Warbird Information Exchange

The exhibit is called "Deep Landings" and more pictures of the exhibit's construction are available in an album on Fotki. Also, it's worth noting that it is almost certainly based on the "Sunken Treasures" exhibit at the National Naval Aviation Museum.

Also, in-aircraft theaters have been done at a number of museums, for example in a DHC-4 forward fuselage at the Queensland Air Museum, but the one in the SNCASE SE.3200 Frelon at the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace is particularly well done. It is particularly immersive as it works from all angles. Instead of just a single screen, the side windows and rear ramp have screens as well:
[Link to Image]
[Link to Image]
(Source: Travels with LPSPhoto)

Furthermore, the rear screen functions from both sides, so it is not just a blank slate from the outside:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Travels with LPSPhoto)

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

So the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace has a take on this I have never seen before with a full size aircraft. They have a Mirage F1 that is not only cut away, but - like the Link trainer mentioned in a previous post - has a transparent structure. It was made for the 1979 Paris Air Show and apparently even includes some sort of interactive element:
[Link to Image]
[Link to Image]
(Source: Travels with LPSPhoto)

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

The need for mobile exhibits was touched on in a previous post, but it was discussed in the context of not obstructing the movement of aircraft. However, the signs describing the aircraft often have to be moved as well. This is not necessarily because they are in the way, but when the hangar is restacked, the aircraft have been repositioned so the signs no longer correspond to the correct aircraft. Therefore, this excerpt from an article about the opening of Planes of Fame's Enterprise Hangar was very interesting:


(Source: Los Angeles Times via Newspapers.com)

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

To build off a previous post, it's time for another shameless self plug! Our museum has a motorized cutaway Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp on loan from the Ohio History Connection. While the fact that it is cutaway, or even motorized, is nothing new, I felt the bar label I designed for the bottom of the mount is particularly creative. It is inspired by the way I explain the basic portions of the engine - propeller shaft, reduction gearing (planetary gears), pistons, supercharger, carburetor/accessory section, and magnetos and starter motor - to visitors during tours. I physically use pairs of knife hands to call out each section as we move down the engine from front to back. Note how the carburetor text is positioned on the top side of the bar - mirroring the way it sits on top of the accessory section on the actual engine:


Another recent result is a drawing of a Corsair outer wing that uses color coding to identify and illustrate the arrangement of the machine guns and associated components (gun chargers/solenoids/rollers, ammunition chutes ammo bay doors (ammunition boxes) and structure). The base image is a production drawing, VS-10519, that was microfilmed and then digitized by AirCorps Library. The background was removed and the color added using a free raster graphics editor called GIMP. The clear plexiglass sign holder is not attached to the wing in any way. It is simply placed upside down so that it hangs from its base:


While cross sections of aircraft fuselages have been done before - such as the A400 at the Deutsches Museum - the example at the Airbus facility in Toulouse stands out because it includes the dimensions of multiple aircraft - the A300/A340, A320, A380, ATR 42/72, Caravelle and Concorde - for comparison:

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Lastly, similar to the example at WAAAM mentioned in a previous post, old, weathered siding is being used on the new hangar at Old Rhinebeck to give it a worn appearance.

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

While looking for pictures for the Aviation Museum Labels thread I naturally came across a number of additional exhibit designs that were pretty creative. They include:

• An interactive sign with a rotating disc explaining the meaning behind runway numbers at the Museum of Flight
• A piece of plexiglass with color coded boxes highlighting the types of instrument cluster in an SR-71A cockpit at the Museum of Flight
• An interactive aircraft engine with color coded parts that allows visitors to assemble it at the Aerospace Museum of California
• A circular staircase with a Titan missile in the center and a recreation of the launch control room at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
• A cutaway Harvard model showing interior components at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum
• An SBD at floor level, but supported entirely from above at the USS Midway Museum

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

Another quick one similar in subject to the SR-71 example from the post above: The Volandia museum in Italy has a chronological series of instrument panels from various aircraft - including a Ro.37bis, SM.79, CR.42, Bf 109 E, P-51B, P-51D, Bf 109 G, MC.205V, Supermarine Spitfire XIV, Bf 109 K, F-84, MB-308 (1947), Macchi M.416 (1951), G.82 (1954) and MB-326 (1957) - on display behind glass. (See a post by a visitor for a complete series of pictures.) Each is labeled with a year to show the way the panels changed over time as new and more advanced instruments were introduced:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Warbirds Online)

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

The pole the JF-104A, 56-0754, gate guard at what was then the United States Air Force Museum is mounted on used to be painted to look like it was fire coming out the exhaust of the airplane. I can understand why they have since painted it over - and I can't say I wouldn't have done the same - it's pretty gaudy - but, I have to admit it was creative.

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

Always enjoying coming back to this thread and finding something new. Nice work on the 1830 cut-away and bottom bar labelling, looks great!

At the risk of pounding my own drum, the Collections staff at The Museum of Flight in Seattle started a monthly series in 2009 in conjunction with Membership called "Coffee with the Curator." We used it to exercise elements of the collection not actually on display, but which complemented permanent displays, and also to parade artifacts that spoke to periodic holidays, such as Valentines Day ("Love is in the Air"). It was popular beyond our fondest hopes, and within several months had been expanded to include other than Members. The investment in coffee and cookies was funded by Membership, and the actual program was assembled by the Collections staff based on their areas of specialization. Thus, we produced small artifacts related to the Republic P-47 in the Quonset Hut right next to the actual razor-backed P-47D, discussed the evolution of on-board airline service right next to the Boeing Model 80A ("Style in the Aisle") and so on. This approach breathed extra "life" into what were otherwise static, fixed, and expensively produced permanent full-size artifacts at a very reasonable cost, while enabling the "behind-the-scenes" members of the staff to strut their stuff a bit.

Thanks! Just glad people are enjoying it (and maybe getting some ideas)!


No worries, that's allowed. After all, I did the same thing!

A few random more examples:

• Similar to the PBY cutaway mentioned in a previous post, a labeled B-17 radio operator's compartment from 1944 has all of the components of the radio system labeled.
• Another training aid, this one closer in concept to the system boards mentioned in a previous post, is an oversized altimeter and E-6B at the Texas Air Museum.
• The Air Mobility Command Museum has a Sperry ball turret with the left side removed and a mannequin in place to show the cramped conditions. The various components have also been identified with labels on the plexiglass similar to the SR-71 cockpit mentioned in a previous post.
• Instead of the standard aircraft 3-view on a label, the RAF Museum Midlands had an interesting take with a three dimensional recognition model (source). It's a cool idea, but I am quite curious to see how well the model holds up, as it will see a lot of wear and tear from handling and can imagine it needing repair frequently. The pedestal sign also takes a page from the War Thunder cutaway mentioned in a previous post and includes an interactive virtual element. However, this one instead appears to show a panorama of the interior, allowing guests to see what would normally be an inaccessible area.

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

Still more examples:

• Taking a beat up or duplicate airframe and cutting it up can be a great way to display aircraft in unusual way or otherwise impossible situations. The U.S. Army Aviation Museum has a UH-1 half submerged in fake mud (not unlike the Hudson at the Aviation Heritage Centre mentioned in a previous post) with an OH-6 hanging above it as if the crew are checking for survivors of a crash. Similarly, a G-164 with its tail cut off at the Fargo Air Museum is mounted as if it is coming straight out of the wall. This was tied in with an open house featuring agricultural aircraft.
• To build off of the x-ray view previous post, the Hill Aerospace Museum has a neat virtual tour of their C-124. While virtual tours are nothing new, what makes this one stand out is that the cockpit view has the various instruments and controls labeled with overlays. So by simply hovering over each component, the viewer can read what it is. The Connecticut Air & Space Center also has a very War Thunder inspired 3D rendering of their Corsair inside their hangar presented with the program Babylon. It is also interactive, but in a different way. In addition to being able to move anywhere around the aircraft the viewer wants (instead of being tied to fixed points like a virtual tour), four buttons in the top left corner allow the viewer to fold the wings, open the canopy, start the engine, and extend the arresting hook. It's a great option for museums with static aircraft that aren't able to fly them, but still would like to show off the various actions performed as part of standard operations.
  
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• Perhaps inspired by the systems instruction boards mentioned in a previous post, the U.S. Army Aviation Museum has a board with examples of the various armaments helicopters employ.
• An article on the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum's blog features an excellent picture of the #3 engine nacelle on the B-24M at the American Air Museum at Duxford. Like the P-47 turbocharger system mentioned in a previous post, it allows the visitor to see all of the ducting of the powerplant.
• The website Aviation Models has a gallery devoted to cutaway models of commercial airliners.

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

Hey! Thanks for the shout out for this! A younger kid came into the museum and was interested in getting him and his friends to 3D model some aircraft from the museum and have them up on the website for display, so of course I said yes!

He also did the:
BD-5 https://ctair3d.af267.repl.co/bd5.html
OH-6 https://ctair3d.af267.repl.co/oh6.html
T-38 https://ctair3d.af267.repl.co/t38.html
T-33 (Apparently I never added this one but will look into it.)

I'm hoping to get him back in and continue to design the rest of the collection in this 3D format. Would be very helpful for a number of reasons!

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

You don't know how badly I want this to show how the wings fold on the museum's TBM Avenger. The geometry of the Sto-Wing is so unusual, that it is difficult to explain without seeing it. I usually resort to trying to mimic the movement with my arms and pointing out that the hinge is not horizontal or vertical, but diagonal, but it's far from perfect.

I am toying with the idea of asking someone on the Wikimedia Commons Graphic Lab to make it for me using the 3-view drawing of the aircraft and a video of the wing fold process on the AFMNZ's example for reference. That way it could go up on the articles for the Avenger and folding wing as well. Although it wasn't relevant to the museum, I submitted a request for something similar for the interrupter gear article.

Of course, even if I could have the animation made I would still have to work out a way to show it during a tour, but that's part two...

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

Similar to the P-51 drop tank proposal from NASM mentioned in a previous post, the Salvadoran Air Force has a DC-3 gate guardian at Ilopango International Airport with a skydiver mannequin mounted on a frame cantilevered out from the rear door as if he had just jumped out of the aircraft:

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Previous posts (1, 2) have mentioned system display boards, but there are still more. The Tennessee Museum of Aviation has examples showing KC-97 hydraulic, landing gear/wing flap and electrical systems:
[Link to Image]
[Link to Image]
[Link to Image]
(Source: Aviation History Museums)

The Illinois Aviation Museum has a B-52 fuel systems trainer that, instead of using actual cabling or wiring, lights up the path of each set of tubing:
[Link to Video]
(Source: Facebook)

The Kansas Aviation Museum has a Beech Bonanza Landing Gear Trainer mounted on the wall that visitors can operate:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

The Mitchell Gallery of Flight at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport has a series of paintings that trace the development of the airport. What makes it special is that they are all depicted from the same perspective, but the airplane in the foreground and the structures on the airport change with each artwork as time progresses:

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum has a number of excellent displays. What makes theirs stand out is that, while being rather simple, they still work very well. For example, the way they have the designation for their CG-4 cockpit displayed on plexiglass. The display board behind it showing the construction of the CG-4 is equally minimalist, but equally successful:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

A section of glider tow cable, suspended from nearly invisible fishing line, spirals down above the cockpit as if it has just been released:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

Their visitor briefing room continues the glider theme, with decorations on the side walls and a ghosted image at the front that make it look like guests are sitting in a Waco CG-4:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

The museum has also made excellent use of plexiglass, with the enclosure for their R-3350 being a work of art in and of itself. What takes it over and above the standard motorized cutaway engine exhibit is the simple, but easy to use controls for operating it:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

Their B-17 display case makes excellent use of height and empty space: not every area of a case has to be packed with models and artifacts. It also illustrates an additional aspect of what makes their vitrines so successful. They are labeled directly on the plexiglass itself, giving a clean look:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

More visible in a second picture and similar to the trail of the torpedo in a submarine display case mentioned in a previous post, the bursts of flak have been creatively recreated with black color cotton balls:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

The Frontiers of Flight Museum has a unique canopy cover on their EA-6B. It has eyes printed on the outside in place of the front two windshields, while the remaining windows are delineated by outlines. (The former being similar in concept to the window covering on the real life "Dusty Crophopper".) So even though visitors cannot see the actual windows underneath, it still gives an idea of what they look like. Fortunately, like the fabric covering display mentioned in a previous post, thanks to an article, we can give credit to the person responsible for its creation: Ken "Smo" Smolana:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

The Yankee Air Museum unveiled a new riveting exhibit the other day that allows guests to try the process out themselves. While letting visitors rivet at aviation museums is nothing new, what is so well done about the exhibit is how easy it is to operate. Trying to do it in a safe and repeatable manner is usually awkward at best, but they have managed to rig up a device that holds both the rivet gun and sample piece of metal in place while the visitor operates it:

(Source: FOX 2 Detroit)

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

Resembling the fuselage cross-sections mentioned in a previous post in concept, the Air Mobility Command Museum, which was also mentioned in a previous post, has the dimensions of various cargo aircraft bay areas painted on the ramp in front of its hangar:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)
[Link to Image]
(Source: Flickr)

They also have an informative explanation of the various fin flashes seen on C-5s:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Flickr)

The B-29 Doc Hangar, Education and Visitors Center has a recreation of the tunnel through the bomb bay of a B-29 that visitors can crawl through:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster