. Some examples are the Ryan Brougham and the Swallow TP.

Many rare planes from World War II are on display. These include the P-51A Mustang and the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. You can also see the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the P-47M Thunderbolt. Other famous planes are the North American B-25 Mitchell and the Douglas SBD Dauntless. Many of these planes were built in Southern California.

Aircraft collection

See also

• Planes of Fame Air Museum, another air museum located at Chino Airport
• List of aerospace museums